The new discrimination in job hunting

Lately there's been stories in the news when it comes to employers discriminating against certain types of job seekers, discrimination that isn't the typical kind seen over the years.

One group in particular that is calling foul is one that doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to turn away: the unemployed. With about 14 million people unemployed as of January's report, that certainly doesn't bode well for those looking for work.

But on Feb. 16, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to examine the complaints and to determine whether or not discrimination is taking place and the legality of it. A University of Colorado professor testified that companies are posting advertisements for employment with the stipulation that the candidate must currently be employed.

A low blow, really.

In addition to the unemployed, another demographic is also getting turned away at the door -- that of people who smoke. In keeping with a trend that began picking up steam a couple of years ago but is seeing more activity as of late, employers are going a step further to banning tobacco and implementing a 'smoker-free' placeplace, with some even going so far as to require urine tests to make sure employees are clean of any tobacco-related products.

While it remains to be seen what both of these situations will mean in terms of legal ramifications, one aspect of today's economy is clear: it really is an employer's market right now and it could be that way for quite some time.

To get more information from Free Job Hunting Info, check out Free Job Hunting Info's website, follow Free Job Hunting Info on Twitter or friend Free Job Hunting info on Facebook.

Breathe new life into your boring, old cover letter

Imagine for a second that you're a hiring manager and a big part of your job is writing cover letters.

We know, horrifyingly boring, right?

That's why one of the best ways to get an employer's attention is to have a good cover letter that actually gets their attention and breaks them out of their coma induced by reading the same cover letter over and over and over again.

Here are seven quick tips that you can start implementing to make sure your cover letter gets you a job and doesn't put someone else to sleep.


1. Lose the 'To whom it may concern'
Seriously, not the best start in terms of the whole 'oh, whatever is coming up is going to be fascinating, I bet" department. Lose it. Same with the 'Dear sirs or madames.' Find out the person's name who is doing the hiring, and use that. Or if you don't know it, then cut to the chase and just start the letter. That's what's important.

2. Don't start off asking for a job or saying you have interest in the job
We're guessing if they received a cover letter, something might tip them off that you're looking for a job and are interested in the positon. Just a guess. A cover letter gives employers a chance to get to know you and what you have to offer. Don't make it overly personal; keep it professional. But consider what really defines you professionally. What do you really bring to the table? What is your strongest quality? A cover letter is the elevator speech to sell yourself to someone else. Give yourself a definition.

3. Make it a story
People like to read stories; what they don't like to read is a listing of a person's skills and abilities in paragraph form, and often these are lost in all the clutter and conjuctions desperately trying to bind them together anyway. Use examples of accomplishments in your past to make your skills come to life. The key is in these examples and stories because that gives an employer evidence of the results you're capable of.

4. Channel a little Hemmingway
No, we're not expecting this to be that good. Nobody is. But one aspect of ole Ernest was his ability to write short, to the point sentences. They grabbed your attention. They got to the point. Subject. Verb. This is how we traditionally speak and what people like to read. The moment you start adding flowerly language to the equation, it gets clumsy and the information gets lost. Keep it simple, and Papa would be pround.

5. Take the time for tailoring
Taking the time to redo your cover letter with each position can be a pain, yes. But it's the hard work that often yields the best results, or any results for that matter. So each time you respond to an advertised job, look at the requirements and skills, and change your letter to fit those requirements. We're not saying you have to completely start from scratch each time, but make this information fit within appropriate areas.

6. Stay on point
Salary requirements, why you're looking, reasons for leaving past jobs - this is neither the time nor the place. Always remember this is about selling you for the future, not for digging up the past or bringing up things that don't need to be brought up.

7. Enthusiasm, enthusiasm, enthusiasm
We apply this rule a lot. That's because no matter which aspect of job hunting your engaging in, from interviews to phone calls, enthusiasm will carry you far and get an employer's attention. Don't be desperate and pleading, but be excited and genuinely interested in the new challenges and how you can put your skills to task in order to solve them.

Mistakes you're probably making in your job search (but can fix pretty quickly)

Everybody makes mistakes, and the best mistakes you can make are the ones you can learn from and/or fix relatively quickly. For your job search, we offer common mistakes people make these days and how to fix them.  
Not getting help
We say this a lot. Probably because it's really, really important in a job search. You have to be networking, and today it's easier than ever to do. People want to help you. Seriously. If you've ever helped a friend in his job search, then you'll know what we mean. It gives people a sense of satisfaction knowing they did something for a friend. Take advantage of the opportunities you have to meet and further your job search with others and with people others know.

Using the same resume you made for a class back in college
Writing a resume is like a job in itself. It's time consuming, painstakingly detailed and you need to go over it again and again to make it perfect. If you look up 'weekend killer' in a dictionary, a resume is probably sitting there. But you really have to take the initiative to reassess your resume and make sure that it's current and really sells everything you have to offer.

Not knowing what you want
Finding a job is a numbers game, meaning the more positions you apply for, the odds are going to be better that you will get a response. But that's not going to get you very far if you don't fit the position and the position doesn't fit you. Everybody struggles with the question, "what do I really want to do?" And no one is going to be able to answer that question except for you. But seriously consider it and refocus your search with goals in mind. Maybe first consider what you definitely don't want and work your way inward from there.

You're not plugged in
Wouldn't it be cool if you could have all of your job hunting materials essentially with you, essentially all of the time and you could essentially just give them to whoever you wanted to instantly? Well, check out this thing called "Internet." Now, it's easier than ever to create a website. Spend a few hours online researching it, and get your website up and running. It doesn't have to be extravagant, just simple and elegant. Employers will be impressed with anything moreso than nothing...well, that's not always true, so be tasteful with the site so it doesn't look like a crazy 90s MySpace page.