Job Guide

Typical Questions

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Use this list of common interview questions to prepare ahead of time. Although you
don’t want to sound like you’re reciting a canned answer, keeping some key points in
mind can be helpful.

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. Why did you leave your last job?
3. What are your strengths?
4. What are your weaknesses?
5. Why should I hire you?
6. What are your career goals and objectives?
7. How does this job fit into your career goals?
8. What do you know about our organization?
9. How do you normally handle change?
10. What would you last employer say about you?
11. If you could do anything in your career differently, what would it be?
12. Describe your greatest achievement.
13. Describe your most significant failure.
14. Which of your jobs did you like the best? Why?
15. Which of your jobs did you like the least? Why?
16. What kind of employee are you?
17. How do you handle authority?
18. On your last performance evaluation, what did your manager criticize you for?
19. How do you handle conflict with peers?
20. How do you normally handle criticism?
21. Describe your relationship with your last manager.
22. Where do you want to be five years from now?
23. Why do you want to work for us?
24. Why have you changed jobs so often?
25. Why is it taking you so long to find a job?
26. Tell me about a time when you handle to handle a crisis situation.
27. How do you deal with stress and pressure?
28. How much are you presently earning?
29. How much money do you want?
30. When can you start?
31. Can we check your references?
32. Where else are you interviewing?
33. Is there anything that we have forgotten to ask you?
34. Do you have any questions for us?

“Food, Glorious Food” and Other Challenges of Mealtime Interviews

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Mealtime interviews pose a unique set of interviewing challenges, which are outlined
below:

1. Keep drinking to a minimum, or better yet, don’t drink at all.

2. Don’t order anything messy. It’s hard to concentrate on the interview when your
spaghetti is dribbling down your chin.

3. No smoking, please—even if you’re sitting in the smoking section of the restaurant.

4. Keep it simple. Never order too much food or choose the most expensive item on
the menu. It’s not your last meal and, as you’ve probably heard, there’s no such
thing as a free lunch.

5. Remember your company manners. No matter how comfortable you feel during the
interview, don’t shovel your food into your mouth, talk with your mouth full, or eat
with your hands (unless it’s finger food).

6. Keep the conversation friendly but professional. While you want to be likeable and
charming, you don’t want to turn on the conversational faucet by sharing too much
personal information.

Expecting the Unexpected

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Nothing in life taxes your flexibility quite like interviewing. Here are some of the interviewing
scenarios you might expect to encounter:

1. Screening interviews usually take place on the telephone and are conducted by a
human resources professional or executive recruiter. Their goal is to determine
whether you have the minimum qualifications to do the job and then move you
along to the next person in the hiring hierarchy.

2. Sequential interviews take place in organizations that prefer to hire by consensus.
As a result, you may find yourself meeting with several hiring authorities over the
course of a day, a week, or a month. The key here is to approach each interview
with freshness and enthusiasm. Don’t worry about repeating yourself; this will only
make you look consistent—not boring.

3. Group interviews can be conducted by a handful of people simultaneously or resemble
a regular mob scene (with a cast of dozens). These interviews are usually more
about presentation than conversation, but you should still try to establish rapport
with each and every person in the room whenever possible. Candidates with group
training or facilitation skills definitely have the edge in group interviews.

4. Stress interviews are another variety. While most interviews are by definition stressful,
stress interviews are intentionally and artificially stressful. The intention of these
interviews is mostly to see how you react to pressure and stress—the key is to recognize
that you’re in a stress interview and keep your cool!

5. Performance interviews often require that you give a presentation to an audience as
a way of showcasing your platform skills and expertise. You will usually receive an
assigned topic in advance, enabling you to prepare the information that you want to
deliver in an organized and articulate manner.

6. Many employers like to supplement their interview process with aptitude, personality,
and values tests. The experts vary in their advice about how to deal with these
tests. My advice is to be truthful and to make sure that you always put the best spin
on the truth. Answer questions with confidence, enthusiasm, and skill.

7. Computer-assisted interviews are changing the face of the selection process. During
a computer-assisted interview, you will often be asked to sit at a computer terminal
and enter information into the computer or answer by using a touch-tone phone.
The thing to remember here is that you shouldn’t say anything to a computer that
you wouldn’t say to an interviewer in a face-to-face meeting.

8. Mealtime interviews are a challenge for many reasons. Because of the more relaxed
atmosphere, interviewers sometimes ask personal questions that would otherwise be
considered illegal in a more formal setting. Don’t be lulled into shooting yourself in
the foot. Make sure you use your company manners and keep your game face on.
You don’t want to lose out on an interesting opportunity over the price of a steak
dinner.

Listening Skills

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Communication is always a two-way street. In order to be responsive to interviewers’
needs, you must know how to listen and listen well. To improve your listening skills:

1. Focus your attention on what the interviewer is saying. If your mind starts to wander,
consciously force yourself to listen for the content, even if the interviewer’s intonation
is boring or the questions are phrased in a rambling manner.

2. Respond with appropriate nonverbal cues. Smile or nod your head in agreement
when appropriate. Conversely, don’t roll your eyes, clench your fists, or grimace at
the interviewer’s words.

3. Resist the impulse to interrupt.

4. Listen non-defensively. Do not be judgmental or critical of what you hear. This will
only prevent you from truly understanding what the interviewer is saying.

5. Don’t get distracted by trivial things that don’t really matter, like the interviewer’s
appearance, accent, lisp, or lipsmacking. Respond to what is being said rather than
how it is being communicated. Not everyone is a great communicator.

Interview Do’s and Don’ts

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1. Do dress for respect—conservatively and professionally.

2. Don’t sit passively in your seat and wait for the interviewer to do all of the work.

3. Do make small talk and try to find areas of common interest with interviewers, who
are—believe it or not—people, too.

4. Don’t look as if you are facing a firing squad. Smile and try to relax.

5. Do make sure to research the organization before the interview. This shows interviewers
that you are genuinely interested in them.

6. Don’t be late. This makes a terrible first impression. Instead, make sure that you
have proper directions and leave plenty of time (in case traffic is bad, the bus is
late, or you get lost).

7. Do bring extra copies of your resume in case the interviewer forgets or misplaces
your original copy.

8. Don’t call the interviewer by his or her first name unless they specifically instruct
you to do so.

9. Do remember the interviewer’s name and use it periodically throughout the interview.

10. Don’t dominate the conversation. Your answers should always be succinct, direct,
and well articulated.

11. Do learn to listen attentively and show genuine interest and enthusiasm. Remember,
employers want people who care.

12. Don’t deliver answers to interview questions as if you were making a speech.
Although you should prepare responses to typical questions in advance, your delivery
should sound sincere and unrehearsed. Remember: Make conversation, not presentations.

13. Do ask intelligent questions. Ask about job responsibilities, company goals, and
other related topics.

14. Don’t initiate conversations about money or benefits until you have a job offer.
After you have received an offer, you have a lot more negotiating power.

15. Do present a confident self-image that offsets any concerns that you may be hiding
something or have skeletons in your professional closet.

16. Don’t lie or get defensive. Try to frame negative situations as positively as possible
(in terms of a “mismatch,” “different styles,” or what you learned) without speaking
badly about past employers or colleagues.

17. Do answer the questions fully and punctuate your answers with good stories that
illustrate your competencies and style.

18. Don’t beat yourself up for making mistakes. It’s part of the process. The important
thing is that you learn from those mistakes so that you don’t repeat them in future
interviews.

19. Do follow up. If you agreed to provide references or additional information, make
sure that you deliver on your promises.

20. Don’t forget to send a thank-you note either by e-mail or snail mail. In your letter,
reassert your interest and qualifications.

21. Do continue to conduct your job search and look for additional opportunities. As
Yogi Berra is famous for saying, “It ain’t over till it’s over.”

22. Don’t sit around waiting for the interviewer to call you. If you don’t hear from them
within a week after your interview, make sure that you check in to see where they
(and you) are in the process.

23. Do remember that “no” doesn’t always mean forever. Although you may not always
get a job offer, if you stay on cordial terms with the people who interview you, you
may end up hearing from them again.

24. Never burn bridges. However disappointed or rejected you may feel, try your best
not to take it personally. Make sure that the interviewer knows that you enjoyed
meeting them and are still interested in future possibilities.

25. Do move on. There are many, many fish in the sea of jobs—your challenge is to is
to spot them and catch them.

Body English

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You never get a second chance to make a first impression, which means that you have to
do everything in your power to make that first impression a good one.

1. Dress for success. An interview is a formal employment occasion. Treat it accordingly
and wear your best suit or dress.

2. Your handshake is as important as your resume. It has to be strong, confident, and
assertive.

3. Your energy level communicates interest and enthusiasm. Get plenty of sleep and
make sure that you are alert and ready to engage the interviewer.

4. Posture also communicates energy. Sit up straight and look like you’re alive, please.

5. A smile is worth a thousand words. It says “It’s nice to meet you and I’m happy to
be here.”

The Art and Skill of Preparation

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When it comes to job interviewing, winging it is not an option. To find—and get—the
best position, you must prepare often and well.

✔ Determine your marketable skills. These include technical qualifications, general
liberal-arts skills (analytical, communication, problem solving), and character traits
(honesty, trustworthiness, dependability)

✔ Develop a selling strategy to persuade employers that you have the right stuff to do
the job.

✔ Learn to tell stories. Review your work experience and be prepared to give examples
that demonstrate your skills and qualifications.

✔ Anticipate tough questions. For better or worse, employers can be cynical and suspicious
that candidates are trying to fool them with lies and half-truths.
Recognizing the potential stumbling blocks in your history will enable you to anticipate
and strategize effective ways of overcoming these obstacles.

✔ Research the company/organization. To understand the needs and values of potential
employers, tap into your own network and go online to find out whatever you
can about the company and the kind of person they are most likely to be looking for.

✔ Deal with sensitive information sensitively. After you gain insight into an organization’s challenges and liabilities, you need to deal with that information tactfully.
Like individuals, organizations have emotional sore spots that, if pointed out in the
wrong way, can make people defensive.

✔ Organize. As part of your interview preparation, you will also need to handle logistical
matters. By managing issues of time and place well, you create an impression
of competence and professionalism.

✔ Negotiate. As you and your future employer explore the question of “fit,” you may
be asked to discuss compensation. Although it’s best to postpone salary discussions
until you have an offer, you must be prepared to handle the question whenever it
surfaces in the process.

✔ Practice makes perfect. Great interviewing skills are not learned overnight. To be
effective in job interviews, you need to develop a practice-and-perfection mentality.
This means learning from your mistakes, revisiting your communications strategy,
and improving your responses.

Interviewing: What Employers Look For

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Every year, hundreds of millions of dollars are wasted because candidates are hired for
positions they aren’t qualified for, while others are turned down for jobs that they are
more qualified to fill. To make sure that you don’t become one of these workplace casualties,
you need to take the time to understand what employers are looking for.

1. Shared values

Companies often espouse a particular set of values and ideals. Review their mission
statement to determine what those values and ideals are.

2. Commitment

Most employers are fearful of job hoppers. Although it’s no longer expected that
employees will spend their entire careers in one place, employers do want to know
that you are going to do more than collect a paycheck and use them as a stepping
stone in your career ladder.

3. Energy and enthusiasm

Employers are impressed with candidates who have the desire, enthusiasm, and
energy to do the work they are hired to do—and more.

4. An innovative spirit

Many employers are seeking to gain the competitive edge and, in that spirit, are seldom
content with the status quo. Translation: They look for employees who bring a
sense of creativity and innovation to their jobs.

5. Responsiveness

Employers want their people to be responsive to their organizational goals and
needs. It’s good to be able to work independently, but it’s also important to
acknowledge and be comfortable with the reality that you work for them.

6. Accountability

The buck has to stop somewhere and there are times when it will stop with you as
the responsible employee. This means that you must be willing to take responsibility
for your mistakes and be willing to be accountable to the people you work for and
with.

7. Team players

Many employers want team players who can work collaboratively more than they
want individual stars. In a technologically advanced, highly competitive workplace,
they look to hire people who can work together effectively.

8. Compatibility

Managers prefer to hire employees who will improve their own standing in the
organization. Demonstrate that you can look good and they’ll race to hire you for
their team.

9. Communication skills

The ability to communicate—both verbally and in writing—is an essential skill set
in every industry and profession.

10. Style

Employers also evaluate how an individual’s work style fits in with their organizational
culture. If there’s a match, this can be an important factor in the hiring
process.

Secrets of a Successful Job Search

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To conduct a successful job search, you need to manage both the logistical dimensions
and your own attitudes and feelings. A summary of what (I hope) you now realize that it
takes to succeed:

1. You have established your job search goals and objectives.

2. You can articulate what you are looking for.

3. You can discuss your strengths and qualifications with networking contacts and
potential employers.

4. You know how to research your job targets and identify job leads.

5. You feel positive about your job search direction and strategy.

6. You have a network of people you can contact or, in the alternative, a strategy to
develop new contacts and resources.

7. You have—or can develop—a support system for yourself during your transition.

8. You are willing to work hard to find a new job.

9. You have the ability and desire to learn from your mistakes.

10. You are able to manage your negative feelings and thoughts.

11. You can recognize when you need help and aren’t afraid to ask for assistance and
guidance.

12. You are able to motivate yourself and take responsibility for your actions.

Job Search Checklist

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1. Do you check several job posting sites (such as Monster.com [www.monster.com] or
Careerbuilder.com [www.careerbuilder.com]) every day and submit your resume to
appropriate positions?

2. Do you subscribe to at least one trade journal or professional publication with job
listings?

3. Are you member of at least one professional association in your industry?

4. Do you have a membership directory for a professional trade group, networking
group, or alumni association that you can use for networking purposes?

5. Have you reviewed your resume to make sure that it is on target and error free?

6. Are you doing Internet research to identify companies that might be interested in
hiring you?

7. Do you have an actionable networking strategy?

8. Are you conducting informational or exploratory interviews as part of your networking
strategy?

9. Are you persistent in following up on all job leads?

10. Have you researched and contacted employment agencies or executive recruiters in
your industry or occupation?

11. Do you know how to interview, or do you need more interviewing preparation and
practice?

12. Have you contacted your references to ask permission to use their names?

13. Do you know how to communicate your strengths and weaknesses and target
employers who can benefit from your qualifications and experience?

14. Do you have family and friends who can support you through this process?

15. Have you determined whether you can benefit from a career counselor and identified
and contacted career counselors who can coach you on job search strategies and
techniques?

Time Management for Job Hunters

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It’s often been said that finding a job is a full-time job. This advice is fine if you’re unemployed,
but it is less useful if you already have a full-time job that requires your attention.
To get better control over your job search time, follow the guidelines below:

1. Set reasonable job search goals—either by time spent or activity accomplished. If
you have a limited amount of time to conduct your job search, strive for efficiency
and set your goals by activity rather than the clock. This kind of structure will give
you a greater sense of accomplishment.

2. Chunk your activities together for maximum efficiency. For example, set aside blocks
of time exclusively for Internet research, make several phone calls sequentially, or
write your resume. This method will enable you to focus and concentrate exclusively
on the task at hand rather than trying to squeeze too many different activities into
too little space. Make sure to set achievable goals in each category.

3. Create a place to keep track of your job search activities. You can use a simple
spreadsheet or word-processor document or make a chart in a notebook to list your
activities along with the time you spent on them, the people you’ve contacted, the
results, follow-up tasks you need to complete, and any other relevant information.
Having such a file will help you quickly locate information you need when an
employer or other contact calls.

4. Reward yourself when you have completed your job search tasks competently and
effectively by doing something you really enjoy.

5. When time is limited, procrastination is not an option. Don’t let yourself be sidelined
with unimportant activities. If you can’t make your job search one of your priorities,
you can’t realistically expect to find a good job.

6. Carve out a physical space for yourself that enables you to have some expectation of
privacy. The kitchen table is not a place for quality solitude or communication with
potential contacts and employers.

7. Learn to view each obstacle as a challenge to your problem-solving skills. After all,
if finding a new job were easy, you would have done it weeks or months or years
ago.

8. For those of you who have the opposite problem—meaning that you are unemployed
and have too much time on your hands—you need to approach your situation
differently. Most importantly, do not conduct your job search in total isolation.
If you have access to outplacement services or a transition center, make it a point to
go to their offices several times a week because people often find it easier to conduct
a job search when everyone around them is engaged in the same activity.

9. Make sure that your job search includes plenty of networking time as well as both
social and professional activities. If possible, join a professional group or weekly job
club and participate in their events. Even if you aren’t a particularly social person,
try to force yourself to stay socially motivated. Successful job hunting is often a very
social experience—so socialize!

10. Don’t get distracted by household tasks or chores. If you’re at home during the day,
don’t think that you don’t have anything to do. For you, looking for a job really is a
full-time job.

11. Don’t neglect your physical or mental health. Job hunting is stressful, and you need
to develop your own personal stress-busting strategies in the form of exercise, meditation,
gardening, or whatever works for you.

Working Globally

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The world is a complicated place, and if you think that job searching within the United
States is tough, it’s even more confusing when you want to live and work abroad.
Fortunately, there are lots of resources that you can use to get the so-called “lay of the
land.”

✔ Going Global (www.going-global.com) is a Web site designed primarily to meet the
needs of international job seekers and professionals. It contains a comprehensive
array of country-specific career information, including resume/CV writing advice,
job sources, interviewing strategies, salary negotiations, and work permit and visa
regulations. It also has country guides, which you can purchase for a reasonable fee;
they are well worth the investment.

✔ Expat Exchange (www.expatexchange.com) is a virtual community that connects
people who are relocating to, living in, or returning from more than 135 overseas
locations. This site provides a great way to network with people who have “been
there and done that,” as well as experts and regional contacts who can answer more
specific questions.

✔ The International Jobs Center (www.internationaljobs.org) is a membership organization
that provides extensive information on international jobs. This includes a
weekly newspaper with more than 500 job postings, profiles of major employers in
the international development market, and an e-mail notification system to alert you
to new job openings in your areas of interest.

✔ Overseasjobs.com (www.overseasjobs.com) is part of the Aboutjobs.com network of
sites (www.aboutjobs.com) that provide free services to job seekers (employers must
pay to list positions). The site has lots of useful information, including country
guides, informative articles, visa/work permit information, and job listings.

Long-Distance Job Hunting

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Long-distance job hunting poses a unique set of challenges and therefore deserves special
consideration.

1. Employers prefer to hire familiar faces. Although you know that you are not a visitor
from outer space—just another city or state—you may be perceived as an alien
from another planet. To overcome this perceptual barrier, you will need to familiarize
yourself with the city’s landscape and resources.

2. If you already have contacts in your target location, recruit them as allies in your job
search. Ask them to send you a copy of the local telephone directory and provide
you with the names of major newspapers, business directories, or locale-specific job
search books.

3. Don’t worry if you don’t have contacts in your target location; you can gather this
information yourself by contacting the local Chamber of Commerce to obtain business
directories and any other available information.

4. If you currently live in a city with a good library, the business librarian (or any
librarian who is familiar with the library’s job search and business resources) can
help you identify and locate the information that you need.

5. Plan to subscribe to the local newspapers. Many newspapers now have online editions,
which make it easier to access local information and job listings in a timely
manner.

6. Join a professional association with a national membership and then obtain the
names of the people who head the chapters in your target areas. Network with these
people by telephone or e-mail to make new contacts and learn more about the city’s
resources.

7. You can also use the professional organization’s membership directory to conduct
informational interviews by telephone. Also, don’t overlook the many potential contacts
available through alumni directories from your alma mater. These directories
have proved invaluable to many job hunters who are looking to relocate.

8. When you have the names of potential contacts, decide on your preferred method of
contact. If you represent yourself well on the phone, you can warm up the conversation
with small talk. If you prefer to write first (and call later), e-mail usually works
best, as it is quicker and more efficient than traditional snail mail.

9. Never send your resume to a new contact person as an attachment because they will
probably be afraid to open it. In general, it makes more sense to build some of your
resume information into the content of your e-mail and send the resume at a later
date after you have established a contact.

10. Depending on your profession and level of experience, you can also benefit from
contacting executive recruiters who specialize in your target location. If necessary,
revisit the information in Checklist 45 for ideas about how to make this strategy
work for you.

11. Plan to visit the city, preferably around industry conferences and trade shows, so
that you can make as many contacts as possible in the shortest amount of time.
Also, take the initiative to set up informational or exploratory interviews while you
are in the city in order to become a familiar face.

12. Stay in touch with your contacts. When you are far away, it is a little too easy for
them to forget you. It’s your job to make sure that you become memorable and keep
them motivated on your behalf.

Finding the Right Counselor for You

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If you decide to explore the possibility of working with a career counselor, it is important
to choose someone whose style and values are compatible with your needs. There are a
number of ways to identify good counselors.

1. Networking is usually one of the best methods. Talk to the people you know
(including the career services office at your school or alma mater) about any career
counselors who they know to be competent and reputable.

2. Use the telephone and Internet Yellow Pages to identify career counselors in your
community.

3. When you have a name (or preferably a few names) of career counselors, call the
counselors and interview them on the phone about their services.

4. Ask about credentials. Although career counselors do not have to be licensed in
most states, it is in your best interest to inquire if a counselor has an advanced
degree in psychology or counseling as well as specific training and experience in
career and employment issues.

5. If you prefer to work with a counselor who is licensed or certified, you can find a list
of those career counselors at the Web site of the National Board of Counselor
Certification (www.nbcc.org). Use their CounselorFind feature to search for certified
counselors by specialty and geographic location.

6. Ask about areas of specialization and experience. Some counselors either specialize
in working with specific populations (for example, lawyers, doctors, or business
executives) or have extensive experience with certain industries or occupations.
Depending on your needs and situation, you may want to choose someone who is
knowledgeable in your particular field or profession.

7. Counselors vary in regard to their use of testing instruments. If you are interested in
testing, make sure that you choose someone who is comfortable and knowledgeable
about these instruments and vice versa. You certainly wouldn’t want to choose a
counselor who relies heavily on testing if you prefer a counseling modality. Having
said that, keep in mind that there are many counselors who provide both testing and
counseling, depending on the specific needs of the client.

8. Some career counselors make a clear distinction between career counseling and personal
counseling. Others, particularly those who are trained in psychology, recognize
that feelings and conflicts may surface during a job search or career transition
(fear of success, fear of failure, lack of support, and so on) and will work with you
to help resolve those issues. If you sense that you might want to delve a little deeper,
make sure that you choose a counselor who works psychologically.

9. Ask the counselor to provide you with the names and numbers of people they have
worked with who can attest to their capabilities. Although some counselors may not
be able to provide the names of former clients (for confidentiality purposes), they
can and should refer you to professional colleagues who can attest to their capabilities.

What Career Counselors Do

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Here is a list of services career counselors offer.

1. Provide individual counseling for career choice, career development, and job search
concerns.
2. Conduct career workshops and job support groups.
3. Administer and interpret vocational tests.
4. Teach job hunting skills and strategies.
5. Write resumes and cover letters.
6. Provide support during transitions.
7. Help resolve emotional and psychological conflicts.
8. Aid clients in developing career plans.
9. Refer clients to outside resources.
10. Help clients improve career decision-making and interpersonal skills.
11. Coordinate services with other helping professionals (social workers, psychiatrists,
psychologists, and so on).

Do You Need a Career Counselor?

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A career counselor is a job search coach who can help you develop a career plan and
implement a job search strategy. If any of the following situations apply to you, you might
want to consider working with a career counselor.

1. I often get stuck in stressful and/or dead end jobs.
2. I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.
3. I have trouble getting along with my bosses or co-workers.
4. I often get passed over for promotions.
5. My work bores me.
6. I don’t respect the people that I work for and with.
7. I feel like I’m not living up to my potential.
8. My work is meaningless.
9. I change jobs a lot, but the new job isn’t any better than the last one.
10. I have trouble setting or meeting goals.
11. I had bigger dreams for myself.
12. I often get fired or laid off.
13. I have a reputation as a troublemaker.
14. People take advantage of me at work.
15. I never get any credit for the work that I do.
16. I feel like I don’t have any skills.
17. It’s hard to get up and go to work in the morning.
18. I don’t know how to sell myself.
19. I feel like I don’t have anything to offer an employer.
20. I never get the salary that I deserve.
21. My resume is a disaster.
22. I don’t know what I want to do.
23. I don’t know how to look for a job.
24. I hate authority.
25. I can’t stand the people I work with.
26. I feel like an impostor at work.
27. I’m too much of a perfectionist.
28. My work doesn’t fit my personality.

Job Search Insanity

2007-11-16T10:27:00.000-08:00

It’s both easy and understandable to want to blame the job market for an extended bout
of unemployment, but you do yourself a disservice if you aren’t also willing to consider
that you are contributing to your dilemma. It’s easy to get frustrated with job hunting and
conduct your search in a stale, half-hearted manner. If you continue to do what you’ve
always done—network the same way, send out the same resume and cover letter, and use
the same group of contacts over and over again—without much success, it may be time to
change your approach.

To evaluate what you need to change, answer the following questions:

1. Which of your job search methods no longer seem to be working?
✔ Does your resume generate the kind of response you want?
✔ Do recruiters express interest in you and send you out to interview with prospective
employers?
✔ Do the people in your network continue to send you leads, or do you have the
sense that they’re avoiding you or don’t know how to help?
✔ Do the Web sites that you visit yield appropriate listings, or do you get the feel
ing that they don’t have the kind of position you’re looking for?

As you approach the new work week, make a habit of reviewing this information
and make whatever changes are necessary to generate new leads, motivation, and
enthusiasm.

