Who hasn't wondered why the least intelligent (borderline retard) co-worker, seems to get the breaks, promotions and favors from the boss. But why? How in the world would a buffoon be able to achieve such clout in the workplace? You know why..."The AK factor" i.e. the as* kissing factor. Sure, "The AK factor" is joked about at work, but lets face it; where some lack intelligence they make up for it in soft skills. Those same soft skills inevitably will keep him/her on the payroll. Even more so, on the payroll with an attractive salary, perks and with the bells and whistles available only the dreams of most other employees.

Make no mistake about it, soft skills are real. Soft skills transform the average employee in the big boss. Sure, its unfair but then so is life. Let's face it, people are people, whether at work, the mall or at home. And people in general typically suffer from narcissism. The "thought to be buffoon," at work, knows this and just how to massage the egos of the narcissistic power brokers; hence job stability for him/her and good luck for everyone else or go find another job somewhere. Oh well, too bad huh...its rough working for someone else, especially when skills, intelligent and commitment ride backseat to "The "AK factor." Guess we could all start new businesses...then again we could seek consultation from the workplace buffoon. Maybe he/she has an "AK fast track" course or something. Sign me up.

Sounds like a dream come true, huh...to quit the job you love to hate an become an entrepreneur. Maybe your passion is photography, graphic design, antique/specialty cars(Xzibit's you know pimp my ride), boutique ownership, real estate brokerage or whatever. What's the key to making that happen? Well it sure isn't cash...oh no, you don't need cash. Who needs cash when you have Obamacare. Let Pelosi tell it, Obamacare paves the way to entrepreneurialism. After all how can you become an entrepreneur if you don't have health care and get sick in the middle of your dream project. You know what happens...the debt man cometh and taketh everything you have and assigns any remaining debt to your young ones. Who cares, if your kids are 5 and 6 years old...the parents got sick on the job and owes the debt man. Sounds absurd but it definitely can happen...and has happened before. That's why the Supreme Court needs to hear this matter, right?

Like it our not the Supreme Court is going to make a decision that will affect your current job (if you're lucky to have a job) or perhaps influence your entrepreneurial dreams in the future. Affordable health care may be an important issue for job growth and small business (from different angles) but it's hard to explain why the Supreme Court needs to hear this matter when the number one reason for failed startups is --- lack of funding. While the Supreme Court is at it --- why not look at how the lack of funding hampers entrepreneurialism, since Pelosi and others have tied entrepreneurialism to the health care mandate debate.

As far as job search is concerned, social media and "who you know" are still amongst the most effective ways to get your name out there. "Who you know" needs no introduction since the GOB (Good ole' boy) network thrives on "who you know." Social media on the other hand, is little different not much but a little if used correctly. Basically, that means Facebook isn't all about pictures and Twitter isn't all about hashtags. Job seekers that leverage the sheer social base of just Facebook and Twitter alone means way more job opportunities via realtime job search. By tapping into the power of realtime job search, it quickly becomes apparent that the problem isn't so much jobs...or the lack thereof. There has always been a hidden job market. Unfortunately, for job seekers the hidden job market becomes even less transparent during challenging economic times. Thus, the real problem is discovering how to get plugged into the hidden job market. Some things never change such as "who you know," while others such as realtime job search and social media have changed the job search game. Chances are a great many job seekers are going to get left behind waiting for a huge surge in job postings via job boards. As the old saying goes, "Adapt to survive."

Sound familiar? Thinking deja-vu? Too many people are stuck in a job going nowhere fast -- real fast. Although true, you won't hear too much complaining, since the job crisis fear factor has a lot of people terrified. It's so bad that even introverts are putting on a "happy face" at work these days. So you dare to step out on a ledge and want to move on to a role more challenging? Nerves of steel!

First things first, is the job stuck on you or are you stuck in the job? The former most likely means you're just too damn good at what you do. Oops, guess you won't raise your hand and volunteer again, now will you. Lol. Now if you're stuck in the job that likely means -- well, you guessed it, you're dumb as a doorknob and not ready to move on to the next mountain to climb. Perhaps you should be happy just to collect a check, in this economy. As for the previously mentioned overachiever, well the best way out of the dead end job is to train/mentor someone. That someone needs to have the same work ethic as you or it's going to be a hard sell getting the boss to buy-in.

So while being stuck in a dead end job can certainly be a drag, at least it's a job for the time being. Train someone to help with your exit strategy or for the other side of the coin, shut your trap, grin and bear it. When you feel like its intolerable, just read the news on unemployment, that will undoubtedly make it all better.