The speculative approach of locating vacancies is often overlooked because is appears to be the least productive, however, looks can be deceiving.

The speculative approach is where the job applicant makes applications to companies who are not currently advertising a vacancy. In many ways this is similar to cold calling and like cold calling you can expect a similar number of rejections. Please, please, please realise that this does not mean that the speculative approach is not working, in fact you will find it is working just fine.

Month after month the statistics demanded of Jobclubs by Employment Services showed that more of our members found employment using the speculative approach than by any other method.

Is that surprising?

It shouldn't be when you look at the efficient method we used when employing the speculative approach. Our Jobclub members had a target of 10 job leads a day. They typically looked for advertised vacancies first as these took the longest to prepare for. The bulk of the remaining applications came from the speculative approach.

Job leads for the speculative approach come from locating companies that employ people in your chosen field by using publications such as:-

Local Newspaper
National Newspaper
Specialist Trade Publications
Personal Contacts
Business Contacts
Phone Directory
Business Directories
Local library
Internet

One key piece of information that you should take time to locate is the name of the Human Resources Manager or if it is a small company the business owner (CEO or Director) or a Manager in the Department you are applying for a job in.

How do you get that information?

The quickest was is by phone. Call the company, you will normally get a receptionist or switchboard operator answering. So ask them! Simply say something like...

"I have a letter for the person that deals with job applications but I can't find their name, can you tell me who's name I should put on the letter?"

How simple is that? Now I know some of you probably don't enjoy calling people you don't know by telephone, but does the minor discomfort really matter compared to the potential results? It's a sixty second call, easy.

Now if you can find out a little bit more about the company, then you can make sure that you fine tune your approach to them.

But having located the potential vacancy what should the covering letter look like?

Before I show you an example, please understand that you should always write in your own style, but certain phrases within the example are key to the success of the approach, in particular, the one's that suggest why you are writing and the closing statement that prompts the employer to take action.

Have a close look at the example below, we can discuss it afterwards (please ignore "." characters used for spacing):-
-----------------------------------------------------------

.......................................123 Some Street
.......................................Mytown
.......................................Whatever County
.......................................Postal Code

Named Person
Company Name
Street
Town
County
Postal Code............................DATE

Dear Named Person,

It was with interest that I recently found details of
your company in a local publication and it occurred to
me that my previous experience may be a close match for
any positions you may have available now or in the near
future.

As you can see from my enclosed resume, my experience
with COMPANY NAME as a JOB TITLE would be suited to a
similar position within your company. Previous employers
have found my skills coupled with my ability to work as
part of a team or on my own initiative to be a useful
combination.

Should you have any suitable vacancies now or in the
near future, I would welcome the opportunity to discuss
my suitability with you.

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Yours sincerely

Signature

Your Name

-----------------------------------------------------------
Right, lets take a look at the structure. First off, this is a business letter and so the layout should reflect that in the address and date layout.

Next lets look at the opening paragraph;

It was with interest that I recently found details of your company in a local publication and it occurred to me that my previous experience may be a close match for any positions you may have available now or in the near future.

By using language like "with interest that I recently found details of your company" is a subtle compliment and leads them into the letter. The rest of the paragraph is a polite way of say "any jobs going?" :-)

The second paragraph is the real key paragraph;

"As you can see from my enclosed resume" is an invitation to read the resume, in fact the reader should at this point stop reading the letter and start looking at the resume, but just in case they don't, it continues to build a desire to read the resume....

"my experience with COMPANY NAME as a JOB TITLE would be suited to a similar position within your company." At this point they should be trying to find those key skills in your resume.

Now we come to something called third party credibility. That is to say, we want to suggest that other people think you are good at your job;

"Previous employers have found my skills coupled with my ability to work as part of a team or on my own initiative to be a useful combination."

The wording here is critical, if you say "I am an expert at xyz" then you are blowing your own trumpet, bragging etc, but that does not help anyone believe that it is so. If you imply that someone else thinks you are good at your job then they are much more likely to believe it.

This is a commonly used technique in advertising, for a quick example look at sales pages on the internet, most have "testimonials" because you are more likely to believe the product or service is good if someone else says it is so.

We should never be afraid of using these techniques because they actually work.

The covering letter and resume should be a combination that work together to sell your skills and abilities, they are your sales copy with the sole purpose of getting you to an interview.

Therefore to be professional in your approach you need to sell the features and benefits that you have to offer the company. Horrible idea you are thinking. I agree! But we have to get the job done in the best way possible and that means selling your skills.

Next;

"Should you have any suitable vacancies now or in the near future, I would welcome the opportunity to discuss my suitability with you."

Is a polite request that you be considered for any up-coming vacancies, if you are lucky they are about to start a recruitment campaign and you can save them the trouble and cost. If you are unlucky you may be put on file for a 2 or 3 months, that is not a bad thing in the short term.

Finally;

"I look forward to hearing from you in the near future." Is a straight forward request for them to contact you. You could substitute it with:-

"Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me."

