Whether your only son just headed off to college or you’ve got twin girls slinging baby food across the kitchen, you know how difficult it can be to hold a job and balance your life with your kids. Between diapers, toys, clothes and a college fund, parents may be feeling more strapped than ever with the economy the way it is.

Workinmums, an online resource for moms in the workplace, found that because of the current credit crunch, more and more mothers are looking to either go back to work or pick up extra hours to make ends meet. Unfortunately, many parents struggled to find jobs that allowed them to juggle their family life while still earning a steady paycheck.

SnagAJob.com thinks all you mothers out there should give yourselves a big pat on that back. Whether you’re employed or not, we know that being a parent is the most difficult job there is. We also want to help all you moms out there who are looking for a job with some flexibility by providing you with some resources to check out during your job search:

• Part-time jobs are great for anyone with kids because you can usually work out a schedule that suits your family’s needs more easily than full-time employment.
•  Seasonal jobs give workers the extra cash they need for gifts and other holiday expenses. You may even be able to score an employee discount, which will help lower your shopping bill as well.
• Make sure you maintain a healthy balance between your work and family life.

Remember to use those valuable mommy skills to sell yourself during job interviews, such as your organizational skills or your ability to multi-task. Also, keep an eye out for companies who offer free or discounted childcare.

As some of you might remember, SnagAJob.com embarked on a Campaign to Hire America at the beginning of this year, with a lofty goal to get 400,000 job seekers hired before the year’s end. And despite the widespread fear that jobs are going the way of the dinosaurs, we’ve actually got some pretty awesome news to report.

As of now, we’ve placed over 404,000 people into jobs, surpassing our original goal–and the year’s not even over yet. What’s more, that number is going up even as you read this blog, so we’re going to have to raise our standards.

We know there are still job seekers out there on a quest for the right job, and we want to invite all of you to join our campaign to put people into jobs they love. Impacting this many people’s lives feels good, but we want to feel even better. That’s why we’ve decided to shoot for an even half a million–that’s right, our new goal is to find jobs for 500,000 people. So tell your friends, family and even people you meet out on the street to start their job search with SnagAJob.com. Just think of how many lives we could change if every SnagAJob.com user helps one person find the employment they need to pay for school, feed their family or put gas in their car.

• Need an extra boost? Read our job advice for helpful tips.

You might recognize the famous Loverboy song referenced in the headline of this blog if you were old enough to work – or rock – circa 1981.

And while the song was hailed as the Anti-Work Anthem by cheesy rock DJs across the airwaves, it’s not exactly accurate, is it? After all, 60 percent of American workers are of the hourly variety; that’s 70 million clock punchers. And who do you think is running movie projectors on Friday night or cleaning the ice aboard a Zamboni during a Saturday afternoon hockey game? Hourly workers, that’s who.

So while the stiff shirt-and-tie crowd may be counting down the hours until they can share Happy Hour beverages and Bloomin’ Onions, we know that the real hard workers are tucking in their shirts because their shift starts in five minutes.

We’re here to tell all the hourly workers who have to pull weekend duty that weekends are overrated. And here are a few reasons why:

1. “Saturday Night Live” stinks. Gout is funnier than the recent crop of Not Ready for Prime-Time Players. Even “MADtv” is making fun of them.

2. Grocery ghost town. If you’re working on the weekend, odds are you’re free when everyone else is stuck behind the desk. Take advantage of this opportunity to get your errands done without the crowds.

3. Never have a “case of the Mondays.” One of the best parts of having a schedule that looks like a shape-shifting Tetris game is that each week is a new adventure. When your body and mind aren’t trained to dread every Monday morning, you avoid a tough rut.

• Search for part-time jobs now. And don’t forget to start scoping out seasonal jobs, too.

When it comes time to get your first job (or even your second or third), many job seekers have trouble getting motivated. You have dreams of becoming a major league baseball player or a Hollywood starlet when you get older, and you just don’t see how a part-time job at the mall fits into your long-term goals.

Ever heard the saying, “Everyone has to start somewhere?” Well it’s true. Just ask well-known pirate Johnny Depp (aka singer for a Kiss tribute band) or Danny DeVito (former hairstylist). Even big-time celebrities held hourly jobs back in the day, so who knows—your cashier job may lead you to become a star.

Here are some celebrities who held hourly jobs before they were being mobbed by the paparazzi:

• Jim Carrey. This funny man held jobs as a security guard and a janitor at a tire factory to help his family when his dad lost his job.

• Chris Rock. Before he was doing stand-up in front of a sold-out audience, this comedian was a busboy at Red Lobster. He traded labor for time on stage in a comedy club where he stacked chairs and mopped the floor. The rest is history.

• Jennifer Lopez. Or should we say J-Lo? Either way, the singer worked in a law office just to pay for voice and dance lessons. Her hard work obviously paid off.

• Brad Pitt. Before he was the envy of nearly every man in the world, Brad donned a chicken suit and clucked around outside of a fried chicken restaurant for cash. We’re willing to bet he wasn’t getting many ladies dressed as poultry.

