Most of the time, competition stimulates us, gets our juices flowing, generates creativity, a sense of excitement, and motivates us to perform at our best. Looking for work is another matter! When it comes to financial survival, to regaining independence and self-worth, competition can be crippling.

We apply for a job in the fervent hope that hundreds of others are not also applying. Finding work is too serious an issue to be considered a game or a sport. We need to find that position that will make everything all right, make us believe in ourselves again, and help rebuild the self-esteem and self-confidence shattered by unemployment.

Unless we are very lucky, there will be competition for every position we identify. Our remaining option is to set ourselves apart from other hungry applicants.

How?

Take a global view and emerge from the dank and slimy job search swamp by utilizing a number of techniques I call knock-out P-U-N-C-H-E-S, guaranteed to leave your competitors crying "Uncle" and throwing in the towel.

1. P is for Persistence.

We all hate failure. We don't like being rejected, judged, or found inadequate in any way. Trudging on, day after disappointing day, requires all of our reserves of energy, reserves that are rapidly becoming depleted. From having to constantly present ourselves as enthusiastic and creative, we become blue, bummed, and bone-deep exhausted. We wonder how much longer we can keep up the façade of self-confidence that we secretly admit has long ago evaporated. How can we present ourselves as competent, successful, and eager when in our heart-of-hearts we have accepted that we are a despised failure in a success-oriented culture?

The secret is to keep plugging away. No matter the number of disappointments we have experienced; no matter the number of rejections we have encountered; no matter the times when our age, our experience, our skills have been found wanting - we have to KEEP GOING. We never know if "this time" is "the one." We have to continue to act, no matter how difficult or painful it may be, as if this were the one position we have been seeking.

Ask any newly hired worker and they will tell you that just as they were about to give up, along came the gold at the end of the rainbow. Not giving up, no matter how discouraged you internally feel, is the secret weapon in finding a position, no matter how long it takes for the right opportunity to appear.

2. U means Unswerving Focus.

There is so much going on in your life: family stresses, financial pressures, multiple demands on your time and your energy. The search for work, although prioritized for a long time, has moved down the "to do" list somewhere below Timmy's first tee-ball game and the in-laws' anniversary party.

If you have mastered the art of multi-tasking (juggling activities around as changing deadlines demand), you will have realized that finding work is your overwhelming priority and that nothing can, or will, interrupt your focus on that, no matter what else may be happening in your life. Ignoring peripherals and always keeping your eye on the immediate objective, obtaining a job, ensures that opportunities are not missed and that every possible avenue is explored. While there may be time for other things to maintain your balance, the time allotted for job search must remain intact and sacred, no interruptions allowed.

3. N stands for Networking.

The often-touted "hidden job market" is merely a term to cover the multiple job openings that always exist but are never publicized. Literally, millions of positions are filled without classified advertising, internet postings, or agency listings. Such positions are identified, and obtained, through personal referral: a job seeker knows someone who knows someone else who has a need for the job seeker's skills and abilities. Networking is merely a fancy term for using friends and acquaintances to help locate employment. The process requires that when you are in need of work, you make sure that everyone you know is aware of your situation and that you ask them for information and assistance. Beyond exploring job leads with your contacts, it requires the harvesting of names and additional contacts through personal referrals from your first line friends. Like the ripples of a pebble cast into a lake, your access to unadvertised positions multiples exponentially as your network of contacts, and their contacts, expand your chances of being in the right place at the right time when that long-sought employer connection occurs.

Many workers draw back from the process after a few attempts, fearful of exploiting family and friends. At its best, this is a mutually beneficial relationship as their self-esteem is increased by having the opportunity to help you. At some future juncture, you may be able to return the favor.

4. C for Communication.

A job seeker doesn't necessarily have to possess the spiel of a professional salesman nor the creative presentation of a marketing specialist but clear, unambiguous communication is critical throughout the hunt for work.

Your resume, cover letter, and completed application need to be clear in at least three areas.

a) What position are you applying for? Even if you have become so desperate that you'll take just about anything, an employer is looking for an applicant who specifically wants the job he has available. If your resume is purposefully hazy (because you are looking for several different types of work), make sure that your cover letter is focused on the specific position for which you are applying. b) What have you done in the past that is relevant to the position you are currently seeking? Again, if your resume shows a smattering of skills in seemingly unrelated areas, tie it all together in your cover letter so that it makes sense in the employer's mind. c) What can you do, better than anyone else, to make the employer believe that he has to hire YOU? If you have operational skills that the company needs, highlight them and what they could do to help the employer's business. If your skills are limited or you're applying for unskilled or semi-skilled work, stress personal qualities that stand out: reliability, courtesy, an ability to work with a variety of coworkers and supervisors, flexibility, the desire to work hard to prove yourself, and a willingness to learn as much as possible to show your value.

Networking contacts are helpful only if you can quickly and succinctly explain your predicament, what kind of work you are seeking, and ask directly for help whether for possible positions, information, advice, or merely additional names to contact.

The need for clarity continues in the interview. Answer questions clearly and directly. Express your hopes and positive outlook without bashfulness or mumbling. Before you leave, get a clear agreement on what the next step will be and if you can call the employer at the end of the week to see if there are any lingering questions. After the interview, send a short, personal thank you note for the interviewer's time and attention.

5. H represents Humility.

This is a two-edged sword. Many of us are so humble that we find saying anything positive about ourselves almost excruciating. We start to mumble when expressing our qualities and achievements. Employers and interviewers are well aware of this. They know that an interview is an uncomfortable and unnatural interaction that makes both sides of the desk anxious and overly formal. Unless the position is in sales, which often demands a somewhat pushy self-presentation, you may make a more favorable impression if you are somewhat hesitant in rolling out your skills and abilities. The applicant who reports strength in all areas, knows everything, and answers every question with "I've done that before," may be looked upon with some suspicion. The job seeker who keeps asking the office manager how much longer he will have to wait or taps his fingers impatiently on the desk, is not making points with the support staff who may have a significant effect on the eventual hiring decision. An employer may seek an applicant with initiative but he also fears a loose cannon who ignores direction and caution. While we admire the "take chances" attitude that propels a Donald Trump or Richard Branson to the self-made billionaire's club, we don't necessarily want that arrogant risk-taking at our company, especially when it is our company taking the risk!

6. E equates to Enthusiasm.

This is what will wear you out more than anything else. It is one thing to be enthusiastic about our passions, our interests, even our jobs. It is something else to show enthusiasm over and over, rejection after rejection, and not crash and burn at some point. The sanest approach seems to be balance. While your search for work is top priority, make sure that you make time for rest and rejuvenation. Since enthusiasm is an absolute requirement in most job interviews, you would be better served to limit your actual job hunting personal and telephone contacts to 20 or 25 hours per week. Take time to relax: quiet time, exercise, watch a movie, and replenish your energy levels. You will be healthier, less stressed, and more effective, when you do make contacts than trying to spend 40 hours a week "pounding the pavement" and ending up presenting as tired, flat, and desperate when you reach the interview that could have been "the one."