And of course if you are actually looking for a job in sales then you have to prove you are a sales person:-

"I look forward to hearing from you in the near future and will call to discuss any forthcoming vacancies with you in a few days time."

How pushy is that? Please don't use that if you are not applying for a sales post. But if you are looking for a sales job it is a good line so long as you follow it up with a phone call to prove you are good at your job.

For most people the traditional ending is plenty good enough.

So, take some time to run through this again tomorrow after you have had time to think about it, write out a similar letter in your own words and see if you are happier with your own words. But what ever you decide, take action and use the speculative approach. It really is a very effective tool in the job search toolbox.

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The Job Interview

The second step in getting a job is having an interview with a potential employer. The first step was sending your application and after careful review by the company, you are seen as candidate for the vacant position.

The employer got this information through an ad that was placed in the paper, referred by someone in the company or a headhunter, or by a person who simply submitted an application via the company's website.

The first impression employers always look at is your resume. Given the many that apply, this usually takes about 30 seconds and so with the limited words, one must be sure that the resume is well written and grammatically correct.

During the interview, most employers want to know more about person since the resume only gives certain information such as the person's name, age, address, contact number, social security number, past and current employment.

The employer will likely ask about the experiences, lessons and accomplishments one has done and learned working for another employer. This will usually include how the person handled a situation in the company, the challenges of the job and the relationship with coworkers.

Another question will be the relationship between the applicant and family members. This shows character with how the person interacts with people who are close and those that know the person for a long time.

The employer will usually ask why the person applied in the company and where you would like to be in 5 to 10 years. Long term questions such as this will show if there is dedication for the job at hand and if the company can provide something beneficial for both the applicant and the employer.

Companies follow a certain budget in hiring qualified personnel which is why the interviewer will ask how much one desires to get for the job. If what is being asked is too high, the employer will usually ask if the salary is open to negotiation.

After the employer asks questions, room is usually given for the applicant to ask questions in return. This is the best time to know a little bit more the company one might be working in and to get a feel of the potential company.

If there are no more questions, the interviewer will then end the meeting and call the applicant back if the person has passed the initial interview so that the next phase of the application process can begin.

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Finding a job has become much more of a challenge in recent years. Using the Internet as an additional resource will increase your options to find many great job opportunities, which are not always advertised in the newspaper. Many employers will place an online advertisement in conjunction with or in place of an ad in the local newspaper. Job boards, as they are called, allow you to search online among many jobs in your category of choice. They allow you to narrow down prospects, and many will even provide a direct link to a company's Web site, fax and e-mail address. Through job boards, the submission of resumes is almost exclusively done in the form of e-mail correspondence. This offers benefits to jobseekers as well as to the employers. Sending resumes by e-mail saves time and money. You don't need to buy envelopes and stamps and go to the post office, then wait for a few days until the company receives and reviews your resume. When employers receive the resume through an e-mail they will be able to respond much quicker to those whom they think might have potential. Use of a home computer is the easiest way to manage your job-seeking strategies. However, if you don't have a home PC, you have other options available to you. Many libraries, cafes (some are exclusively set up for the purpose of providing Internet connection), employment offices and copy centers have computers available either for free or a nominal charge. You can browse the Internet, print up resumes for interviews and e-mail your resume to employers easily. If you don't have an e-mail account you can also set up a free e-mail account through any number of services like Yahoo or HotMail.

Here are some of her most important pointers:

-- Follow directions: Always follow the specific instructions for applying for a job included in the employment posting. For example, some companies write "To apply please e-mail your resume with salary history to...." You should then e-mail your resume and not forget the salary history. When companies instruct you to go to a specific Web site and apply in this fashion, do not just e-mail your resume instead. Pay attention to the details in the employment description and follow exactly the steps an employer requests. There are often reasons why a company wants specific information, and job seekers should pay attention to those details. Otherwise, you may never make it to the interview. Employers may feel that if you can't pay attention to their simple requests, you might not be able to pay attention to details in the position you are hired for.

-- Resume tips: Your resume and cover letter are the first items that will reach an employer's desk. Therefore, you want them to best reflect you as an applicant. Be careful when composing a resume. Spelling errors, grammatical mistakes and the like will quickly put your resume in the trashcan. Before finalizing your resume always use the spell check in the word processing software you are using. Highlight the skills that will be applied to this new position, and showcase your strengths. Remember, an employer will only spend a few minutes looking over your resume, so make sure it will stand out from the others. Never send your resume without a cover letter. Some company's recruit for many positions at the same time so always mention the position you are applying for.

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A carefully prepared job search market plan guarantees your job hunting success. It's one of the most important alternative or non-traditional strategies for the 21st Century job marketplace.

Why is a job search market plan so important? Because since 9/11 and Katrina everything's changed. There have been significant advances in hiring practices. Employers have new and different expectations of a job candidate. And all this has required new and alternative ways of thinking about finding a job.