• Vince Vaughn. This ‘Wedding Crasher’ was a telemarketer long before he was slinging dodge balls. We’re sure there are many girls who would be happy to get a call from him now.

• Madonna. You didn’t think this music icon was just born famous, did you? Two words: Dunkin’ Donuts.

Many celebrities were on their way to stardom in their industry without even knowing it. Fashion designer Ralph Lauren worked as a salesclerk, Nicholas Cage sold popcorn at a movie theater - foreshadowing his own box office hits - and Robin Williams was a street mime before he got the chance to perform on a real stage.

The moral of this story is to find a job that interests you, even if it isn’t what you want to do for the rest of your life. If you work hard and stay focused, you could go from the mail room to your own dressing room before you know it.

We understand that as the unemployment rate in the United States continues to rise, many of you job seekers get more and more discouraged with our economy. But despite the widespread fear that our labor market is going under, we do have some promising news for you.

Back in 2005, SnagAJob.com started the Campaign to Hire America, a program designed to help the hourly job seekers in this country find work. Earlier this year, we set a goal to get 400,000 people hired by the end of 2008 — and so far, we’re not doing too shabby. As of today, we’ve helped over 340,000 of you hard-working Americans find jobs, and that’s nothing to sneeze at. Looks like we’ll blow our goal out of the water, crumby economy and all.

According to a report on CNN.com, there are a lot of you out there who are unemployed but have become discouraged from even looking for a job. Well, we’re here to tell you to turn that frown upside down and become a part of our campaign. With over 100,000 job postings on our site at any given time, you’re bound to find one that’s right for you. And we want to help you land that position by providing you with job tips and advice on how to make a great first impression on employers.

Help us exceed our goal of putting America to work and start your job search today. Like they always say, there’s no time like the present…to find a job.

Hourly workers don’t receive nearly enough credit for the hard work they do every day that makes this country’s economy run all the more smoothly, like standing on their feet for hours, or helping customers find the perfect size, color and style (and honoring their expired coupons).

But we’ve got to give mad props to the 300,000 migrant workers who helped to construct the now famous sites for the Beijing Olympics—that’s more than it took to build the Egyptian pyramids, by the way. Not to mention, many workers, including factory employees and street vendors, were asked to leave the city and find work elsewhere because of efforts to purify the air and roads for the Games, so they hardly even got the chance to admire their magnificent handiwork.

However, four of those workers who had to drop everything and search for jobs in other cities got the surprise of a lifetime when an artist asked to paint them to portray the hard work they all had done to make the Games a success. In exchange for posing, the workers received tickets to the men’s 200-meter race inside the Bird’s Nest, the very structure they had helped build. In addition, they got to dine on duck, tour the Great Wall and enjoy a bit of celebrity by giving interviews and even signing autographs. Talk about perks of the job, eh?

Now that the Olympics are over and we are finished ogling over the beauty of the colorful water cube where dreamboat Michael Phelps won his eight gold medals, and gawking at the fact the National Stadium holds over 90,000 people, we should remember the dedicated migrant workers who helped make it all possible, for our viewing pleasure.

So, if you ever get discouraged with a customer or simply don’t feel like getting out of bed to go to work, just think: You could end up with a ticket to the Olympics, just like our four friends over in Beijing. Or at least an encouraging pat on the back from your boss.

• Read other job advice and start your job search today.

For the last several months leading up to the Summer Olympics, we’ve been force-fed sprinter Tyson Gay’s quick-draw smile, merman Michael Phelps’ flipper-like appendages and gymnast Shawn Johnson’s spring-loaded quad-zillas.

You might have seen them hobnobbing with Matt Lauer, pimping burgers for fast food commercials or superimposed over Old Glory in patriotic, slow-motion Olympic promos.

And good for them. Seriously.

But what about the little guys and girls – the fencers who receive less notoriety and make less money than those who actually install fencing? Or the rhythmic gymnasts who aren’t famous enough to be on “Dancing with the Stars” after their Olympic torch burns out?

As hourly workers, many of you know what it’s like to balance work and a zillion other obligations. To toil tirelessly – and anonymously. And to motivate yourself daily with the underdog philosophy until you meet your goals. You’ve got a lot in common with our under-the-radar Olympians.

Take wrestler Andy “Silent H” Hrovat – nicknamed so because of the silent ‘H’ in his last name. The Cleveland native wasn’t supposed to go to the Summer Games, but he punched his ticket to Beijing by out-grappling a repeat NCAA mat rat.

In China, he might face Russian world champ Georgi Ketoev, who bit and ultimately beat “Silent H” in a previous engagement. Think “Rocky IV” minus Bridgette, Dolph and Sly.

Then there’s Sundanese refugee Lopez Lomong, who grabbed the last available slot for the U.S. 1500M squad. A champion of the Darfur cause and former child prisoner, Lomong will be thinking about a lot more than medals during tonight’s opening ceremonies.