7. S reflects Self-Belief.

Call it faith, call it self-confidence, call it a sense of trust, call it cock-eyed optimism, it is really, in psychological terms, self-efficacy. It does not directly concern what you think about yourself, positive or negative. It involves your belief in whether you are able to affect what happens to you. Do you believe that your actions and words can bring about the outcomes you seek? If I don't believe that my efforts will have any effect on results, then the world is based on illogic, luck-of-the-draw, random chance.

If you look back over your own life, you will be able to identify actions or decisions you took that had certain consequences, good or bad. Analyze and study your own history and you will start to clearly see that consequences follow every action. Move that into the present and future, and it will revitalize your belief in the eventual consequences of your actions now. If you follow the myriad job seeking strategies and techniques identified by experts, and repetitively supported by successful outcomes, you will reach your goal.

It is that strong belief that you are "on the way" to success that will carry you through the long nights of worry, the wasted time of disappointing leads, and the pain of recurrent rejection. It will bring you back to the other six areas mentioned by allowing you to focus, reach out for support, communicate with humility and clarity, and maintain your job search campaign with unflaggingly enthusiastic persistence.

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Searching for a job has become easier than ever for those who are graduating from school and looking to enter the workforce. Many schools offer guidance services as well as networking opportunities for graduates looking for work after finishing school. Recruiters often work hand in hand with career services on a number of campuses to connect with the kind of individuals they have in mind for specific positions. While these types of services can open doors to several people, hardly anything offers more in their job search than online employment web sites.

The number of online employment web sites with thousands of positions just waiting for the right person to apply for them are plentiful – and most likely one of the best places to do a student job search. Online job websites feature a number of entry level positions as well as higher level positions to those who meet specific qualifications. Those who aren't limited to a restricted location for employment can benefit from online employment web sites that feature national job listings. People who have a specific locale that they need to work in can often narrow down their search by region.

When students begin their job search, some flexibility and focus is necessary to broaden the number of opportunities that can be applied for. Online employment websites don't usually limit the number of jobs that can be applied for, so submitting resumes or applications to several job opportunities could result in more interviews. While carrying out a job search, it is crucial to make as many professional connections as possible and network extensively.

A student searching for jobs through an online employment website provides an individual with a number of valuable tools and exposure to countless of potential employers. Advice and ideas can be found online as well as helpful services including resume writing, resume posting and distribution, and job search ideas. An online job search can be the most effective tool an individual has in finding employment.

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History has taught us that people are as changeable as the wind. I am sure that we have all had an experience where a friend or acquaintance said one thing and then changed it to something else a day later. This is human nature and nobody can control the changes except the person making the change.

With that being said, let's consider your job references. When you decide to look for a new job, it's a good idea to touch base with your references.

Stage your tasks

Looking for a new job and verifying that your references are still on your side can be a staged process. You can begin your job search and post your resume before contacting your references but don't wait too long.

Step One - get noticed

A good first step in your job search is to get your resume posted on all the job sites.  Generating leads is an important part of the process, regardless on how you choose to do it.

Stage two - email

Once you have posted your resume and sent it to as many recruiters as possible, send a friendly email to all of your references letting them know that you are searching for a job. In the email ask them to verify their contact info and current place of employment.

It is a good idea to attach a copy of your resume to allow your references to remember where you worked together and what your job responsibilities were. Most managers deal with lots of employees and prior employees and they may not remember exactly what you did.

Most, if not all of your references will respond quickly. If you do not receive a prompt response, then you must assume they either did not get your message, they chose not to respond or they might be out of town. No matter what the reason, now is the time to call them.

Stage two - call

When you call, make sure to listen to the undertone of your conversation. You can verify the contact info and find out what they are doing now but it is imperative that you listen to what they are saying behind their words. If you get the feeling that this person really does not want to be a reference, consider putting them on a separate list of secondary references.

Most references will do their best to give you an excellent reference but sometimes outside factors may be influencing their attitude and you do not want your reference's attitude to cost you a second interview or cost you a job.

Stage three - decide

When you talk to your reference, if they sound distant and unconcerned, they may not be the best person to use. If they are openly hostile, definitely do not use them. Life and people change on a daily basis and you never know when someone may change the way they feel about you.

The main goal when applying for a new job is to put yourself in the best light possible in the eyes of the employer. Everyone has a little tarnish and picking good references allows you to try and put some polish on it. All in all, the entire job hunting process is time-consuming and sometimes a real pain. Be proactive and eliminate any potential pitfalls by speaking with your references up front and deciding if you want to keep them as a reference.

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Nowadays, finding a job can be very tedious. However, some people contend that trying to keep a job to avoid the risk of losing it is in even harder. This is because they are trying whatever viable means there is, in order not to lose their jobs.

Unemployment is a devastating condition in the society. It wrecks dreams and ambitions, and the goal to have a happy and decent life. In fact, unemployment had such an effect in the United States in 1990, where it only recorded 45% of its population working and from here; only 24% are working full time. That is why it is extremely important for a person to find a job and try harder not to lose it.

Today, the percentage of people who are employed gradually increases and the wage that they earn escalates as well, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. The families that only earn from $10,000 to $50,000 in a year are already less common because the others are earning a lot more.

For people who already have a job and desire not to be jobless again, here are some tips that they must follow in order to stay on track:

1. Employees should always try their best to improve their performance

This entails a chain reaction within the work force in the company. The employee should, by all means try harder to do their job well as well as improve their performance in order to increase productivity.

Once productivity has been improved, the income of the company will grow, meaning there will be more funds for remuneration and more probabilities that the company will adhere to its employees' cultivation and motivation.

2. Avoid procrastination

If a person does not want to lose his or her job, procrastination should be avoided. Making up lame excuses, even if there is the slightest truth in it, will never justify the work undone.

3. It is better for a person to find a job that he or she truly likes.

It would be harder to keep a job that a person does not like. This will only result to poor performance and everything. It is better for a person to find a job that would bring meaning to his or her life.

The main point here is that people should know how to turn failures into success in order to focus on one common goal: never to lose a job again.

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For decades, women have chaffed at the invisible glass ceiling which prevents their moving into the high executive brackets that their competence, knowledge and skills have earned. The same amorphous barrier confronts older workers both in terms of advancement within a company and, most especially, when a job change is required. There is an adage in the military that if a rank above major has not been obtained within twenty years, it never will be. The ranks of early military retirees are sprinkled with majors who knew that ten or fifteen more years would never bring a Colonel's cluster.