2. Which job search strategies and techniques are working to your satisfaction?
Obviously, you don’t need to fix what isn’t broken—you just need to do more of
what is working. When you get the kind of responses and feedback that you’re looking
for, it empowers you to get and stay motivated and optimistic.

3. Is there something new that you haven’t yet tried?

✔ A new Web site?
✔ An electronic mailing list?
✔ A job club?
✔ A career counselor?
Instead of dismissing these novelty approaches a priori, why not give them a chance
to work for you? After all, you never know where your next job may come from.

Eight Ways to Manage the Reference Process

2007-11-16T10:17:00.000-08:00

Learning how to use your references properly is an important aspect of the entire job
search process. The following checklist will help get you thinking in the right direction.

1. Never provide the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of your references on
your resume or employment applications. You always want to meet with prospective
employers first before providing them with any reference information.

2. Do not bring a list of your references with you to job interviews and offer them to
the interviewer at the conclusion of an interview. After you interview for a position
that interests you, you need to give careful thought to the best person to offer as a
reference.

3. Try not to lose track of former employers, supervisors, and colleagues. If you have
lost touch with some people, you may want to track them down early in your job
search process so that you can reconnect with them to jog their memories about you,
reestablish a connection, and give accurate reference information. If you haven’t
worked with your contact person in a while, give them a current copy of your
resume and an overview of your current career goals.

4. Be creative about your reference choices. While direct supervisors are often useful
choices (assuming, of course, that you had a good relationship with that person),
other people can speak to different dimensions of your performance, including
clients/customers, suppliers/vendors, co-workers, and even subordinates.

5. After you have interviewed for a position that interests you, contact your references
again to ask permission to provide them as a contact person and give them an
update on the position and the company that will be calling them. This information
will allow your references to tailor their comments. Also, be sure to verify contact
information, including telephone number, e-mail address, and best contact times.

6. When preparing your list of references for potential employers, provide some background
details as to how you know each reference and the information they can
confirm, as well as their name, telephone number, e-mail and physical addresses,
and job title.

7. Reference lists are professional documents. They should always be typed and professionally
formatted, preferably in a font and style that is consistent with your
resume. If you send this information via e-mail, send it as an attachment so that it
will look more professional.

8. After you have received and accepted a job offer, send each of your references a
thank-you card to tell them about your success and express your appreciation to
them for their help.

Networking Strategies for Success

2007-11-11T08:37:00.000-08:00

Here are step-by-step instructions on using networking as a strategy in your job search.

1. Get your goal in focus. Decide what you want to do and where you want to do
it. Use earlier checklists to identify key skills and potential employers.

2. Prepare a contact list. Include anyone who might have some information about
your field. Think broadly.

3. Contact your connections. Meet with them to explain your goals, share your
resume, and ask for advice and for referrals to others who might be able to help.

4. Follow up. Pursue any information, other contacts, and potential opportunities
you learn about from your contacts. Make sure that you keep in touch with them by
following up on leads and checking in for new information.

5. Say thank you. Be sure to formally thank all the people with whom you meet.
Reciprocate by sharing information they might find useful.

6. Attend programs and events. Participate in all networking programs and services
available through professional trade associations, alumni groups, and other
membership organizations.

More Job Search Myths

2007-11-11T08:34:00.000-08:00

Myth #1: The help-wanted ads are the best way to find a job.

False. Current statistics estimate that 60 percent of all new jobs are found through
either networking or the Internet.

Myth #2: A headhunter will find me a job.

Wrong again. Headhunters (or recruiters) work for the companies who pay them to
find the best candidates for a job. While a headhunter may help you find a job,
recruiters will always tell you that they work for the client companies who pay their
fees.

Myth #3: The best place to send resumes is the human resources department.

Also wrong. Human resources departments are usually in the business of screening
out candidates or collecting resumes to pass along to the hiring manager. The best
way to make contact with a potential employer is to go directly to the hiring manager
whenever possible.

Myth #4: It’s who you know that matters most.

Yes and no. While it is true that many jobs are filled through word of mouth and
referrals, what you know still matters as well. You can have the greatest connections
in the world, but if you don’t have the skills to back you up, you could still end up
on the wrong side of the employment equation.

Myth #5: There are no good jobs for people over 50.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. Without denying the reality of age discrimination in the
workplace, it’s important to realize that there are many people over 50 who are still
able to land great new jobs. Before you leap to the ageism conclusion, make sure
that you have really honed your marketable skills and can sell potential employers
on your qualifications and experience.

Myth #6: You’ll never get a good job without a college degree.

Also false. While it definitely helps to have a college pedigree to your name, it’s
your job to persuade employers that your practical experience makes you the most
valuable candidate. Before you talk yourself into despair over your lack of an education,
make sure that you are doing your part to convince employers that you have
the smarts and skills to do the work they need done.

Myth #7: The more resumes you send out, the more likely it is that you will be successful in your job search.

Extremely doubtful. Most research indicates that targeted mailings are more effective
than mass mailings when it comes to generating job leads and offers. By taking
the time to do some quality research, target employers who can really use your experience,
and generate good referrals, you are more likely to advance your job search
cause in all of the right ways.

Can an Employment Agency

2007-11-11T08:30:00.000-08:00

Finding an employment agency that is both reputable and useful to you in your job
search requires some skill and persistence. Before you sign up for an agency’s services,
you need to ask some or all of the following questions:

✔ Does the agency specialize in any specific industry or area?

✔ What kinds of people do they prefer to work with?

✔ Who pays their fee?

✔ Does the job hunter need to sign an exclusive contract with them?

✔ Do they provide resume writing assistance?

✔ Do they coach candidates to be effective interviewees?

✔ Do they have job orders that match your qualifications and experience?

The Recruiter Connection

2007-11-11T08:27:00.000-08:00

Executive recruiters can provide valuable job search assistance to professionals and executives,
assuming you can find the right person for the job. Some of the things you need to
know to make this relationship work:

1. Recruiters work for client companies rather than individuals, which means that you
can’t expect them to assume too much responsibility for your job search campaign.
However, they do have access to bona fide job listings and are also rich in contacts,
so it makes sense, whenever possible, to add a recruiter’s name to your network of
contacts.

2. Networking is usually the best way to get connected to a recruiter. Ask your friends
and colleagues to recommend recruiters that they have worked with in the past. A
recommendation from someone who is currently one of the recruiter’s clients is akin
to a magic bullet. It usually hits its mark early and often.

3. You can use The Directory of Executive Recruiters to identify recruiters who specialize
in your field, industry, or job function. Rather than blanketing the recruiter marketplace
with unsolicited resumes, selectively contact those people who work in your
target market.

4. Some recruiters suggest that candidates telephone first before sending their resumes;
other prefer to see your resume first before having any telephone discussions. Given
the variation in their preferences, you’ll probably need to work by trial and error to
determine which approach is most effective for you.

5. Offer the recruiter a quid pro quo. Pass along information, refer them to potential
client companies, and recommend other job hunters (who may be good candidates
for different positions) in order to motivate the recruiter to want to help you in
return.

6. Follow up resumes with telephone calls. If possible, try to get the recruiter to meet
with you face-to-face as well. It’s always better to be able to distinguish yourself with
an in-person meeting.

7. Don’t expect a recruiter to get you a job or get mad at them because haven’t sent
you out on enough interviews. They don’t owe you a job, and because you haven’t
paid them a fee, you aren’t entitled to any specific service. If they can help you, it’s
usually because they are working on an assignment for which you really are the best
candidate. And if they don’t help, more often than not it’s because they don’t think
that you’re the right candidate for the assignments that they are trying to fill. To
them, it’s not personal—it’s just business.

Taking Advantage of Career Fairs

2007-11-11T08:25:00.000-08:00

Career fairs are an excellent place to meet new employers and interview for possible jobs.
But you need to do more than make 20 copies of your resume and have your business
suit cleaned and pressed. You also need a game plan.

✔ Make sure that your resume is well-written and error-free. Generally speaking, you
will want to print out copies (rather than use photocopies) because the quality will
be better.

✔ Read the career fair handout in advance to figure out which companies will be represented.
If possible, do some advance research on those companies so that you can
present yourself intelligently.

✔ Focus on three to five companies that really interest you (rather than trying to cover
the universe of employers). Try to engage the recruiters in an intelligent conversation
about their company goals and priorities.

✔ Prepare a 30-second “elevator speech” to use with recruiters. Basically, this is a
succinct introduction of who you are, what you know how to do, and why you are
interested in them.

✔ When you give recruiters your resume, ask them what the next step in the process
will be. Also, get their business card so that you can follow up with them if, for
some reason, they neglect to follow up with you.

Is Anybody Home?

2007-11-11T08:23:00.000-08:00

Many people are used to being “plugged in” 24/7. But when you communicate with
potential employers, you may want to think through your options carefully before deciding
what numbers to give out on your resume and cover letters.

1. If you work a traditional 9-to-5 job, it may be most convenient for you to use your
office phone number as your primary contact (assuming that your employer doesn’t
monitor your calls and that you’ll have enough privacy to respond to a call from a
prospective employer).

2. If it’s too risky for you to use your office phone, cell phones are another option. If
so, give some careful thought to how and when you normally use your cell phone,
because you certainly don’t want your seatmate on the train or the kid behind the
Starbucks counter listening to your phone calls with prospective employers.

3. If you decide to use your home phone number as a primary contact, make sure that
your phone message sounds professional rather than cute or overly friendly. (I’m
still recovering from the woman who sang opera arias with her husband on their
answering machine.)

4. If you share your home with other people (especially children), they will need to be
instructed to answer the phone courteously and to always take messages.

5. E-mail offers another expedient way to communicate with employers. It is usually
prudent, for the sake of privacy, to use your personal e-mail account rather than an
office address.

6. Take the time to create a new e-mail address that reflects your professionalism.
Potential employers don’t need to know about the sexual preferences, drinking
habits, or favorite hobbies that are often reflected in personal e-mail addresses.

Help Wanted

2007-11-11T08:21:00.000-08:00

Sooner or later, almost every job hunter turns to the want ads hoping for an easy way to
find the job of their dreams. Knowing how and when to use advertised listings is an
important part of your job search.

1. Identify the newspapers, magazines, and trade publications that are most likely to
advertise the kinds of positions that you are looking for.

2. Read the entire classified section from two or three past issues to get a feeling for
how the information is organized.

3. Make a list of the job titles and section headings that are most appropriate for you
and make sure that you check those job titles and section headings each and every
time you read the ads.

4. Cut out or make copies of the ads that you want to respond to.

5. Review the ad carefully before responding. What qualifications are required? What
are your greatest strengths and selling points? How do they prefer to receive
responses? Remember to take your lead from their cues—if they say “No phone
calls!”, that means no phone calls.

6. If the ad requests that candidates send resumes, write a strong cover letter to send
along with your resume. In your letter, stick as closely as you can to the language
and information that is highlighted in the ad.

7. Make sure that you include an address, telephone number, and e-mail address
where you can be reached.

8. If you haven’t heard back from the employer after one week, follow up your letter
and resume with a telephone call. In that conversation, confirm that your resume
has been received, discuss your qualifications, and request an interview. FYI: Some
employment experts estimate that follow-up phone calls increase the likelihood of
getting an interview by 25 percent or more.

Where the Jobs Are

2007-11-11T08:15:00.000-08:00

A good job search plan is like a diversified portfolio: You need to have lots of different
strategies and techniques to identify, create, and land a position. The following overview
will help you understand the plethora of options available to you.

1. Answering help-wanted ads in local newspapers, professional association
newsletters, and trade or professional journals: Although this strategy
has limited effectiveness (more than 80 percent of job openings are never advertised),
you don’t want to overlook the obvious.

2. Contacting employment agencies and placement services: The good
news about employment agencies and placement services is that they do have job
positions that they are trying to fill. But their services come with a possible buyerbeware
sign. Make sure that you work with a firm that has a good reputation and
that you understand the terms of their contract before you sign any agreement with
them.

3. Connecting with executive recruiters, who work the high end of the
job market: Stated differently, executive recruiters work with professionals and
mid- to senior-level management executives who are interested in landing new jobs.

4. Registering with database placement services/networks: These services
are relative newcomers to the employment market. They offer you the option to post
your resume online or send it into a national service, and employers then pay to
review your resume. While they have the advantage of convenience, they have the
disadvantage of a tight job market where employers are less likely to pay to review
applicant resumes.

5. Joining professional associations: Associations can have several potential benefits
available to their job-hunting members, including membership directories (for
networking purposes), networking meetings, and job banks or listings.

6. Enlisting the assistance of career planning and placement services:
Students and alumni of many colleges and universities can avail themselves of job
and career fairs, on-campus interviews, and alumni directories.

7. Sending out targeted mailings to organizations and employers of interest
in specific fields, industries, and geographic areas: This strategy
works most effectively when you target a specific person by name rather than relying
on mass mailings or cold calls.

8. Applying directly to employers: You can find job openings through company
Web sites or human resources offices.

9. Developing a list of referrals through networking sources and conducting
informational or exploratory interviews: Informational interviews can
help you learn more about the employer and its needs.

10. Parlaying part-time, temporary, and contract positions into permanent
full-time opportunities: Companies sometimes use temp-to-hire and other such
positions to employ workers on a trial basis. These positions are a good way to see
if the company is a good fit for you as well.

11. Employing yourself: If you can’t find the job of your dreams, you can work on
creating that job for yourself through creative self-employment.

The Psychological Challenge

2007-11-06T17:13:00.000-08:00

Job hunting is taxing under any circumstances. But it is made more complicated by the
fact that it often occurs during a time in a person’s life when he or she is feeling anxious,
insecure, and vulnerable.

✔ Be patient with yourself. It is going to take some time to figure out what you want
and to feel comfortable promoting your strengths and (if necessary) discussing your
failures and weaknesses. Try to focus on the day-to-day activities rather than the
end goal and reward yourself (mentally) when you feel that you have implemented a
job search strategy or technique competently.

✔ The Premack Principle in psychology establishes a system of rewards by linking
unpleasant tasks to pleasant ones. To make use of this principle in your job search,
make certain to reward yourself by doing something that you like to do after you
have completed some arguably unpleasant job search task. For example, if you hate
to make phone calls but love to go outside and work in the garden, give yourself an
hour in the garden for every hour that you spend on the phone making networking
calls and setting up interviews.

✔ Learn from your mistakes. Job-hunting skills—like any other skills— require time
and practice. Rather than berating yourself every time you say or do something
wrong, try to look more objectively at what you might have said and done differently
so that you won’t make that particular mistake again.

✔ Don’t take silence or rejections personally. Job hunting, by its very nature, requires
that you suffer through narcissistic injuries on a weekly or even daily basis.
Although it may be difficult not to feel hurt when someone doesn’t call you back
immediately or offer you a job on the spot, it’s all part of the “game” of job hunting.
Like salespeople who learn to embrace the “no” because it brings them that
much closer to the big sale, try to cultivate an attitude of hope and optimism. As
psychologist Martin Seligman has noted, “Pessimists may be more realistic, but
optimists are more successful and have more fun.”

✔ You can’t change the big picture, but you can influence your individual situation.When you focus on the big picture—unemployment rates, labor statistics, and interest
rates—it’s easy to get overwhelmed by bad news over which you have no control.
What you can control is your individual situation. By focusing on the people
who you can influence, you regain a sense of confidence, self-esteem, and control
over your own destiny.

✔ Stay active and involved. Isolation and, by extension, desperation are anathema to
successful job hunting. Rather than bury your head in the sand or slink off into a
corner to hide in shame, push yourself to become social. Not only will this help
your networking efforts, it will also enable you to stay connected to people you care
about and those who care about you. Also, consider joining a support group of job
hunters who are grappling with similar experiences. That way you can support each
other during a period in your lives that may be more stressful than usual.

How to Recover from Involuntary Terminations

2007-11-06T17:11:00.000-08:00

Losing your job—regardless of whether you’ve been laid off, downsized, right-sized, or
terminated for cause—is often a traumatic experience. Here are some steps you can take
to help the healing process along:

✔ Acknowledge your worst fears and feelings. Losing a job is almost always a
stressful life event that can fill you with a host of conflicting feelings: anger, anxiety,
betrayal, emptiness, guilt, self-doubt. It usually helps to recognize and vent those
feelings.

✔ Don’t isolate yourself. This is a time when you are going to need the support of
your family, friends, and others. If necessary, seek out the services of a professional
career counselor or psychotherapist who can support you during a potentially trying
time in your life.

✔ Formulate a game plan. Develop a plan of action that will allow you to capitalize
on your situation by identifying opportunities that match up with your skills,
interests, and values.

✔ Familiarize yourself with the skills and tools of job hunting. If you
haven’t already done so, review Checklist 35 in order to identify your weaknesses
and then formulate a plan of action to develop the job search skills you need in
order to be successful.

✔ Try to maintain your perspective. Although your job loss may feel like a failure
to you, it is also an opportunity to learn, grow, and redirect your energies. This
is a time when you need to take care of yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually.
Use your time wisely to get and stay healthy in every possible way.

✔ Cultivate resilience. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from setbacks and
deal effectively with challenges and obstacles. For most people, this means learning
to cultivate a spirit of hope and optimism, connect (or reconnect) with support
systems, and develop new skills and game plans. As has often been noted, what
doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

Seven Job Search Myths

2007-11-06T17:07:00.000-08:00

When it comes to job hunting, there is no shortage of “experts” to tell you exactly what
you need to do to find a good job. That said, there’s also no limit to the amount of bad
advice you can accumulate in the process of your search. Here is a list of some of the
most common job hunting myths.

Myth #1: There is one right way to find a job.

Although many job hunting surveys point to the power of networking as the single
most valuable job search strategy, an effective job search strategy is much like a wellbuilt
financial portfolio that reflects the value of diversification. In addition to networking,
make sure that you respond to advertised listings, talk to recruiters, contact
potential employers directly, and learn how to parlay contract or temporary jobs into
permanent full-time positions.

Myth #2: If a job isn’t advertised in the paper or on the company’s Web site,
there aren’t any positions available.

Although many employers use classified ads and online job postings to advertise
open positions, many jobs are never advertised. In order to identify these hidden
jobs, you must proactively call companies that interest you and continue to develop
and expand your network of contacts.

Myth #3: Nobody reads cover letters.

As a matter of course, resumes should almost always be accompanied by a wellwritten
cover letter. This cover letter can be valuable for several reasons:
● It targets a specific person and job title as a way of ensuring that your
resume makes it to the desk of the right hiring authority
● It provides an opportunity to highlight those skills and experiences that are
most relevant to your target (regardless of whether they are listed on your
resume)
● It is a clear illustration of your writing skills
● It is the professional thing to do

Myth #4: A resume should always be one page.

As traditional career ladders have vanished, so too has the one-page resume started
to go the way of the dinosaur. For many experienced job hunters, limiting your
resume to one page doesn’t make sense if that means that you must also eliminate
potentially important information in the process. As a general rule, your resume
should be succinct and well written. Depending on the nature of your experience,
you may need two pages to include all relevant information. Having said that, try to
include the most relevant information in the first page.

Myth #5: If a company likes my resume, they will call me in for an interview.

In a perfect world, this would be the reality of every job search. But in the so-called
Information Age, the reality is that it’s easy for your resume to get lost among the
hordes of paperwork. It is incumbent on you to make sure that your resume gets
noticed. You can do that by following up your resume and cover letter with a telephone
call or e-mail to make sure that the recruiter knows who you are and why you
are so well qualified.

Myth #6: It’s not what you know that matters; it’s who you know that counts.

In fact, it’s both who and what you know that counts. While a good referral can get
you in the door and in front of the right people, if you don’t have the skills and
experience to do the job, the odds are against you. To make sure that doesn’t happen,
take the time to develop a focused job search strategy that really capitalizes on
your strengths and qualifications.

Myth #7: When it comes to sending out resumes, the more the merrier.

Although many people do take a shotgun approach to job hunting, a qualitative
approach to the job market is usually more successful than a quantitative one. To do
this, you must spend some time and effort researching the job market and identifying
specific employers who can benefit from what you have to offer and then
approach them, knowledge in hand.

Job Hunting While Still Employed

2007-11-06T17:04:00.000-08:00

Conventional wisdom has always maintained that it’s easier to find a new job while
you’re still employed. Like much conventional wisdom, that’s only partly true. While it
may make it easier for you to pay your bills, it isn’t always easy to find the time or energy
to conduct a good search. Here are some guidelines that you can use to incorporate a job
search into an already hectic schedule.

1. Make your job search a priority. Although you obviously cannot devote entire days
to looking for a new job, you can work every day toward the goal of finding a new
job. If you can find a way to carve out 30 to 40 minutes per day for job search
activities, it will help you sustain your motivation and persist in your efforts.

2. Take time to engage in some meaningful self-assessment before you start barnstorming
the job market. To facilitate that goal, use the checklists in Section 1, take some
vocational tests, and, if necessary, find yourself a good career counselor who can
help you clarify your goals and direction.

3. Write your resume with your job objective in mind. Use the Internet to research
potential employers and identify open positions which match up with your goals.

4. Develop a networking strategy that you feel comfortable with. Because you are still
employed, you need to think carefully about who you can trust with the knowledge
of your job search, as you don’t want the information that you are job hunting leaking
back to your current employer.

5. Use common sense and good judgment. Don’t read the classified ads at your desk
or leave your resume in the photocopy machine. Do bring your cell phone to work
and use it to make and receive calls during your lunch hour and on your break, but
be careful to safeguard your privacy. You don’t want anyone to overhear your conversations.

6. Set up networking meetings and interviews before or after work or during your
lunch hour. However, if you are normally a casual-dress person, suddenly starting to
wear suits to work is going to send a red flag to the people you work with.

7. Don’t ignore your current job responsibilities. They are also a priority. Even though
your heart isn’t in it, don’t develop a bad attitude or turn out slipshod work. The
key is to balance your job search priorities with your job responsibilities so that neither
one suffers too much.

8. Be realistic about how long it takes to move from one job to another. Because you
are still employed, your job search will inevitability take longer than you want it to.
This is the compromise that you accepted when you elected to stay in your current
job. If you work steadily toward your goal of finding a new job and stay motivated,
energized, and optimistic, the process will be less frustrating and ultimately more
successful.

What Can You Do for Us? The Power of Accomplishments

2007-11-06T16:53:00.000-08:00

From an employer’s point of view, there is no greater predictor of success than past performance.

To convince potential employers that you are the best candidate for the job,
you must be able to clearly articulate and sell your accomplishments.

1. Start by writing one-line statements about various aspects of your experiences (in
school, at work, and through community/professional activities). Use your resume
checklists to organize your thoughts.

2. Convert each activity into an accomplishment statement. Accomplishment statements
usually begin with an action verb, describe your activities, and end with a
statement of what you achieved.

Examples:
● Reduced operating expenses by 25% by improving efficiency and
decreasing expenses.
● Selected new vendors for office services, resulting in improved customer
service and satisfaction.
● Generated $50,000 in new sales during first twelve months.
● Created media relations campaign for health care provider, resulting in
story placements in three major metropolitan newspapers.

3. Make your list of accomplishment statements as comprehensive as possible. You can
always make editorial changes later.

4. After you have completed your list, edit the statements to use the most powerful
verbiage and reflect tangible evidence of results.

5. If you are using a chronological resume format, make sure that you list each accomplishment
directly beneath the company where you acquired it.

6. If you are using a functional resume, you will need to group related accomplishments
together under functional headings (regardless of when and where you
accomplished those results).

7. Finally, review your accomplishment statements in the context of your specific job
objective; then organize and present the statements in order of their relevance to the
potential employer.

Putting Your Education to Work

2007-11-03T04:05:00.000-07:00

Which aspects of your education you choose to emphasize depends a lot on your individual
circumstances. These general guidelines will help you get the credit you deserve for
the education that you have achieved.

1. If you are a new graduate with limited work experience, you will want to put the
education section of your resume near the top of the first page. Ramp it up by
including information about scholarships, GPA, internships, work-study programs,
related coursework, and extracurricular activities.

2. If you graduated more than five years ago, your job objective will determine whether
you put your education before or after your work experience. If you are working in a
field that is related to your degree or major, your work experience should receive the
greater emphasis (and therefore go first). If you are working in an unrelated area
and want to get back to your initial game plan, put your education before your work
experience.

3. If you are a career changer with a new degree, put your education before your work
experience. This structure will illustrate your commitment to and enthusiasm for
your new career choice.

4. If you received your degree from a very prestigious university whose name impresses
people, place the education section before your work experience to establish instant
credibility.

5. If you are an academic, always put your education first.

The Brave New World of Electronic Resumes

2007-11-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

The key to creating a scannable resume is to make sure that it is readable by both
employers and computers. Because these resumes are usually scanned into a company’s
human resources database, some special rules apply.

1. Print your resume on scannable high-quality laser-resolution paper.
2. Do not use colored paper or ink.
3. Send an original document rather than a photocopy.
4. Your name should appear on the first line of your resume with your address, phone
number, e-mail address, and fax number beneath your name.
5. Your resume should include text only. Eliminate all bullets, underlining, graphics,
italics, and boldface.
6. Keep the formatting simple. Use standard paragraphs, traditional fonts (Arial,
Times, or Helvetica), and 10- to 14-point font size.
7. Make sure that you number the pages and put your name at the top of every page.
8. Don’t use headers or footers.
9. Distinguish section headings by using capital letters.
10. Use an outline format (rather than bullet points) for your job responsibilities and
accomplishments.
11. Use job-specific keywords. Industry terms, jargon, buzzwords, and hard skills will
also pass the computer scan test for relevance. You can also include job titles,
departments, key functions, technical skills, degrees, and other relevant information.
12. To adapt your current resume into a scanner-friendly resume, eliminate all the formatting
and add a keywords section at the bottom of your resume.