You can't expect to make your way successfully through these new practices without a roadmap . . . or a job search market plan. That's because the successful job candidate these days must learn to run a job search like a small business.

We discovered many years ago that the principles that guide the business market are the same for the employment market. And no successful business make it today without a job search market plan.

To make sure you put it to work for you, it's important to write it down. Prepare a plan that you can use as an honest and realistic guide. Here are the components of a succesful plan:

1. Identify and list your work-style values, ethics and philosophy that guide your everyday employment activities. This list must go way beyond a ritual recital of your accomplishments or work history. Employers today are much more interested in the kind of person you are rather than what you used to do for someone else.
2. Target companies and organizations that hold an interest for you. Make your written list expansive. Do not eliminate employers because you think they wouldn't hire you.

3. Identify the hiring decision-makers in those organizations. In other words, who would your next boss be?

4. Build a list of contacts who can assist you in your search. On this list are the names of any individuals who could help by introducing you to hiring decision-makers, or to someone who could open the door for you through a referral. Do not pre-judge who could or could not help you. Remember people are always anxious to give you advice even if they can't refer you.

5. As a last step, put together a resume to use as a "business card" to leave behind for your contacts.

6. Begin contacting everyone on your list in person to ask them for their advice as to how they can assist you in your job search.

Putting together a job search market plan with this information gives you a real head start. From here you're ready to explore the unique opportunities that may be waiting for you in today's amazing marketplace.

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Online Job Hunting

There was a time when a person who wanted to find work had to buy newspaper and look through the classified ads section. The advent of the internet has changed that by creating opportunities for people to work either in a different state or in another country.

It has made the world a smaller place rendering it accessible for anyone with a computer to search for a job and apply to it.

There are many sites that offer such services. All the person has to do is open an account, fill up the necessary fields then submit your resume.

These sites usually ask for pertinent information such as the person's name, age, address, contact number and social security number.

Additional information that will be requested is educational background. Employment history is also another thing that has to be mentioned which includes the job description and highlights that one has experienced during that person's career. A section in the account will also ask the preferred industry of work, if the person is willing to do field work or open to relocation and the expected salary should one be accepted for the job.

With all the information provided, these sites will then match your qualifications with the jobs available. This service is free and matches can be seen when the person logs on the account or gets a notice via email.

Some sites offer a service with a fee that will place the resume over other applicants giving that person more priority but even that is a not a guarantee that one will get the job.

Online job hunting is not just for professionals. It caters to anyone who wants to work either full time, part time or on a per project basis.

Applying online is not only done through job sites. You can also check the websites of companies that usually have a section on careers to see what openings are available. You simply have to go through the process of giving certain information and uploading your resume.

There are many jobs available in the market. The internet has made it easier for companies to make people aware that there are vacancies available. It has also made it convenient for applicants to apply online instead of walking to an office and dropping of a resume. With everything that is just a mouse click away, all it takes is a little effort on one's part to sit down in front of a computer and looking for a job.

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Searching for Perfect Teen Jobs

Just because you are a teen doesn't mean you can't find a good job to either help you through schooling or to get a few extra bucks for your various hobbies and needs. Here are a few tips on bagging a great teen job

Labor Laws You, of course, have to follow the law. And there are various laws that govern teen employment across different states. Teens that are hired to do non-farm work will at least have to be fourteen years of age to be allowed to work. Here are a few other restrictions. You will have to do a little research in the state you are at to come up to date with the latest laws and regulations.

Teens that are aged 14 to 15 are only allowed to work three hours per day, and eighteen hours a wee. When there are no classes and during summer breaks, this amount may be increased to eight hours per day, 40 hours per week. Also work for teenagers of this age is limited to up to 7 o'clock p.m. within school days and 9 o'clock p.m. during summer breaks.

Employment Documents In several states, when one has not reached the age of eighteen yet, it is required get working documents which are officially known as Certificate of Employment or Age to be allowed to work legally. Schools are good venues for one to acquire these important papers. The Department of Labor offers such service, too. Browse on the certification list for Age or Employment to know which rules apply to you. Your school's Guidance Office can be of great help. One's state office will assist greatly if one is directed to the Department of Labor. Particular states such as New York, for instance, have special web site sections on Youth Jobs, which will produce the information and documents you are required to have.

Fantasy Jobs Make sure you take a job you can maintain interest in. You might want to consider after-school programs and working with kids. Or you may want to work part time on the beach, recreational facilities, zoos and other areas. The important thing is that you choose a job that you enjoy and can perform in with the best of your capabilities. It is very important that you do your best in your job and pick one you truly enjoy, as your experience with this job could very well dictate your future career.

Job Search Your high school guidance counselor may be able to assist you with finding a part-time job that is just right for you. Aside from having contacts among local businesses, they may also help you evaluate which jobs you will enjoy and excel at.

It is also a good idea to tell everyone you know that you are looking for work. Don't underestimate your network of acquaintances. They may very well have other networks of acquaintances that may help you find good jobs.