How can such "unwritten rules" be fought? No lawsuit can prove that you were the best individual for the job. No employer is unintelligent enough to state that your age is the stumbling block. You sense the discrimination, you become aware of the sideways glances and the emotional response of an interviewer, but you feel powerless to change their perspective and their bias.

Sitting across an interviewing desk, often facing an individual the same age as your son, your esteem erodes and your confidence self-destructs. Impotent, humiliated, and angry, you accept that nothing you can say is going to change anything. You continue job hunting with a mounting sense of frustration and an indisputable anticipation of failure.

If you have nothing to lose, why not attack the problem head-on? Prejudice and discrimination survive only in the silence of unexamined judgments and, often unconscious, illogic. Confront the situation and at least you create the opportunity for the white light of reason to enter the fray.

Try these approaches to prompt more honest interaction and possibly more rational conclusions.

1. You need to be the one to put the age issue on the table. Offer it gently, as one area of needed exploration regarding why you fit the employer's needs. Bring it up objectively, as something that can be discussed unemotionally, without triggering lethal interviewer defensiveness.

2. Acknowledge your age as a basis for emphasizing the experience of a lifetime and the value that such experience can provide to any employer. Concentrate on describing how business has changed over the course of years and how deftly you have adapted to those changes and incorporated new ideas and technical advancements into your work performance.

3. Acknowledge common misperceptions about the weaknesses of age: hard-to-break habits, lack of flexibility, technological ignorance, and distrust of authority, especially if young. Then use your sales ability to eliminate those misperceptions, probably already resonating in the interviewer's head.

Habits: Remind your host of the ability to adapt and reshape yourself which has kept your thinking young. Stress your relish for new challenges and innovative approaches. Cite some examples from your past about how smoothly you have been able to change to new workflows and procedures.

Flexibility: Discuss your dislike of unproductive routine and your preference for trying new methods of approaching tasks. Stress those times in the past when you were able to develop creative solutions to long-term problems and how your resourcefulness helped your previous employers.

Technology: Identify new technical advances within your field and address how you have internalized those changes. If you have successfully transitioned from dictating to a secretary to email and instant messaging, if you have moved from a manual adding machine to competent computer literacy, then small changes like learning new software or novel production systems should be a snap.

Authority issues: You have attained authority in the past and you have also worked under a variety of supervisors in your long career life. Clarify your relationship with power: the respect you extend to those who are knowledgeable, the loyalty and support you offer any leader of your team, the self-respect you enjoy which allows you to participate in group goals enthusiastically without feeling that you need to be in charge or command the top title.

4. Once you have demolished the myths of age, emphasize its strengths: reliability, mature judgment, lack of impulsivity, timeliness, a strong work ethic, and the ability to perform without outside distractions such as personal relationship problems, child commitments, and social responsibilities.

Undoubtedly, there are individuals out there who have their own issues with hiring someone who reminds them of their father or who have had problems in the past with an underperforming older worker who was difficult to terminate. There will always be those you cannot reach, no matter how convincing your logic and your presentation.

There are many more who are open-minded and seek not to make rash judgments. Address their semi-conscious fears face to face and the interview may end successfully - for both you and your lucky new employer.

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Perhaps you are working for a proof reading company and you are looking for to get into freelance work. Or, maybe you are looking to start a career proofreading from home. In any case, you want to learn how to find proofreading jobs, right? The career is out there, but how do you break in? Many people try unsuccessfully to do this for a long time. Here are some good, solid tips about the proofreading industry, and how to break in.

Tip 1. Educate yourself by taking a few proof reading courses. This can include those that are provided from home as well. You'll find options all over the internet in this area.

Tip 2. Use your skills to create sample work. Get a project to do for free. This can be a great way to break in. Use it to build your portfolio.

Tip 3. Learn to be a good salesperson. Not only will you need to create work that will impress your clients, but you will have to sell yourself to them in the first place. Learn what it is that they are looking for. This could be quality work, good prices, guaranteed work.

Tip 4. Don't pass up the small opportunities. It is simply essential that you take what you can get. You can build your freelance career this way because you are building on this one-to-one relationship. In other words, if you work well with this client, you can use the work you provided for him as samples. You can use the experience as a stepping stone for referrals as well.

Tip 5. Stay up to date on the new trends that are pushing the internet. When you understand the lingo and the language, you can communicate effectively with your clientele.

Tip 6. Ensure that you are able to provide a good place in your house to work well. Proofreading requires time and dedicated work.

Proofreading from home is a great way to begin a business of your own. Freelance work in proof reading is not easy though and employment can be hard to come by. Take advantage of the vacancies you find and use them to become the best proof reader you can. When you find a way into proofreading from home, grab it and make it worthwhile.

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The English language is the most commonly spoken language on Earth, either by native speakers or by people who have learned it in addition to their first language. More and more people everyday have the desire to learn English as a second language. The type of people who wish to learn it run the gamut from children in other countries who are required to learn English as part of their school curriculum, business professionals that wish to be able to communicate with their English-speaking peers, to immigrants who come to English-speaking countries such as the Unites States who need to learn the native language in order to gain employment, citizenship, and acceptance in their new home country. If you decide to become certified to teach English as a second language (TESL), you could be providing an invaluable service to thousands of people.

As an instructor of English as a second language, you have the option of going abroad and living in one of dozens of countries where there is a high demand for qualified instructors. You may also remain at home, and teach new residents of the United States how to speak, read, and write the language. Either way, you need to be certified to provide instruction. Because there is such a high demand for instructors who are qualified to teach English as a second language, language schools are highly selective when it comes to hiring new teachers. Receiving your certification exhibits your drive to potential employers and shows that you are serious in taking on this challenging new career. Certification can be earned by taking courses at one of several campuses nationwide, and there are also certification course programs available online. Receiving your certification for teaching English as a second language will unquestionably prepare you to be a more effective and successful teacher by instructing you on how to teach grammar, vocabulary, speaking, writing, how to motivate your students, how to manage a classroom, and how to construct lesson plans. If you decide to teach English as a second language in another country, obtaining your certification will also better prepare you for a move abroad, which can be intimidating and stressful. You will have the confidence in knowing that you are entirely qualified to perform your new job, which will help to alleviate some of the stress in immersing yourself into an entirely new country and culture.

Teaching English as a second language has many personal benefits. If you teach abroad, you will have the opportunity to break down stereotypes regarding our own American culture. You will learn about new cultures and traditions. You will be able to travel to neighboring nations. You will become self-reliant and self-assured, and you will no doubt make many new friends. In teaching English as a second language, will be able to develop your communication skills, which will give you a confidence that will help you to excel professionally and personally.

Teaching the English language to students in foreign nations can be exciting, fulfilling, and highly enjoyable. It is a mutually beneficial experience for you and your students. Not only are you representing your own country and culture, and imparting your personal knowledge of the English language and your culture onto others, but you are also learning about other individuals, their experiences, their traditions and their languages. While broadening your mind and experience something totally unique, you are also embarking on an exciting new career, one that has the opportunity to open many new doors for you professionally.