Your Resume in Action: Verb(alizing) Your Accomplishments

2007-11-03T03:51:00.000-07:00

Resumes should always be action-oriented. The following list of action verbs is designed
to help you better identify and articulate your accomplishments.

Action Words

Achieved
Acquired
Adapted
Administered
Advised
Advocated
Allocated
Analyzed
Anticipated
Appraised
Arranged
Assembled
Assessed
Assisted
Attended
Audited
Augmented
Authored
Balanced
Benchmarked
Briefed
Broadened
Built
Chaired
Checked
Clarified
Collaborated
Combined
Communicated
Completed
Compiled
Composed
Computed
Conceived
Concluded
Conducted
Constructed
Consulted
Contributed
Coordinated
Counseled
Crafted
Created
Decreased
Defined
Delivered
Demonstrated
Designed
Determined
Developed
Diagnosed
Directed
Discovered
Documented
Drafted
Edited
Educated
Engineered
Established
Evaluated
Exceeded
Executed
Expanded
Expedited
Facilitated
Financed
Foresaw
Formalized
Formed
Formulated
Fostered
Founded
Generated
Governed
Hired
Identified
Implemented
Improved
Increased
Influenced
Initiated
Installed
Instituted
Integrated
Interacted
Interpreted
Interviewed
Introduced
Invented
Investigated
Launched
Led
Leveraged
Linked
Maintained
Managed
Marketed
Mediated
Mentored
Moderated
Monitored
Motivated
Negotiated
Operated
Organized
Originated
Oversaw
Patented
Performed
Pioneered
Planned
Prepared
Produced
Programmed
Promoted
Proposed
Provided
Publicized
Published
Purchased
Pursued
Recruited
Reengineered
Represented
Researched
Reshaped
Resolved
Restructured
Reviewed
Revised
Rewrote
Scheduled
Secured
Selected
Served
Set up
Sold
Spearheaded
Sponsored
Staffed
Started
Structured
Supervised
Surpassed
Surveyed
Taught
Tested
Trained
Transformed
Updated
Upgraded
Utilized
Wrote

Words to Avoid Like the Proverbial Plague

Abused
Accused
Bullied
Burned
Destroyed
Embezzled
Fired
Immolated
Indicted
Maimed
Manhandled
Massacred
Misappropriated
Robbed
Shot
Stole
Squandered
Threatened
Victimized
Violated

Questions to Ask in Informational Interviews

2007-11-03T03:47:00.000-07:00

Come to informational interviews prepared with a list of questions and, if necessary, take
notes during the interview to make sure that you remember the answers to your questions.
The following questions will (hopefully) get your thinking started in the right direction:

1. What is your job title and occupational role?
2. How did you choose this field? Profession?
3. What kind of training do you need to do your job?
4. What skills and experience do you need to work in this field?
5. What is your educational background?
6. Do you think that your education prepared you well to do this kind of work?
7. Do you have an area of specialization?
8. Are there other areas of specialization that I might want to consider?
9. What does a typical career path look like in this field?
10. Is the field growing?
11. What are the most difficult challenges that you face in your work? Career?
12. How competitive is this field? Are jobs plentiful or scarce?
13. How do you typically spend your day? Week?
14. Do you work under a lot of stress?
15. How many hours per week do you normally work? Is it common to take work
home?
16. Do you have to deal with a lot of crises and emergencies?
17. Where does your job/position fit within the larger organization?
18. Do people recognize and appreciate the work you do?
19. What do you like most about this work?
20. What do you like least about this work?
21. What advice can you give me?
22. Is there a professional group that you like and belong to?
23. Can you recommend other people for me to talk to?
24. If I want to go into this field, what do you recommend that I do first?
25. Is there anything that you wish you had done differently in your career?
26. What is a typical starting salary?
27. Would you mind reviewing my resume and making comments?
28. What is the best way to find a job in your field?

Researching the Job Market Through

2007-11-03T03:42:00.000-07:00

With so many changes in the job market, it’s no wonder that so many people find
researching a career confusing and overwhelming. The key is to find ways to link your
self-assessment information to potential career choices and then structure a plan to learn
more about the fields and industries that interest you. Informational interviewing, a targeted
form of networking, is an essential part of that process.
Here’s how it works:

1. Use the Occupations Summary in the previous checklist to identify the fields and
occupations that you want to explore.

2. Ask people that you know (relatives, acquaintances, friends, colleagues, past
employers) to introduce you to people who work in your areas of interest.

3. Use the Encyclopedia of Associations (available at many libraries) and other
resource materials to help you identify professional/trade associations in your target
area. If there is a local chapter, plan to attend a meeting to meet new people and
learn more about the field.

4. Should you decide to join a professional group, ask if they have a membership
directory (which you can use to conduct further informational interviews) as well as
a job bank (which will come in handy when you’re ready to do your job search).

5. When you have identified the people that you want to meet (either through your
personal networking strategy or by using the directory), contact them by e-mail or
phone to schedule a convenient time to talk.

6. During your initial conversation, make sure that you briefly explain who you are,
why you are contacting them, and what you hope to gain from the conversation.
Make sure that you are cordial but assertive.

7. Before the interviews, do your homework. Read trade journals, track down Web
sites, and gather whatever information you need in order to present yourself as a
knowledgeable interviewee. Remember that your goal is not to find a job, it is to
find out if this is the right career path or company for you.

8. At the conclusion of the interview, ask your contact if they can recommend other
people or resources that you can use to learn more about your areas of interest.

9. Always follow up your meetings with a thank-you letter. If someone was particularly
helpful, make sure that you tell them how much you appreciate their interest and
concern. Also, make sure that you periodically apprise them of your progress. They
will surely appreciate your consideration.

10. After you have made a decision (whether it’s for or against a particular choice),
reconnect with your network of people to let them know how you are progressing
and what you would like to happen next.

Brainstorming for Job Ideas 4

2007-11-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

Q–R

Quality control specialist
Quality engineer
Rabbi
Radio announcer
Radio producer
Radiologic (X-ray) technician
Radiologist
Reader
Real estate developer
Realtor
Receptionist
Recording engineer
Recreational director
Recruiter
Referee
Registrar
Rehabilitation therapist
Reporter
Research assistant
Researcher
Reservations agent
Respiratory therapist
Restaurant manager
Restoration architect
Restorer
Retail manager
Roboticist
Roofer

S

Safety inspector
Sales agent
Sales person
School nurse
School psychologist
Science teacher
Science writer
Scientist
Scout
Screenwriter
Seamstress
Securities trader
Security officer
Sheet-metal worker
Seismologist
Set designer
Shop steward
Singer
Ski instructor
Skip tracer
Social worker
Sociologist
Software developer
Sound mixer
Special events director
Speech pathologist
Speechwriter
Sports agent
Sportscaster
Statistician
Stockbroker
Store detective
Stunt person
Surveyor
Systems engineer

T

Tattoo artist
Tax analyst
Tax attorney
Teacher
Technical writer
Theater manager
Tool and die maker
Tour guide
Tour operator
Toy designer
Trainer
Translator
Travel agent
Travel clerk
Trucker
Trust officer
Typist

U–V

Ultrasound technician
Underwriter
Upholsterer
Urban planner
Urologist
Utility worker
Veterinarian
Veterinary technician

W–Z

Waiter
Webmaster
Wedding consultant
Welder
Wildlife conservationist
Woodworker
Writer
Youth counselor
Zookeeper
Zoologist

Brainstorming for Job Ideas 3

2007-11-02T21:06:00.000-07:00

N

Nanny
Naprapath
Naturalist
Navigator
Neurologist
Neuropsychologist
Newspaper columnist
Newspaper editor
Newspaper publisher
Newspaper reporter
Newswriter
Nuclear engineer
Numerical control (NC) machine-tool operator
Nurse
Nurse-anesthetist
Nurse-consultant
Nurse educator
Nurse-midwife
Nurse’s aide
Nursing home administrator
Nutritionist

O

Obstetrician
Occupational health and safety
inspector
Occupational therapist
Oceanographer
Office manager
Operations manager
Ophthalmologist
Optician
Optometrist
Oral surgeon
Organizational psychologist
Osteopath
Otolaryngologist
Outplacement consultant
Outreach worker

P

Painter
Paleontologist
Paralegal (Legal assistant)
Park ranger
Parole officer
Party planner
Pathologist
Patient representative
Pawnbroker
Payroll clerk
Pediatric nurse
Pediatrician
Penologist
Personal injury attorney
Personal shopper
Pharmacist
Pharmacy technician
Photogrammetrist
Photographer
Photojournalist
Physical therapist
Physician
Physician assistant
Physicist
Physiologist
Piano tuner
Pipe fitter
Plumber
Podiatrist
Poet
Police officer
Political scientist
Politician
Preschool teacher
Priest
Producer
Professor
Program analyst
Program director
Proofreader
Property manager
Prosthetist
Psychiatrist
Psychoanalyst
Psychologist
Psychometrist
Public affairs specialist
Public relations representative
Publicist
Publisher
Purchasing agent

Brainstorming for Job Ideas 2

2007-11-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

G

Game designer
Gamekeeper
Gardener
Gemologist
Genealogist
General contractor
General manager
Genetic counselor
Geneticist
Geodetic surveyor
Geographer
Geologist
Geophysicist
Geriatric nurse
Geriatric social worker
Gerontologist
Glass blower
Glazier
Government chief executive
Graphic artist
Graphic designer
Groundskeeper
Guidance counselor
Gynecologist

H

Health care administrator
Health care worker
Health educator
Health physicist
Historian
History teacher
Home inspector
Horse trainer
Horticultural therapist
Horticultural worker
Hospice worker
Hospital administrator
Host
Hotel clerk
Hotel manager
Housekeeper
Housekeeping supervisor
Human resources director
Human resources representative
Hypnotist

I–J

Illustrator
Image consultant
Immigration attorney
Importer
Industrial engineer
Industrial hygienist
Information specialist
Information systems consultant
Inspector
Installer
Instructional designer
Instructor
Insurance broker
Interior designer
International meeting planner
Interpreter
Interviewer
Inventor
Investigator
Investment banker
Ironworker
Janitor
Jeweler
Job counselor
Journalist
Judge

L

Labor attorney
Labor relations specialist
Laboratory technician
Landscape architect
Landscape gardener
Law librarian
Lawyer
Legal assistant
Legislative aide
Legislative analyst
Legislator
Librarian
Linguist
Literary agent
Loan officer
Lobbyist
Lyricist

M

Machinist
Magician
Maintenance engineer
Make-up artist
Management consultant
Manager
Manufacturer’s representative
Map editor
Marine biologist
Marine geologist
Marketing assistant
Marketing communications director
Marketing research analyst
Massage therapist
Materials scientist
Mathematician
Mechanical engineer
Media relations specialist
Mediator
Medical assistant
Medical examiner
Medical illustrator
Medical photographer
Medical records clerk
Medical social worker
Medical technologist
Mental health worker
Metallurgist
Meteorologist
Microbiologist
Military (enlisted)
Military officer
Minister
Model
Mortgage broker
Mortician
Motivational speaker
Motorcycle mechanic
Music therapist
Musical instrument repairer
Musician
Musicologist
Mycologist

Brainstorming for Job Ideas 1

2007-11-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

Self-assessment is an important part of the career choice process, but it is also essential
to marry that assessment to your understanding of a dynamically changing job market.
The following list is designed to increase your knowledge of job possibilities. Read
through the list and circle job titles that interest you. If you are not familiar with a particular
job title (but would like to learn more about it), put a question mark next to that
particular title as a reminder to do some research.

A
Accountant
Accounting clerk
Activities therapist
Actor
Actuary
Acupuncturist
Addictions counselor
Administrative assistant
Adult education instructor
Advertising executive
Aerobics instructor
Agent
Air traffic controller
Airline pilot
Analyst
Animal trainer
Animator
Anthropologist
Antique dealer
Appraiser
Archaeologist
Architect
Archivist
Art dealer
Art director
Art teacher
Art therapist
Artist
Artist’s representative
Astrologer
Astronomer
Athlete
Athletic coach
Athletic director
Athletic trainer
Attorney
Auctioneer
Audiologist
Author
Auto dealer
Automotive body repairer
Automotive mechanic
Aviation engineer
Aviation mechanic

B

Bail bonding agent
Baker
Banker
Barber
Bartender
Beautician
Belly dancer
Biochemist
Biogeneticist
Biological weapons expert
Biologist
Biology teacher
Biomedical engineer
Bodyguard
Book binder
Book editor
Bookkeeper
Botanist
Brand manager
Bricklayer
Broadcast journalist
Broadcast technician
Building contractor
Building inspector
Building manager
Bus driver
Business home economist
Buyer

C

Cake decorator
Candy maker
Captain
Cardiologist
Career coach
Career counselor
Carpenter
Cartographer
Cartoonist
Cashier
Caterer
Chauffeur
Chef
Chemical engineer
Chemist
Chemistry teacher
Child care worker
Child psychologist
Child welfare worker
Chiropractor
Chocolatier
Choreographer
Cinematographer
City manager
Civil engineer
Civil engineering technician
Claims adjuster
Climatologist
Clinical psychologist
Clown
College admissions officer
Columnist
Comedian
Comedy writer
Commercial artist
Commodities trader
Communications consultant
Community activist
Community educator
Community relations director
Competitive intelligence analyst
Compliance officer
Composer
Comptroller
Computer equipment repairer
Computer game tester
Computer graphics artist
Computer operator
Computer security specialist
Computer systems analyst
Conductor
Conservationist
Conservator
Construction worker
Consultant
Convention/conference planner
Cook
Copy writer
Coroner
Corrections officer
Cosmetologist
Costume designer
Court reporter
Credit analyst
Credit officer
Criminologist
Cross-cultural trainer
Croupier
Cruise director
Curator
Customer service representative
Cytotechnologist

D

Dance choreographer
Dance teacher
Dance therapist
Dancer
Data processing operator
Data processing supervisor
Day care director
Dean
Dental assistant
Dental hygienist
Dentist
Design engineer
Designer
Detective
Development officer
Diamond cutter
Diesel mechanic
Dietitian
Diplomat
Director
Disc jockey (Announcer)
Dispatcher
Distance education instructor
Diver
Diving instructor
Dog groomer
Dog trainer
Dog walker
Dollmaker
Drafter
Drama coach
Dramateur
Dressmaker
Driver

E

Ecologist
Economist
Editor
Educational administrator (Principal,
Superintendent)
Educational psychologist
EEG technologist
EKG technician
Electrical/electronic engineer
Electrician
Elementary school teacher
Emergency medical technician
Employee assistance counselor
Employee benefits specialist
Engineering technician
Engraver
Entertainer
Environmental attorney
Environmental educator
Environmental engineer
Environmentalist
Ergonomics engineer
Estimator
Evangelist
Examiner
Excavator
Executive assistant
Executive coach
Executive recruiter
Executive secretary
Exercise physiologist
Exporter

F

Facilities engineer
Family life educator
Family therapist
Farm manager
Farm operator
Fashion designer
Fashion illustrator
Financial analyst
Financial director
Financial planner
Firefighter
Fisher
Fitness instructor
Flight attendant
Floral designer
Florist
Food scientist
Food service supervisor
Food service worker
Foreign service officer
Forensic accountant
Forensic pathologist
Forensic psychologist
Forest ranger
Forester
Freelance writer
Fundraiser
Furniture designer
Furrier

Some Things You Need to Know

2007-11-02T20:53:00.001-07:00

For those readers who are interested in a more objective form of self-assessment, it often
makes sense to invest in vocational testing. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind:

1. There is no perfect test that is right for everyone. The goal of vocational
testing is to help you understand yourself better in order to make better career decisions.
When choosing the right test for you, you need to find a comfortable format
as well as the right content.

2. Tests make more sense when interpreted by experts. Experts are familiar
with what the results mean and can help you figure out how to make the best career
decisions based on that information. If you aren’t familiar with the range of tests
available, seek out the services of a qualified career counselor to help you make that
determination and interpret the test results.

3. There is no perfect answer. A test will not provide you with the “perfect
answer” to your career choice questions. It can only provide guidelines to help you
discover the best answers for yourself. Although it’s understandable to want a test to
tell you who are and what you should do, the real value of tests is exploratory. A
good test can provide new insights and ideas.

4. If one is good, then two (or three or four) are better. Take a variety of
tests in order to get a more comprehensive picture of your skills, interests, preferences,
and personality style. When you take a whole series of tests, you are in a better
position to identify overlapping and complementary themes.

5. Tests are designed to facilitate self-knowledge, not replace it. No test
results should ever be treated as gospel if they don’t seem accurate to you. They
can’t provide easy answers to serve as a substitute for genuine soul-searching. Trust
your intuition. Always listen to your heart.

6. You are more complicated than your test results. While test results can
seem uncannily accurate, they are always, at best, approximations of who you are.
Rather than viewing them as a complete picture of yourself, use them as a basis for
further exploration.

Working Conditions

2007-11-02T20:52:00.000-07:00

Although you may not get everything you want, it is important to determine your work
priorities and negotiate for the things that are more important to you.
Put a check mark next to the conditions that you consider non-negotiable (in other
words, your must-haves).

____ short commute
____ casual work environment
____ flexible schedule
____ private office
____ job security
____ reasonable hours
____ on-site day care facility
____ employee parking
____ company car
____ performance bonuses
____ nice offices
____ liberal vacation policy
____ sick leave
____ insurance benefits
____ on-the-job training
____ fast pace
____ holiday pay
____ room for advancement
____ privacy
____ state-of-the-art technology
____ tuition reimbursement
____ family leave policy
____ good working conditions
____ professional working environment
____ other __________________
____ other __________________
____ other __________________

Personality Type

2007-11-02T20:50:00.000-07:00

One of the most popular personality profiles is the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory, which
uses four dimensions of personality to help individuals determine their specific personality
type.

Extraversion Introversion

Extraversion (E) means that you Introversion (I) means that you are
are energized by the outer world of energized by and relate more easily to
people rather than the inner world the world of ideas.
of ideas.

Sensing iNtuition

Sensing (S) means that you prefer Intuition (N) means that you prefer to
to work with concrete, practical work with possibilities and relationships
facts and are oriented toward rather than facts.
the present tense.

Thinking Feeling

Thinking (T) means that you base Feeling (F) means that you base your
your judgments on impersonal judgments more on personal values and
analysis and logic. feelings than objective analysis.

Judging Perceiving

Judging (J) means that you prefer a Perceiving (P) means that you prefer a
planned, orderly, structured way of flexible, spontaneous way of life and may
life and are often results-oriented. be more process-oriented.

25 Work-Related Values

2007-11-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

Recognizing your values is an important part of the self-assessment process. Review
the following work-related values and rate them 1-5 (with 1 being most important and
5 being least important).

____ money
____ job security
____ autonomy
____ affiliation with people you like
____ safe working conditions
____ location
____ benefits
____ interesting work
____ making a contribution
____ innovation and creativity
____ opportunities for advancement
____ professional development
____ recognition
____ challenge
____ power
____ flexibility
____ work–life balance
____ growth
____ variety
____ leadership
____ challenge
____ meaning
____ technical competence
____ prestigious organization
____ resources
____ other__________________
____ other__________________
____ other__________________

What Do You Like to Do?

2007-11-02T20:44:00.000-07:00

Psychologist John Holland developed a well-known classification system that you can use
to organize your thinking about your interests. He believed that most people can categorize
their interests according to six types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social,
Enterprising, and Conventional.

A review of these categories may help you define your strongest areas of vocational interest.
Keep in mind that most jobs and occupations combine aspects of several interest categories
instead of falling under the exclusive domain of any one category.

✔ Realistic: Individuals with realistic interests prefer activities that involve working
with tools, machinery, or animals. They often enjoy working with their hands and
being outdoors. Typical realistic jobs include engineers, machinists, and farmers.

✔ Investigative: Investigative people are usually analytical, methodical, precise,
and curious. They enjoy solving complex mathematical problems, scientific inquiry,
and research. Typical investigative careers include biologists, mathematicians,
research scientists, and physicians.

✔ Artistic: Artistic individuals are often creative, non-conforming, original, and
introspective. They tend to like flexible, unstructured environments that value
innovation and creativity. Typical occupations include artists, writers, designers,
and musicians.

✔ Social: People with social interests enjoy helping and teaching others. They are
often social workers, counselors, teachers, and bartenders.

✔ Enterprising: Enterprising individuals are often drawn to the business world. They
enjoy influencing, persuading, and leading others for the purpose of economic or organizational
gain. Salespeople, attorneys, and managers are often enterprising types.

✔ Conventional: People with conventional interests enjoy working with data and
paper. They are often drawn to jobs or professions with high levels of administrative
activities, such as accountants, secretaries, and administrators.

Knowing What You Do Best

2007-11-02T20:36:00.000-07:00

To determine your best career choices, you must be able to identify and build on your
skills and abilities. In the following checklist, I ask you to give more thought to those
dimensions of yourself. Rate yourself Excellent, Good, or Fair on each skill and then
choose your top ten skills in each area.

SKILLS WORKING WITH PEOPLE

Acting
Advising
Advocacy
Arbitration
Clarifying
Client/customer relations
Coaching
Collaborating
Communicating
Conflict management
Consulting
Counseling
Creating synergies
Debating
Decision-making
Delegating
Demonstrating
Developing people
Diplomacy/tact
Directing
Effecting change
Entertaining
Facilitating
Helping others
Hosting
Influencing
Initiating
Instructing
Interrogating
Interviewing
Leadership
Listening
Litigation
Managing people
Mediation
Mentoring
Monitoring
Motivating
Negotiation
Nurturing
Performing
Placating
Policing
Promoting
Public speaking
Recruiting
Representing
Sales
Socializing
Supervising
Teaching
Team-building
Training

SKILLS WORKING WITH PEOPLE

Accounting
Analyzing
Appraising
Assessing
Auditing
Bookkeeping
Budgeting
Calculating
Cataloguing
Charting
Classifying
Compiling data
Computer programming
Conceptualizing
Creating
Designing
Drafting
Drawing
Driving
Editing
Evaluating
Experimenting
Financial planning
Fund-raising
Forecasting
Formulating policy
Hypothesizing
Interpreting
Inventing
Investing
Machine operation
Mechanical aptitude
Planning
Policy analysis
Policy development
Problem analysis
Problem-solving
Program design
Program development
Project design
Project development
Project management
Reading blueprints
Reducing costs
Regulating
Reorganizing
Researching
Reviewing
Scheduling
Spatial relations
Surveying
System analysis
System design
Testing
Troubleshooting
Typing
Using tools

Seven Rules for a More Successful Career

2007-11-02T20:28:00.000-07:00

Rule 1: Motivation is the key to success.

The key to understanding personal motivation is in knowing what energizes you—
what kinds of activities, people, places, and situations are personally stimulating and
fulfilling—and then capitalizing on those motivations.

Rule 2: Success takes hard work.

Success takes preparation and hard work. Thomas Edison once remarked, “A genius is
a talented person who does his homework.” Bill Gates was a computer geek before he
was catapulted into the limelight. Michael Jordan was a hardworking and determined
high-school and college athlete before he became one of the greatest athletes of all time.
These men are rich, but they devoted themselves to their work, have been willing to work
hard, and haven’t been daunted by failure.

Rule 3: Learn from your mistakes.

Success depends on learning from mistakes and overcoming challenges.
It’s not enough to be ambitious. The world is filled with ambition, and the path to success
is littered with discarded dreams and disillusioned people who never achieved the
recognition or success they felt they deserved.

Rule 4: Follow your dreams.

Missions are the values or dreams that drive super-achievers to pursue excellence.

Rule 5: Honor your talents.

When Harvard University psychologist Howard Gardner conducted his landmark
research on multiple intelligences, he opened the door to a fuller understanding of human
potential. In contrast to society’s traditional emphasis on verbal and analytical abilities as
the pinnacle of intelligence, Dr. Gardner put forth a more expanded vision that includes
linguistic, musical, spatial, kinesthetic, emotional, interpersonal, and intrapersonal intelligences.
Understanding yourself as a multifaceted individual with many talents and possibilities
enables you to expand your vision of your own career potential.

Rule 6: Manage yourself.

There’s no direct correlation between success and mental health. You don’t have to be
a nice person to be successful. You can win the rat race and still be a rat. But if you
manage yourself well, you can win the rat race without turning into a rat. This involves
developing a good working relationship with your thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Rule 7: Take calculated risks.

Most of us were raised with rules and know the consequences of disobeying them. But
if those rules have taught you that it’s dangerous to take risks, you are limiting your
rewards. When building a career in the competitive work world, you must be willing to
take risks to reap the rewards you seek. Successful risk-taking involves knowing your risk
tolerance. What many otherwise ambitious careerists fail to realize is that not taking a
risk is also a risk. There’s a risk involved in not trying, and along with the risk of failing,
there’s the risk of regret.

The Ten Commandments of Career

2007-11-02T20:24:00.000-07:00

1. Honor your talents, interests, and values.
2. Choose a career that matters to you.
3. Build more competence every day.
4. Learn from your mistakes.
5. Seek out mentors whom you respect and admire.
6. Be an individual performer and a team player.
7. Strive for visibility.
8. Accept responsibility for your successes and your failures.
9. Keep things in balance and perspective.
10. Cultivate a supportive network of people for the good times and the bad.

