New Year, New Job Hunt

As the new year prepares to roll in, it seems that a little hope is coming in with it. Hiring is up; jobless claims are slightly down. If you're unemployed, now is the time to start thinking positive and start rethinking your job search, particularly if your current methods have yielded not so much as an interview. Here's some quick tips on how to reinvent your job search just in time for your resolution.

Reconsider the Companies You're Going After and the Jobs You're Applying for
Ask yourself if you really even want some of the jobs you're applying for, and then think about the companies and positions you really want. Chances are, if you find something you really have a passion in obtaining, you're going to approach your job search with a renewed passion and interest and employers will note that! Just because they're not advertising doesn't mean you can't start sending out resumes, making contact and networking. 

Review Your Resume, and Start Using More Than One
Probably the best card you've got in your bag of tricks, your resume is your handshake, your presentation, your hello, your everything to that first introduction with a potential employer. You have to make it count, and if you think the one you drew up years ago using a Microsoft Word template is going to cut it, you're about as flat wrong as the design that thing is based on. Instead, rethink the way you're approaching your resume. It isn't so much about a comprehensive history of what you've done, but the good things you're capable of doing in the future. Put your skills up at the top, and make multiple resumes for multiple scenarios. Make a short resume for introductions and answering ads, a longer one for interviews and an electronic one loaded with keywords for sending out via email. 

Rethink the Interview, and Redirect the Control of It Back in Your Favor
Your alley-cat charm has gotten you pretty far in life, sure. But don't rely on it alone when walking into an interview. Be confident, not just in yourself and in your abilities, but also in your knowledge and research. Commit yourself to really looking up as much information as you can before walking into an interview. Get serious about spending at least an hour (minimum!) on every company you interview with. Not only will it impress the interviewer, but when they ask if you have any questions, you won't just sit there doe-eyed. Another important technique is to write down and commit to memory stories about how you improved a situation, process or result with your contribution in your last job. Make the stories interesting and tell them like a story you'd like to hear. People forget resumes and what tie or dress you wore (unless they're really hideous), but they remember a clever story or anecdote.

Recognize Your Values and Strengths, and Know the Value of Patience
When you're looking for a job, especially for an extended length of time, it's easy to get down on yourself and fail to recognize all your talents and worth. But know that you have great abilities and skills that a lot of employers would love to have. Oftentimes it's not about not having the right skills and experience -- it's about finding the right fit. Remember a job hunt is a numbers game and one that sometimes takes a bit of time.

Dead Language: What Words and Terms You Shouldn't Be Using on Your Resume

Team player. Exceeds expectations. Goal oriented. Yawn.

We've seen, read and heard about all these terms a thousand times before, and we'll probably hear all of them a thousand times again. And for employers viewing hundreds of resumes day in and day out, it's a sobering thought to think how often they see certain terms over and over again.

The crew over at Lifehacker (a fantastically resourceful site with stuff about technology, everyday fixes to problems and more) recently compiled a list of words to avoid so it doesn't look like everyone else's.

The words listed were:

• Results-oriented professional
• Cross-functional teams
• More than [x] years of progressively responsible experience
• Superior (or excellent) communication skills
• Strong work ethic
• Met or exceeded expectations
• Proven track record of success
• Works well with all levels of staff
• Team player
• Bottom-line orientation

 Reading the list you might immediately phrases you've heard and probably use. It might be time to give your resume another once over because with more than 30 million resumes in circulation, according to job expert Bob J. Gerberg, you can't afford to be lost in the shuffle.

To Give Your Time and Honest Effort Is to Receive a Job This Holiday Season

With the economy both difficult and picking up, a lot of people are looking for some extra work to make it through this holiday season. The Los Angeles Times recently reported that this season employers could pick up extra temporary workers by as much as 30 percent. Good news for those looking.

In keeping with that, why not share some good tips for those looking for work this time of year.

Make an Impression
It doesn't matter if you're day job is chief executive officer; if you're interested in moonlighting for a coffee shop or a cafe, dress for success and make sure you look and act professional.

You Know What They Say About the Early Bird...
It's never too early to start your search, so the sooner the better. If you haven't started already, do it now. Not tomorrow, not next week. Start right now. It only increases your odds of landing a job.


Location, Location, Location
Look around you, and consider whether or not there's any businesses near your current job or house that would be a good fit for you. It'll make working there even more convenient for you, and it enables you to have a little bit more in terms of hours.


Do What You Know
You'll have a much better chance of getting in the door if you find something related to your experience, interests or even hobbies. While it doesn't have to be exactly what you do for the rest of the 40 hours a week or the same industry, it'll help if you can bring some ideas to the table. And if you're interested in the work you're doing, it'll make working there go from unbearable to unbeatable.