You will find that teaching English as a second language is a mutually beneficial experience for you and your students. Not only are you representing your own country and culture if you teach abroad, and imparting your personal knowledge of the English language and your culture onto others, but you are also learning about other individuals and their experiences and their traditions and their language. And if you are teaching stateside, you are providing a precious service to new residents of the United States. You are giving them the power to communicate in their new homeland. This power will enable them to find jobs, seek educations, and possibly gain American citizenship. That makes for an exceptional experience to have in your memories.

Find the essential information on where and how to learn a new or second language at English as a Second Language.

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In a recent research study, undertaken by Extra Sensory Perception and commissioned by on-line recruitment company Ifoundwork, over 50 recruiter's from key industry sectors in the UK were questioned about the traits that they most like and dislike in an applicant. When asked about the things that made a positive impression on them during the interview process certain trends emerged. Six of the top twelve responses are listed below. So, if you want to give yourself the best chance of impressing a prospective employer, review them to see how you match up.

The research suggests that employer's like applicants who:

Stay calm and relaxed. There is a direct relationship between how relaxed you are and how confident you appear to a prospective employer. Remember that interviewing is a mutual process. You are interviewing the company just as much as they are interviewing you. Relax and enjoy it!

Bring Samples of Work. If you don't have any start calling your old employer and get them. Always keep at least one ally at your previous employment; you never know when you will need something. Before you leave, create a portfolio and make copies of your work but omit confidential business information.

Do their Research. Do some research on the business before the interview. Know what you are getting yourself into by researching the culture and working environment. Have an understanding of the issues faced by the company.

Appear calm and confident. First impressions are lasting and made in first 30-120 seconds of an interview. Present yourself well from the start be confident friendly and polite. Greet the prospective employer with a handshake. Make regular eye contact.

Ask Questions. Never leave an interview without asking at least 3 questions. Have a number of questions that you have complied beforehand and use them at the appropriate moment.

Listen attentively. Listen carefully to the questions asked. Ask the interviewer to restate a question if you are confused. Or if you need time to think of an answer just ask "How do you mean?" this will buy you time and will provide additional information.

Goog job hunting!

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One of the most key elements of success in a job search is the resume and the engineering resume can often be one of the more difficult documents to develop. The engineering resume is the engineering job seeker's primary marketing document that sells the product - the skills and experience of the engineer. To be effective, an engineering resume must grab the attention of the reader in 35-45 seconds. A good engineering resume will extend that attention span to over a minute. A successful resume will prompt the reader to contact the job seeker. In effect, the success of the job search revolves around the effectiveness of the first step - the resume.

No one knows your background and experience better than you. Most engineers can get the basics of their projects and experience down on paper in a sensible fashion. What most engineers who write their own resumes have difficulty with is making that sell to the reader. Here are six tips to help you make your engineering resume sell.

1. Select the best organizational format. Most resumes are written in chronological (reverse time order) format, but that does not mean that the chronological choice is best for you. A combination format may be best. The combination format is evenly balanced between skill set description, achievements, and employment history, with the advantage being that projects can be highlighted for greater impact.

2. Assume that your resume will be viewed on a computer screen rather than on a piece of paper. Most resumes are sent, received, and managed via PC. That does not mean that the document has to be drab and ugly, visually. Many engineers who have images or pictures of project work have good success with creating a CD ROM portfolio of these images.

3. Make absolutely sure your document is error free. An error in a resume can often be the killer between two closely matched candidates. Engineers are expected to be detail-oriented so an error in the engineering resume reflects badly on possible future performance.

4. Find a balance between wordiness and lack of detail. Employers need to see details about your work history and engineering experience, but they don't need to know everything. The fact that you were Den Leader in your Cub Scout troop is irrelevant. Keep information germane to the goal of attaining an interview.

5. Think "accomplishments" rather than "job duties". What made you stand out from the crowd? How did you come up with a way to do things better, more efficiently, or for less cost? What won honors for you? Information such as this will be what makes you grab attention and put your engineering resume on the top of the stack.

6. Keep it positive. Reason for leaving a job, setbacks, failed initiatives, etc. do not have a place on an engineering resume. Employers are seeking people who can contribute, have a positive attitude, are enthusiastic, and have successfully performed similar job skills in the past. Concentrate on communicating these issues and avoid any detracting information.

Remember, resumes do not get jobs - people get jobs. Resumes get interviews. Most first time job interviews are conducted via telephone rather than in person as they used to be. Make sure you are prepared for that telephone call when it arrives. And make sure you have an engineering resume that will make the phone ring!

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According to US Department of Labor statistics, the average time to find employment is roughly six months. It could take as little as four to six weeks, or as long as ten to twelve months, or longer. Several factors determine your time to placement:

• Degrees
• Current state of employment
• Age
• Level of experience
• Level of salary
• Type of position you're seeking
• Level of position being sought
• Desired salary level
• Location
• Industry
• Your resume
• Your interview skills
• Networking effort
• Degree of career transition

No one knows how long they will be unemployed. Even a person with sufficient funds to last their entire period of unemployment may still want to consider a temporary or contractual assignment as an interim solution. The loss in income can have an unforeseeable psychological impact. Other concerns that need to be addressed include:

• Loss of confidence
• Losing familiarity with day-to-day responsibilities
• Boredom
• Creating employment gaps in the resume
• More expensive health benefits
• Minimal professional interactions
• No opportunity to convert a temporary position into a permanent one

The rule of thumb is: if you have been searching unsuccessfully for two months and find yourself no further ahead than when you became unemployed, I would encourage you to seek temporary employment or a contractual assignment. More and more people are engaging in this type of activity, including former CEO's. In fact, there has been a twenty percent increase in the number of people working part-time since 2001.

The steady rise in temporary employment and contractual assignments is a definite indicator, not only of the state of our economy, but of things to come. Employers are realizing the many benefits of hiring temporary and contract employees. They don't have to go through all the screening and interviewing that is typical for permanent employees; they don't have to pay benefits; they can try out a person without any obligation to hire if it isn't working out; and they can convert a temporary or contractual employee to permanent status once the person has proven themselves.

At this time, there is a coupling of two factors: employers are seeking more people for temporary and contract jobs that used to be strictly for permanent employees, and job seekers are taking longer to find permanent employment. It would appear that temporary employment and contractual assignments represent ideal solutions.

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Welding is an occupation that plays a role in many types of construction and repair work. Trained welders are needed to assist with building skyscrapers, hospitals, schools, and homes. They can repair damaged roofs, steel beams, and a variety of other materials through processes that emphasize heating and pressure treatments. The work is challenging and may be difficult at times, but welding literally lays the cornerstone of many of society's structures.