SMS which changed my life

2007-10-31T08:04:00.000-07:00

The moment v think of Giving up, think of the Reason Why v Held so long..!
'DO or DIE' is an Old saying,
'DO it B4 u DIE' is d Latest Saying..

History Of This Blog

2007-10-19T23:11:00.001-07:00

Hi Readers,

I lost continuous 3 ongoing jobs in 4 months. The reason may be anything (like BadLuck, Misunderstanding or anything else...) .

I googled net and found very useful info never seen before. I just tried to combine resources at one place.

With that small idea this blog was started and I m damm sure it will be useful to people.

I heartly say thanks to all real authors (known/unknown) for there articles.

About Blog :

If you are eagerly seeking for Job Guidance, than you have found the perfect place on web. Comments are welcomed.

Career Guidance - Our career guides, resume tips, interviewing skills and more will teach you exactly how to job search and land the perfect job!

How to become a Dental Assistant

2007-10-18T18:07:00.006-07:00

Becoming a dental assistant offers one of the fastest educational paths to entering the rapidly expanding healthcare field.

Dental Assistant Job Description

Dental assistants provide support functions for dentists including assisting with dental procedures, lab work and office functions.

When helping with patient's dental procedures, a dental assistant may be involved with:

Preparing dental instruments
Gathering patient's dental records Handing instruments to dentist during patient procedures
Keeping the patient's mouth dry during procedures
Instructing patients on proper oral healthcare
Taking and preparing x-rays
Applying anesthetics

Lab duties of dental assistants include making casts of teeth, creating temporary crowns and cleaning dental prosthetics.

Office support includes scheduling appointments, receiving patients in the office, billing, ordering supplies and keeping patient records.

Most dental assistants work in dentist's offices. A small portion may work in hospitals or doctor's offices. Similar to dental hygienists, up to one third of dental assistants work part-time.

Salary Ranges / Job Outlook for Dental Assistants

Like many healthcare fields, the demand for dental assistants is expected to grow faster than average over the next decade.

The median hourly pay rate for dental assistants is $13.10 and the high and low range of the scale is $8.45 at the low end and $19.41 at the high end.

Advancement in this career is limited due to the low education requirements.

Some dental assistants advance to office management or product sales representatives. Others go to school for an additional year to become a dental hygienist. Dental assisting is very much an entry level position, but experience in the field and additional education can be very lucrative.

Education / Getting Started

Several educational paths exist to become a dental assistant. Most dental assistants learn on the job, however more and more dentists hire assistants with formal training. The American Dental Association accredits one and two year dental assistant programs leading to certificates or associate's degrees. Some schools offer four to six month dental assisting programs, but these are not accredited. A clinical rotation is part of the training.

Most States require dental assistants to be registered or licensed. Dental assistants who perform x-rays may be regulated by their State as well. The Dental Assisting National Board offers certification that meets the registration requirements in over 30 states. CPR training and continuing education may be a requirement of a dental assistant.

Dental Assistant Summary

Training to be a dental assistant is a great way to get into the healthcare field. It offers a great employment outlook, but additional education is needed to get into more lucrative jobs.

How to become a successful freelance translator

2007-10-18T18:07:00.005-07:00

After completing their translation training programmes at higher professional education or university level, many students can't wait to set up as a freelance translator. However, gaining a foothold as a freelancer in a very competitive translation market may turn out to be a pretty complicated business. Translation agencies are not usually keen on contracting inexperienced translators, business clients are difficult to find without commercial tools, and the tax authorities won't just accept anyone as a self-employed person. So what do you need to do to set up shop as a successful freelance translator?

Translation agencies Most translation agencies are wary of admitting new freelancers into their networks. After all, it takes a while before it really becomes clear whether a freelancer can live up to their expectations: does he/she stick to agreed deadlines, offer a consistent level of quality, consult relevant reference resources, deal effectively with various registers and specialisations (commercial, technical, medical, financial, IT, etc.)? Many translation agencies begin with a 'trial period' in which they closely monitor the work submitted by new freelance translators. To reduce the risk of a fiasco - and avoid the associated costs - translation agencies normally only accept applications from freelance translators who have had at least two or three years' fulltime experience in the translation business.

Business clients In their attempts to introduce themselves directly to companies, freelancers usually find it difficult to gain access to the people that matter and, once they are there, to secure orders. Companies tend to prefer outsourcing translation services to partners that are able to offer comprehensive solutions. They look for agencies that can fill their translation needs in a range of different languages, are always available, can take on specialised texts and have the procedures in place to ensure that all deadlines are met. In view of their need for continuity, capacity and diversity it is hardly surprising that many companies select an all-round translation agency rather than individual freelancers. An agency may be more expensive than a freelancer, but the additional service and quality guarantees justify the extra investment.

Tips to achieve success as a freelance translator What steps will you need to take after graduation to develop into a successful freelance translator?

1. After completing your studies, it's best not to present yourself on the market straightaway as a freelance translator, but first to find employment at an all-round translation firm and spend a couple of years there to gain the necessary practical experience. As a salaried employee your income will be less compared to what you might potentially earn in a freelance capacity, but don't forget that without experience you're never going to be successful in the first place. In many cases, you will be assigned to a senior translator who revises your translations, monitors your progress, and makes you aware of your strengths and weaknesses. This will enable you to acquire the skills and baggage you need on your way to becoming a professional translator, and will give you the opportunity to experiment with various types of texts and disciplines.

2. If you can't find a position in paid employment, try to find a post as an (unpaid) trainee. A translation agency may not have the capacity or resources to take on new staff, but it may still be able to offer you an excellent training post to help you gain practical experience in a commercial environment. A traineeship may serve as an effective springboard for a career in the translation business, perhaps even within the same agency that offered the traineeship.

3. After having whetted your skills at a translation agency for a number of years, you may decide that the time has come for you to find your own clients. Ideally, you should move on to a part-time contract so that you have enough time to recruit clients and work for them, and enough money to live on. It is important to make clear arrangements with your boss at this stage, to avoid a conflict of interests. The best strategy is to send your personal details and CVs to a selected group of professional translation firms and translation departments within companies and governmental institutions, explicitly referring to your work experience. Don't forget to highlight your willingness to do a free test translation.

4. Make sure to register as a self-employed person with the relevant tax authorities and seek their advice if necessary.

5. Once you have managed to find enough freelance work to keep yourself busy for around 20 hours a week, you might consider terminating your employment contract and devoting the extra time to attracting new business. In 20 hours most experienced freelance translators tend to earn around as much as a full-time translator in salaried employment.

These are obviously very general guidelines, and your personal career may evolve along quite different lines depending on your preferences, skills and personal conditions. Whatever your circumstances, however, you will find that experience and a certain amount of business acumen are the things that matter most in a successful freelance career.

How to Close Your Interview and Leave a Lasting Positive Impression

2007-10-18T18:07:00.004-07:00

Closing the Interview

Knowing how to successfully close an interview can make the difference between getting the job and being one of the unfortunate individuals who receives a rejection letter in the mail. While much attention is given to the matters of how to write a resume and cover letter as well as what to expect in regards to interview questions, far too many job seekers are unprepared when comes to knowing how to successfully close an interview. Keep in mind that this is perhaps your last opportunity to demonstrate why you are perfect for the job. Successfully closing an interview walks a fine line between being too aggressive and not being aggressive enough.

It's always a good idea to bring along some questions that you can ask the interviewer at the end of the interview. This shows that you have more than just a passing interest in the position and truly want the job. If you have taken the time to do your research on the company, this also demonstrates initiative and increases your chances of being hired.

Once all questions have been asked and answered, it is quite appropriate to ask the interviewer when they anticipate making a hiring decision as well as what the next step in the interviewing or hiring process will be. Make a point to ask the employer for a business card so that you can have readily available contact information for following up with the employer in the days to come. This will also make it much easier for you to mail the all important interview thank-you letter as soon as you return home.

Also don't forget to shake hands with the employer and summarize how your skills and experience, as well as ambition and desire, make you the perfect candidate for the position. If you're really confident and don't mind taking risks, you might ask "So, is there anything stopping you from offering me the job right now?" This ploy should only be used if you feel the interview has gone well, however. Otherwise you might be setting yourself, as well as the interviewer, up for an embarrassing response.

A much milder version of this tactic would be, "Is there anything else I can answer for you to make a hiring decision?" If you really aren't sure how well the interview went and don't want to waste your time waiting for a call that may never come, you could simply ask, "Have I done well enough to advance to the next level of the hiring process?"

This puts all the cards on the table and an employer who appreciates honesty and frankness will reciprocate by letting you know where you stand. If for some reason, you were not the candidate the employer was looking for this may give you a golden opportunity to clear up something that might make you the ideal candidate. Otherwise, at the very least, you won't be spending the next two weeks waiting by the phone and you can begin concentrating on other employment prospects.

In the event that the employer does not offer you a firm commitment and seems to be a bit hesitant about when a firm decision will be made, don't take it as a personal affront. There could be any number of reasons why the employer is reluctant to hire you on the spot-the least of which could be the need to consult with superiors. It's important that even if you are disappointed about not receiving a job offer on the spot that you remain positive, up beat and confident. Finally, take the time to thank the employer for meeting with you. Above all, remember to always be professional no matter what happens.

How To Create An Online Resume

2007-10-18T18:07:00.003-07:00

This is the age of the Internet. No matter what type of job you are looking for, it is necessary that you have a copy of your resume online. An online resume or digital resume saves time and energy. Your resume website link can be easily emailed to anyone that requests it. Having an online presence in most instances will make it easier for you to secure a job in a much shorter time.

In order to display your online resume, it will be necessary to create and design a very basic website. There are many places online that offer web hosting, and you might choose one of these places to create a website address to host your resume, but there are several other options to consider.

If you are not able to create and design a website for yourself, it is necessary to hire someone to do this for you. However, if you are not able to create either a resume or a website by yourself, hiring someone is definitely recommended. A website that looks professional will help your chances to secure a better job with a higher pay.

The least expensive option for creating an online resume may not cost you any additional money at all. Most online providers now include one or more personal websites in the subscription cost. Many of them allow as many as five personal sites per account with easy to use software. In fact, you may be able to simply upload the text version of your resume directly from your computer.

When creating an online resume it is recommended that you include all of the necessary parts of the paper version of your resume. This would mean including your education written in chronological order, your previous employment history, and any awards that you have received. Just because your resume is online, does not mean that it should not be formatted correctly.

After you have created a website with your online resume, the next important step is to direct potential employers to your website. This would include emailing your website address to employers when doing a job search, as well as including the address when writing to enquire if a company is hiring.

There are numerous career and job posting websites on the Internet. Search under the terms "job seeker" or "career seeker" and you will receive links to thousands of websites. I suggest you begin with those in your home city by narrowing your search by adding the name of your city to the search term, for example, "job seeker Philadelphia" or whatever job location you desire.

Get started today and you may have some solid leads in just a few days. It's easier than you think.

How To Find A Job As A Copy Editor

2007-10-18T18:07:00.002-07:00

Jobs for copy editors may seem like they are hard to find, but really you can find them and you can do so with many of the qualifications you already have. But, if you do not have any qualifications, this may be the first step in finding the copyediting job that you have been looking for. Jobs in this field are available, but it takes a good, solid portfolio and set of skills to get them. Here are some things to get you going in the right direction though.

1. Education is the most important aspect. If you do not have the time or funds to go to college to get a degree in writing and proofreading, you may want to look for a home study course. Often colleges will offer these courses to those who need to learn from home. It could be a good step for someone looking for copy editing work.

2. Create a portfolio of your work. If you establish any work in the field add it to your portfolio. This could be a simple document with your work displayed in it. If you have not obtained any opportunities, why not create your own? Look for projects to complete voluntarily as well. Getting the knowledge and experience is the most important aspect.

3. Search for job vacancies on the internet. Whether you apply for them or not, you can still get a good amount of knowledge about what is being offered, what requirements are needed, and then, you can see how you fit into the mix.

For those who are developing a freelance business, it is wise to look for jobs that offer more than a one time offering. A solid relationship in the employment of a company can lead to other jobs down the line. And, when it is time to look at the next job vacancies, they may turn to you. In this field, it is important to apply, apply, and apply. Get your bid in on some posted internet jobs. Get your name out as being available. Give the best rate then work to a higher one with clients as your experience grows.

All of these things can lead to more work, better work, and outstanding employment opportunities down the line.

How To Find A Job Writing Grant Applications

2007-10-18T18:07:00.001-07:00

Do you have what it takes to land a job doing grant writing? Many people are looking for ways to develop a freelance business, but unless you know what it takes to do so, you might as well stop trying. There are several fields in which you can learn and have many jobs waiting for you. But, in others, you will need to properly be prepared for them before they pass you by. Here, we will talk a little about how to find jobs in grant writing.

First, we would like to touch on what you need to do to get those freelance grant writing jobs. You will need to provide your future employment offers with samples of your work. If this is your first assignment, you may need to create a few samples to provide. In any case, you may also need quite a bit of training in the areas in which you will write. For example, if you plan to write on technical subjects you will need to know about these as well as learning how to write.

Once you have the required knowledge, you can begin your search for jobs. There are many businesses that use these specific skills to help generate the money they need to fund the business, research, or study they plan to do. In your specialized area, like that of technical fields, you will need to find businesses that do these things. You can find a wide range of options available online to you in your field. In any case, you will need to present yourself as a worthy candidate by providing good skills and good work ethics. Job vacancies are out there, in great numbers in certain fields. Employment with them will be based on your skills and attitude.

Opportunities in your field are waiting for you to open their door.

How To Find Writing Work

2007-10-18T18:07:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for new writing work? It can be a challenge to build a career in any area, but it is often even harder to do so when you are in a smaller town. Sure, there may be a huge market for talented freelancers in your area, but let's face it, it is not New York where you can find countless job vacancies in your field of freelance writing. When you are looking for freelance writing work, it is important to look outside the box as well as trying the tried and true employment options.

As writers work to build their career, it can be challenging to do so if they do not live in an area that is known for having publishers. So, when you get an assignment, you need to ensure that you do it thoroughly and right on task for what the client is looking for. Do not present a piece of work without making sure that it is the best you can give.

Job vacancies for freelance writing are rarely found in newspaper ads and help wanted ads. Instead, they are filled by people who have a proven talent. It is important that you maintain a strong portfolio to do this. If you have not had any freelance writing experience for a long time, it may be beneficial to write a few pieces on your own, to display your qualifications. You can present them as a sample of your work.

The most important feature to remember when looking for jobs like freelance writing is that you can find them when you look online. Yes, take your search online because that is where people go to look for freelancers of all types. If you do not have experience, get some free projects out there and present your work in the best format every time.

Build your freelance business from start to finish on the quality on-task assignments that you present as finished work.

Help. Federal Grants Are Making Me Crazy!

2007-10-17T12:22:00.007-07:00

Chasing federal grants you can go crazy. Where do I look for us government grants and how do I get these free grants? All good questions. Without having to buy a federal grants guide, I hope to show you.

This is why I have started this site. If you are here you do not have the money to hire a grant writer for 25% of your grant amount.

You are probably very much like me. For that price I could pay for college classes and do it myself.

US government grants all have a system they go. If you do not know the system then free grants are going to remain elusive. My best words of advice are learn how free government grants work, or pay someone to do it for you!

My overview of federal grants is simple.

One federal government giving us government grants through:

26 federal agencies who distribute free grants by:

15 different ways of giving federal grants to you:

Through hundreds of local and state agencies where you are finally able to get your free government grants from.

As you can see free government grants has to go through many hand before it reaches yours. US government grants can sometimes be given at the federal level. Through grants .gov. the us government grants official website. Good luck finding anything in there unless you are a professional.

Lets cover the 15 different ways that the us government grants are handed out.

(A) Formula Grants
My favorite. These free grants do not have to be paid back. Money from the federal grants set aside to State and Local agencies according to their ongoing needs not confined to something specific. This is usually how you get a federal grants for small business.

(B) Project Grants
Given to Free grants for a specific time period and for a specific need. These us government grants can include fellowships grants, scholarships grants, research grants, training, traineeships, experimental and demonstration, evaluation, planning, technical assistance, survey and constructions.

(C) Direct Payments for Specified Use
Free Government grants given directly to individuals, private firms, and other private organizations to encourage or fund a activity by someone with a specific goal.

(D) Direct Payments with Unrestricted
UseFree federal grants given directly to beneficiaries who are eligible with no restrictions on how money is spent. Things like retirement, pension and compensation programs.

(E) Direct Loans
A loan from the federal government for a specific time period. Most of these do not have interest payments.

(F) Guaranteed/Insured Loans
Programs in which the Federal government makes an arrangement to identify a lender against part or all of any defaults by those responsible for repayment of loans.

(G) Insurance
Free grants to provide financial assistance to assure reimbursement for losses sustained under specified conditions. us government grants may be provided directly by the Federal government or through private carriers and may or may not involve the payment of premiums.

(H) Sale, Exchange, or Donation of Property and Goods
Programs which provide for the sale, exchange, or donation of Federal real property, personal property, commodities, and other goods including land, buildings, equipment, food and drugs. Have you ever heard of the Dollar Home Sale?

(I) Use of Property, Facilities, and Equipment
Programs which provide for the loan of, use of, or access to Federal facilities or property wherein the federally owned facilities or property do not remain in the possession of the recipient of the assistance.

(J) Provision of Specialized Services
Programs which provide Federal personnel directly to perform certain tasks for the benefit of communities or individuals. These services may be performed in conjunction with nonfederal personnel, but they involve more than consultation, advice, or counseling.

(K) Advisory Services and Counseling
Programs which provide Federal specialists to consult, advise, or counsel communities or individuals to include conferences, workshops, or personal contacts. This may involve the use of published information, but only in a secondary capacity.

(L) Dissemination of Technical InformationPrograms
which provide for the publication and distribution of information or data of a specialized or technical nature frequently through clearinghouses or libraries. This does not include conventional public information services designed for general public consumption.

(M) Training
Federal Grants for programs which provide instructional activities conducted directly by a us government grants agency for individuals not employed by the Federal government.

(N) Investigation of Complaints
Us government grants agency activities that are initiated in response to requests, either formal or informal, to examine or investigate claims of violations of Federal statutes, policies, or procedure. The origination of such claims must come from outside the Federal government.

(O) Federal EmploymentPrograms
which reflect the Government wide responsibilities of the Office of Personnel Management in the recruitment and hiring of Federal civilian agency personnel.

These us government grants cover a wide variety of ways federal grants gives money for small business and individuals. The possibilities are endless for us government grants and for federal educational grants for you and your employees. Some free grants are in the form of loans and are what is called forgivable loans. Which means if you do not sell your business than the loan is forgiven and over time period and you do not pay anything back. The whole goal with free grants is to strengthen America and it workforce.

HiProFile Boston: The Art of Successful Interviewing

2007-10-17T12:22:00.006-07:00

Many senior executives exhibit a distinct bias: the greater their success, the greater their certainty that there is only one way to do things correctly--their way. Most senior executives are experts within their chosen field, but it's intriguing that, when pursuing new challenges, they consider themselves a "10" at all that is required, be it identifying new opportunities, targeting industries, interviewing for jobs or negotiating employment packages. Although one's expertise may be supply chain management, the executive somehow assumes that job hunting requires the same skill set.

For example, the other day I was meeting with a high-level executive who had spent the majority of his career making a positive difference in other people's lives. He told me that, in retrospect, his proudest accomplishment was the number of people he had helped to achieve senior-level executive positions. Clearly, mentoring was of prime importance to him. He had carried many flags for many people and, as a result, they moved up ladders, made more money, were recognized for their contributions, and often became noticeable community leaders.

He then shared with me that he felt it was "his turn" now. He had outgrown his position and was no longer feeling challenged. He had informed his network so that they would quickly rally to help him. He had received verbal support and was presented with two opportunities--neither of which resulted in an offer of employment or even a second interview. Ironically, when asked how he rated his interview skills, he replied, "Why, I'm a 10!" I then asked him what he would say if he were to interview with an executive who was not aware of his reputation and asked to take a minute to talk about himself.

He replied with his age, marital status, number of children and grandchildren, stated and that he was a loyal, honest, hardworking, people-oriented person. I agreed. He was all those things--all very nice behavioral attributes--but not relevant to the situation, and clearly ineffectual in an interview. People don't get job offers based on behavioral attributes. Obviously, we prefer to work with people that we like, but that is not why we are hired. We are hired because we will either make the hiring decision-makers more money, save them money, or do something they don't want to do, know how to do, or have time to do. We are hired based on our achievements, which are usually excellent predictors of what we can do for the new company.

There have been many articles and books written to help people understand that they need to sell themselves in the marketplace--that they are a product and the hiring decision-maker is the buyer. There has been much focus on what is often referred to as the "elevator pitch" or "infomercial"--an abbreviated statement of value. Yet most senior executives still fail to grasp that they must market themselves and do so appropriately.

Every decision-maker has problems. Every decision-maker is looking for solutions. Imagine the difference my executive friend might have experienced in those two interviews if, instead of talking about his personal life, he quickly and effectively presented himself as a solution! In two minutes this gentleman could have addressed his 25 year successful track record, citing various industries and positions he has held, and illustrated with a significant success or two. Then, and only then, he could have outlined his passion for growing and developing people. In other words, imagine if he had presented a quick commercial of why his product should be bought.

My friend changed his approach to job searching, including his introduction, and his next interviews had significant, positive results. He was invited back again and again, and ultimately received an offer. He commented that he now realized he was a "10" all along, but had to learn how to effectively communicate that to others. And that is the art of successful interviewing.

Home Employment Is The Dream Of Most Americans Today

2007-10-17T12:22:00.005-07:00

Americans today have so many reasons to find at home mployment opportunities instead of working for corporate America in their strict 9 to 5 world. One of the most popular reasons people look for at home employment opportunities is that they get to be their own boss! Think about this for a minute: No one looking over your shoulder when you work! No one criticizing perfectly acceptable work! No one taking your work assignments and getting credit for them while you sit in the shadows! What a feeling of freedom when you find employment at home!

Another reason for wanting to find employment opportunities that you can do from your home is the flexibility of your personal schedule. If you start your day at 10 AM instead of 7:30 AM, no one is going to write you up. No one will make a big deal out of it. No one will know but you!

You can work late into the evening or even into the night when your employment is at home. Granted, you cannot hold phone conferences or meetings at midnight, but you can fill out paperwork or contracts, get all of your email and correspondence written and ready for sending, and even update your business cards, stationary, web pages and promotional flyers! Employment in your home gives you that flexibility because you hold the key to the building...not your supervisor.

Another nice thing about home employment is that you don't have to go out and buy a special wardrobe! You can work around your house in clothes you would wear everyday. Not only will you be making money having home employment, but you will be saving money on fancy suits, slacks or dresses for the office. Wearing jeans, slacks, shorts, t-shirts, sweats, even your pajamas is okay when your employment is right in your home!

The last big reason to look for a home employment opportunity is that you get to choose exactly what you do. Doing something you really like when you work at home is an important step to succeeding. If you enjoy writing, finding an employment opportunity as a freelance writer that you can run out of your house may be for you. If you are a teacher who hates to grade, maybe you can start a tutoring business. The possibilities are endless when you find at home employment!

Hot Job Listings for 2007!

2007-10-17T12:22:00.004-07:00

Millions will be looking for job listings in 2007. It's a big help to know where the most openings occur.

Why?

Well, if you're new to the job market . . . or this is your first job . . . of it's time for you to get serious about making a change . . . then understanding where your are likely to find job openings can help you focus.

Even if you have no direct expertise in these careers, there are opportunities for transferable skills. These are your work-related capabilities and assets that have application no matter where you work. These would include managing, accounting, factory work, warehousing, consulting, finances, sales, etc.

According to recent reports here are the six areas where you can expect to find an above average number of openings:

1. Medical Assistance. The exploding health care industry simply doesn't have enough certified talent to go around. So there are unique opportunities to break into this industry if you're able to show how you can translate your capabilities into a response to employer needs.

2. Teaching. Because of the critical shortage, if you ever had a dream about becoming a teacher at any level the are fast lane certification programs to get you into the classroom ASAP. If you fancy yourself a teacher be prepared to think outside the traditional classroom.

3. Pharmacy Work. While it takes years to get the required degree and be certified as a pharmacist, there is an amazing array of technical support jobs that require only a minimum of technical training.

4. Retail Sales. The holiday season is a terrific time to break into retail sales on a part-time basis. Many of these jobs are converted into full-time after the holidays. Moreover, because the turnover is high, employers are offering flextime schedules and huge employee discounts, especially if your friendly and like being helpful to customers.

5. Consulting. Opportunities for corporate consulting are especially good in cost control and information technology. Local government and non-profits are using significantly more consultants to cut payroll costs.

6. Self-employment. If you like to be in control of your time and income, maybe this is the time to consider an entrepreneurial venture. But if you're not quite ready for your own business you can achieve a similar independence by working for a temp agency.

This is an incredibly good time to be in the job marketplace if you focus your attention on employment areas where you have a much better chance of landing a job.

How Can You Find Freelance Writing Jobs?

2007-10-17T12:22:00.003-07:00

Do you think that there is a big sign that reads, "Freelance Writing Jobs, Apply Within"? There just is not. In fact, you may have a hard time finding writing jobs of any type advertised in any employment magazine or newspaper either. So, how do you find freelance writing jobs? Let us talk about this for a moment and see if we can't find an idea or two that will work for you.

1. Begin at the beginning. Get the education you need to have. Learn what there is to know about the field in which you are looking for job vacancies. Having knowledge itself can open doors. This can help with step two as well.

