YOUR RANT: I can't find any jobs in my profession.

911 REPAIR: It's tough when you spend your entire career in an occupation only to discover that there aren't any jobs in it anymore. That's why many of us who have been laid off today need to reinvent ourselves. Which reminds me of a Cleveland contractor who found $182,000 in Depression-era currency in the wall of a home he was working on.

That contractor isn't the only person sitting on a potential fortune that was initially hidden from his view. Many of us have underappreciated skills that could lead directly to a lucrative new career, but it takes effort to discover them. That's why it's so important to be open to exploring new directions that you can take your career. I've included Three Dos and one Don't for reinventing yourself. For more, read "We Are All Self-Employed" by Cliff Hakim. (Berrett-Koehler, 2003).

-- DO expect discomfort. Changing careers or embarking in a new direction is tough. It's like doing a high-wire act without a net. You have to learn new rules, gain new skills and make mistakes -- lots of mistakes. Having created my last few jobs, I know how frustrating, challenging and painful this journey can be. But I also know that the pain often gives way to incredible satisfaction.

-- DO take care of yourself. It's easy to get dispirited when you are in transition to some thing new. That's why it's so important to take good care of yourself. Get sleep, exercise and be careful about that classic depressant -- alcohol. Volunteer in your community. Keep a file of positive e-mails and letters from bosses, co-workers, customers and vendors. But mostly, work to eradicate sarcasm and negative thinking from your work life. Be someone that people want to be around as opposed to someone everyone tries to avoid like the plague.

-- DO embrace surprises. It never ceases to amaze me how many people have skills that they never knew existed. Or that they never thought could be the basis of a career. Or that outsiders value more than they do. It seems weird to say to someone who is over 40 to allow yourself to be surprised by your own skills, but it's true. And I'm not making it up. This column, and writing career, didn't start until after I was 40. Talk about being a late bloomer. Talk to friends and co-workers about your underappreciated or underused skills, and then explore how you can build a new career around them.

-- DON'T have unrealistic timeframes. In this economy, everything takes longer. So don't beat yourself up if it takes you months to gain traction. That said, I'm not advocating procrastination. I'm just saying that you need to establish a realistic time frame and realistic goals. Hidden surprises turned out great for that contractor, and it could turn out great for you. Follow these tips and you could find yourself reinvented at work.