While you're looking for your next job, there are some things you should and shouldn't do. First of all, most corporate gigs require drug tests, so govern yourself accordingly. Beyond that, always keep in mind that you need to be prepared -  sometimes with an hour's warning - to show up for a follow-up interview or assignment. I've seen it happen, so stay mentally and physically ready.

You should also economize as much as possible, as we've discussed earlier, and pay close attention to your personal financial issues. If your savings are limited and paying bills could become a problem, be proactive. Creditors, utility companies, and banks should be contacted before payments are due (and unpaid), and definitely prior to late fees kicking in. With the current economy, you might find comfort in the fact that many other people are in similar situations, and companies often have mechanisms for postponing your payments without incurring extra charges or penalties, including derogatory reports to credit-reporting agencies. There are no assurances that all - or any - of your creditors will work with you, of course, but as I always say, it never hurts to ask.

You may also want to consider accepting a temporary position to tide you over, since unemployment compensation is laughably inadequate, But maybe someone else is supporting you: a spouse, partner, parent, or other financially beneficent person. In that case, take the money (but don't run!) A temp position may be helpful, whether it's bartending, secretarial, or administrative work, security, retail, or whatever. You may also consider taking classes to polish your job skills. If you're a copywriter, for example, develop your web tools. If your usual job is a technical one, upgrade your certifications! Not everyone has the luxury of using down-time to add to their qualifications, but if you do, seize the time!

Naturally, you want to continue networking as we previously discussed, and investigate other opportunities in that realm, too. You might have let some professional or trade organizations escape your scrutiny but now is a great time to dig around for 'em. And see if you can snag coffee, lunch, or drinks with someone who might help you get from here to there. It's who you know, right?

I always recommend going to your local public library, too. Most have kept up with the information explosion, so in addition to being a repository of books, videos and audio recordings, they also can help with just about any type of research, including your job search. Librarians may sometimes seems a little nerdish or geeky but they're invariably super-smart and usually happy to help. Again, no harm in asking!

I've also blogged extensively about doing your own thing and creating a business.  Just check the archives for my extensive postings on the subject here on MOLI. Many people continue to have side gigs, freelance jobs, or do contract work in addition to their "real" jobs, anyway, so right now may be the best time of all to get started with yours!

I've also blogged about dealing with job interviews, so next time, we'll go to the next step and get into what you need to know when you get hired and begin your new job!

Think positive!

Richard Pachter is the MOLI View's Watchman.

To the casual observer, it looks as though superheroes are saving the movie business. The Dark Knight just brought in more than $150 million at the box office this weekend, beating the record set by Spider-Man 3 and showing once again that late-night screenings attract geeks dressed in costumes. Just  two months ago, Iron Man grossed more than $100 million in its opening weekend. Every week it seems another record is set - even if it's only one for the best four-day-weekend opening in August.

All of this talk about records obscures an undeniable fact: Fewer people are going to the movies than ever before. So far, this year's domestic box office total is down just one percent, according to The New York Times. But the number of people going to the theater is down 3.7 percent - which is bad news for theater owners. Since they give most of their ticket proceeds to the studios - especially in the first few weekends, when demand to see movies is at its highest - theaters rely on sales of refreshments and advertising to make a profit. To them, fewer people means less popcorn, and less popcorn means less money.

As several articles have pointed out, movies earn less in the U.S. than they did years ago relative to their cost - the Times points out that the 1989 Batman earned $40 million in its opening weekend - more than its $35 million budget - and went on to make $251 million total. By that measure, The Dark Knight looks as grim as its trailers - it is reported to have cost about $180 million, and modern blockbusters often do a third of their business on opening weekend.

This sounds like bad news for Hollywood, but it isn't. As U.S. box office grosses decline, international business picks up, especially in new markets like China. And income from other sources - DVD sales, TV pay-per-view, and even iTunes - continues to increase. These new revenue sources now shape the movies that get greenlit - for good and ill. The fact is, theater attendance has been declining since the '50s, when television was introduced, and the popularity of DVDs has only fueled the trend.

Ironically, the fact that it's so easy to watch movies at home seems to have compressed the window in which films can pack theaters. Hardcore fans who really want to see a movie now do so in the first couple of weeks, while everyone else seems to wait until they can watch it on DVD. Transformers brought in an impressive $150 million on a holiday opening weekend last year, but that was almost half of what it made in the U.S. Then, when the movie came out on DVD, it sold 8.3 million copies its first week in stores. Most of those buyers are people who, years ago, would have seen the movie, or seen it again, in a theater.

So the movies are fine. But the movie theaters might need saving.

Robert Levine is the MOLI View contributing editor for Business and Technology.