2. When you do have that knowledge, do not forget to look towards the teachers you got it from for help in finding a niche to work in. They may have more resources than you realize.

3. Create a portfolio. Even if you never have any published work, you can still write, right? Write to fill your portfolio. Then, when a prospective employment opportunity arises, you'll have something to provide in the way of samples.

4. Look online. Vast amounts of freelance writing jobs are offered there. If the work can be submitted online, why not look worldwide? Try doing a websearch for "freelance writing jobs".

5. Keeping striving to meet the needs of your clients 100%. When you make them happy, they will come back with other jobs for you. And, they will provide you with testimonials and referrals as well.

All of these things can work for you when you allow them to. You need to provide yourself with all the tools you need. Most importantly, this is writing. You must be able to meet your client's needs and therefore will need to present your talents in the right light each time. When you are looking for freelance writing jobs you'll find them across the world when you look in the right places.

How Can You Find Out The Salary Of A Freelance Proofreader?

2007-10-17T12:22:00.002-07:00

How can you establish the earning potential for a new job? For example if you are looking for the salary of a freelance editor, how will you find this information? There are several ways that you can do this. However there is one determining factor that will cause you to be better or lower than the average you find. That is experience.

First, we will talk a bit about the salary of the freelance editor. Then, we will get into the qualifications that allow you to find where you can place yourself.

To find the information that you need about salaries look online. There are many websites that will actually calculate the average income from many positions. These websites can also tell you the forecasts for employment in these fields. You may look for jobs in editing and vacancies as well. To find them, just do a simple search. Or, look to your favorite job posting boards that have editing positions available. There you can see how much is being charged for each project and gauge your level of skill and experience accordingly. The websites that offer income information are free to the public to use.

It may not give you a good idea of your potential though.

In order to know your potential salary you'll need to know where you stand in qualifications. For example, are you new to these opportunities? The less experience you have in editing, for example, the less you are worth. Also, in the proofreading and editing jobs that are available, you'll need a good, solid knowledge of the way things work. You'll need certifications as well. If you have these and/or experience, your income potential is much higher than that of someone who doesn't. The websites that offer information on income levels in this sort of employment will gauge it by the level of skill, experience, and training required for particular jobs.

Simply being able to offer more of these aspects will put you in the position to make more income than others would.

How Does High Stakes School Testing Affect Sad, Traumatized, Withdrawn, Vulnerable Students?

2007-10-17T12:22:00.001-07:00

One of the hottest topics in our Problem Student Problem Solver workshop staff development sessions has gotten to be participants' upset at the damage they see being caused by overzealous state-wide assessment testing. As you may know, some states have become so concerned about measuring student progress, that many they have highly rigorous testing. In some regions, teacher and administrator employment and/or salary are based on test scores. In at least one state, personnel have been caught forging test results. In another state, schools are actually given report cards, and graded, with some schools failing. In other regions, professional sport team mascots and cheerleaders are hired to urge students to score well.

In one state, part of the progress assessment testing, includes having students write an essay. One teacher wrote the local newspaper to tell of her dismay when one of her students wrote his essay on his return to middle school following a period of dropping out due to serious difficulties he was facing. The essay was judged unsatisfactory when scored for the test on such measures as grammar, punctuation, etc. The teacher now had the difficult situation of having a young, vulnerable student receive a failing score on a highly sensitive topic. Worst still, apparently the student's story would also have been failed even if the essay's focus had been to lament the death of his mother, or to describe the beating of his sister. There is no provision to adjust tests to the special needs of students, or to give consideration to special circumstances. This inflexibility is true across many states that use progress testing.

The teachers and counselors who come to our workshop, often ask if there are approaches that could work better than what they view as "education at all costs," when students are expected and pressured to produce regardless of any family problems, disabilities, crises, or personal horror that a child may be living with. There are much better ways, and some of the best, are described below. But, testing does not leave only challenged kids buckling under the pressure. My own 13 year old, easy B+, honor roll mention, doesn't-even-study-much, normally unflappable student burst into tears recently,terrified that she will flunk the 10th grade tests she will face that are still more than 2 years away!

Here Are Adaptations to Consider:

** What Could Replace "Education at All Costs?"
So often adults have two viewpoints towards educating youngsters in distress. Some adults say that no matter if the child is being beaten, or goes unfed, or whatever the distress, the child must still complete homework on time, take tests, etc. This can heap more misery on the shoulders of a deeply troubled youth. Others take the opposite tact and say they don't want to add to the child's problems, and so they won't expect much from them. Sadly, this means the child may not get the education they still need. Instead of these extremes, find the balance between these viewpoints: never abandon your educational mission, but don't accomplish it all costs.

** Understand How Much Pain Exists
Non-mental health professionals may be shocked at the surprisingly high numbers of children in pain. The literature suggests that perhaps 10% of the children (or a family member) may struggle with substances; 10% may be emotionally disturbed; 20-30% may face sexual abuse or incest; 10-15% may face verbal, physical or emotional abuse. Even though these numbers don't take into account the overlap across these groups, that's a lot of kids facing a lot of pain.

** Stop the Pressure
There are ways to evoke a desire to perform well that doesn't have to be experienced as pressure. So many teachers believe that the pressure that is being exerted in their state is absolutely conterproductive to testing, and they are probably right. Instead of pressure, show how education skills will be needed in the adult world, and how critical they are to the kids' futures, rather than relate learning skills to scoring well on assessment tests. Education is meant to prepare kids for the adult world, not for taking tests.

** Train Kids to Be Students
We don't formally train youth to be students. Very few schools have a formal, written-down plan to teach attendance, punctuality, motivation, test-taking, homework management, discussion skills, how to focus, etc. If these nuts-and-bolts skills were systematically taught instead of just being expected, more kids might learn more, and yes, test scores could be enhanced.

** Train Kids to Manage Anxiety and Problems
We also don't teach students how to manage big problems from home, and anxiety about tests and school. Learning problem management and how to overcome anxiety will be skills a child will need for an entire lifetime, and yes, could enhance test scores.

** Stop Micro-Managing Teachers
In many states, teachers are treated like money-grubbing scum. Teachers do the most important jobs on the planet, often for humble pay, and without thanks while also serving as parent, psychologist, nurse and pastor to many lost souls. Instead of making teachers' jobs harder, give them more support and better training. Much of today's teacher training is not geared to face the big social and emotional problems that arrive each day with the kids. We also have schools where classes include a whopping 38 youngsters and the sky can be seen through the holes in the classroom. We expect teachers to teach against all odds, all while consistently criticizing them and reducing their budgets.

** Stop One-Size-Fits-All Testing
Few accomodations are made at all in performance testing. A child who was raped the night before, or slept under a bridge, or witnessed terrible domestic violence, must still perform. No one wants lower standards, but build in some type of breathing room for students with serious or pronounced distress, disabilities,crises, cultural differences, ethnic differences, language differences, etc. In one state, many of the schools that performed poorly on state-wide tests were communities with many minority group members. Little effort seems to have been made to ensure that these tests were fair to children who were different from the dominant culture. So, their school flunked.

** Stop Telling Schools They Flunk
Imagine you are a six-year-old and you hear that your school flunked. Imagine the impact on you, especially if you struggle academically, or have a low opinion of yourself, or you already live with racial bias, or you're a new immigrant feeling adrift in a new world...where even your school flunks. Let's find more grown-up ways of referring to schools that struggle.

If you want to see how the education world looks from outside the box, be sure to check out the hundreds of surprising, wonderful methods and ideas on our web site. You won't find a focus on content or testing, but you will find common sense methods that work to build motivation, stop work refusal, help traumatized youngsters, and improve class participation.

How Important is Your Resume?

2007-10-17T12:22:00.000-07:00

Getting hired is tough in today's world of job layoffs, downsizing, outsourcing and cost crunching. Businesses no longer have the money to view people as simply bodies to fill a position. Instead they look for the most qualified candidates and screen their employees well. So much so that drug screens, criminal checks and employment history help companies avoid poor workers.

Resumes are another source of important information about candidates. If a resume is written with obvious spelling and grammar mistakes employers will usually discard it for reasons of basic knowledge and education. Getting the most qualified and progressive employees are an important part of business for many companies. They view good employees as productive who make few mistakes and poor employees as a liability to be replaced. A resume could show them what type of employee you really are and the reasons why they should hire you.

There are a number of things people need to keep in mind when writing their resume. Use the following list to increase your chances of employment success:

1.) Must highlight the skills and abilities of the person.

2.) Should use a format that is normally used in the field in which the person is applying.

3.) It should be clean and not more than 2 pages (variable depending on field).

4.) Your resume should have a hint of color to highlight it from other resumes.

5.) Should use parchment quality paper and an executive packet.

6.) Must have no spelling errors and use correct grammar.

Another alternative to writing your own resume is to have a professional write one for you. In this way you are sure to have one of the most ascetically pleasing and professionally written resumes in the bunch. There are many different types of resume businesses for people to turn to. Make sure the person you are working with has years of experience in the human resource field and professional writing skills.

From Hi-Touch to Hi Tec: The use of technology in Career Development

2007-10-16T12:51:00.009-07:00

Recent years have seen significant changes in the way career development support is delivered. Many of these adjustments have to do with advances in technology but closely linked is a major change in the human aspect of career coaching.

So what's different? The most noticeable development has been that career coaching and outplacement support is no longer exclusively accessible to senior managers. Nowadays companies recognise that it pays to be seen to offer support to all employees being laid-off.

No longer is outplacement provided behind the doors of oak panelled offices. Resource centres are often set up on the client companies site and the whole matter is dealt with in a much more open way. Any stigma that once surrounded redundancy has now all but disappeared along with the majority of the three-piece chalk-striped suits who helped those senior managers back into work by flicking through their address books. Redundancy is just one of a number of ways by which people leave their employer and is not considered a mark of failure.

This has all come about as a result of the increased pace of business. The need to stay competitive in times of rapid technological change and competitive pressure has meant constant re-organisation, such that where last year there was, for an employer, a great need for certain skills, today the same organisation may have no need of them. In other organisations, redundancy is the result of simple cuts as they attempt to keep their heads above water; non-core functions are removed or outsourced.

This has led not only to a growth in outplacement but, with the changing nature of the relationship between employee and employer, individuals now recognise the need to take responsibility for their own careers. We have seen a significant growth in individual career coaching as people attempt to maintain their employability in an environment in which skills and capabilities can become obsolete in a matter of weeks.

All this has been made possible to some degree with advances in technology. The older model; private and tailored, focused on the use of paper based psychometric assessment and ability tests, to ascertain the client's capabilities and suitable types of work and roles. It would then move on to the CV writing service wherein the client would be interviewed at length with a new CV as the output. If required, interview practice would be available but most important was the promise of "access to the hidden job market". This, in essence, meant that the consultant would introduce the client, by way of forwarding the CV, to a number of recruiters and headhunters. As time passes and the candidate fails to secure employment, the consultant would ease them into re-evaluating their expectations (downwards!) until eventually a role was secured. This method is still available for those that want it and there are plenty of organisations willing to provide it.

The new career transition model operates in a very different way. Where before the relationship was expert and client, the industry has now become more complex with the consultant taking on different roles according to the stage of the process the client is at and the need: counsellor, expert, teacher, facilitator and partner.

Perhaps ironically, technology has played a large part not only in bringing about the need for career support, but also in helping to deliver that support.

The requirement for lower cost delivery in order to meet the budget available for junior employees has precipitated more group work, which in turn means that the client is responsible for managing their own transition process.

Psychometric and ability tests can now be conducted on-line although the most professional will require 1:1 feedback. While there are a number of tests that offer on-line feedback, these cannot provide the detail that a personal session can reach when focussing on such matters as suitability for roles and organisations, cultural fit and ways of working.

E-learning supports the philosophy of giving clients the tools to manage their own transition rather than doing it for them. An internet, intranet or CD course offers, amongst a wealth of possibilities, features such as filmed demonstration interviews alongside interactive learning modules and examples of hundreds of CV's and application letters that can be used for inspiration.

Group learning has also been assisted by improved technology. Whereas until now it has been necessary for either the consultant or client to travel, online conferencing, using such facilities as Webex, allow groups to convene remotely and yet are fully functional with full voice contact, presentations, file transfer and private interaction between participants. Web-conferencing offers the added benefit of making it easier for people of different levels of seniority to work together.

In terms of information that aids the job search process, there are now more job boards on the internet than you can shake a stick at. If I'm honest I'd like to do more than shake the stick at most of them. In general they are a very poor method of identifying suitable roles because they tend to make it difficult for the best candidates to stand out. Job boards do have their uses, however. One is that they make it fairly easy to discover salary levels and the type of qualities required for many positions. The other is that they help jobseekers to identify active recruiters handling the type of role they are looking for.

A proliferation of on-line services now exist to help jobseekers identify opportunities worthy of a speculative approach. Execubank is just one that report news of corporate activity, including relocation, expansion and contraction. There are also a number, such as OneSource, that provide detailed company information including accounts, key personnel contact details and links, all of which help both for applications and interview preparation.

One-to-one consulting has also benefited from web-based tools. One of my favourite examples is the deaf client I worked with using internet messaging. My client had no need to come into town to see me and we were able to develop a much closer relationship working online in this way than we had previously managed with the help of an interpreter. VoIP technology has also made communication easier. Whereas previously high international telephone charges would have made contact with overseas clients unappealing, with Skype a coach is able to talk to clients anywhere around the globe at no cost and the conversation is as clear as if we were sitting in the same room as each other.

Neither of these methods is able to facilitate the depth of relationship that one-to-one coaching delivers and in particular, are not well suited for working with people who are angry, upset, or especially confused. However, there is no doubt that they can be effective for the transfer of knowledge and to motivate and encourage the client.

The reduced human contact that is implied by the use of technology is not to be overlooked. Certainly for those who have been made redundant, contact with other people is a crucial factor in determining how quickly and successfully they return to work. Fortunately, networking is no longer the "old school tie" thing it once was. We now teach networking as one of several job search tools. Put into practice, clients now interact with other people more than their erstwhile counterparts receiving traditional outplacement services would probably have done.

The danger with these advances is that, in pursuit of more clients with less to spend, the career transition industry becomes hi-tec / lo-touch when previously it was lo-tech / hi-touch.

Technology has opened up career consulting for many who might not have been able to afford it, however, the real value is in a good 1:1 mentoring and coaching relationship where specific individual needs are addressed.

Get Beyond Your Tasks

2007-10-16T12:51:00.008-07:00

Ever hear the story of the two masons working side by side at a building site? They're doing the same work under pretty much the same conditions. Then, one day a stranger comes along, approaches one of the men and asks him, "What are you doing?" "I don't know and I don't care," replies the man, his voice brimming with irritation. All I do is slap this crummy mortar on these crummy bricks and pile them up in a crummy line. That's what I'm doing."

The stranger returns to the building site the next day. This time he approaches the second man, asking him the same question. "Tell me," he said, "what are you doing?" Smiling at the stranger, the man proudly replies, "Why, I'm helping to build the new cathedral."

I don't know about you, but in my twenty years in management I met plenty of people like the first mason. People doing what they were told to do, without a greater context or purpose. People focused on what they were doing, not why they were doing it. People who clearly didn't like their job, and clearly weren't winning at working.

When you define the purpose for your work, you create a vision behind the tasks, and that vision changes results. Think about it. What are you helping to build in your workplace? Why does your work matter? Before you say it doesn't, think again. You have an important role or you wouldn't be paid to do it. Of course, it's unlikely you'll find the purpose outlined in your job description. You see, defining your purpose is not about the tasks you do. It's about the reason for the tasks.

So if you're an employment specialist in Human Resources, your purpose is not to hire people. That's a task. The reason behind the task might be to increase your company's competitive edge with exceptional people. If you're a web designer, your job is not to build websites. That's a task. Your purpose is in the why of it. Maybe it's to build the corporate brand or make life easier for your customers. Look beyond your title.

In one of my jobs, my purpose was to help the company develop a winning culture; in another it was to help build trust in the corporate brand so new customers would give us a try. My job title would never have told you about either.

But here's a secret. People who are winning at working don't wait for someone else, like their boss, to define their work's purpose. They figure it out. They define it. They create a vision for themselves.

People who are winning at working can articulate how the work they do supports their organization's vision, values, goals and objectives. They're not satisfied doing tasks like the first mason. They're like the second. They want to understand and contribute to the whole. They want to know that what they do at work matters. Want to be winning at working? Define your work's purpose. And get beyond your tasks.

Getting A College Degree Online

2007-10-16T12:51:00.007-07:00

Pursuing higher education is the goal of many people today as today's job markets increasingly require more and higher quality education in order to find meaningful employment. When faced with the decision of which college to attend in order to get that needed college degree, the choices can be almost overwhelming. One avenue of higher education that you really should consider however is an online degree.

For many years the only way to get a more advanced degree was by attending traditional brick and mortar colleges and universities that specialize in the field(s) that interests you. The educational landscape has changed dramatically though with the increased acceptance and quality of online schools that can offer the same educational and acedemic benefits while removing many of the hardships and difficulties often associated with attending schools offline.

One of the great benefits of getting your education online is that it allows you to participate in courses that may not be found locally at the colleges that are near you. The internet makes taking any course practical no matter where you live. Another important convenience factor for many is the time commitment needed to succeed in an online school. Many people work full time while pursuing an advanced degree and that can often interfere with a college schedule at traditional schools.

But online schools are more flexible in their course requirements and many find that they can successfully negotiate a full time job with their college workload without undue stress and hardship. If you happen to be a family caretaker the flexibility that an online schools offers can be just what you need to make the pursuit of an advanced degree attainable.

One word of caution however. Be sure that the school you choose online is fully accredited. This way any courses that you complete can be fully transferred as college credits if and when you have to change your curriculum or school. And employers will look much more favorably on an education received from fully accredited schools that have a solid reputation for education excellence.

The type of degree that you can get online is a wide open field including associate, bachelor, master, and even Phd and doctorate degrees. The fields of study also are wide-ranging as well. Generally, if you can get a degree in a particular field of study offline, you can pretty much count on being able to accomplish the same program online too.

So when looking to advance your education don't limit yourself to just the offline schools. Give serious consideration to online higher and advanced education too, and it may be just what you need to get the college degree that you really want.

Getting a Masters Degree Online

2007-10-16T12:51:00.006-07:00

In order to get that promotion you feel that you deserve, it's often necessary to further your education. One of the best, and most convenient, ways to do this is to explore earning your Master's degree online. This innovative and exciting method of personal and professional improvement has the benefit of allowing you to enhance your career opportunities by earning a graduate degree.

Earning your Master's degree will get you on the right track toward higher pay, more interesting and challenging work, and unlimited growth potential. Getting a Master's degree online is perfect for those who are looking to promote within an organization, seek employment elsewhere, or who want to change the course of their professional lives entirely. It is convenient and flexible. Several online Universities offer accelerated degree programs, and most all Universities permit students to seek their graduate degrees on a part time basis.

There are many advantages of choosing to earn a Master's degree online. There is no need to live near or commute to a school when classes can be attended and coursework submitted online. This provides a vast array of excellent accredited University from which you can choose to attend. Attending graduate school online is a great option if you have reservations about returning to school after several years. Choosing this route can make it easier to ease into the routine of class work and projects, and can reduce the stress of feeling the need to fit in with younger classmates. Additionally, course availability if often convenient for those who work full time and/or care for a family. Universities often offer evening and weekend sections of courses, which will interfere very little with personal and professional commitments.

There are many Master's degree programs available to earn online. M.B.A. programs, Nursing, Information Technology, Healthcare, Education, and Liberal Arts are but a few of the examples of graduate degrees available. These degrees are available from many accredited colleges and Universities. These institutions may be online-only schools that offer cutting edge technology in distance learning. Nearly all major traditional colleges and Universities are now offering some type of Master's degree programs via online learning, seeing the advantages of becoming part of this exciting time in technology.

You might be concerned about affording graduate school. After all, graduate tuition is significantly more expensive than undergraduate tuition. This is no different from attending a traditional face-to-face college or University. Financial aid is often available to students who wish to earn their Master's degrees online. This aid comes in the form of grants, loans, and even scholarships awarded to qualifying students. Make sure to check with the University of interest, as some only award certain types of aid to full-time students. Also, many employers may be willing to pay for part or even all of an employee's tuition. After all, investing in an employee's future is also investing in the organization's future.

There is a big misconception that earning your Master's degree online will not be as enriching an experience as attending face-to-face classes at a traditional University. This is not necessarily the case. While it is true that attending school online does require a certain amount of self-discipline and motivation, programs offered online present the same opportunities for group work, independent study, and interpersonal communication as their traditional counterparts. In fact, earning your Master's degree online might help to facilitate the learning process as well as develop time management skills. It also gives you the added benefit of increasing your knowledge of the Internet and its technologies, which may help to advance your career even more. Earning your Master's degree online is a valuable, convenient, and flexible way to broaden your career opportunities.

Getting Creative In Your Job Search

2007-10-16T12:51:00.005-07:00

Have you been looking for a job for ages? Been to all the online job boards? Do you routinely check the help wanted section every morning with little success?

In this age of downsizing and layoffs, you are not alone. Many people start each day with a cup of coffee in one hand and a pencil in the other while pouring over the employment section of the paper.

Even though it is frustrating and you wonder if any job out there will really be for you, you trudge on, a folder full of resumes in your arms you get in the car for a long day of driving around and delivering them to prospective employers.

If you think the only way to find a job is to have connections, you may be partly right. With such a demand for employment many jobs never make it to the paper. How can you compete?

One way to get the word out and perhaps find some job opportunities that might not otherwise present themselves is to network. Tell friends, family and acquaintances of your job search. These people may have businesses or friends with business where you can be the first one to get an "in" when a position opens up.

They may also hear of someone who is hiring and keep you updated on opportunities you may not otherwise have heard about. Their personal referral can also make an impression on the employer in your behalf.

Another way to get the jump on other job candidates is to hook up with the recruiting mangers at companies you are interested in. Write down a list of companies that you would like to work for. Then call them and inquire about open positions. Make sure you talk to the human resources manager or the person who is in charge of hiring for your type of position.

Once you know who that person is, you can send a resume directly to them. Write a cover letter that expresses your interest in the company and why you'd like to work for them. Follow up with the person several days later. Just tell them you are making a quick check to make sure your resume arrived and ask if there are any positions that may become available.

If there is nothing right now, let them know to expect your call in a few weeks. Sometimes positions come up out of the blue and by staying in touch with the hiring manager you might luck out. This is a fine line, however, as you want to stay at the front of their minds without seeming to be a pest. No one wants to hire a pest.

This method of finding out about jobs s not a big secret. If you're not taking advantage, someone else will so don't feel like you are being too pushy or "cheating". You can't afford to miss out on making yourself known to employers before the job posting is made public.

Getting the Job thats Right for You

2007-10-16T12:51:00.004-07:00

I'm the type of person that considers a healthy, enjoyable job alot more valuable than a high paying one. This may be as foreign a concept to some people as our society continues to descend into the depths of materialism. Id gladly take a job doing something i loved and with people i enjoyed for a bit less money than I would have pocketed working at the vomitoriam.

So, amidst the whirlwind of resumes, applications and soul scorching interviews, take a moment to consider the environment of your workplace-to be. Have a chat with one of the low-level employees, and if they stare back at you with dull dead eyes, then you might want to reconsider your placement.

Even if your not making the big bucks right away, even the most un-motivated types will quickly rise in the ranks due the the enjoyment of the work. Its as simple as this "we like to do what we like to do". And trust me, if you think finding such a job impossible, know that people get paid to do all kinds of strange and even fun things. Take for instance the professional wine taster. Or perhaps the guy who gets to test the water slides after their manufacturing.

Remember to keep these words in the back of your mind, and hopefully you'll the job that's really right for you.

Getting The Most Out Of Job Fairs

2007-10-16T12:51:00.003-07:00

How to Make the Best Out of Job Fairs

Finding a job is such a daunting task. Here, there, and everywhere, job seekers tend to look for the best means in order to find the best jobs.

However, most of them are predisposed to neglect job fairs. This is because many job seekers get annoyed with the jam-packed, full of activity, and baffling series of events. Nevertheless, they are still the best place to land a job.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the United States, the employment status is likely to boost by 15%. That is why job fairs are the best places to find a job because many companies will be participating in the event.

Job fairs are not really that bustling. The important thing is to obtain the necessary requirements needed in job applications and the rest, as they say, is history.

Here are some of the things that a job seeker must have by the time he or she is at the job fair in order to make the most out of it:

1. Advance research can be very helpful.

Most job seekers aim to find the best employment possible. Hence, it is important to do some advance research before going to a job fair.

Usually, the organizers of this event will post the companies that will participate on the job fair. Obtaining some information about the companies and the position that is open for the job would be an edge over the others.

2. Job seekers should have enough resumes.

It would be better if job seekers have enough resumes, at least 25, before going to the job fair. In this way, the applicant will be able to provide resumes to all of the potential employers in the job fair. The more applications you deliver the better chances of landing a job.

3. Job seekers should know how important it is to dress for the occasion.

As they say, first impressions last. Hence, in order to cut above the rest of job seekers, an individual should learn how to impress his or her future employer by dressing for the best. It should project a professional outlook, enthusiasm, and the determination to get the job that he or she really wants.

4. Job seekers should be prepared for some on-the-spot interviews.

5. An applicant should have a list of the companies where he or she had given his or her resume.

Knowing these things can be very helpful especially if it is the applicants first time in a job fair. Hence, people should be more aware of the benefits they can derive from job fairs alone.

