By C.J. Liu

As a career coach, I have noticed over the last year that many of my clients found a silver lining in the down economy. They used it as an opportunity to change their career. The slowdown allowed for introspection on their overall happiness level at work and they made useful discoveries.

For most people, the roadblock to happiness at work is lacking clarity about what job they'd rather be doing. Sometimes, all a person knows is that they don't like their current job. I believe that the way around this roadblock is a study of the heart's desire. While logical analysis can play a role, it's only part of the solution to the problem.

CareerBuilder.com

There comes a time in every professional's career when it is best to make a change. Being able to recognize burnout and know when to leave a company can keep you from finding yourself at a dead end later in your career. But how do you know when it's time to move on? The following quiz, developed with findings from CareerBuilder.com's "Life at Work 2004" survey, will help you evaluate your position and answer this important question: Should I stay or should I go?

By Libby Quaid, Associated Press

SILVER SPRING, Md. -- Plenty of people dream of leaving their jobs to become teachers. Today, more people are actually doing it.

Peter Vos ran an Internet start-up. Now he teaches computer science to middle school kids in Maryland.

Jaime McLaughlin used to do people's taxes. Now he teaches math to sixth graders in Chicago.

Alisa Salvans was a makeup artist at Saks department store. Now she teaches high school chemistry in suburban Dallas.

These teachers, with real-life experience and often with deep knowledge of their subjects, are answering a call to service that is part of a strategy to dramatically boost the size and quality of the teaching workforce.

By Jessica Dickler, CNNMoney.com staff writer

NEW YORK -- With job openings few and far between, skilled professionals are trading their business suits for aprons - with mixed success.

Ramy Sukarieh, 32, worked in Credit Suisse's multi-asset class solution group in New York until he was laid off in October. He has tried to find a part-time position waiting tables, but he's been turned away from many restaurants and coffee shops in his upscale Brooklyn neighborhood, he said.