Dear Carolyn: My husband has been unemployed for about six months. He has been trying to start a business, and he was doing really well with it, but about three months ago, a former associate called him about a job opportunity. Now he has lost all motivation to make his business work -- we dumped more than $8,000 into it without much return. We have no formal job offer and have only been told it looks good for this summer.

I have asked him many times to keep applying for other jobs because this isn't a sure thing. He seems to acknowledge my reasoning, but makes no efforts to apply. I gave him a deadline to get a job . . . even if he waits tables. He said OK, but he has done next to nothing. I send him job leads and have offered to help script cover letters. This goes nowhere, and he gets defensive if I ask about it.

18th Annual Academic Career Conference: Fall 2006 for Ph.D. ...

Penn graduate students and postdoctoral fellows continue to benefit from faculty, administrators and advanced doctoral students who share their time and advice on preparing for academic careers. The Academic Career Conference, co-sponsored by Career Services and the