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Jobs Available Online

In the past, applying for a job meant looking through the classified ads in the local paper. The advent of the internet has created various job sites online making it easier for someone to apply for work in another state and in even in another country.

It has made the world a smaller place with everything at one's fingertip and just a click away. Most job sites will require a person to open an account, fill in certain information and deposit a resume.

These sites usually ask for pertinent information such as the person's name, age, address, contact number and social security number.

Other information that will be requested are educational background. Some companies prefer someone with a degree in a certain field or a licensed professional to do the job or perhaps a person who possesses a master's degree.

Employment history is also another thing that has to be mentioned. This includes the job description and highlights that you have experienced during your career.

With the information provided, some of these sites offer a service with a fee that will match your qualifications with jobs that are available and enable you to apply for that position. Some even promise to make your resume stand out over other applicants giving that person more priority over others but even that is a not a guarantee that one will get the job.

One also has to mention the salary the person is receiving both in the current and previous jobs as this is matched with the job the individual wants and the salary one desires. These sites offer various jobs to people. It caters to professionals and teenagers who want to work either for full time, part time or on a per project basis.

Applying online is not only done through job sites. A lot of companies have websites that have a section on careers which one can access and check what openings are available. One simply has to go through the process of also giving certain information that is asked for and uploading one's resume.

The first impression employers or headhunters look at is one's resume. Given that many people apply, this usually takes these people a short period of time to review and screen certain applicants before going to the next phase of being scheduled and called for an interview.

There are many jobs available in the market. It just takes a little effort on one's part to sit down in front of a computer and look for the right job.

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Jobs and over aged applicants

Though some employers would prefer a younger workforce, the older applicants still have a wide variety of career choices to choose from.

To have a head start from the younger applicants, one has to take into consideration the following:

1. In writing one's resume, put more weight in highlighting the accomplishments without necessarily bragging about it.

One could have these lists of accomplishments and previous posts held work for one's advantage over younger applicants who may not even have any experience on the same field.

An individual's employment history receives as much scrutiny as the applicant itself. While employers tend to look for gaps or lapses of time when the applicant has been unemployed, they also tend to focus on the length of service one had rendered for their previous employers.

Frequent change of work (usually within very short time frames) can be alarming for prospective employers.

2. Read and enroll in programs that will refresh your knowledge on certain fields especially if engaged in professional sectors. This will keep you individual abreast of the latest trend in such fields.

3. Search the Internet for vacancies. A lot of agencies place ads on the net that advertises help for senior citizens in looking for jobs. Various search engines made easier and specific (can choose the following categories: career, location and field of interest) are also available.

Jobs that do not usually look into the age of the applicant are the following:

1. Professional work that are into specialization. For applicants in the medical field (i.e. Doctors) experience is the basic determinant of being hired.

2. Lectures or speaking engagements. Speakers that are invited to discuss certain topics do not really have an age requirement. Rather, qualification focuses more on first hand knowledge and experience.

3. Writers. Writing novels, plays or children's books are one of those professions whose only requirement is good writing skills. Also, one can do the job at the comfort of their own homes, a plus factor for those in their advanced years.

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We've been taught to think that "career builder" is a process out there that we subscribe to. Like those commercials you see on TV for Career Schools. You select one and then get information on how to apply. Then you sign up for a career.

More frequently we just fall into a career. It's often associated with our first job or one of our earlier employments. If it suits us we stay with it. If not we start to look around.

But what if you could build a custom career around a vocation or avocation you're passionate about?

A passionate career builder examines what's going on in life that consumes your mind a heart . . . and then builds a custom job search around it. The reward is that you're extremely committed. And you're able to generate a strong positive response from employers. They're more likely to buy into your passion because of your enthusiasm.

For example, let's say you love animals. In fact, you'd readily give up your current job for the opportunity to be involved with animals somehow. Why not turn that passion into a dream career?

The first step is personal research. Make a list of all the personal experience you have with animals, e.g.

* You own pets you've taken care of in sickness and in health

* You do volunteer work for a local vet or have worked part-time for one

* You know something about seeing eye dogs and how they're trained

* You've shown animals in professional or amateur shows

* You donate time and money to the ASPCA

* You adopted a pet after Katrina

* Etc.

Now list the specific marketable skills that come out of those experiences. You're looking for real life applications that could be valuable to an animal professional or organization. For example

* You know how to administer medications or handle animals who are ill

* You have sales experience that's transferable to animal-related products and services

* You have administrative capabilities that could be useful in a business setting

* You're a quick study when it comes to learning about animals

* You have office or manufacturing experience that's readily transferable

* Etc.

Once you've carefully made those determinations, the next step is critically important. You want to test market your ideas with people who are familiar with animal work and who can give you good feedback. Then you're in an optimal position to say whether or not this is an avenue for you to pursue in the job market.

You can apply the same steps to any other passionate interest. If customizing your search around your passionate interests makes sense, you'll become the career builder of your dreams!