Bring a Resume
OK, so you're resume might show that you're maybe a little overqualified. But temp work isn't about that. Bringing a resume and pointing to your experience and abilities only shows that you really do want the job and have credentials and stability to back it up.


In the End, It All Comes Down to Attitude
Never act like you're doing them a favor working for them or that you're looking for holiday work just because you have to. Always be enthusiastic and positive. Smile a lot. They're looking for someone to perk up the holidays, not the Grinch. 

How to Answer the Toughest Interview Questions

 Expect some difficult and almost out-of-place questions when interviewing these days. Being prepared and knowing what some of them are ahead of time gives you an edge over the competition. Here's a list of some tough interview questions and how best to answer them.

What’s your biggest weakness?

Don’t admit anything that’s a major weakness if you have one, but be honest, nonetheless. Saying that you are impatient about getting things done is an example of something that the employer could view favorably.

Why are you leaving your current job?

Here it’s best to emphasize that you are looking for new challenges, more responsibility and expanded knowledge in your field. Never talk trash about your old company – it’s just bad form. Say you enjoyed working there.

How long will you stay with us?

Stressing that you’re looking for a career is the best way to answer this question, but also say you’re a relist and if you aren’t doing the job they expect of you, then you understand going separate ways.

What are your short-term objectives?

Keep your answers focused on the job for which you’re interviewing, catering them around objectives specific to that company.

Why have you been unemployed so long?

Simply pointing to the economy and tough market may not be enough. Instead say that you’re selectively looking for the right opportunity and company that fit your skills and have not yet found it.

What’s your major accomplishment in your last job?

Pick those that seem to line up well with the major elements of the open position. The goal is to always show the interviewer your accomplishments line up with the company’s needs.

Why do you want to work for us?

In this instance, point out that from what you’ve learned from your research of the firm and based on what you’ve heard you think you could be a valuable addition to the company and a good fit for the position.

Get Positively Positive for Positive Results in Your Job Search

What do all winners have in common? Answer: a positive attitude. It will separate you from the many who give up, settle for less or stay in unattractive situations.

Here's six guidelines to convert that negative energy into positive energy and get the fire of your job search rekindled.

1. Develop Positive Beliefs

Now is a good time to remind yourself of all the good things you have done. Write down positive things you've done and can do. Make it as long and complete as possible. You'll find it really reassuring. It will provide reinforcement for the positive attitude you must maintain. All you need is short sentences. Keep it simple.

2. Get Rid of Negative Beliefs

Having now built a set of positive beliefs about yourself, your second step is to get rid of beliefs that might inhibit your will to succeed. Get rid of the whole "The world is just grim and nothing is good" attitude. If you believe there is opportunity, then you will start seeing opportunity.

3. Set Your Expectations High

Our expectations affect what happens to us. Whether it's a leading scientist, educator, salesperson, movie personality or industry leader, you'll find that each of them had very positive expectations of themselves and their future. Picture yourself setting and achieving high goals. Positive visualizations can become a continuous process of reinforcement that will give you a new-found power and self-confidence.

4. Put Positive Expectations to Work

For instance, if someone tells you that an interview can take only 15 minutes, recognize it's a screening interview and build expectations that it will allow you to showcase your potential. Your expectations affect your actions and they affect your results. In that way, your will to succeed can and does make things happen.

5. Project a Positive Attitude

Talk to people about your positive expectations. When you do this, it reaffirms your commitment. Put yourself on the line. Let these ideas flow into your attitude, and begin to reach out and help others. Why? Once again, experts tell us this is a give-and-get world. Eventually, it reaches the point where it becomes obvious to anyone who meets you, that you project a lot of confidence about yourself. A spring in your step, a firm handshake, a confident look in your eye and comments that reveal a positive outlook can all help you project good feelings to the outside world.

6. Make Things Happen by Getting into Action

If you look at achievers in any field, you will find they are very active people. It's a simple fact that taking action is in itself like taking an energy tonic. Choose any kind of example you like. the head of a college breathing new life into an institution, a company president turning around a money-losing operation, a football coach turning a losing team into winners or a test pilot setting a new speed record. They are so intent on their actions, there is no room for doubt and indecision. You can do the same thing. 

The Filling out Applications Survival Guide

OK, part-time jobs, holiday jobs, full-time jobs -- a lot of them are going to put you through that fun, fun process of filling out applications. In some countries crimes are punished by filling out job applications. Alright, that's not true, but if you've ever filled out a bunch of applications, you could probably imagine how it would be possible.

To make the whole ordeal a little easier, here are some quick tips to make a painful process slightly less painless and more effective in getting you a job.