Getting Your Online Health Care Administration Degree

2007-10-16T12:51:00.002-07:00

Are you thinking about getting your online health care degree but don't know where to start? Afraid of choosing the wrong college or school? Here's a simple guide to help you get started building the career that you've always wanted.

Making the decision to get your online health care degree is not any easy one. There are many things that you should consider, before choosing your school, such as credit requirements and tuition fees. With so many different schools offering certification, it isn't easy to choose. One of the first things that you should decide on is what exactly do you want to study. Do you want to work as a medical transcriptionist, or as a medical coder? Does Biomedical photography sound interesting? Once you know in which area you want to earn your degree, you can now focus on choosing an online institution that's right for you.

There are several things that you should consider when choosing your school, for your online health care degree. Is the school accredited; if so, by whom? More and more diploma mills are seeping into the legitimate education market, so it pays to learn as much as you can about where you'll be learning about health care administration. Do the instructors know anything about working in the health care field? Do they have actual administration experience? What sort of computer programmes does the degree emphasis? Will you learn Linux, Cisco, Oracle, or other skills related to the health care administration field? The answers to these questions will determine your final choice of school.

It is also important that you verify that the college's programmes will help you meet your State's licensing requirements, because there is no point in earning a degree in the health care administration field, if you can't practice it or look for employment.

This is an exciting time in your life- so make the most of it by finding the course that's right for you!

Great Ideas to Help Secure a Nursing Job

2007-10-16T12:51:00.001-07:00

If you have ever wanted to have a nursing job, you probably know that there are a few things you have to do to secure a position in this field. The first and most crucial step to acquiring a nursing career is to attend school so you can hone your skills. When you're applying for college, check to see what the nursing program is like before you commit to it. If it's rated high, you've made the right decision. You will want to attend a school that has a reputable program so you will feel confident in your nursing career.

Another great idea to help secure a nursing job for you once you've graduated is to get an internship. Try a local hospital or a doctor's office to see if they're interested in letting you work there gratis. Not only will you get college credit, but it will help you gain the on the job experience you'll need for your eventual employment in the nursing career field.

You will have a better chance at getting a nursing job if you're willing to relocate. Your odds at finding employment are much greater if you will take a travel nursing job instead of one that is close to you. A travel nursing job could be in another city, or in another state but it's important you take whatever nursing career position that is offered to you. You need the experience and it will look great on your resume. Once you've gained enough experience in your nursing career job, you will be much more likely to get a job in the city you want.

So, it's wise to gain as much employment experience as possible so that you will be a highly sought after nurse that doesn't have to take travel nursing jobs unless you want to!

Handing In Your Resignation and Serving Notice

2007-10-16T12:51:00.000-07:00

Have you made the right choice? Before deciding to resign from your current position and move to a new employer, you should weigh up as objectively as possible all the relevant factors: remuneration, working environment, location, travel demands, training and development opportunities, promotional prospects, and your future bosses.

Consider also what impact a job with the new company would have on your resume. Once you have received and accepted a formal written commitment from your new employer, you should serve notice immediately.

It is important to behave in a professional manner throughout the resignation process. Your character and your personal integrity should never be in question. Be positive; be co-operative; and avoid recriminations.

State that you are leaving the company and hand in your letter of resignation at the same time.

Be prepared for a reaction. If your employer presses you for reasons, give brief and positive answers. Don't argue or complain. Don't allow yourself to be deflected from your purpose or drawn into a protracted discussion.

Do everything possible to establish a friendly tone and leave a good impression. State that you are leaving because your new employment offers you opportunities for advancement. Your decision is the result of careful consideration.

Your written resignation should be concise and definite. Do not go into details or give your reasons for leaving. If you have any grievances, don't express them in the letter. Give no cause for animosity. Ask if there is anything you can do to ensure a smooth transition.

In the letter, state that you are leaving and when. Give as much notice as possible. Two weeks is generally acceptable, but check your contract or the company handbook.

Sample letter:

Dear ( )

I have decided to resign my position as (..) at (company) effective (date) to take a position with (new employer). I greatly appreciate the opportunity that you and (the company) have given me to develop my skills and further my career.

I shall make every effort to ensure that the transition period goes smoothly for all concerned.

Yours sincerely

( )

Counter offer. Your decision was carefully thought out, so stick to it. Changing your mind makes you appear indecisive and creates a negative impression. It calls into question your long-term commitment and loyalty to your current employer.

During the period of notice, carry out your duties in a diligent and professional manner. Assure your boss that you will complete any outstanding task. If this is not possible, leave detailed instructions for your replacement. Check that all your records are in order. Inform your colleagues that you are leaving. When discussing things with them, resist the temptation to make disparaging comments about your present job or boast about your new one. Do your best to leave on good terms with everybody.

Exit Interview. Many companies expect their employees to attend an exit interview with the Human Resources Manager. If requested to do so, co-operate fully. Conduct yourself in a professional manner. Say only positive things about your employer and the company. Focus on accomplishments or learning experiences you had while employed there. Remember that anything you say is likely to be recorded in the personnel profile.

Frequently Asked Questions About Becoming a Private Investigator

2007-10-16T00:46:00.000-07:00

How do I become a private investigator?

That's a complicated question with several parts that largely depend upon in which state you plan on working. You have two options; you either work for a licensed private investigations agency or you go to work for yourself and obtain your own PI company license. Either way, you there are two considerations you must address at some point:

The first consideration is licensing; all but only a handful of states require a state-issued license to be a private investigator. Each state has different background, education and experience requirements that may vary from simply attending a state-approved training course to pre-licensing education, exams, years of work experience and obtaining a sizable professional liability insurance policy with "errors and omissions" coverage. To make matters just a little more confusing, there are some cities that require private investigators to either register or obtain a municipal license in states that do not otherwise require them.

The second consideration is training. Private investigation specific training is the most important investment you can make in yourself! Since most new PIs don't have the ability or are not ready to start up their own investigations company you will most likely be looking for employment with an established agency. As an owner of an established and well respected detective agency I get resumes all of the time; the first thing I look for before considering a candidate is to ask the question, "How has this person invested in themselves before asking me to invest in them?"

What if I do not have the minimum experience required by the state to obtain my own company license? How will I ever break into the industry?

If your goal is to eventually own your private investigations agency, no problem... every state that requires experience also has a program in place to see that new investigators have access to eventually obtaining their own license. For example, in Texas where we hold an agency license those who are too new simply go to work for an established company until they have the required number of hours to be able apply for their own license. In Florida (where we also have an agency license) they specifically provide internship licenses. Again, every state is a little bit different but thousands of successful private investigators are working today and tens of thousands have come before us; we all had to get started someplace... you can too.

Also, consider your own background and employment related experience carefully some of it may apply. I have known loss prevention agents, security guards (in specific roles), accountants, firemen, bail bondsmen, alarm installers, teachers, and even a librarian use their previous employment experiences to apply for their own agency license.

What type of training should I be looking into?

Any amount of training is great though most PI companies don't place a whole lot of credibility with the courses from PCDI, Harcourt, and Thompson Direct. You could honestly do much better and at less cost.

Instead, look for academies or training programs that have been created by private investigators. Who knows better about what a new or an aspiring private detective needs to know than an investigator who has been in the field for a considerable amount of time?

Also... look to see that the sponsoring company is active in the industry as well. Are they still providing regular private investigative services to a robust clientele? It's sad, but many PIs who wash out over a very short period of time in the business look to teaching. In reality, you will learn very little from those who could not make it themselves; success breeds success!

Lastly, I have a little secret I would like to share with you...

Look over the education provider's entire website and see if you find boastful claims or where the company is bashing other educators. This is a very tight-knit industry and you will find that students who complete training programs from educators that spend time "bad mouthing the competition" have a terrible time getting a break simply because of the animosity created through their educator's use of negative advertising. I know that seems unfair but it is a reality in this business. This does not mean, however, that you should dismiss the negative press but the first thing an excellent private investigator learns is how to evaluate a claim, identify the source and make a judgment based on additional facts and research. Some statements will have merit while others will not; it's up to you to make that decision.

What is the difference between a private investigator and a private detective?

Nothing. The terms are used interchangeably but some states choose to use the term "detective" while most use the term "investigator."

I really just want to help my friends and family to find old friends or people who owe them money. Do I need a PI license?

That's a great question. Generally speaking, in those states where it is a requirement you will need to obtain a license if you hold yourself out for hire or accept payment from another person or business and participate in or provide the following services:

* Surveillance

* Obtaining or furnish information related to a crime or the identity, habits, business, occupation, knowledge, movement, location, affiliations, associations,transactions, acts, reputation, or character of a person, group or company.

* Securing evidence for use before a court, board, officer, or committee

* Locating or recovering lost or stolen property and unclaimed funds.

* Determining the cause or responsibility for a fire, libel, loss, accident, damage, or injury to a person or to property.

Some states may specifically include such things as service of process, bail enforcement, personal protection and genealogical research under those activities that require a private investigator's license as well.

Do I have to have a degree in Criminal Justice from a college or university?

No, though some states may accept a degree in Criminal Justice, Administration of Justice or Police Sciences in lieu of the minimum experience requirements. One recent study conducted on behalf of the Virginia Department of Justice concluded that almost 57% of all private investigators do not have a college education.

If I do not have a college education do I have to have a background as a police officer or other law enforcement related profession?

No. Most private investigators do not have a law enforcement background before entering into this industry. It is true that many private investigators may have once had a career in criminal justice but the bottom-line is that private investigation and law enforcement is very different and my experience has been that very few who make the transition from law enforcement are prepared for this type of work, either technically or creatively, on their own. Most of them recognize this and seek industry specific training as well.

What type of person makes a successful private investigator?

This business requires a rare blend of logic and creativity; it's rare because logical people tend to not be very creative and vice-versa.

I would say that any successful detective must first have the ability to communicate. This means that he or she must have the ability to connect with people of all walks of life, regardless of economic status, ethnicity or education. It also means that the investigator must have the ability to clearly present a simple fact or a complex investigation in writing. The end result of an investigation is the investigative report, which is given to the client upon conclusion of the assignment; this is essentially our work product. If you cannot write reasonably well, your reputation will surely suffer as a result.

Secondly, great investigators have a burning desire to answer any question that is put to them only after a careful and determined effort to identify the facts and circumstances that contribute to a complete and unbiased explanation. We are in the business to provide facts, not opinions; we let our clients draw their own conclusions from our report. Oftentimes in order to get to those facts, we must be relentless in our pursuit of information. This is where logic meets creativity. Dead-ends often only require a different approach!

Lastly, I believe that every investigator should possess a varied set of experiences and knowledge. One characterization of the private detective industry I can make is that by and large we represent a vastness of experience, skills, and trades. One of the most accomplished investigators I have ever met listed "Mom" on her resume. When she decided to become a private investigator she had no appreciable skills that she could put in her resume but through her own experiences she had developed an intuition that was almost never wrong and she could simplify complex problems into there most basic parts. I have personally hired a plumber, building contractor, car salesman, and a host of other seemingly unrelated career types into my own company, CompassPoint Investigations, because they had certain intangibles that made them great in this business!

The bottom line is that anyone can train to become a wildly successful private investigator, just like one can train to become a barber or an attorney, but an aspiring detective has to bring some things to the table that cannot be easily taught: creativity, logic, the ability to communicate and an insatiable curiosity!

I have a criminal conviction in my background from many years ago. Will this affect my ability to become a private eye?

Every state that requires a license to be a PI also requires a background investigation as a part of the licensing process. I believe that a felony conviction will be an automatic disqualification in almost every instance (though I know a felon who has a PI license issued by the city of Columbus, MO.), while misdemeanors may be considered depending upon the crime, its seriousness and the amount of time that has passed since the conviction; again this will vary by state.

Will my military discharge affect my ability to become a private investigator?

In some cases a discharge that is anything but honorable may prevent you from becoming a PI. Just as in the answer to the criminal conviction history above, some states require PI applicants be free from negative military discharge classifications- Bad Conduct Discharge, Less than Honorable or Other Than Honorable service characterizations are grounds for denial of a PI license in several states and jurisdictions.

Perhaps the Florida Division of Licensing put it best: "Private investigators and private investigative agencies serve in positions of trust. Untrained and unlicensed persons or businesses, or persons not of good moral character, are a threat to the public safety and welfare. The private investigative industry is regulated to ensure the interests of the public are adequately served and protected."

Can I just specialize in a particular type of investigation or will I have to do the surveillances and cheating spouse investigations too?

I absolutely recommend that investigators find their niche and specialize in only a few types of investigations! There are several important reasons for this, which I discuss in my training programs, but it can be summed up this way: when you are the most notable investigator in your region of the country for a specific type of investigation, you will find MANY additional opportunities to make a lot more money than if you advertise yourself as a "jack of all trades." This has been proven across the country time and time again and is a major topic of discussion in our upcoming private investigation marketing manual.

What types of assignments do private investigators typically take?

Wow, the options are endless and the subject really deserves its own entire section! I have listed the most obvious types of private investigator assignments in an article you can find by going to my Articles Page. I will eventually briefly describe each type of investigation in the next couple of weeks. Continue to check in as we are constantly making additions.

What type of investigation or specialty assignment pays the most?

I don't know that anyone can answer that question definitively, but I will say that surveillance is typically the most lucrative type of assignment a private investigator can get because it is solid, billable, blocks of time. I am aware that there are particular types of investigations where investigators are making anywhere between $300 and $500 an hour for activities like forensic computer evaluation, security consulting, automobile repossession, and a few others specialties. I personally have made $10,000 in an hour on several occasions in 14 years doing bail fugitive recovery work, those types of paydays are few and far between. Overall I average almost $150 an hour while engaged in bail enforcement, not too bad by most people's standards, though many investigators just don't have the stomach for that type of work. It can be extremely dangerous, it is a very competitive field and you get paid only if you can complete the case.

Is private investigation dangerous work?

Obviously, there are some PI jobs that are more dangerous than others like collateral repossession or bounty hunting but, generally speaking, private investigation is not a dangerous job. We all have heard the stories of PIs getting caught while on surveillance by an irate cheating husband or being chased out of a yard at the business end of a shotgun while serving a subpoena. Most episodes of Magnum PI had Tom Selleck dodging bullets, too. Certainly, scary things can and do happen on rare occasions but like all war stories, the ones that seem to get a lot of attention play out more like fiction than reality. Safety is always at the forefront of every trained investigator's mind.

"L. Scott Harrell is the author of several private investigator training
courses stemming from 14 years of experience as a private detective and
principal of CompassPoint Investigations.

More information regarding CompassPoint Investigations and the private
investigation industry can be found via the internet:
http://www.BeAPrivateEye.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=L_Scott_Harrell"

Can You Actually Fail A Personality Quiz?

2007-10-16T00:45:00.011-07:00

Q. I didn't get a job that I interviewed for. The employer told me that I had "failed" the personality quiz. How is that possible? Does this mean that I have no personality?

A. "Fail" is a pretty strong word when it comes to taking a personality quiz. In fact, it is so strong that it makes me wonder about the professionalism of the potential employer that administered the personality quiz to you.

There is no pass/fail in a personality quiz; especially an employment personality quiz. There are simply factors that are important to the employer that either are, or are not, present in your personality.

To say that you "failed" the personality quiz is a misnomer. You simply did not have some personality traits that the employer deemed important for the particular job that you applied for.

Other than the fact that they insulted you, they probably did you a favor by giving you that personality quiz. By screening you out based upon a certain personality profile, they saved you from accepting a job that you would probably have ended up hating and leaving after a short while.

A personality quiz is an interesting animal. There are actually many different types. You've already encountered a pre-employment personality quiz, but that's not the only type out there.

Before we go off into the subject of a personality quiz, it's important that we agree upon the definition of the term personality. Let's keep it short:

Your personality consists of all the traits and behaviours that make you unique and that determine how you are likely to act in any given situation.

Given that this definition is true, then a personality quiz is designed to measure those traits and to quantify them into some meaningful profile that enables someone to predict how you will behave.

Is that really possible? Yes, in most instances it is possible to accurately how someone is LIKELY to behave under a given set of circumstances. The key word here is LIKELY. We've all seen or read about people who have exhibited extraordinary acts of heroism who were otherwise thought of as a most unlikely hero due to being timid, shy, young, or whatever.

It is not possible to totally predict anyone's behaviour no matter how sophisticated a test is or how educated the person who designed it was.

While the pre-employment personality quiz is designed to match candidates with job vacancies and predict the likelyhood of that candidate thriving in that particular business' culture, there are also other types of personality quiz that are used for other purposes.

Closely aligned to the pre-employment personality quiz is the promotion candidate personality quiz. A quiz of this type is designed to match the personality of an existing employee, who is being considered for promotion, to the type pf personality that is needed to survive in the position for which there is a vacancy.

A relationship personality quiz is designed to test the compatibility factors between two people. It measures those traits that have been determined to promote a long term relationship.

There is also a type pf personality quiz that measures a person's sanity. It is typically used by the legal system to determine if someone is "legally insane" and can be held accountable for their actions in a court of law.

And then there is the personality quiz that is designed for entertainment purposes only. These are typically found in magazines and are developed by writers for the sole purpose of amusing their readership if not for simply filling pages.

You shouldn't put too much weight on your scores for this type of personality quiz. The questions are rarely scientific and there is no sense getting your panties in a wad over something that has no real merit.

As far as the "scientific" personality quiz is concerned, none of them are 100% accurate and a skilled quiz taker, or a pathological lier, can skew a personality quiz to meed their own purposes. Like anything else that can't be seen, touched, or smelled, take these personality quiz results with a grain of salt.

Find a Job Online

2007-10-16T00:45:00.010-07:00

The Internet has simplified everything from shopping to banking and now even employment has been made easier because you can have a job online. That is right, as amazing as it sounds you can work from the comfort of your home, while traveling, or anywhere you have a computer because your job online only requires you meet deadlines. You can work whenever fits your schedule, meaning you have more time for the important things like your family and have your job online to help pay the bills. If you are interested in finding a job online, but are not sure what you could possibly do, consider the following job titles. Right now you can find a job online in any of these markets as well as many others.

Job Online Suggestion #1 Writing The Internet is made up of words, mostly, so writers have a great opportunity for finding a job online. Web sites always need new content, other sites need new e-book titles, and companies need individuals to write things as well. Finding a job online if you are a writer should be a mouse click away.

Job Online Suggestion #2 Transcription Experienced transcriptionists can find a job online in a hurry simply by doing a quick search in Google. This is because many medical offices prefer to contract out transcription work, which is good for you because it is a job online that lets you live your life and work when you want to.

Job Online Suggestion #3 Administrative Assistant Many administrative assistant duties can easily be performed online from typing to creating reports, making travel arrangements, and other similar duties. Because of this many administrative assistants have a job online that allows them to meet the demands of their work yet spend time as they choose.

Job Online Suggestion #4 Programming Computer programmers have long since had a job online simply because of the nature of their expertise. Beyond programming, webmasters, designers and anyone with computer knowledge can find a job online.

Find a Part-Time Job

2007-10-16T00:45:00.009-07:00

Not all jobs have to be full-time and intense. If you're looking for a bit of extra cash, why not take on a job that's fun and nearly hassle-free?

Market research companies are always looking to add consumers just like you to their database. Sign up with as many market research companies as you can in order to increase your chance of attending focus groups or one-on-one surveys. Groups usually last anywhere from half an hour to two hours and can range in pay anywhere from $50 to $200 cash. You can search online in many great places for focus groups and for market research companies. Even if you don't qualify for what they're looking for immediately, forward your information and sign up with them anyway! You might be surprised at the amount of groups you may qualify for in the future!

Do you need a flexible job with hours that can fit into your schedule? Perhaps you should look into providing personal services, such as pet sitting, babysitting, or personal assistance. The hours are usually flexible, and the individuals needing this service tend to be very understanding about your demanding schedule. For a part-time job, a personal service job tends to be good paying.

Are you a student? There are many employers that will hire a student simply because they're majoring in a related field of study. You won't have to go through tons of interviews and wait weeks or months to start a part-time position. It is a good opportunity to get hands-on training in your chosen career path, and will look good on a resume when you graduate. Some companies offer employment on a semester to semester basis.

Looking for something that's fun? Try a part-time job with the park district or the zoo. Maybe you can find part-time work on a film set, or as an extra! You might find yourself in a movie one day!

Temp agencies will send you to various companies to help out with mass mailings and other marketing projects, should you ask for this type of work. These are usually fun and easy! There are other temporary employment opportunities as well, but the great thing about being a temp is that you have the option to accept or decline an assignment and you can work as much or as little as you need.

Promotional work can be very profitable for working only a few days each month. The work is usually fun and exciting and you'll end up working on some really interesting and unique promotions and events.

A part-time job doesn't have to be boring and it doesn't have to involve fast food. It can be an entertaining and enjoyable experience!

Finding The Best Jobs

2007-10-16T00:45:00.008-07:00

Best Jobs

Employers have said that they are more likely to be 12 percent more graduates this year than last year. It is the first projected increase since the year 2000.

In another study, a projected 60 percent of US business plan to employ the same number of graduates this year as with last year. That is an increase of fifty-five percent from last year, according to the CERI (Collegiate Employment Research Institute) at MSU.

According to recent studies, US Corporations and businesses will employ more graduates with a bachelor's degree in business, biological and physical sciences. Those with construction management, engineering degrees, health care and accounting will also experience an increase in hiring. Other fields will have a slight decline.

On the average, companies are hiring forty three percent of its interns to fulltime and regular status. The expected increase in the hiring of graduates coincides with an expected growth forecast of the economy next year according to a recent survey by the Federal Reserve Bank.

A lot of companies are coming out of a slump and are now hiring their interns and looking for more. A lot of companies are posting jobs and coming into different campuses.

Most experts advise that during the holidays, whether you're looking for permanent employment or internship, it is time to step up your search.

Take advantage of the holiday events you're going to, discuss what you're looking for and your goals. Businesses don't want to be flooded with calls and faxes of resumes. They will probably rely on word-of-mouth to get a handful of candidates The holidays are a perfect time to network.

What to expect:

Companies will hire more students earning bachelor's degree in business and management, physical and biological sciences. Engineering, health care and accounting degrees also would experience an increase. Other degrees will experience a decrease in hiring

Businesses expect to employ about the same volume of MBAs this year as last year. Businesses have found employees with bachelor's degrees being able to do some work being done by MBAs.

It will be harder for graduates with computer science degrees to find work.

Companies are more likely to employ students who have undergone internships. The work experience, they say, makes a lot of difference. Federal agencies will employ more graduates but not nearly enough to offset the decrease in hiring by the state and local government agencies.

On average, starting salaries will increase by 1 to 2 percent.

Finding the Best Way to Resign

2007-10-16T00:45:00.007-07:00

When its time to leave the company you currently work for you should always act in a professional manner. Remember you may need them for a reference and also you never know when you may cross paths with them again.

Just imagine if you had let your emotions run away with you and you had told the boss exactly what you thought only to find later that they knew your new employers or worse still eventually ended up working with or in your new company.

So best thing to do is always keep things on a nice basis. Keep calm, never express any anger. The following are some points you may wish to note:-

You should:-

* Stay professional * Advise your employers face to face and give them your resignation letter * Remember you may come into contact with them at a later stage * Chose your references carefully and let them know your intentions and why you think you're suitable for the new job. * Avoid any insults or aggressive conduct

You should never:-

* Hand your notice in when you're angry * Think that you have to give any reason at all why you want to leave - it's your choice * Vent your frustration at them telling them of all the bad things you don't like about their company.

If the issue that made you want to think about leaving related to financial reasons you should tell them so. It's possible they may want to think about increasing your package rather than losing you to another company. Sometimes a letter of resignation can trigger this but you need to think carefully you don't want to be back in the same position in another year's time and you would also be messing about the company that has made you the offer and that might scupper any chance of you getting back in with that employer in the future.

When you resign it's a good idea to do so after you have obtained another position. Not only would that give you less of the obvious financial strains that leaving a job without one to go to would produce but you would also be better placed. It's often a fact that employers often prefer to employ those that are already in employment rather than those that are not. So try to get your ideal new job secured first. A number of online job sites can help you find what you need in this direction. The online job site www.redgoldfish.co.uk is extremely useful for finding new jobs and can help you secure your ideal job using the free services the site offers. Even if you dont have a current CV the site will help you build one free of charge so that you can present your details to new employers in the best possible light. It's nice to be in a position of power when resigning knowing that you have an alternative job lined up, so you should take advantage of the free job sites available on the internet as one of the ways to put you in a position of strength when you make that resignation decision.

Despite the fact that it's a good idea to find alternative employment first prior to resigning many employees do resign without a job to go to, often it might be because they want to take a gap from work to reassess what they want to do next or just to take a holiday to think things over. What ever your reasons or choices for wanting to resign you should always think carefully about it and always go about it in a professional manner.

Finding Your Ideal Career

2007-10-16T00:45:00.006-07:00

In the current climate, many people are looking away from the traditional job market towards working for themselves. The massive redundancies and job-insecurity has caused many people to radically rethink their career plans. With the ever rising cost of living, many would be happy just earning extra money to support their family and to pay the bills.

In this article, you will discover what you really enjoy in life and how to turn it into a money making opportunity, and perhaps even a full-time career. Your only limitations are those you impose upon yourself! At the very least, what you learn will help you to be happier with your current job.

First of all, a little exercise to get you started. Make a list of everything and anything you really enjoy and are passionate about. This can be anything at all, from playing with Lego through to planning projects or programming in Cobol. Write down everything you think of, no matter how silly or pointless you think it may be. They are all important and must be included on your list.