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You're on track to land your dream job. But can you afford it?

Knowing how to handle the money question plagues job seekers. Especially if you're exploring an opportunity that looks very promising.

You don't want to jinx the situation by prematurely asking about the salary. On the other hand, if they can't afford you, you don't want top waste your time pursuing a hopeless employment goal.

Before you even go to an interview or first meeting with a decision-maker you MUST avoid the compensation pitfalls that can derail your good intentions. Here are the most serious mistakes to avoid.

1. Failing to do your homework. Gather all employment and compensation information you can before you go on an interview.

2. Jumping the gun. In the interest of not wasting your time if they can't afford you, you decide to pose the salary question right up front. You just lost all negotiating power . . . and probably a job offer.

3. Not taking the time to show the value you bring to the organization. No one will offer you a job or enter into salary negotiations if they can't see how you can contribute. It's up to you to make sure they see very specifically how you can make s difference.

4. Lowering your expectations. If an offer is made at a lower level than you expected, don't take it or leave it. Negotiate it. Tell them you're thrilled that they think enough of you to offer you a position. Now you want to take the time to consider it in light of other opportunities you're looking at. Then set up a time to come back.

5. Failing to be flexible. Your goal and that of your prospective employer may be quite different. Your objective is to find out what triggers their interest in you, and then find ways to accommodate them.

6. Losing patience. This usually results in discouragement of abandonment t of an opportunity because they're not responding according to your timetable. Always ask what their timetable is for making a decision. The go out and pursue a couple more opportunities.

Landing the best job for you requires careful preparation. It doesn't happen by chance. The best position for you allows you to select your next job rather than settle for it. Avoiding the pitfalls is a first step to your job search success.

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Data show fuzzy jobs picture

American workers and their employers have decidedly different views about the nation's overall economic health, according to two reports released Wednesday.

Anticipated job cuts rose to a 17-month high in June as U.S. companies announced plans to shed 110,996 jobs, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a Chicago-area outplacement firm that tracks monthly job-cut announcements.

The auto and retailing industries were the hardest hit, with a combined 69,443 expected job cuts announced last month. Meanwhile, workers' confidence in the job market rebounded noticeably, rising to its highest reading since January.

But pockets of workers -- such as Atlantans -- aren't so sure about their jobs, finances or the job market, the latest monthly Hudson Employment Index shows. The index is a monthly measure of American workers' confidence in the job market.

Tampa residents were the most optimistic, at 112. Philadelphians were the least confident, at 86.8. The U.S. average is 103.

Atlantans fell in the middle, registering 102.5. Twenty-seven percent of Atlantans reported they were worried about losing a job, up from 20 percent in May.

"What you've got is some fundamental changes," said Georgia Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond. "You have a stable economy and continued job losses."

Thurmond cited high gasoline prices, outsourcing and offshoring as contributing factors.

Atlanta has just had "an incredibly long run of bad luck," Wachovia Corp. senior economist Mark Vitner said.

"Even though Atlanta has one of the most diverse economies in the country, it has found itself behind the eight ball because a number of key industries are struggling," Vitner said.

He warns not to put too much stock in Wednesday's reports.

Vitner says other reports provide a more accurate reading of the nation's job market: weekly first-time unemployment claims and the federal job openings and labor turnover survey, or JOLT.

The monthly jobs report, due out Friday, also provides some perspective. Most economists expect the report to be dramatically better than last month's dismal showing.

"There's a whole lot more information [about the job market] out there today than we've had in the past," Vitner said. "Unfortunately, the jobs outlook is a very mixed picture." The paradoxes are numerous:

* Atlanta is home to the world's busiest airport at a time when airlines are suffering their worst financial crisis.

* The region has grown tremendously because companies moved or expanded here, but that has not been the case in the last few years.

Increased regulatory scrutiny has made companies less willing to take risks. "If they're less willing to take on risk, they're less likely to expand, carry more inventory or hire more workers."

Vitner also noted some pluses in metro Atlanta :

* Office leasing is up, indicating "hiring is picking up."

* The logistics industries of trucking, rail and shipping, all significant to Atlanta , are booming.

* Layoffs in general have been subsiding across the country.

"The economy's moving in the right direction," Vitner said. "It's just not moving fast enough to make everybody happy

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You know, we all talk a good game about keeping job positions in America and stemming the tide of illegal immigrants who pour through our borders at an alarming rate. But are we really willing to change our lifestyle, to put our money where our mouth is?

We love bargains so we buy the lowest priced goods from clothes, to electronics, to household furnishings. We have tags on everything we own: "Made in China," or "Assembled in Mexico." We could insist on only purchasing items manufactured in the United States but then we would have to pay more, a lot more.

For Americans to be willing to take the jobs that go to illegal immigrants, pay rates would need to be substantially increased. If a living, above-the-poverty-line, wage was paid for such work as restaurant helper, motel maid, farmhand, day laborer, swamper, furniture assembler, airplane ramp crew, custodian, and fast food worker, all of our goods and services would cost more, meaning that we'd have to give up many of the things we take for granted.