- Try to avoid filling out the application right there. You're only going to rush it and you probably don't have all the information they need on you. Go home; take your time; write neatly; use a pen you like instead of one of those imprisoned on a chain. When you're not in a hurry, you're going to fill out a much neater, more prepared resume.

- If a salary or pay objective is available, leave it blank. Putting something there might hurt your chances at negotiating to a level acceptable for you and also might cause you to be excluded. This is a discussion better for an interview.

- Be wary of questions regarding arrests, denial of credit, etc. Be careful about how you answer, and a lot of the time, it's illegal for employers to even ask these types of questions, depending on your state. 

- When asked to fill out that part where they want your entire employment history (complete with addresses), only give brief information and refer them to your resume, which brings us to the next tip.

- Attach your resume. This only gives them more background and makes you appear more professional.

- And when you return your application, also attach a cover letter. Make sure it states your qualifications and clearly illustrates your enthusiasm to work there. Doing this really sets you ahead of all the other apps. 

The Interview

Not only should you have confidence in your interviewing skills, that part of securing a job should be what you look forward to the most. Why? Because that is when you are going to sell what a hot commodity you are.

The interview is when you reassure the boss not only do they need someone with your skill set, they need you because you have the talents mastered better than any other person they might come across.

Don't go into an interview "cold." Practice before an interview. Think of points you want to make and the quickest, most eloquent way to make them. Don't babble on.

Think of questions that might come up in the interview and the best way to answer them.  Don't be on your heels in an interview, but don't be too aggressive either. Be confident and hold your own, just the way you would once you have the job.

5 Things the Unemployed Can Learn From Conan O'Brien

OK, the tweets, the commercials, the hype – all of it has been barreling down the PR tunnel and into viewers heads for months now. And last night viewers got their favorite pompadour back on their TV sets. Conan is back. 

After a much-publicized departure from NBC and their golden boy Leno, Mr. O’Brien found himself in a unique position of being without a job. Now while it may seem glib to compare the millions of Americans without a  job to a talk show host who received millions in compensation to leave when he had millions to begin with, there is a lot to be gleaned in Conan’s job search that could help the unemployed. 

1.       Positivity and Humor Do Wonders for the Soul

Remember to laugh and enjoy yourself. Seriously. It’s a lot easier said than done, I know. But negativity can be a powerful force that will just drag you down and others with you, and it’s certainly not going to help your job search. Force yourself to smile. 

2.      Go Where Your Strengths Are and Use Them

No employer knows your strengths as well as you. Recognize your strengths. Write them down. Once you’ve done that, begin identifying companies and industries that fit your skills. Be proactive and contact them before they advertise an opening. Being in a job where you contribute and use your abilities will only add to your happiness and self-worth too. 

3.      Recognize the Reasons You are No Longer at Your Other Job and What You Learned

Maybe you were laid off, maybe you were fired, maybe you quit. It’s easy to look back, but it’s always better to learn. Understand clearly your reasons for the departure from your former job and ask yourself what you took away from the experience. 

4.      Taking Some Time Off to Regroup Is Perfectly Normal – Just Make Sure It Isn’t Too Much Time

Reflection and reconsideration are now available with the time you have, and sure, you might want to really soul-search. Go for it, but that isn’t the same as being idle. Always keep your mind and eyes open and prepare resumes, cover letters and marketing plans to be ready when opportunity arises. Exercise, stay active, get dressed for work every day, even though you’re unemployed.

5.       Never Give Up

Who knows? Maybe someday you’ll be a star with a pompadour and a co-host too. But don’t let the attitude of ‘can’t’ take over your life. Never stop trying.

How To Get a Job Interview: Why Having 4 Resumes can Bring in 4x the Results

A common question is, "How do I make a resume?"

But the real thing you should be asking is, "How do I make three resumes?"

Right now you're probably asking, "Why do I need four?" or "Seriously, why all these questions?"

OK, no more questions, but let's talk about why having three resumes can enable your job search to get results and what types of resumes you'll need.

What's the Point? And Hey, I Thought You Said There Wouldn't Be Anymore Questions

You need the right tool for the job. That's a fact. And looking for a job isn't any different. There's all sorts of different scenarios out there: interviews, online ads, networking opportunities. So it's best to have a variety of resumes to fit each situation. That way, you'll be prepared and, at the same time, be able to identify the situation and understand which resume would be the best to present. The right tool for the job hunt if you will.

A Universal Resume

This is the most essential - a one-page document that serves to introduce you. A lot of people believe you need to tell your whole story in this initial resume. But you'll get more results if it's short, punchy and gets their attention. Make it an advertisement for the future not an epitaph for the past. It's never a bad idea to make it ready for keywords in case the employer uses scanning software.