If you are thinking about getting trained to do welding work on a temporary or a permanent basis, here are some points to consider:

1. The pay isn't bad. Depending on the cost of living for your area, the type of company you work for, and the conditions of your welding assignment, you could make a hefty hourly rate. Given overtime, that amount can increase rapidly, especially with long-term assignments. Oftentimes you can set your own hours, including weekends and evenings, but this will depend on where you are employed. Some companies offer health care benefits, disability and life insurance, and even tuition assistance for employees who want to sign up for college.

2. Work conditions can be trying. Outdoor welding jobs may be available year-round, but that means you could be working outdoors in sub-freezing temperatures, so you will have to dress accordingly. When you weld indoors, you will have to set up a cloistered area where fumes and light from the flame don't bother other employees or bystanders. In the summer, unventilated areas can quickly attain triple-digit temperatures to cause welders to swelter and sometimes make breathing difficult.

3. Safety issues are important. You will need industry-regulation equipment and protection, including goggles, a faceplate, and perhaps clothing covers. It is important to keep up with equipment specs that can change over time. You should learn something about first aid procedures for welding-related injuries or hazard exposures. Don't take shortcuts with the equipment, and wear required equipment at all times while working.

4. You may need to travel. If you work with construction sites, you know how seasonal the work can be. You might need to head south during the colder months, or face unemployment during that time. Travel costs, including hotel, food, and mileage, are usually provided on top of your hourly rate, which also can increase when you work out of town. But the down side is time spent away from home and family at special times.

If you want a job that keeps you active and away from a desk, welding might be the career for you. Find out about welders' training in your area to see if you qualify and can start building your occupational future. Technical schools and community colleges are two places that often offer welding classes that can lead to certification for career and employment purposes. Even if you eventually move on to another field later, knowing how to weld is a valuable skill that could serve you well when building your own home or assisting with family projects.

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Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII applies to employers with 15 or more employees, including state and local governments. It also applies to employment agencies and to labor organizations, as well as to the federal government.

Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions:

What is sexual harassment? Sexual harassment is defined as "unwelcome sexual advances or conduct."  Sexual harassment includes quid pro quo harassment or a hostile or offensive work environment. Sexual harassment is any kind of sexual conduct that is unwelcome and/or inappropriate for the work place.  Sexual harassment can take many forms: verbal harassment, e.g. sexual or dirty jokes, visual harassment, e.g. drawings, emails, etc., physical harassment, and sexual favors, e.g. sexual advances, confrontation with sexual demands (quid pr quo sexual harassment). In the work place, sexual harassment can come from the owner, supervisors, managers, and co-workers. Sexual harassment does not only occur in the work place; it can occur off-site at office functions and parties.

Who can be held responsible if I am the victim of sexual harassment at work? Both the employer and employees are liable for sexual harassment.

What is quid pro quo sexual harassment? Quid pro quo sexual harassment takes place when a supervisor or someone with authority over your job demands sexual favors from you in exchange for a promotion, raise or some other benefit, including keeping your job.  The demand for sexual favors can be explicit, e.g. "If you have sex with me, I will promote you," or it can be implied from unwelcome physical contact such as touching or fondling.

What must I prove to prevail in a cause of action for quid pro quo sexual harassment? You must show that a supervisor, or someone with authority over your job, explicitly or implicitly conditioned a job, retention of your job, a job benefit (raise, business trip, or some other benefit), on your acceptance of sexual conduct. You must demonstrate that the harasser is someone with authority who can affect conditions of your employment. You also have to prove that the sexual conduct was unwelcome.

How can I prove that the sexual conduct was unwelcome? The sexual conduct must be unwelcome. You may show that the conduct was unwelcome by showing that you: explicitly rejected his/her sexual advances; you suffered emotional distress; your job performance deteriorated; you avoided the harasser; you told friends and/or family of the harassment; and you told a company representative of the harassment.  Each case is different and your case may or may not include some of these examples.

What are my remedies in a quid pro quo sexual harassment case? The law provides that you may recover damages from your employer once you have proven that you were deprived of a job benefit, or suffered an adverse employment action, e.g. failure to promote, termination of employment, because you refused to accept your supervisor's sexual demands.  

What To Do If I Think I am the Victim of Sexual Harassment? Keep a record of the events surrounding the sexual harassment, include the date, time, place, and who was present.  Your notes may become very important in litigating the case, but bear in mind that these notes may be required to be turned over to the employer during the discovery phase of litigation. Check the company's employee handbook, if one exists, to determine if the company has a procedure for handling sexual harassment complaints. If the company has a procedure for filing a sexual harassment complaint you must comply with it.  If you do not complain to the employer, the employer can successfully defend itself from liability by arguing that it was not aware of the problem, and therefore was unable to remedy the problem.  However, if the problem is not remedied, you may wish to speak to an attorney for advice on how to file a formal complaint with the appropriate federal or state or city agency. You may still want to speak with an attorney before you file the complaint with the company to ensure that it is communicated appropriately.

Once I inform my employer about the sexual harassment, what must my employer do? Once the employer knows or should know about the harassment, it has a duty to take immediate and appropriate corrective action to end the harassment.  The employer's response must be reasonably calculated to end the harassment and if earlier discipline did not end the harassment, more severe discipline is required.

Is my employer still responsible if the harasser is a co-worker? If the demand for sexual favors is made by a co-worker with no power to affect your employment opportunities, you cannot claim quid pro quo harassment.  However, you may claim that the co-workers actions created a hostile work environment, and an employer may be held liable for the conduct of the employee if the employer knew or should have known of the employee's conduct and failed to take prompt remedial action to stop the harassment.

What is "hostile work environment" sexual harassment? As an employee, you have a right to work in an environment that is free of discrimination, intimidation, insult and ridicule.  You have a potential claim for hostile work environment if the sexual harassment unreasonably interferes with your work performance or creates an offensive or intimidating work environment.  In order to have a claim for hostile work environment, you must be able to prove that there was more than a single incident of harassment. You also have to show, as in quid pro quo sexual harassment, that the sexual conduct was unwelcome.

What are examples of a hostile or offensive work environment? Sexually-charged jokes or pranks, being grabbed or whistled at, sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or other verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature can create a hostile work environment and can qualify as sexual harassment.  Conduct that makes the workplace sexually charged does not need to be directly aimed at you. For example, being subject to offensive company-wide emails may create a hostile or offensive work environment.

What must I show in order to recover damages for a hostile work environment? You must show that the unwelcome sexual conduct was so severe and pervasive that it "altered your conditions of employment by creating a psychologically abusive work environment."  The employer may be held liable if he/she knew or should have known of the harassment and failed to take prompt remedial steps to stop the harassment.