Go through the list and ask yourself whether you truly are passionate about each one. Ask the question, "If someone offered to pay me to do this, would I be happy?" If you would not, then cross it off your list.

Look at each item on your list and ask yourself what you enjoy about it. You may enjoy the peace and tranquillity of gardening, or the fast paced life style of project management. Write this down too by each item.

The why you enjoy it is very important because it gives you an insight into your inner workings. When you understand what it is that you enjoy about something, you can look at applying that quality specifically to your life and current job to improve your happiness. If you like peace and tranquillity but your job is hectic, you could take time out for a walk in a park or to meditate to bring into your job peace and tranquillity. You could make sure you take a lunch break and switch off your phone.

Once you have identified the things you are passionate about, write down next to each one how much time a month you currently spend doing them. You may love surfboarding but only manage to go once a month or you may be passionate about cooking yet have to live on fast food because of your lifestyle.

From now on, make a commitment to yourself to spend time doing the things you are passionate about every single month. You will find that not only does your level of happiness improves, but your energy increases and life feels so much better because you are doing things that you love.

Carry your list around with you for at least a fortnight, adding to it each time you think of something you are passionate about. Then repeat the process above for each new item, analysing it and understanding what it is you like about it.

Do you have what it takes?

Whatever your current job situation, working for yourself can be a very appealing option. But the question is, 'do you have what it takes to work for yourself?' Not everyone does, but the good news is that the necessary skills can be learnt by anyone.

To successfully work for yourself you need to have all of the following skills to some degree. The better you are at each skill, the more chance you have of being successful on your own.

Motivation: You must be able to motivate yourself and to not rely on others to push you along. When you work for yourself, there is no boss telling you what you need to do, when you need to do it by, and providing you support and guidance when you need it. You are the boss! Working for yourself, it is all your responsibility. If you cannot take the responsibility, then you are best off staying in employment.

Belief: You must believe in yourself and in your business and / or product. It is very difficult to do well at something you do not fully believe in. Your belief and passion about what you do comes across to your customers. This has a positive effect in building their confidence and in turn, your business. Before starting any business or selling any product ask yourself if you believe in the product and business.

Development Time: It is important to spend time developing yourself and increasing your skills. Many technical people forget to develop soft skills, and vice versa. Aim to attend at least two courses or workshops a year. Also regularly read relevant books to develop these skills. You have to stay one step ahead of the competition in order to be a phenomenal success.

Determination: You must be determined to succeed and not to give up. There are times when it will be tough, but you are the boss and the one solely responsible for making it good again. You may get knocked back on occasion, but a true success just keeps on going in the face of set-backs.

Inter-personal skills: Working for yourself does not mean you will be locked in a room alone. You will often have to interact with other people; your customers. Good inter-personal skills will make this experience more rewarding and help you get the best from people. They will help ensure you have a successful business.

Communication skills: Both written and spoken communication skills are important. Often in the market place today, words are the key to the success of your business. Therefore, spend time developing your skills in this area - it will pay you back many fold to do so.

How many of the above skills do you currently have? Do you feel you are weak in any of these areas? If so, then strengthen them by attending courses or reading some relevant books. Being strong in all the above areas is not necessary for personal success, but will help to make it much easier.

Look at the list of things you are passionate about, and think about how the above skills can be applied to and compliment these.

Finding your ideal career

Now, back to the list of things you are passionate about. Take a new sheet of paper and write the first item on your list at the top of this new paper. Underneath it, brainstorm all the jobs you can think of that involve your passion. Let your imagination run riot and be as creative as you can. Each item you have written down offers you many possibilities. Also use the reasons you enjoy the item to help in this exercise.

Using gardening as an example, you could write down: gardener, author, teacher, TV presenter, landscape designer, tree doctor, and farmer, park ranger, and so on, just to mention a few.

Still on the same item from your list, write down all the ways you can think of to make money from it.

With our gardening example this may be growing and selling plants or vegetables, or doing gardening for people in your neighbourhood. There are of course many other opportunities here. Be creative and imaginative and think outside of your normal box.

Look at all these ways of making money and note the ones you can start right now and ones that you would really like to do. Perhaps you could start on one or two of these now, whilst still working in your current job.

Repeat the above exercise for each item that is on your list. Over the next few weeks keep adding to these lists. This exercise stimulates your mind to be creative, which results in creating many more great ideas often when you least expect it, so make sure you write them all down.

The results of these exercises will be a list of what you enjoy doing, why you enjoy doing and a list of possible careers and money making opportunities that you would gain pleasure from. You do not have to make a massive move and quit your job right now. You can take your time, and slowly begin building your own business, or just earn a bit of extra money to help pay the bills whilst keeping your current job. You can also use this list to determine what career is best for you and begin planning a move to this new career.

Ask yourself the question, "If I could do anything at all, what would it be?" The answer to this question will help you determine which of the items on your list to pursue first. It is important not to spread yourself too thinly otherwise you may find that nothing ever gets done. Once you have decided which way to go you must do a goal setting exercise and work out your route to your target.

Pursuing your passion means living life to the full. It means waking up each morning and looking forward to working. It means more energy, more fun and feeling more alive. Sadly today many of us are working jobs we would rather not be doing. Perhaps it is time that you took advantage of the shifting economy and lived your passion instead of dreaming it?

Fire Your Boss! It's the Only Responsible Thing to Do

2007-10-16T00:45:00.005-07:00

You may have been raised to think that firing your boss and becoming your own boss is an irresponsible, impulsive, and selfish thing to do. Think again.

Firing your boss may be the only responsible action to take if you want to build financial security for your family and provide the emotional security to your children that having parents involved in their daily lives provides.

Most companies are not family-friendly. Here are some enlightening statistics provided by mothersandmore.org.

70% of working fathers and mothers report they don't have enough time with their children.
59% of women and 38% of men report they have no flexibility in determining the start and end times of their workday.
63% of all employees would like to reduce their current total work week if they could.
88% of women working part time are NOT likely to receive health insurance or pension benefits from their employers.
Wage penalty for motherhood: 5% per child.

We are all brainwashed and trained at an early age by parents, teachers, and society that getting a job is what we are supposed to do. Maybe this was a good thing to do in the 1950s, 60s, and even 70s. I'm not sure. But things started changing rapidly in the 1980s with technological advances and the first big wave of corporate downsizing.

Before I go any further, I don't want to leave you with the impression that I think all companies or organizations are bad. There are many organizations that have transcended the industrial-age command-and-control type mentality and offer team members opportunities to learn, grow, play, evolve as people, and have a fulfilling family life. These entities are to be applauded and celebrated. They have gone Cubeless. If you are lucky enough to work for one of these enlightened organizations, you may not need to read any further. (Please send me an email so that I can recommend your organization on my website: coach@corporaterebels.com).

If, however, you find yourself in a work environment that does not support your higher good, that prohibits emotions and passion, that requires you to wear the Corporate Cubeface, that punishes you for having a life outside of work, that has illogical rules for success like "work 70 hours a week and look and act like the CEO", then it may be time for you to considering firing your boss. (I call these work environments the Corporate Cubeworld. Please visit www.culturebuilders.com for a detailed description of the Corporate Cubeworld.)

The Corporate Cubeworld no longer provides lifetime employment. The Corporate Cubeworld does not value family life. And technology has enabled anyone to start a business from anywhere.

The Conference Board released a report on February 28, 2005 stating that "Americans are increasingly unhappy with their jobs. The decline in job satisfaction is widespread among workers of all ages and across all income brackets." The report showed that:
25% of American workers are just "showing up to collect a paycheck"
40% of workers feel disconnected from their employers
Two out of every three workers do not identify with or feel motivated to drive their employers' business goals and objectives.

They also found that money cannot buy satisfaction. Job satisfaction has declined across all income levels and only 14% of workers earning $50,000 or more are "very satisfied" with their jobs. The report says that "Rapid technological changes, rising productivity demands and changing employee expectations have all contributed to the decline in job satisfaction."

My interpretation of this: the Corporate Cubeworld is inherently rigid and inflexible and demands more and more from workers who are less and less willing to surrender their lives to their jobs.

This report shows is that there is a LOT of unhappy workers in America today. Is there something wrong with all of these people or is it more plausible that there is something inherently broken in the Corporate world?

I would like to point you to a vision of an alternative work world. One in which you build a life while you build your business. One in which you build multiple revenue streams, some active and some passive. One that is integrated with the life you want to be living.

A Vision of Life After You Fire Your Boss
and Step Outside of the Cubeworld

1)You feel passionate about the work you do.
2)Your work is an expression of your true self.
3)You are free to express your passion and all of your other natural, human emotions.
4)Cooperation is valued over competition.
5)Mindful parenting is viewed as important and challenging work that adds to your value as a worker.
6)Personalized vision and purpose statements replace titles.
7)Office spaces are wherever you work most effectively and efficiently (i.e. park bench, coffee shop, home office).
8)Work hours are flexible and determined by your body clock, lifestyle, and inspiration.
9)You are free to pursue many vocations simultaneously.
10)The point is not to climb a linear, vertical career ladder, but to try on different works, fail joyously and repeatedly, while building wealth, having fun, and learning.

My vision for the future is one in which Corporate Cubeworlds are rare. They become extinct because people are no longer willing to work in Cubeworlds. The Corporate Cubeworld comes down like the Berlin Wall. In order to attract workers, companies find that they must go Cubeless.

Do I seem idealistic to you? Do you think that my vision is impossible?

I know that it is possible because I have coached hundreds of people out of the Cubeworld and into lives that are fun and that work for them.

The real key is not to trade one boss for another boss. Stop trading your time for dollars. Stop being a wage slave.

All Corporate Cubejobs are earned income jobs. You trade your time for dollars. If you stop trading your time, the dollars stop coming. This is a huge problem if you decide to have a baby, or you get sick, you want to take an extended vacation, or are ready to retire, etc.

Often people go from a salaried earned income situation to a self-employed earned income situation and not a whole lot changes. Maybe they work from home. Maybe they now answer to clients instead of a direct boss. Maybe they work less. Maybe they work more.

But often the self-employed need to work ON the business and IN the business. Many people find themselves working MORE to make the same money or working less and making a lot less money. And the self-employed often think about work 24/7 even if they aren't working 24/7. As a self-employed person, you become responsible for marketing, sales, bookkeeping, operations, and fulfillment.

So, how do you build a company and life that works? I believe that the best situation is one in which you pursue your passion as directed by your heart and that you build a business that offers multiple streams of passive income in addition to your earned income.

Passive (or residual income) is income that you collect from your indirect or past action. For example, I can coach a person on the phone and charge them $150 per hour and trade my time for dollars. This is earned income. I can also offer a tele-class and charge $49 for each participant (earned). But I can also record the class and continue to offer the recording to others (passive).

There are so many exciting ways to combine earned and passive income. It requires imagination, courage and planning.

Are you ready to Fire Your Boss and start creating work that you love, that gives you energy, and that feeds your soul? Are you ready to secure your retirement by creating passive revenue streams in addition to your earned income streams?
Are you ready to evaluate work, relationships, and opportunities by the amount of joy they give you?

Five worst and the five best ways to hunt for a job

2007-10-16T00:45:00.004-07:00

Five worst ways of hunting for job: The five worst ways to try to find a job, listed in order from worst to least worst (awful grammar!) are:

Using The Internet:

The success rate of using the internet turns out to be around 4%. That is out every 100 job hunters who use the internet as their search method only four will find a job, while 96 job hunters out of a 100 will not find the jobs that are out there, if they use only the internet to search for jobs. 4% is a summary of a range, so if you are seeking a technical or computer related job, an IT job, or a job in engineering, financing, or health-care the rates rise. I would say that this rate would be around 10%. For the other 10,000 job titles that are out there, the rate appears to drop to around 1%. Make sure that you know the odds of any job hunting method. This way you know ahead of time what your odds are, in this case (internet search) really bad. This way of the method does not work for you will not take it so personally.

Mailing Out Resumes To Employers At Random:

This method is claimed to have about a 7% success rate. Out of every 100 job hunters 7 will find a job, 93 job-hunters out of 100 will not find a job if they use only this method to search for them. One study showed that out side of the internet only 1 out of 1470 resumes actually resulted in a job. In other words resumes here had a 99.94% failure rate. Again before you use any job hunting technique, know the odds ahead of time, so if it does not work out you will not take it personally.

Answering Ads In Professional or Trade Journals, Appropriate To Your Field:

This method again only has a success rate of 7% that is out of every 100 job hunters only seven will find a job using this method. 93 job-hunters out of 100 will not find the jobs which are out there if they use only this method. Again it is really important to make sure that you know the odds of finding a job using this method. That way if you know the odds are bad and you don't get the job, you will not take it personally.

Answering Local Newspaper Ads:

This method had a 5-24 % success rate. This is out of every 100 job-hunters who use this method five to twenty four will find a job, and 76-95 job-hunters out of hundred will not find the jobs they are looking for.

Going To Private Employment Agencies or Search Firms For Help:

This method has a 5-28% success rate, which means that out of every 100 job-hunters between 5 and 28 will find a job, which leaves 72-95 job-hunters out of 100 who will not find the job they are looking for just using this method. (This fluctuation can be due to the level of salary being sought after, the higher the salary being sought; the higher the salary being sought, the fewer job-hunters who are able to find a job, using only this method).

Flight Technician Resource Guide

2007-10-16T00:45:00.003-07:00

Finding employment as a flight technician can be especially challenging for some as the opportunities are fairly limited depending on your current residency and your willingness to relocate. At the same time there are a number of resources available to you at your fingertips to help you in your quest to find work. The following are some of the resources that I have found helpful in tracking down opportunities ...you may too!

Direct Contact - It goes without saying that contacting a particular company directly is the best way of determining if they utilize flight technicians and whether they currently have an opening. Of course, this can be a long and drawn out process as this method becomes a literal roll of the dice. Still, it is an important part of the entire job search process.

NBAA F/A Committee -- The National Business Aviation Association [NBAA] is an important voice for business aviation. Their Flight Attendant Committee is not just concerned with corporate flight attendants, but they also are a voice for business flight technicians. The NBAA is an excellent place to network; in addition, you can apply for a scholarship to help you keep up with your training. Visit http://web.nbaa.org/public/about/committees/fltatt/ for more information.

Job Sites -- An internet search will reveal many job sites that list opportunities for flight technicians from time to time. Before joining a paid site check out the national job sites including Monster, Yahoo, and Hot Jobs for opportunities. As for the paid sites they include: Air Jobs Daily, AviaNation, Climb to 350, AEPS, Plane Jobs, Jet Jobs, Parc Aviation, Flight Deck Recruitment, and others. Recruiting companies include: JSFirm, Turner Services, API, and Aerotek. Finally, there are a bunch of sites that do not charge you for registration, so your search for work with them is free. Try: Flite Jobs, Nation Jobs, Aviation Employment, and the Aviation Employment Board at www.aviationemploymentboard.net for current openings.

Corporate Flight Attendant Community -- This privately owned site lists opportunities primarily for business flight attendants, however when opportunities for flight technicians become available they are listed here as well. This active site is free to join and all opportunities are listed right on the forum. Visit www.corporateflyer.net for more information.

Of course, a part of any well thought out job search includes the marketing of your name and skills. Conferences, seminars, airport events, and corporate open houses are all excellent opportunities for you to present yourself to potential employers. Becoming a member of the NBAA or Professional Aviation Maintenance Association [PAMA] can go a long way in helping you to establish yourself in this highly competitive, but rewarding field. Be resourceful and start working on your self promotional plan today!

FORECASTING AND SURVIVING A LAYOFF OR DOWNSIZING

2007-10-16T00:45:00.002-07:00

Dirty words for jobseekers include downsizing, acquisitions, mergers, closures, cutbacks, and layoffs. No one wants to lose their job, especially with rising gas, utility, and cost-of-living prices. Just the mention of proposed company changes has employees turning to the rumor mill with the same aggressiveness that paparazzi clamor for celebrities' pictures.

Let's be honest, no one looks forward to being let go, for any reason, and unemployment isn't enough to keep most families afloat. People rely on their incomes; therefore, identifying any hint of a layoff is critical to jobseeker survival. Facing unemployment can be daunting, but the true test is how you prepare for it with the time you're given.

Unlike days passed, companies rarely announce an upcoming layoff, unless the story is leaked and somehow makes the six o'clock news. A number of reasons account for these tactics, for example, the attitude and dedication of employees oftentimes change once their necks are potentially on the chopping block. In addition, private documents may suddenly disappear at the hands of disgruntled employees. Companies have too much to lose, so you can understand the need to keep a layoff or downsizing hush-hush.

So, how do you learn what's going on behind your back? Companies doomed with potential layoffs oftentimes drop breadcrumbs before making cuts:

A management or executive-level restructuring, elimination of a second or third shift, and changes in inventory or production levels, are all signs that something is going on. Ask co-workers, particularly those involved with inventory and clients, how things are going. Account managers, for example, will be the first to know when a large client won't be renewing a major contract or if sales have dropped significantly. An inventory and procurement professional will be the one to ask whether suppliers have stopped being delivered to due to late or non-payment issues.

Check the pulse of the local media. Newspapers and business publications can offer a window into the financial health of your employer. Stories and articles covering missed contracts or severed business relationships should capture your interest.

Keep in mind, negative indications doesn't mean you should react hastily. Companies always undergo changes more so in today's market. Cutting the fat and shifting to lean operations is a necessity to staying profitable and continuing to grow in competitive markets. As companies are being transformed, retraining or cutting back on staff is sometimes unavoidable.

Let's say the above signs are present in your situation. Immediately shift into survival mode, especially if the layoff is rumored to happen within hours or days. Have you heard the adage, a large project is better completed when broken down into proportional smaller projects? Facing unemployment or termination is much more manageable and "chewable" if you conduct an in-depth analysis of where you stand.

Update your resume and start scanning for potential employers. Remember, I mentioned above about reading newspapers and business publications? Those same publications can be a huge asset to you while you're job searching, because they also tell you what companies are expanding, landing the big contracts, and expecting to see growth. Look at industries (possibly outside your current one) that aren't facing job losses because you don't want to jump from one sinking ship to another.

Get your financial affairs in order. Unemployment and severance will help for a short time, but prepare for being unemployed much longer, even if your company plans to call you back. It's difficult to foresee who will obtain a job immediately or the actual timeframe in which you'll be called back, so prepare for the worst-case scenario. Save more money than ever before, and sell assets that no longer benefit you or depreciate (lose value) consistently over time. Selling an unused boat, for example, can offer enough money to support your family for a few weeks up to a couple of months. Much as a business expands and contracts, you will find it necessary to do so also.

Cut back on frills and wants. If your company is cutting back, you should too. Controllable, and unnecessary, expenses include morning cappuccinos or dining out for lunch. With jaw-dropping gas prices, a person could easily save $20 to $80 a week by carpooling to work.

By tightening the belt, your hard-earned dollars will stretch farther and will make your job search less stressful. One of the biggest killers for surviving job loss, in my opinion, is desperation. When funds run dry or drastically low, jobseekers become desperate and make critical mistakes during their job search. Don't put yourself on that path.

Approach your HR department with a "what if" scenario to determine if outplacement services would be offered should the company announce an official layoff. It's unlikely that your human resources department will offer-up details about an upcoming layoff, so pitch a "if there was a layoff" scenario and determine what the company's actions would be.

Will you be able to cover your expenses at half your salary? Since unemployment rates hover around 50% of your current wage, sit down and create a detailed spreadsheet that includes your forecasted amount of unemployment in relation to monthly expenses.

Identifying warning signs for workforce changes will provide necessary time to plan and prepare. Taking control of the situation, before it takes control of you, will make a huge difference.

Forensic Science Careers - Real Life CSI

2007-10-16T00:45:00.001-07:00

Advances in scientific technology in examining crimes scenes have turned forensic science into a high demand and rapidly growing career field. Adding to the popularity of forensic science jobs are TV shows like CSI Crime Scene Investigators. This article will serve as an overview for a career in forensic science that includes many subcategories like forensic science consultants, fingerprint technicians, fingerprint examiners, forensic investigators and evidence technicians.

Forensic Scientist Job Description

Forensic scientists investigate crimes by collecting crime scene evidence and using the natural sciences to analyze the data they recover. They generally work 40 hours each week in a forensic science laboratory. Forensic science technicians are often required to go to the crime scene and collect the physical evidence that can be found. They work closely with government officials and police detectives in order to help solve crimes.

Additional tasks forensic scientists have include:

Reconstructing crime scenes

Collecting and analyzing DNA samples

Reporting investigative findings

Examining firearms and bullets

Analyzing textual evidence

Taking fingerprints

Interpreting laboratory findings

Keeping logs and records

Operating all laboratory equipment

Most forensic scientists specialize in certain types of evidence such as DNA analysis, firearm research and weapons testing, examining fiber, hair, tissue, or body fluid substances. They often work with chemicals, fluid samples and firearms that demand safety precautions. However, the risk of harm or contamination within these working conditions is minimal.

Salary Ranges / Job Outlook for a Forensic Scientist

Of all science technicians, forensic scientists currently earn the second highest annual salary. In 2002 the average pay rate for a forensic scientist was $19.73 per hour, or approximately $41,000. The low ten percent of this scale earned around $12.06 per hour - $25,100 yearly. The highest ten percent earned around $31.49 per hour - $65,500 yearly. However, the pay range depends upon factors like type of specialty, years of experience, type of employment and location.

In the United States, the employment rate for forensic scientists is expected to grow steadily over the next decade. Current Nationwide trends estimate that job openings for forensic scientists will rise approximately 19 percent by 2012. These numbers indicate more than 360 job positions opening up each year. In 2002, forensic scientists held approximately 8,400 job positions. These scientists work mainly for State and local governments, but keep close professional relationships with police investigators and other crime experts.

Employment rates are dependent upon field development, government spending abilities, local population growth and the locality's crime rate. Job growth for forensic scientists can be attributed to rapid scientific and technological advances. Researchers are developing and perfecting new experimental methods every day. This will cause forensic science departments to fill the technician positions this research will create. Currently, the number of skilled, experienced applicants is low. These low numbers mean that forensic scientists working for State and government departments are highly likely to receive positive employment prospects and benefits.

Education / Getting Started

Although organizations seek applicants with bachelor's degrees, many employers will hire candidates who have completed specific training programs, obtained certification or possess an associate's degree. Training and certification programs generally take only two years to complete and will earn graduates the opportunity for a career in forensic science. Programs with a focus in criminal investigations and criminal justice can help prospective applicants specialize as forensic consultants, fingerprint technicians, forensic investigators, laboratory technicians and fingerprint examiners.

There are various courses that must be taken to qualify as a forensic science technician. Some important courses include chemistry, computers and electronics, law and government, public safety, mathematics, writing and communications. Prospective scientists must have good decision making skills as well as written and oral expression. Additional skills include inductive reasoning, information ordering, critical thinking and the ability to identify patterns and details. Because forensic scientists work in crime scenes that may be stressful and emotionally draining, they must be able to control their emotions and handle situations that can be distressful.

Employers usually look for people with previous forensic experience. Many forensic science technicians begin in entry level trainee positions that help them gain job experience. Another good way to get experience is through internship programs that are offered by numerous schools. Forensic scientists also start out as forensic laboratory technicians and after developing those skills, advance to crime scene technicians.

Advancements in science and technology continue to improve the accuracy and importance of crime scene evidence in prosecuting criminals and defending the accused. Training to be a forensic scientist will put you on the front line of this interesting and necessary analysis.

FOUR SIMPLE STEPS TO BETTER RESULTS WITH YOUR RESUME

2007-10-16T00:45:00.000-07:00

Is every job description you read the same? No.

Is every job you submit your resume to the same? Of course they aren't.

If all these job descriptions are different, why do you submit the same resume?

Every day, people send the same generic resume out as though each position was identical and each employer was attempting to hire identical skills and attributes. Too often, the results they receive are like the broken watch that is right twice a dayhit or miss success.

They list their name, address, phone numbers and email address, list an objective, education, and chronology of experience with dates of employment. The resume includes some successes or accomplishments. This is their resume.

In the days prior to computers when changing a resume required you to re-type different versions, this made sense. Today, when computers allow you to customize, spell and grammar check documents so easily, you are missing out on opportunities and costing yourself money by being lazy and not tailoring your resume for each opportunity you are interested in.

Here are several steps that you can do to improve your resume and get better results.

1.Each employer will be interested in different attributes of your experience. They often indicate it by the items they describe in their job ad. Emphasize the experiences that you have that relate to the skills being sought and the functions you will perform in the job they will ask you to perform. If you are applying for a staff position, emphasize your staff experience and minimize your management experience. If you are being hired to be a leader, write about your recent leadership.
2.Employers are more interested in recent work, rather than work you did many years ago. Use more space in your resume to highlight recent experience, rather than things you did before George W. Bush became President.
3.Like setting a goal where you make them specific, measurable, achievable within a specific period of time, describe your successes or achievements concretely. Reducing costs is a nice start but it is more powerful to describe something as reducing operational costs globally by 2%. Increased departmental sales by 27% resulting in . . . You get the idea. Use action verbs wherever possible.

4.Ask someone you trust to critique what you've written. Too often, people believe that they can do everything by themselves without asking for help. Ask a friend in your industry to critique what you've written to insure you're on target and aren't missing the mark.

When you go to a restaurant and order a meal, you have the expectation that it will be prepared in a way that will please you and be presented on the plate beautifully. Writing a great resume requires that you be the chef and prepare a meal that is both visually appealing and tastes great too!