These are just two of the upstart Olympic athletes looking to shine through the Beijing smog and crash the party. So set your clock for 2 a.m. and dust off those red, white and blue foam fingers. It’s go time.

• Think the Olympics are all glamour and no guts? Many athletes work hard (literally) to be able to train and have a chance at glory. Read more about hourly worker Olympians.

• ALSO: Check out student jobs, part-time jobs and job advice.

They can complete a 100-meter sprint in less than 10 seconds. They can execute a back handspring into a double back tuck on a beam only four inches wide. They rise before the sun and swim, run or bike hundreds of miles a week. But they need just as much help with their resumes as the next guy.

This year’s Olympians may appear to have superhuman strength and endurance as they gear up for the games in Beijing, but when they’re not in the pool or on the track, many Olympic athletes have families to support and bills to pay. And in the world of sports, the age of retirement is well before 65—closer to 30, actually—and unless you bring home gold medals by the dozens, your sponsorship money probably isn’t going to put the kids through college.

If you think it’s hard to fit school work and a social life in with part-time jobs, imagine adding the pressure of training six hours a day for a one-time shot to represent your country in front of the whole world. Although many athletes’ accommodations are paid for by their sponsors while they’re in training, there will come a time when the days of lifting weights, hours of cardio and eager reporters at your doorstep come to an end. And if you leave your Olympic career with no job skills or experience, you may find it hard to support yourself once the cheering stops.

This is where the Olympic Job Opportunities Committee comes in—Olympic hopefuls are paired with employers who are willing to forgive their irregular schedules and provide them with a financial cushion, not to mention priceless years of experience. This program also hooks athletes up with career counseling, teaching them how to conduct a proper job interview and prepare a resume.

The Home Depot is the leading employer in the OJOC program, and their employees have earned 194 medals in the Olympic games to date. Since 1992, the company has given more than 570 athletes Home Depot jobs, full-time pay and benefits in exchange for a 20-hour workweek. And for a gymnast with a twisted ankle or a swimmer suffering from a torn rotator cuff, health insurance can be worth more than any paycheck.

So the next time you feel like it’s impossible to juggle school, family and friends with part-time jobs, be glad you don’t have to wake up and hit the gym for six hours before the rest of your day can even begin. Olympic athletes have bills to pay and dreams to chase, just like everyone else—only they’re much stronger, faster and admired by millions of people worldwide. O.K. so maybe they’re not exactly like us, but they work hard for their money while achieving seemingly impossible goals, and if they can do it, the rest of us can, too.

• Find job advice for balancing part-time jobs and your hectic lifestyle. Also, get profile and resume tips.

While Bill Gates and Steve Jobs may have found major success using advanced technology and business know-how, there’s another group of people who prove that you don’t need to be a computer whiz (or own an iPhone) to be successful in this age.

The dabbawala, meaning “one who carries a box” in Hindu, deliver goods to the people of Mumbai, India, and while their job may seem simple, the way they do it is really turning some heads. They deliver in rain or shine, even during India’s infamous monsoons. And get this: They only make one mistake per every six million deliveries. Now that’s what we call superior service.

What’s their secret? Team-work and organization. Both their delivery boxes and the trolleys they travel on are color-coded, and the dabbawalas are really on top of their time management skills. In other words, these guys have never hit the snooze button. Coca-Cola has even invited all the dabbawalas to give a talk to their managers and educate them on their successful business practices. Talk about priceless publicity.

These workers really prove that you don’t need to be tech-savvy or even have a lot of job experience to do amazing things. The dabbawala have pulled themselves out of poverty and found success just by using their noodles. So the next time you think you don’t have the skills to move up the job ladder or even start your own business, take a tip from the dabbawalas and use the resources you already have around you. A little determination can go a long way.

• Click here to read the full story about the dabbawalas, and check out job advice on ways to get ahead in the workplace. You could even check it out on your iPhone, if you really want to.

In “The Three Signs of a Miserable Job,” bestselling author Patrick Lencioni makes a compelling case that all bad jobs are tainted by the following:

• Anonymity: Does your manager refer to you by a 17-digit number instead of a first name?
• Irrelevance: Do you heal the world one transaction at a time? No…? You’ve got company.
• Immeasurment: It’s not an actual word, but it refers to not being able to even tell if you’re doing a good job. Just imagine getting a ‘Q’ on your report card.

We only bring this up because no one exhibits these unfortunate characteristics better than Pixar animated star WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class). I won’t give any spoilers for the summer blockbuster. But as the last “resident” of a futuristic Planet Earth, WALL-E the robot spends the day compacting trash and building rubbish skyscrapers, all by his lonesome. All he has are his cassette of cheesy show tunes and his pet cockroach. And those are the job perks. Yikes.

Is your job like WALL-E’s? Does your nametag just say, “Guy?” Would anyone notice if you just stopped showing up for work? And was your last performance review written on a napkin?

If so, it’s time to start your job search. Take some inspiration from WALL-E, get off your sprocket, and look for part-time jobs now.