An Internet Resume

This one needs to be even shorter, usually no more than two-thirds of one page. This is what you send in an e-mail or other means of electronic communication. It needs to be heavy in the keyword department and preferably in a common format such as a Word document so you can submit it via websites as well.

A Quick-Response Resume

The third resume makes it easy for you to respond quickly to emerging situations you read about. It positions the text on the right-hand side of the page so you can write handwritten notes and dispatch a resume with a cover letter.


An Interview Resume


This is the big one at about 2 to 3 pages. It is for a presentation during or after interviews when employers want to know more. It's designed to intentionally reveal more about you. Since it reveals more about your industry experiences, it could keep you from getting in the door if you used it up front. But once you've got the interview, this can be a more compelling sales document.

Another Day, Another Job Report; More Job Tips from the Front Lines for the (Still) Unemployed

Today, there was news that the job market added 151,000 positions last month, which makes it the best news since May when they grew by nearly a third of that.

The problem is that unemployment remained steady at 9.6 percent, leaving many still frustrated in their job search.

If you're one of those people, we'd like to offer up some unemployment advice for how to deal with being unemployed.

1. Get some support from your former employer
Counseling, maintaining benefits, networking, all of these are ways a former employer might be able to help. It's best to try to keep the relationship open and positive, so that they can help you in the future.

2. Build your job hunting knowledge and get your resumes created
You need to build your knowledge every day until you have a new job. Hit up help sites, learn new skills. You'd be really surprised at everything you can learn for free on the Internet.

3. Get yourself a mentor and become innovative
 Find someone you respect, and meet with them to discuss ideas, leads and potential people to contact. Make it a rule to select three new people or companies each day to explore possibilities.


4. Be active, proactive and positive
Devote two hours a day to sending out letters or putting out phone calls based on a specific plan of action. Exercise, positive thoughts come more easily to people who stay fit. 

Social Media and Jobs: When Virtual Life Meets Real Life

There was a story that came out a few years ago that established what many job seekers feared: employers are checking your Facebook page before they hire you.

No kidding. If you're a serious job seeker, you should already know that those bachelor party pics probably aren't the best thing to show the world, much less employers or colleagues.

But take it a step further, and consider that your Facebook page could be used as a platform to promote yourself and a networking tool.

Personal marketing websites are becoming more and more popular for both employers and those on the job hunt as a way to review employment history, skills and education.

Robert J. Gerberg from SET Careers, a personal marketing firm, says that creating a website to market yourself can significantly speed your search.

So be it Facebook, Wordpress or a site you develop, throw up your resume, your employment history and a little bit about yourself on the web, and when you reach out to employers, include a link to the site.

It's better than having embarrassing pictures on there. Just sayin'.

Good News on the Job Front

Recently, the New York Times reported that U.S. jobless claims fell more than expected last week and  initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 23,000 to a seasonally adjusted 452,000.

That's good news for the economy and the country, but there still are plenty of individuals out of work, and if you're one of them, chances are frustration at not hearing callbacks or getting interviews can set in.

It's important to try and be creative, network and improve your  resume, but most of all, don't give up.

Some Things are Even More Scary Than Being Unemployed

A lot of people are unemployed, and there’s no doubt that it can be scary. But it’s always good to consider what you could be doing. 

Recently, a site spotlighted the top 10 scariest jobs, and I got to say I’m glad I don’t have to deal with cadavers, towering heights and bugs on a day to day basis. 

It’s a good reminder to keep your job search going and don’t sell yourself short. Sometimes, the alternatives are really scary to consider.

Dissecting Unemployment: What Drives It and What Can Help It

In today’s media cycle, not a day seems to go by that you don’t hear the word ‘unemployment.’ And with the national unemployment rate stagnant and nearly every state feeling the effects of the unemployed, the media should be talking about it. 

Talk is fine. Solutions are better. That’s why it was encouraging to Federal Open Market Committee debating whether or not the high unemployment of recent years is cyclical or structural, meaning if monetary government changes could affect unemployment or if it’s just the nature of the beast that is the current economy. Interesting to consider, and it’s encouraging, as in order to overcome something, it’s best to first understand it.   

Will the Real Unemployment Rate Please Stand Up

Halloween is right around the corner, and if you’re looking for a costume idea to really scare someone, consider dressing up as the real unemployment rate. 

That’s because economist John Williams is saying the rate is actually at 22.5 nationwide, instead of the 9.6 percent the government is reporting. 

Scary stuff, but I think it’s worth noting that Williams has been singing this song for awhile, even back in 2006.