Companies have to maintain a robust bottom line to stay in business. They adjust their prices according to the cost of the goods produced. It may not be very philanthropic or humane, but it is plain, basic economics.

When decent jobs are hard to come by, it is very tempting to blame employers for sending their jobs overseas. It is much more difficult to look at ourselves and admit that our own consumption habits and needs are the driving force.

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To be a success, your resume must have sufficient "scan appeal" to pass a first cut – that initial stage when a busy employer, faced with a stack of resumes, scans each one for about 30 to 60 seconds and rejects most. What can you do to make sure that your resume survives the first cut?

For answers, consider the following analysis of a typical 30-second scan. Then learn how to evaluate your own resume for scan appeal.

The first 5 seconds…

Resume writers spend most of their time thinking about wording. Yet, it is the immediate visual impact of your resume that first influences how the employer feels about hiring you.

Without consciously thinking about it, your reader "decides" within seconds whether your resume is visually pleasing. Consider your own resume from the 5-second perspective… Is there a good balance of text and white space? Is the resume monotonous, or does it use a pleasing variety of visual elements (heading sizes, bold, italic, bullets, etc.)?

Your reader also develops an immediate feel for whether your resume will be easy to read. Make sure that your resume invites the reader to scan by using a clear and consistent format, and by highlighting key points in bulleted lists. Important information should never be presented in long, dense paragraphs.

The next 10 seconds…

After taking in your resume's visual qualities, the employer's eye focuses on the top half of the first page. He or she will be trying to get a quick overview of who you are and what you can do. Much like the computers at employment web sites, the employer will scan quickly for information that suggests you are a good match for the job at hand.

To take full advantage of these 10 seconds, most resumes should start with a headline and a summary section. The headline (typically stating an "objective") declares in one or two lines the essence of who you are and what you are seeking.

The summary section (often titled " Summary of Qualifications" or "Personal Profile") uses bullets and succinct wording to highlight what is likely to most intrigue the employer. Before writing this section, make a list of the 5 to 10 criteria that are most likely to guide the employer's choice – then summarize your qualifications in a way that speaks directly to the employer's interests.

The last 15 seconds…

If your resume is visually pleasing and starts with an effective summary, your reader will naturally want to scan the rest of it. At this point, the employer will look for: confirmation that you meet the job's requirements, supporting evidence for your summary section, and any intriguing details that add to the picture of what you would be like to work with.

Your job is to consider where the reader's eye is most likely to be drawn, and use these places to your advantage. They include: section headings, subheadings, the first sentence or two immediately under headings, position titles, bulleted lists (especially the top one or two items), words in bold, words in italic, and numerals (i.e. numbers that are not spelled out).

Consider all of these to be tools at your disposal when creating scan appeal. Is there an accomplishment, for example, that you want to highlight? Try putting it at the top of a bulleted list and including one or two numerals (such as "reduced costs by 10%" or "supervised a staff of 12"). If appropriate, use some bold or italic either within the item or in the wording that introduces it.

Testing for Scan Appeal

Your resume should be tested for scan appeal before any copies go out. You must be able to answer two questions… Given just 30 seconds to convince the employer to consider you, what must you bring to his or her attention? And, what does your resume actually convey in a 30-second scan?

To conduct a preliminary test yourself, review your employment strategy – i.e. list the top five things you think are most important for the employer to know about you. Then look at the parts of your resume most likely to be seen in a scan, and make sure each item has been highlighted in some way.

For an even more telling test, give your resume to several people who don't know you well, and time them as they scan it for 30 seconds. When they are done, have them set the resume aside and jot down everything they remember.

Would the information they noticed and remembered provide compelling reasons for the employer to hire you? If the answer is yes, your resume has excellent scan appeal.

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Before Young Jobs can help you become a member of the workforce, there are legal statutes that you must comply with. The Child Labor Laws listed below define restrictions placed on the age and employment of minors.

Child Labor Law: Job Restrictions

18 Years of Age

Once a youth reaches 18 years of age, he or she is no longer subject to the federal youth employment and child labor law provisions.

16 and 17 Years of Age

Sixteen- and 17-year-olds may be employed for unlimited hours in any occupation other than those declared hazardous by the Secretary of Labor. Examples of equipment declared hazardous in food service establishments include power-driven meat processing machines (meat slicers, saws, patty forming machines, grinders, or choppers), commercial mixers and certain power-driven bakery machines.

14 and 15 Years of Age

During the school year, hours are limited to 3 hours a day and 18 hours a week. On days when there's no school and in the summer, working hours increase to 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. There are limits on when children can work, too - no later than 7 p.m. during the school year and no later than 9 p.m. between June 1 and Labor Day. Fourteen- and 15- year-olds may be employed in restaurants and quick-service establishments outside school hours in a variety of jobs for limited periods of time and under specified conditions.