How can I prove that the harassing conduct was severe or pervasive enough to alter the working conditions and create an abusive environment? You must be able to meet both an objective and a subjective standard.  The objective standard is met if a Court determines that a "reasonable person in your position" would have considered the conduct severe or pervasive.  Under the subjective standard, you must have actually found the conduct sufficiently severe or pervasive to interfere with your work environment. In other words, a Court looks at what your reaction to the conduct was, and whether your reaction was reasonable, according how a "reasonable person in your position" would have reacted.

What types of damages can I recover if I am successful in demonstrating sexual harassment? A Court may order the company to: stop the harassment; pay lost wages and other job-related losses (e.g. promotions, or favorable work status you lost because of the sexual harassment); pay compensation for physical, mental and emotional injuries; pay punitive damages; pay your attorneys' fees and expenses associated with litigating your case.

Not all employment disputes require a lawsuit, and sometimes negotiation is the best course of action.

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Not too long ago, job boards like Monster, CareerBuilder and HotJobs were primed to put newspapers out of business. Surprisingly, now it seems that search engines such as Google, MSN and Yahoo! are set to dethrone both newspapers and job sites.

As revenues and readership for newspapers have been on a consistent downward spiral since the birth of the Internet, their grip on classified advertising has been a major contributor.

Particularly job postings.

Since 1995, job sites have done an effective job of steadily taking dollars away from a once almighty print monopoly. As a result, online job classifieds were poised to take down print listing who could never compete with bargain basement price-points.

However, another revolution was quietly occuring that today is poised to put job sites on the defensive.

Search engines and Craigslist happened.

Craigslist is, for the most part, a free service for online classifeds. By allowing to post jobs for free in all but three of its local markets, Craigslist has quickly become a site of choice for local job seekers and employers alike. Even in markets where employers pay - New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco - prices remain well under $100 per listing.

Despite its low pricing scheme, Craigslist remains a very profitable business, generating millions of dollars with only 18 empoyees.

Search engines like Google, likewise, have discovered that providing free search content pays off as long as you provide targeted pay-per-click advertising.

In light of this model, vertical search for jobs is taking off. First, with players like FlipDog and GrassIsGreener, and now with players like SimplyHired and Indeed.com. Yahoo! - utilizing its HotJobs offering - is now aggregating job listings from all over the Net.

As a result, most experts predict Google

will soon launch a similar offering that allows users to access job listings from a variety of sources, including job sites like Monster and corporate site listings.

Google will provide the content at no charge, while making money from its AdWords, pay-per-click model.

Both Craiglist and search engines paint a picture of commoditized job listings that eventually no company will have to pay big money to have accessed. Most likely, job postings will be driven to zero. Additionally, job seekers are primed to have a central point to access a large number of listings.

As a result, it seems that search engines (Google, Yahoo!) and low-priced open source solutions (Craigslist) hold the key to accessing job information in the future.

Where newspapers and job boards fit into this equation is anyone's guess.

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Searching for jobs online is easier than ever, but also more confusing than ever. Any Internet user doing a job search online will find that they can choose from hundreds of national employment listing web sites and the numbers can often be staggering. When performing on online job search, it is a good idea to choose from an online employment classified web site that allows for regional searching. Localized searches can narrow down employment opportunities so that the job searcher doesn't have to search through hundreds or even thousands of posts in order to locate a handful of listings in an individual's local area. When performing an Internet job search, it is important to keep in mind that not all local employers will post job listings online, but they will post their openings in local newspapers. Most newspapers allow for an online job search in their classified sections if the newspaper is also available for viewing the Internet.

If doing a job search online is the way an individual prefers to begin searching for employment, the best way to begin is to use the job search box that is often located somewhere on the home page of employment web sites. By using the search box, an job seeker can get results from many different categories in various databases that might not have been present if an individual chose to search in a single database. Searching options can be very simple or allow an individual to search by specific keywords, job location and other relevant information. This may not always present an individual with the kind of results that they are looking for, but most employment sites will send notification of new listings that might be of interest as they become available.

The advantages seeking employment online reach far beyond accessing thousands of available positions around the world. Most employment sites offer resume assistance, the ability to post resumes for potential employers to view and even the ability to instantly submit a resume to positions of interest. Conducting a job search online eliminates a part of the stress associated looking for work as well as matches employees with employers much faster than ever for better pairing and more effective results.

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Searching for a job can be a daunting and confusing task for anyone, whether he or she is just entering the job market, looking for a better job or find him or herself without a job after several years with one employer. A job search can be successful when the person looking for a job knows exactly what they should and should not do when looking for a new job. Once a person has located a job that they desire, the applicant needs to get their resume ready and avoid the most common mistakes that job seekers make while looking for a job.

When performing a job search, just about everyone is likely to come across a job they is perfect for them. The first thing most people do is to prepare their resume or fill out a job application, depending on how the potential employer prefers to screen their applicants. Resumes are more common when the position is full-time in a professional line of work. Part-time positions often require a company job application be submitted in lieu of a resume. Honoring the kind of application method that is requested by the company offering a job is an important part of a successful job search. Submitting the requested application or resume is the first step in showing a potential employer that an individual is cooperative and able to follow directions.

If an individual is looking for a job and knows that they desire full-time professional work, he or she will want to have a well-written, error-free resume. If a resume has typing or grammatical errors, it can affect how a potential employer views the quality of work an applicant might submit if hired. Choosing to have a professional resume writing service complete a resume before starting to search for employment can eliminate the kinds of errors that could lead to a resume getting rejected. In addition, an applicant should be able to submit an attractive and appealing resume that is more likely to result in consideration.

Finding job search portals and resume services are easier than ever to access through the Internet. Employment websites and services can make searching for a job quick and simple with search options and even the ability to eliminate certain. Employment websites often offer their own resume writing services to simplify the job search and application process even more. The right combination of job search and resume resources allow for outstanding applications that can make finding a new job easier and faster than ever.

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Many years ago searching for a federal job was a long, complicated and drawn out process. Today, it has been become far less complex and is now just a three-step process. Finding a federal job used to be accomplished through postings in a government office branch and sometimes in libraries. Today, finding an opening can be done right on the Internet. There is a web site that lists federal jobs also lists many state, local and even private business positions. Many of the federal, state and local jobs can be applied for right online. If a position requires a resume, individuals can take advantage of online resume development and transmission.

Looking for a federal job can be done at most Federal buildings around the country and even through an interactive voice response telephone system for the hearing impaired. A search may turn up something called a 'hot job', which is a job that needs to be filled immediately. The office of personnel management usually posts these for those who are in need of immediate employment. If a person performing job search would like to work with a specific federal agency, many times each federal agency will list their job openings right on their individual web site.

Most individuals looking for a federal job can complete the application process by submitting a resume, a federal employment application or even other written form of application approved by the department accepting applications. The federal government does provide application forms like the optional application for federal employment form OF-612 and the SF-171.

