Joyce Lain Kennedy, author of the nationally syndicated "Careers Now" column, has been an expert in the employment field for nearly four decades. She is the original careers columnist in syndication and her work is now distributed twice weekly by Tribune Media Services.

Kennedy estimates she has received more than 3.5 million letters from readers and has answered more than 5,500 queries in her columns since 1968. The vast majority of her reader mail now comes by e-mail to Kennedy at her Web site, www.sunfeatures.com. Her advice on jobs and career management issues addresses the problems experienced by virtually all working people: job search, layoff, discrimination, specialization, keeping up with technology in the workplace and networking both on land and online.

She began her writing career by offering advice to teenagers and young adults before broadening the scope of her column, which now relates to all ages. Kennedy is the bestselling author of seven career guides, including "Resumés for Dummies," "Cover Letters for Dummies" and "Job Interviewing for Dummies."

A former resident of Washington, D.C., and New York, Kennedy grew up in St. Louis, and earned a business administration degree from Washington University. She now resides in a suburb of San Diego.

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