Jobs Exempt from Child Labor Law Regulations

In general, children of any age are permitted to work for businesses entirely owned by their parents, except those under 16 may not be employed in mining or manufacturing and no one under 18 may be employed in any occupation the Secretary of Labor has declared to be hazardous.

Minors employed in the delivery of newspapers to consumers are exempt from Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) child labor provisions, as well as the wage and hours provisions.

Children employed as actors or performers in motion pictures or theatrical productions, or in radio or television productions are exempt from Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) coverage. Therefore, FLSA rules regarding total allowable number of work hours in one day and allowable times of day to work do not apply.

There are other exemptions, including making evergreen wreaths at home, so check the DOL Exemptions from Child Labor Law Rules for the full list.

Child Labor Regulation Changes

Effective in February, 2005, new child labor regulations expand protections for youth working in restaurant cooking, roofing, and driving, among other changes.

Youth Minimum Wage

The federal minimum wage is $5.15 per hour. However, a special minimum wage of $4.25 per hour applies to employees under the age of 20 during their first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment with an employer. After 90 days, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires employers to pay the full federal minimum wage. However, certain states may differ from state to federal minimum wage. Click here to view your states regulations.

Working Papers (Employment/Age Certificates)

In some states, workers under eighteen, may need to obtain working papers (officially called Employment/Age Certificates) in order to legally be able to work. The form may be available at at school. Otherwise, child workers can get one at the state Department of Labor. Check the Employment/Age Certification list to see which guidelines apply to you. If it's school, check with your Guidance Office. If it's the Department of Labor, check with your state office.

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An interview almost invariably closes with the potential employer asking if you have any questions. Often an applicant will ask for clarification on benefits -insurance, vacation time, etc. While these are obviously important for you to know, they plant a seed in the interviewer's mind that maybe you are more interested in what the job can do for you than in how you can help the employer.

Try to have three or four questions ready to ask that demonstrate your interest in the company and your desire to be a problem-solver.

If you have been able to do some research, trot out a question or two that came to mind. If you have been able to come up with some ideas that relate to the problem, throw them out to see how the employer reacts.

If you have been able to identify some trends or problems in the industry, ask how that is going to affect the company and what they are doing to deal with it. Show your concern about industry developments and what that may bode for the future.

If some current challenges have been brought up earlier in the interview, ask for clarification and more detail.

The more the interviewer interacts with you as if your concerns are mutual, and that possible solutions are something you could consider together, the more you will be seen as a valuable future member of his team and the more likely you will be asked to join that team.

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So you want to look around for your next career step but you are concerned that your current employer will find out and give you an early exit? Confidentiality in your job search is a reasonable concern and makes the way you approach finding your next position all the more important. Confidentiality and privacy issues in today's hyper-informative world are issues that should be taken seriously.

Keeping your intentions of changing jobs a secret is a challenge but secrecy is in your best interest. Case in point: Hilda was a highly paid pharmacist working for an independent pharmacy in Atlanta. She was approached by a new independent pharmacy who was a direct competitor of her current employer. The word leaked out that she was considering taking a directly competing position and her employer terminated her employment out of concern for operational security. As pharmacist-in-charge, she had full access to retail/wholesale pricing, future plans, insurance reimbursement rates and customer information - all data that would be highly desirable by the competitor. Hilda's employer just could not take the chance that she would leave and take all that information with her so they terminated her. Unfortunately, the competitor did not make an offer of employment to Hilda and she was left out in the cold - not hired, and fired. If she had taken greater pains to keep her options confidential, she may not have ended up in the predicament of suddenly being unemployed.

On the flip side, it may be tempting to let slip to your current employer that you are looking around for new opportunities to provide some leverage for a raise or a promotion. Fishing for a counter-offer is a no-win situation. In a survey by the Wall Street Journal, 93 percent of employees who accept counter-offers to remain with an employer leave anyway after 18 months. If you are unhappy enough to spend months hunting for a new position, dealing with recruiters, and going on interviews, the true value of a counter offer should be questioned. Employers make counter-offers for their best interest - not the employees'. Employers need to make sure projects are completed, that deadlines are met, and that production does not lag. An employee who accepts a counter-offer has branded himself as disloyal and possibly a gold-digger and will forever more be viewed as such by superiors.

Common sense rules when going about a confidential job search. Do not use your work phone, email, or company cell phone to conduct any job search activities. Do not surf the job sites during your lunch hour or at anytime on your work PC. Be careful of the conversations you have within earshot of other co-workers. Do not leave your resume lying on your desk at work. Keep your plans and intentions quiet, even from close office friends whom you feel you can trust. Request confidentiality from all potential employers until an offer is made.

Beyond the obvious, consider the following tips for keeping your job search hush-hush:

Remove identifying information from your online resume. Replace your name with a generic title such as "Senior Marketing Executive". Use only your cell phone number and a web-based email address that can be dropped after your job search. City and state is sufficient for address - no need for street address or zip code. Remove your current employer's name and replace it with something that is descriptive, yet unidentifiable such as "Major Manhattan-based Financial Organization".