If an individual has done a job search and found positions that he or she would like to apply for, whatever type of application is submitted should contain important information. Applicants should include all of the job information that was included in the job listing, the applicants personal information including all contact information, the applicant's educational history, previous employment record and any pertinent experience related to the job position. Once the federal job search and application process is complete, applicants simply need to wait for a response.

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A certain amount of oversight is involved in almost any job. The more important, the more highly skilled, the more successful the position, the lower the degree of oversight. At the bottom rung of the economic and social ladder - the laborers, the maids, the easily replaceable positions - the more watchful are the powers that be, the less secure are the workers, the more personally vulnerable are they to any mistakes made.

When money or similar valuables are intermixed with poorly paid employees, the level of oversight reaches outsized and intrusive proportions. Diamond workers in South Africa submit to body cavity searches after every shift, a humiliation society normally limits to convicted felons or known drug traffickers.

In the United States, low-level workers in finance and banking are closely observed for cash or figure discrepancies. Too many errors lead inevitably to termination. The larger the amounts of money involved, the more significant the mistakes become. A fast food register a few cents out of balance differs markedly from a bank cashier imbalance of several hundred dollars.

The more pure cash is involved, the more difficulty there is in tracing a paper trail of transactions to establish where a discrepancy occurred. I just returned from three days in Las Vegas, the American capital of cash. Surely nowhere else in the country handles the thousands of hundred dollar bills that change hands in that town, to the tune of several billion dollars annually.

For years, in the counting rooms it was one pile for the house, one pile for the government, and one pile for "the boys." Untold millions were siphoned off for the East Coast crime czars. The government hated being cheated of their fair share. The gamblers could care less where the money went as long as they had a fair chance of winning and their play rendered them free rooms, free shows, and free food. It was symbiotic - a mutually advantageous relationship. Any worker foolish enough to try to cheat the uniquely expert cheaters at the top, found their final reward in the unforgiving desert where flesh melts quickly and bone fragments blow quickly away in the beds of long-dry rivers.

Then the corporations moved in and "the boys" faded away into their old street rackets and the burgeoning drug trade. The corporate-owned casinos are no longer in the business of skimming: they can make legitimate returns for their shareholders through the huge returns guaranteed by the house advantage in every transaction. To add to the gaming cash, they moved to ensure a profit in related areas: rooms, food, and shows.

Even the owners and managers, with their accounting-oriented perspective on the world, recognize their vulnerability to greed, cheating, and theft in the huge cash side of their business.

Casino worker oversight, while not yet approaching the body-cavity-search level, is perhaps the most organized and intrusive in the western world. It ranges from dealers clapping and showing open, empty hands, to two or more floor walkers (depending on the size of the jackpot) co-signing on every hand-pay slot win. It involves floor men watching every table bet, box men watching every roll of the dice and its payoff stacks of chips. It requires supervisors to watch the floor men, managers to watch the supervisors, undercover security men to watch both workers and guests, and eye-in-the-sky overhead cameras that can observe and detect every one of a million transactions per day.

Does all this monitoring and second-guessing have an effect on employees? Personal trust is something we rate highly. Talk with someone whose spouse has cheated on them and you will find that the emotional pain has little to do with sex but everything to do with the loss of trust and the doubt that a relationship can ever really survive such a loss. Although secondary to intimate relationships, we would like our coworkers and supervisors to trust us also, as a mark of respect if nothing else.

On the other hand, we are aware that the world is full of cheaters, those who would break any moral, legal, or ethical code if it gave them an advantage in the race for success and financial independence. We want to be trusted to act responsibly and do the right thing but we are just a little reluctant to trust others to quite the same degree.

Close oversight of everyone gives us a certain sense of security - it levels the playing field for us all by rooting out those who would bend the rules to get what they want. We tell ourselves that we have nothing to fear because we are innocent and that will protect us.

Then we read about long-convicted prisoners whose innocence has been belatedly proved by newly developed scientific forensics. We miss a familiar face at our favorite casino and finally learn that the individual left town after an error-inspired accusation of misconduct resulted in termination and blacklisting from the industry.

Where there is cash floating around in generous amounts, there will always be temptations, overzealous suspiciousness, justice and injustice on all sides because the truth is not amenable to scientific analysis and every event has multiple explanations and perspectives.

So we keep on watching ourselves and each other. Those of us who loathe the concept of big brother and snitching on friends, draw back in disgust as we see the need for security invade our lives. We can stay out of the gaming world with its cameras and minutely regulated transactions but how do we avoid the monitoring threatened with every call for customer service or the cookies embedded in our computers to track our wanderings through the Internet?

The cheaters, the scam artists, the swindlers and the frauds have won. It is we, the innocent, who must dwell in prison cells of continuous third degree scrutiny.

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Looking for an IT job is one of the easiest to perform due to the incredibly high demand in the IT field. As the Internet grows, corporations network through Intranets – even the advancement of science has the demand for anyone with IT skills at an all time high. Computer technology continues to advance, change and grow and, in turn, increases the demand for new and diverse IT jobs. A job search for a person with the right skills is not only easy, but can be quickly done with the accessibility of online IT employment web sites.

When an IT professional is embarking on a job search, it is important to keep in mind that these jobs tend to pay very well. With the high demand for IT employees, the first job that an individual comes across may not be the best one as far as pay and benefits. Contrary to how many other people looking for employment have to search – submitting resumes and often settling for less pay or entry level positions – IT professionals can often take the time to 'shop' around for the best job offers before accepting a position.

The Internet offers a number of websites that provide the opportunity for anyone to search through potentially millions of listings in order to find a few that meet the individual's qualifications. Looking for an IT job can be done on any one of these kinds of websites, but with the increasing demand for IT employees it has brought about a number of IT specific job related websites that cater specifically to IT professionals. In addition to Internet job listings, IT professionals can do their job search through trade publications, and even newspaper employment classifieds.

While having IT skills doesn't guarantee a quick and easy job search, having a well-written resume can help in how many positions will earn an individual consideration. IT professionals can always find help with putting their resumes together through resume writing services or software that guides an individual through resume templates. However an IT professional goes about his or her job search, the tool of their trade is most likely the best way for them to find the right position.

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A job search for executives is far less complicated today than it has been in the past. Anyone who is looking for an executive job can simply look to the Internet where there are hundreds of employment websites, with many specifically geared towards executives. These websites offer individuals the opportunity to network with other executives in order to share ideas, offer communication about opportunities and support that can be useful during a job search.

The best way to begin looking for an executive position is to have an exceptional resume that provides any potential employer with an individualized declaration of that person's educational and employment history, in addition to their professional direction anticipated for the future. The resume is such an important part of a job search that it can truly mean the difference between landing an interview and having the resume discarded. There are a number of things that can set one candidate apart from another, and an outstanding resume can be a great start.

