Dear Joyce: After a layoff, I'm not having too much luck finding another department manager's job in the financial industry. Do I need a career coach?

N.V.B.

Whether you engage a career coach, join a job club or study job searching on your own, figure out what skills you have to sell. In the employment transformation that is upending our world, your No. 1 insurance policy is the viability of your skills. This is especially true for prime-timers who are being pushed out of jobs and understand that their ability to market crossover, or transferable, skills either trumps or supports previous job titles.

Experts group skills in different ways, but they generally include such things as working with technology, people and resources and solving problems. Your skills may be occupation- specific, such as plumbing or financing. Or they may be function related, such as administration, sales or budgeting.

If the subject of your skills and how to apply them is not clear, visit a government site, www.online.onetcenter.org/skills, that offers a crash course on skills. After clicking on "Critical Thinking," for instance, your screen comes alive with a bevy of occupations requiring critical thinking, ranging from air traffic controller and animal breeder to fire investigator and recruiter.

You may be surprised by how many skills you've already racked up and gain an appreciation of how valuable they are to your career.

Dear Joyce: I love my job, and to my knowledge, the small firm I work for is not having financial problems. But it's raise time, and my boss asks that I wait six months. I didn't know what to say, so I simply said, "I understand." It's the next day, and I realize I'm resentful because I worked hard for this raise. Should I speak to him again, and what do I say? Should I just look for another job?

R.A.

Try to work it out where you are. To reopen the topic, simply state: "We spoke recently about the raise I've earned with my strong performance. My request is reasonable, and you've agreed I've done a fine job and have taken on more responsibilities. I'd like to discuss it further. When can we meet to talk about it?"

You'll know what to do after that conversation.

Generally, stick to the concept of "deserve a raise" rather than "need a raise." But there are exceptions, especially if you have a good relationship with a boss who knows your family and what's going on in your life.

Dear Joyce: I'm happy to share work assignments, but I'm currently working with another woman who seems content to let me do most of the heavy lifting. I'm a person who doesn't like conflict and winds up saying nothing. How can I handle this in a civil manner without complaining to our boss?

R.R.

Try this: "According to the memo from our manager, we're supposed to coordinate this project, yet I see I'm doing most of the work. I'd like to talk to you about changing this. When would be a good time to discuss a more equitable split of our work- sharing?"

If that approach doesn't jump-start a wake-up-and contribute moment, you can explain things to your manager without whining, say you don't think the company is getting maximum value of expenditures for the project and ask for advice.

Or say nothing and continue to stay late.

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