Be careful in your networking. Networking is essential to an effective job search, but indiscrete networking can breach your wish for confidentiality. Networking carefully can be even more difficult in closed industries or highly-specialized fields. Ask more questions than you answer in group settings; talk about possible employment options with decision-makers only; and provide your resume only to someone in a position to assist you confidentially.

Protect your references. References should only be provided in an interview, and preferably not at a first interview. You don't want your colleagues getting wind of your intentions before an offer is imminent.

Consider a confidential job search agent. If you have an annual salary of greater than $500,000 and/or you are well-known in your industry, hiring an agent to conduct your job search might be a good idea. The agent can extend inquiries without breaching confidentiality. An agent is not a recruiter, but rather someone who works for you individually to act as your liaison with potential employers.

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It is so easy to sit down to complete an application and suddenly your mind blanks. You can't remember dates or names or telephone numbers. If you have a varied work history, you can't recall which job came first. If you have worked for the same employer for years, you forget when your duties changed or when you received a promotion.

Do your research on work-related paperwork at home and make up a list of everything you might need. List every job for the past 10 years including the company name, address, telephone number and the contact person to call, usually your immediate supervisor. Have a list of education, both formal college and any special courses, seminars, or in-house trainings you completed, with dates. Have a list of five personal references with names, addresses and telephone numbers.

Carry the sheet with you so you are prepared at all times. Not only will it make completing applications a breeze but it will ensure that the information you provide is accurate and consistent. That will avoid the embarrassment and negative reaction in an interview when you realize there are errors on the application the interviewer is using as a guide and you have to make quick verbal corrections.

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There is an old adage that "Looking for a job is harder than working." How true! The rigors of job search are magnified by the turmoil we experience: lack of self-confidence, humiliation, financial pressure, and the undercurrent of emotions that color all we do: fear, anger, depression, anxiety, loss. One practical step we can take to lower the stress and conserve our energy for finding work, not feeding our bloated worries, is to manage our time effectively. Have you ever noticed that you get more chores done when you're busy? If time is limited, we squeeze in those extra demands because we know they have to get done by a deadline and we fear putting them off. When time is unlimited, such as when you take a few days off work, there is no pressure to rush-"I've got four days, I'll do it tomorrow." Suddenly, you are back at work and realize that you didn't accomplish half of what you had planned. This lack of structure is magnified when you are unemployed. There is no pressure to get up, get dressed, get out of the house by a specific time. We know we have things to do. We need to update our resume, create some new cover letters, research some possible job openings. It is so hard to get started because we hate having to do it, we don't feel creative or excited about the whole prospect, and we dread having to go through the horrors of interviewing. We procrastinate, telling ourselves that when we are ready, it will just "flow." For a few hours, a few days, we'll just indulge ourselves and relax. When the end of the month arrives and we compare our diminishing bank balance to our multiplying bills, we mentally beat ourselves up for not having accomplished what we had so earnestly intended. Now we generate our own pressure, magnified by guilt and self-reproach. Stress levels and blood pressure rise. We feel resentful, angry, depressed. "I didn't ask to get into this situation. It's unfair. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it." Adopting a reasonable schedule can avoid reaching this point. Try these ideas:

 

1.Take a day to do nothing but plan out what you are going to do, and when.

2.Concentrate on not over-committing yourself. You may be used to working 8 or more hours per day and think that is what you will now spend on job search. Remember that adage: your hunt for work is a lot more difficult than simply walking into a familiar employer and pursuing your daily routine. Recognize that and limit your job hunting to fewer hours per day.

3.If you rigorously limit your job hunt-related activities to 4 hours per day to start (you can always increase later), you may find yourself forced to stop before you are ready. This creates the impetus to get you going the following day -- you can hardly wait to get back to what you are working on.

4.When your "work time" is over, stop. Consciously focus your attention on relaxing: take a walk, read a book, throw a ball, watch television, whatever pleases you. You will be able to relax because you know you completed exactly what you planned. The guilt, and the sense of "I should have, I should be" no longer exist and you are free, for a short time anyway, to do anything you want.

5.Identify your priorities by looking at what day of the week is best for each kind of activity. If you are searching the classifieds, Sunday is the premium time to do it. If you are networking or cold calling, concentrate on the morning weekday hours. Agency visits, whether for temporary work or head hunting, can be relegated to the afternoons when employers are difficult to reach and already fatigued.

6.Analyze your own daily energy patterns and put them to work for you. Make sure that during your high energy periods you are "out there," contacting people and presenting yourself. Use your low energy times for solitary, mundane tasks: researching companies and jobs, organizing your paperwork, planning your next day's activities.

The inevitable stress of unemployment and job search can never be totally eliminated, but managing your time and being gentle with yourself can turn a painful situation into simply an uncomfortable nuisance.

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