Job search websites for executives often work closely with recruiters from a number of specialty areas in order to make the right connections. Meetings and interviews can take place on the Internet or via phone. Some job search services come with full support from a professional staff to provide answers and counseling during the process.

Many executives who are looking for a job are in a position where they would like to keep the fact that they intend to change companies a private matter. Posting a resume on a job search website might seem risky, but a lot of these sites provide only resume information, and it is up to the individual posting the resume to release any contact information. Be sure to confirm the site's confidentiality options before proceeding.

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Before you go into the interview, it is important to know what salary you want, what you need to live on, and what you will be prepared to accept. Spend some time working out your budget. Remember to factor into your calculations the remuneration you'll need in the future.

Decide what types of benefits are important to you. A compensation package might include: flexible work schedule, option to work at home, relocation expenses, pension and insurance plans, company car, holidays, stock options, profit-sharing, training opportunities, etc. By evaluating these beforehand, you can concentrate on bargaining in the negotiation process.

It is important to know your market value. You can do this by consulting professional associations, job advertisements, business and trade periodicals, employment agencies, executive search companies, career-related websites, and on-line salary surveys.

Since salaries often vary according to location, you should research comparable positions at similar companies in your geographical area. Investigate your prospective employer's track record for making offers.

To strengthen your negotiating position, try to ascertain how urgently the company needs to fill the post. It also helps if you have another offer to consider.

When completing application forms, say that your salary requirements are "negotiable" or "competitive." Don't state a specific figure on your resume.

Don't be the first to mention salary during the job interview. Let the employer introduce salary first. If the interviewer insists on a specific figure, ask for details of the company's customary salary range for that type of position. Stress that you are confident you will be able to arrive at a mutually agreeable sum.

Do not negotiate a salary until you receive a job offer. By making the offer, the company is indicating that they consider you to be a valuable asset, thus putting you in much stronger bargaining position. When asked at this stage to express your salary requirements, be as non-specific as possible. Instead of an exact amount, state a range and indicate that you are willing to negotiate.

Use timing to establish your value. Don't be too quick to accept the employer's first offer.

If the offer is unacceptable, go back to talking about the responsibilities and importance of the job. Stress how keen you are to work for the company and how much you feel you can contribute. Maintain a calm, friendly, and professional demeanour at all times.

Anticipate objections and be prepared to overcome them. Assess the company's needs beforehand and justify your salary request by showing them how they will benefit from your skills, knowledge, and experience.

Be creative in suggesting salary options. If the company is not in a position to offer a higher salary, concentrate on negotiating parallel benefits such as performance bonuses, company car, profit-sharing, etc.

Remember that you are negotiating your relationship with your prospective employer. It should be a collaborative process. Both parties will benefit from a successful outcome. Avoid conflict. Be firm but friendly in asserting your rights.

If you are satisfied with the offer you receive, try to resist the urge to accept on the spot. Instead, express your enthusiasm about the prospects of joining the company and ask for a little time to consider the offer.

When evaluating the offer, consider all the relevant factors, e.g. salary, benefits, responsibilities, location, environment, and promotional prospects.

Once you have accepted the job offer and agreed on the salary and benefits, ask for a letter of confirmation.

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Know the three reasons why you're not generating quality interviews? You're invisible, voiceless, or comatose. Pick one.

The longer you hibernate in the darkness of traditional job searching know-how, where no one can find you, the more likely your dormancy will negatively affect your career transition. When you decide it's time to make a career change, you have a choice: be the hunter or the prey. Choose the latter and you'll quickly become road-kill. Just ask the possum.

Playing possum neutralizes your marketability. Opossums are easy targets for vehicular traffic because they are slow-moving creatures. They quickly frighten and when they can't escape, they roll over, become limp, close their eyes, and hang their tongue out (which slows their heartbeat). To would-be predators, the animal looks dead, so interest is lost.

Sound like your job search? Are you as dead to prospective hiring managers or those in the position of assisting you through informal informational meetings? If there's no interest in what you have to offer, consider your branding -- the perception others have about you and your ability to contribute.

Do you:

• Complain you don't have time to conduct a job search?

• Suffer from paralysis of analysis in determining career options?

• Think "networking" is not for you because your contacts are limited?

• Project open reluctance to search in new fields for fear of rejection?

• Believe finding a job is most easily discovered using job search engines?

• Obscure your visibility to power executives due to confidentiality issues?

• Require a set-in-stone level of compensation or geographic preference regardless of market conditions?

If you answer yes to any of these, your career change is in dire need of resuscitation, and every second counts.

Velocity uncovers signals of hiring patterns. Most animals travel in packs or herds. Possums don't. They're hidden night creatures that often become road kill because they're secretive, go about their foraging in solitary, and are slow-moving. You'll bring speed and verve to your campaign and improve your odds of employers calling if you are:

• Mentally adaptable

• Emotionally flexible

• Geographically-mobile

• Financially-unshackled

• Professionally-scalable

Vitality gets you hired through emotional attachment. Radiate a genuine hearty enjoyment of living. An infectious positive attitude coupled with precision target positioning will land you a prized role; perhaps one custom-created for you where there were no posted openings.

Marketing success is two-fold: market share and mind share. People first buy emotionally, then logically. Hiring managers do the same. Capture both, the territory and their minds. If your career history and extracurricular activities demonstrate a 'joie de vivre' (joy of life), you'll inspire greater interest and remembrance from decision-makers over those better qualified.

If you're remote, sullen, or cynical, grow up, get help, get over it. Hiring often times is driven more by perceived cultural fit than professional industry-specific competency.

Secret job searches yield mediocre results. Counter anonymity in a fiercely-competitive employment market by ensuring you don't:

• Send mass resume mailings to untargeted employers

• Peruse online job boards for your main source to uncover jobs

• Remain a generalist in terms of career focus and position objectives

• Use resume software programs that auto-generate templated resumes

• Forget to follow up on every oral and written job hunt communication

Key rules in product marketing equally apply to your tactical career moves. Remember you're the product and your customer is the person who has the ultimate power to hire you. Keep in mind:

• Brand awareness and consideration are not one-time events

• Continually communicate the central message you want your audience to perceive about your product

• Branding creates a singular distinction, strategic awareness and differentiates the product in the mind of the target market

Revive a lifeless career campaign by gaining early and steady visibility. The fact is that gaining notoriety through a personal public relations campaign should not start at the point of market entry.

Top-of-mind awareness is an integrated marketing strategy that deploys multiple channels to ensure a product's branding prevails. It's done foundationally and consistently. Early, steady visibility preemptively brings you, to them.

Know the causes for employer snub?

• A lifeless or negative persona

• A career path with no pulse or vibrancy

• A rigidness that contradicts changing market conditions

Road-kill or road racer? Which one are you? You have a choice. You better find out what's needed to resurrect yourself, and soon. Your competition just got off of life-support, while you're in a daze still trying to figure out what just happened. Get moving.

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