Finding Freelance Writing Jobs - Join Us On The Job Search

2007-10-11T16:59:00.001-07:00

Finding freelance writing jobs require great skill, dedication and lots of patience. There are many qualifications that businesses look for prior to hiring an individual to fill their job vacancies though. When the potential applicant arrives, he or she must possess a good working knowledge of the tasks that the business person needs. If they don't there is sure to be someone else who does. Therefore, when looking for writing jobs, the applicant simply must make sure that they are the most qualified for the employment opportunities.

Here are some helpful hints on getting the first assignment.

Step One: Prepare. It is important that the individual be prepared for the different types of work that is available. For example, proofreading work is readily available to those who have the right talents. For those who are doing copy work, they will need to provide the right voice to entice the reader deeper into the website while getting the search engines to scream their name from the beginning.

Step Two: Provide examples of work. It is essential that those who are looking for work be able to provide quality samples of the work they have done in the past. Seeing is believing in more ways than one when it comes to getting writing jobs.

Step Three: Make the most out of existing relationships. By providing good quality work to those individuals who have offered employment, the individual will continue to have jobs offered to them by the business. And, by doing this more and more opportunities will be provided to them by other businesses that have heard about them through recommendations.

When it comes to searching for those all important freelance jobs, look to the small ads or those websites that advertise them. For individuals who have a specific need or a specialized quality, it may make sense to search out companies who provide that type of service. Then, a relationship can be forged.

If you follow these suggestions opportunities will be developed and success is around the corner.

Finding A New Job Quickly

2007-10-11T16:58:00.001-07:00

Today's working environment is unpredictable. Economic downturns can arrive at any moment. Redundancy can swiftly follow. No-one is fully immune, and severance payoffs do not last for ever.

If you found yourself in that situation tomorrow could you cope? If you had to find yourself another job quickly in order to pay the bills, could you do it?

Here are the steps to follow.

1.Identify Your Skills
2.Analyse Your List
3.Identify The Job Sources
4.Take Action

1.Identify Your Skills

Think hard about what you are good at, and about what you enjoy. Since you usually enjoy what you do well, the two are often the same. Think back over your career to date and dig deep into the experiences you have had and the skills you
have acquired.

List them all on paper. Leave nothing out. Be as objective and honest as you can. Don't put something down just because you think it is what you need in today's employment market place. Only put it down if it is a skill that you have here
and now. Don't forget, you are looking here at how to get a job quickly. You are not planning your long term training needs.

Think in terms of three main divisions of skill and divide up your list accordingly.

Firstly there are physical skills.

These are skills of aptitude, of working with your hands, manipulative skills, mechanical skills. These are skills required in a wide range of manual and hands-on jobs. Sometimes these skills have been acquired by way of a hobby
rather than paid employment, but a hobby that can at some stage become the grounding for a new career doing something that you really enjoy. Don't ignore these leisure-acquired skills.

Secondly there are knowledge based skills.

These are academic skills gained by formal study. These are skills gained as a result of book learning and training courses. These are specific technical skills related to a particular function. This is specialist knowledge absorbed
as a result of working in a particular industry.

Thirdly there are people skills.

These are the team skills, the relational skills, the ability to get on with and work with other people. These are the skills of management. The skills of leading a team, the skills of winning arguments and convincing others.

2.Analyse Your List.

Now look at your list. See where you strengths lie. Think what you would like to do using those strengths. Decide on the job you would like using those strengths.

Be honest. Once again you must remember that your objective is to get another job in the shortest possible delay. Don't base your hopes on skills you would like to have. Plan on using what you already have.

If your main skills are manual, base your plans on this. If you are more suited to a technical analytical job, go in this direction. If your aptitudes lie towards managing people and getting the best from a team, steer yourself that way. Play to your strengths.

3.Identify the sources

The easiest way to find jobs these days is on the internet. Just enter 'job site' or 'employment agency' or 'job search' into your search engine and see what you get. Your problem will be restricting the results to a manageable size. Limit your research by country or city or industry as appropriate in order to cut it down.

If you have a particular company in mind look on its web site if it has one. Companies often advertise vacancies there.

Look too at the principal newspapers of the geographic region in which you are looking. Again this could be country or it could be city. They can be a good source.

Finally there are your local agencies at which you can enrol.

4.Take Action.

This is when it all comes together.

Put your CV onto as many online jobsites as you can. It will be found by potential employers who will then come to you. This puts your name and qualifications up before a large number of employers quickly and easily.

Search the sites and newspapers and apply to as many job offers as meet your criteria. Adapt your CV to suit each application emphasising the particular skills and experience requested. Play the numbers game. If it looks suitable apply. (But don't waste your time on jobs that don't fit
your qualities).

Don't be afraid to send out speculative letters to companies you like. You can often strike lucky, and your application is more likely to be seen when writing in this way.

Above all, keep going. Don't give up. By knowing exactly what you are looking for and targeting your applications you stand a good chance of success.

In conclusion.

If you have not yet been forced to look for a new job it would not do you any harm to carry out the exercise of examining your skills. You will at least be forearmed should the need arise.

If you have lost your previous job, try to look on your situation as an opportunity rather than a disaster. This could be your chance to set out again in the direction you really want to go instead of carrying on indefinitely stuck in the rut into which you previously fell more by accident than design.

Finding A Job Online

2007-10-11T16:57:00.000-07:00

Finding a job online is easier than you think. Whether you are trying to locate work locally or you are interested in work that allows you to telecommute, finding a job online is simple when you know where to look. In fact, the Internet offers you the unique opportunity to put your resume to work through a number of resume posting sites. Many companies are looking for skilled individuals. Further, such companies are turning to the Internet more frequently as a resource to locate potential employees. What's more, employers looking to find quality professionals frequently list available positions in job listing websites and if you attempting to find a job online, such websites are an excellent place to start your search.

Finding a job online is made simple by the creators of job listing websites. Job listing websites allow job seekers to locate a job by searching in a particular area, searching for a particular position, or searching their extensive listing with the use of common keywords associated with the type of employment they are looking for. In fact, several job listing websites even allow you to create a job search agent; such agents will send you an electronic notification when a job is listed that matches your pre-selected search criteria.

If you are looking for freelance work, finding a job online is not as difficult as it may first appear. There are literally hundreds of freelance websites online that allow freelances to locate individuals looking to outsource there work. In fact, there are a number of freelance sites that allow employers to post positions so that freelancers can bid on their offer.

On the other hand, if you are interested in working for a particular company, you can locate the company's website online, if they offer one, and sometimes find jobs offered on their website. Thus, again, finding a job online can prove to be a simple task; after locating the listing on a company's homepage all you will be required to do is follow the instructions pertaining to the posting in terms of contacting the company about their job advertisement.

An excellent approach to looking for employment opportunities online is to visit a number of local college web pages. College web pages will frequently list a number of openings available at the university. At the very minimum, you can often find a listing pertaining to when the job fairs will be held and you can then plan to visit the job fair with your resume in hand!

Finding a job online can frequently be easier than looking for a job in a more traditional fashion. The traditional manner of finding a job involved the prospective employee purchasing a number of local newspapers and skimming through countless advertisements: many advertisements with a good majority of them not being suitable employment for the individual seeking work. Thus, job listing sites have individualized the process of job hunting and have allowed prospective employees the opportunity to narrow down the time they spend searching for a job.

In short, the Internet can be your best agent when trying to find a job online. You can find a number of websites that will allow you to post your resume online so prospective employers can view your experience or you can scour through hundreds of job listings with a built in search engine located on such sites. What's more, you will not be forced to solely rely on traditional job seeking methods and you can thereby increase the probability that you will find the job that you most rightfully deserve!

Corporate Flight Attendant Job Hunting Tips

2007-10-11T16:56:00.000-07:00

Writing a résumé can be one of the most daunting parts of any job search. Quite frankly, it is one of the most important elements in helping you find work. A good résumé can ease doors open while a poorly written one will certainly shut these very same doors. In aviation, there are certain things that must be included in a résumé to help you get noticed and getting noticed is, of course, the first step toward securing an interview which may lead to employment.

There is no "one-size fits all" résumé that will guarantee success. In my many years of reviewing pilot and, later, flight attendant résumés I have seen submitted everything from multipage treatises to two paragraph summations. As a private flight attendant, your résumé should fall somewhere in between: a one page copy is the preferred length in this industry.

The top part of your résumé must include the following:

1. Your name

2. Your complete address: house or apartment number, street, city, state, zip and country if applying internationally.

3. Your home phone number.

4. Your cell phone or secondary number such as a fax machine.

5. Your email address.

This first bit of information should be centered for easy reading and your copy should be on white or off white paper. No fancy fonts, no loud colors, nothing to make it stand out. Why? More than likely it will be trashed if it is not visually appealing. Trust me: in business aviation, which is generally a very conservative field, the flamboyant self promoter is often ignored.

What follows next is open to debate. Some human resources people insist that you need an Objective on your résumé while others do not. If you do include an Objective, please write a strong and positive statement about your career and job objective, concentrating on your strengths and how you can add value to a potential employer. When creating your objective, use clear and concise language. One of the advantages of including an Objective is that it tends to set the tone for the entire résumé. Leaving one out is sometimes preferable if you are applying for different positions. Always state in the Objective what you can contribute to the company and not what you want to get out of the job or the company.

After you write your Objective, you should follow up with your work history. Instead of centering the remaining information, align your copy to the left of the page.

Work History: Please, if you have been working for many years, you might want to consider limiting your information to the last ten years. A résumé is not your job history, rather it is a summation of who you are and what you bring to the table. Save the nitty gritty details for the application form. This is particularly important if you are over 40: do not kid yourself by thinking that age discrimination does not occur. You want to get the interview and then you can work on getting the job during the interview. In some situations you will not even get the interview if someone finds out that you are 49. Is this legal? Usually, no. Is it provable? You probably will never find out.

Training: After including your work history, you will need to list your training. If you completed FACTS, Alteon, FlightSafety, Beyond and Above, etc. then spell it out. Include training locations, dates, and a brief synopsis of the training. For example, "emergency egress training, emergency medical procedures, food safety and culinary arts, wine service, etc." Do not write several paragraphs but do include some information about what was accomplished during your training. Taking other types of training related to the field can and should be mentioned as well including: food service, wine courses, language training, etc. The training section could easily be titled "Education" and include college degrees and other post high school training as well.

References: Please do not include references on your résumé! If you feel the need to mention references, please conclude your résumé with something like this: References furnished upon request. That's it. Nothing fancy. If you do mention that references will be included at a later time please make sure that you have at least three, be prepared to present them upon request, and make sure your references know that you are using them as references.

Hobbies: Hmmm.... I am not sure why some people feel the need to include details on how they spend their free time. Perhaps they are trying to tell the person reading the résumé that they are a well rounded person. In my opinion, save those details for your interview.

Other personal information: In most states giving out one's marital status, age, height and weight is illegal. If you are applying for work overseas the company or agency may want this information in addition to a full length picture of yourself and a headshot. I have heard objections from some about this particular practice. Remember: the U.S. Bill of Rights stops at our borders. If you want to work internationally, you must respect local laws and customs. Your opinion will probably not shape what they want; if you do not like it then do not apply.

College and universities are key institutions where many get their first try at crafting a résumé. I like what the <u>University at Buffalo School of Management</u> has to say about writing a résumé:

Do:

* Do try to fit your résumé on one page

* Do leave an appropriate amount of margin space (1/2 - 1 inch is good, no less than ¼ inch)

* Do use positive action verbs to highlight your skills

* Do use the present tense for current activities and the past tense for previous experiences

* Do place important items in the most prominent areas of your résumé

* Do proofread your résumé for spelling, punctuation, grammatical, and typographical errors

* Do make sure your résumé is neatly typed and letter perfect

* Do be honest and accurate in the facts you give on your résumé

* Do be Positive!

Do Not:

* Do not write RÉSUMÉ on top of the page

* Do not use "I," "Me," or any abbreviations!

* Do not date the résumé, attach advertisements, or list salary requirements

* Do not leave out volunteer or other experiences where you have demonstrated relevant skills

* Do not give any false information

* Do not include reasons for changing jobs

Have others proofread your copy and do not be offended by their suggestions or comments. Consider all comments and suggestions for possible changes to your résumé; if you are rigid about your résumé you may be too rigid for this industry. Remember, there is no "one-size fits all" résumé; your copy, however, should accurately reflect what you are all about and what you can do for the company.

College Degrees and Online College Degrees

2007-10-11T16:54:00.000-07:00

College degrees are a necessity in today's society where education is needed to make a livable salary or to receive a promotion before another degreed employee receives it. Many professionals are returning to school via the Internet to get their online college degrees. Online college degrees enable an employed worker to attend classes and receive credit for advanced education while keeping their job and allowing for flexibility in scheduling to meet their personal and family responsibilities. Adult students make up 50% of students returning to school for their college degrees.

Schools offering college degrees should be aware of adult students' needs and cater to them. Many employers will reimburse their workers for attending an educational institute that offers higher college degrees than a 4 year college would. College degrees are no longer available for the privileged few, they are mandatory for employment in many businesses and companies. An interview will not even be granted to applicants in most companies without college degrees. Many students are returning to school for online college degrees to gain better employment conditions and a higher salary.

Advanced education opens doors for people, and allows them to obtain satisfying and engaging employment in their field of interest. There are college degrees offered in every subject area imaginable. Certain college degrees are necessary before moving upwards in the educational realm, such as a teaching degree is required before a teacher can receive state certification. Many online college degrees base their subject matter in the business area, however, more and more options are becoming available for those interested in receiving online college degrees.

Online college degrees also offer financial aid and other sources of educational funding. While relatively new and accepted, online college degrees offer a hands on approach to learning. Subjects that are taught within the online college degrees programs can be immediately applied to the work setting. In fact there are projects that mandate implementation within a students work setting. Online college degrees are gaining more and more popularity as the year's progress. With advancing technology and the demand for college degrees in general growing higher and higher, it is no wonder that 8 out of 10 returning adult students opt for receiving online college degrees.

Chronological vs. Functional Resumes - Which To Choose?

2007-10-11T16:53:00.002-07:00

Your resume is a marketing tool that should effectively sell your skills, experience, and educational qualifications to prospective employers. When developing your resume, there are two different types of resume formats you should consider: a chronological resume and a functional resume. Your decision to choose one format over another should be dependent on your career background and personal circumstances. The ultimate decision will be based on that format that allows you to most effectively present your qualifications.

Chronological Resumes

Q. What is a chronological resume?

A. In a chronological resume format, your employment experience history is organized in reverse chronological order so that your most recent job position is listed first. This type of format emphasizes your job titles and employers, as well as your dates of employment with each employer. Your responsibilities and accomplishments should be described in detail for each individual position.

Q. What are the advantages to using a chronological resume?

A. Chronological resumes are easy to read, use a logical flow, and can effectively highlight career growth. Since this type of resume emphasizes the details of each position, using a chronological resume will draw attention to impressive titles and prestigious employers.

Q. What are the disadvantages to using a chronological resume?

A. Because of the format of a chronological resumes, this style easily undercover gaps in your employment history and frequent job changes. It also draws attention to the fact that you may be relative experienced in the workforce or in a particular career.

Q. What types of candidates should choose to use a chronological resume?

A. Chronological resumes are best suited for those individuals whose job history reflects steady career growth, those who are remaining in the same field, and those whose career goals are clearly defined and in alignment with their work history. This type of resume is also suitable for candidates who have prior employment with a prestigious employer that they want to highlight.

Functional Resumes

Q. What is a functional resume?

A. Functional resumes have often been referred to as problem solving resumes in that they allow you to organize your resume by functional skills as opposed to purely chronological order. This allows individuals to make sense of their work history by matching up skills and accomplishments from different jobs that might otherwise be overlooked by an employer in a more traditional chronological formatted resume. The goal is to highlight specific key qualifications which have been demonstrated through a variety of work-related achievements. As opposed to a chronological resume, skills do not have to be presented in the order of accomplished in a functional resume, but instead may be presented in order of importance and relevance to the job for which you are applying.

Q. What are the advantages to using a functional resume?

A. Using a functional resume keeps the emphasis on key relevant skills you possess that make you a good fit for a position. It allows candidates to align accomplishments from several different positions for a more powerful impact, since these skills might otherwise be lot in the shuffle in a traditional resume. Functional resumes also minimize the impact of inexperience in the workforce or field, frequent job changes, and any gaps in your employment history.

Q. What are the disadvantages to using a functional resume?

A. The presence of a clear career progression can easily be lost in a functional resume, as can extended experience in your targeted industry or field. Impressive employers or job titles are de-emphasized, which is a disadvantage if these are strong selling points in your experience. Additionally, some recruiters and managers dislike functional resumes due to their perceived lack of logical flow.

Q. What types of candidates should choose to use a functional resume?

A. A functional resume is a solid option for individuals who are looking to change careers, returning to the job market after a long absence, trying to minimize fair-to-average career growth. This format is also appropriate for new graduates, candidates with limited work experience, and individuals whose work history is a mixed bag of unrelated experience.

Choosing The Right Career

2007-10-11T16:53:00.001-07:00

How to choose a career for yourself? It is important to go for a career that is your calling. There are numbers of options to choose from. You can make a career in medicine, law, architecture, finance, designing, media and many more fields. Your career will also decide what you do for the better part of your day/night and more importantly the course of your life. Therefore, it is advisable to choose a career that suits you and your expectations from life.

Choose a job that you love and you will never have to work. This maxim holds true even today. You can choose a career suiting your skill sets and personality type. If colors and designs have inspired you since long, a career in designing will suit you just fine. Give wings to your dream by becoming a pilot. If you can stand up against the wrong and are a vociferous speaker, then a degree in law is awaiting you. For the lovers of words there are careers in media. Different people have different motivations. Some people want to be famous and some want a career that gives creative satisfaction. Then there are others who want to serve humanity and work for noble purposes. Ponder over what are your motivations in life and accordingly choose a career.

There are a host of creative career options that you can choose from such as films, arts, music and theater. However be prepared to work hard in any career you choose. All these avenues might seem very glamorous, but the truth is that a lot of hard work and perseverance goes behind them. In case you choose acting as a career, do a reality check. Do not enter harboring dreams of instant fame and success, since all this may take time. For the time success does not court you, the going might get very tough. Most of the passionate actors in such cases work in the evening shifts to make their ends meet and they go for auditions in the daytime.

While choosing a career it is important not to get bogged down by parental or peer pressure. There are also times when there is a certain wave that takes the economy by sway. In such times it is important to hold ground and not get carried away. You should not be choosing your career on the basis of such factors. All these influences might result in you getting a career that might not be your call or it is not motivating enough.

Choosing an Online Degree

2007-10-11T16:52:00.001-07:00

The Internet has revolutionized the education system. Colleges, Universities, as well as Secondary high schools are now equipped to offer students or potential students the opportunity to study at their own leisure. Whether you want to earn your degree in Science, Sociology, Languages, Education, Economics, you can probably earn it online. Search the Internet for a university that offers your discipline by studying online. The positive aspect of studying online is the application process can be done quickly by submitting it online.

The freedom to have full or part-time employment, travel, or raise your children at home is a comfort and relief to many who want a higher education. In addition to the many freedoms, the ability to complete assignments or projects at one's own leisure is helpful for those who are struggling and need extra time and assistance. Earning your degree, diploma or certificate online is also accessible to those with disabilities, due to the various formats the courses can be given.

If one requires extra assistance with formatting or technical support, staff is available to assist to insure complete accessibility, so everyone has equal education opportunities. Although this is revolutionary, one should be cautious, and research the online facility before paying tuition.

What should one be cautious of when he or she desires to improve their education online? Earn a college degree in thirty days scheme sounds appealing, but is not legitimate. Achieving higher education of any kind takes time. Usually about one, two or three year's minimum. Companies that promise their buyer's degrees, diplomas or certification within thirty days usually have no affiliation or accredited courses with international universities, colleges or high schools.

Inquire at your local University about the company you see that is promising these miraculous degrees and diplomas. If the student services councillor has no knowledge of this company, chances are it is just a scam to take your money. Let the student councillor help you find a legitimate university that offers online degrees, certificates, or diplomas.

Now that you have the tools and knowledge on researching and choosing the right online University, the next step is to contact them by telephone. Most universities that offer courses online have a toll-free number for inquiries, and course catalogue. When phoning for the first time, ask about extra services, methods of payment, and application procedures.

In addition to the research, one can check out the website, and the online frequently asked questions to find answers to inquiries about the school, college or university. Once you have completed your research, inquiries and the application, it is time to experience a rewarding, challenging, and life changing opportunity. Online education allows those who never had the chance before this accepted method of education, to earn a degree, diploma, or certificate without changing their employment or personal schedule.

Chef Training: Your Ticket To Endless Possibilities

2007-10-11T16:51:00.000-07:00

Let's face it: cooking is not an easy thing. But then, it is not that complicated either. With the right stuff and the right training, you can head off boasting like a chef that knows its craft.

Hence, whenever somebody has taken good cooking knowledge and skills, we would normally call them as chefs. They are, in reality, what the king is to his throne. This means that the chefs are considered to be the highest class of cook with utmost ability and proficiency.

All of these things are not easily achieved. Before they can be acclaimed as chefs, they have to undergo first a rigid and thorough chef training. There are lots of skills to be learned and lots of things to be known in a chef training. Probably, this is the reason why people have high regard on them because of all the trouble they went through.

The Qualifications

In most instances, you don't need to be a high school graduate just to get hold of the opportunity in attending chef training programs. Though, you might want to be a high school graduate, at the least, because what you know as a high school graduate can be very handy when attending the chef training already, especially if it involves something about mathematics and the skill on managing a business.

Basically, chef training are sponsored by hotels and restaurants. This is because in most case, restaurants and hotels would rather obtain chefs that had personally undergone with their chef training.

The Concept

When you start out as a short order cook or a fast food cook, do not think that you will never have the chance of advancing to the next level. All you have to do is to take vigorous and rigid chef training so as to acquire the needed skills on the advance level.

With chef training, students are trained in "apprenticeship program" being offered by most professional schools, hotels, and other food and beverage businesses. One of which is the 3-year apprenticeship program managed by the local divisions of the American Culinary Federation.

Likewise, there are hotels and restaurants that offer chef training also. The best thing about it is that you are most likely hired by the same company after you have finished your chef training. Most restaurants and hotel management find these arrangements very feasible since they will no longer have to go to a tedious manner of posting for job applications, screenings, and hiring applicants.

Besides, you would also require your hired chefs to still undergo additional chef training so that they will fit to your standards. That would be a double cost of expenses for you.

The Skills

Generally, chef training are not just any ordinary cooking lessons that one may learn. This refers to the most advanced level of what every cook may achieve.

In chef training, you not only learn more techniques in cooking but you are already trained in the supervisory and managerial level. This is because you are expected to handle a group of cooks once you get hold of the edge in chef training. In fact, you are not only expected to acquire new skills after finishing chef training but you are also expected to manage your own restaurant or hotel as well.

The Endless Possibilities

Indeed, after finishing chef training, the endless possibility of earning a good living is at hand.

In reality, chefs are very in demand these days. With a growing trend in fast food businesses and restaurants, it is no doubt that you can have a proliferating career once you have finished attending chef training. You have the chance and the opportunity to get hired locally or internationally.

Employment growth in chefs are imminent, especially now that the whole populace is constantly growing, therefore, more people will need the chef's service.

So, for those who want to be a chef or simply those who knows how to cook and wants to know more ways on how to get a good job, it is best that you attend chef training. It doesn't just gives you the proper knowledge on cooking and advanced cooking but also maximizes your potential in handling your very own cooking business.

Certainly, chef training is your ticket to endless possibilities of living a good life.

Characteristics of a Sought-After Teacher

2007-10-09T14:28:00.000-07:00

When a school searches for a new teacher, they already have an image of the teacher they want. Every school has certain qualities they feel a teacher must have to be successful. Those qualities can be many things depending on the needs and location of the school. While the qualities that each school considers important may vary, there are usually shared qualities that all schools would consider important.

The experience or background of a teacher is the most important quality a school looks for so your resume should highlight the qualities they are looking for. If they are looking for an ESL teacher for kindergarten students, it may be best to highlight activities that you have initiated and prepared at your previous positions. In addition, if you are looking at a position for a content subject such as science, highlight your knowledge and education in that area. This is especially important if you are a new teacher with little or no experience. Regardless, you should also have all academic qualifications available for the school to preview before you go for an interview. Most schools want to review the qualifications while considering applicants and will sometimes pass on teachers who don't submit these items for review when applying. Each school is unique so the best thing would be to have a cover letter that speaks to that school and the position they are looking to fill. Don't just have a blanket letter and resume that you mass mail to any potential school in the hopes of gaining employment. It may be beneficial to have a list of professional highlights that you can copy and paste into a cover letter based on the requirements of the position.

Another important consideration for schools is the personal qualities of a teacher. Most schools are looking for a long term commitment from a teacher so they want to make sure that teacher will fit within their school. The obvious qualities that come to mind are personable, positive and flexible/patient because these qualities will carry over into the classroom with your future students. In addition, the school will look at a teacher's qualities with regards to their professionalism because there is much that is required outside of the classroom. In other words, they will want a teacher that is organized and committed. If they feel that the teacher can't be depended on, they may not consider them a viable candidate. One of the things that may highlight a teacher's lack of commitment is a resume that shows numerous teaching positions over a short period of time. Remember that you will not be judged strictly by your qualifications but on the sum of who you are as an individual.

The factors that go into a school's decision to accept a teacher are varied and many so it is impossible to cover them all. Regardless, cover the basics looked for in any teacher and identify the unique characteristics or qualifications of a particular position. Remember that looking for a teaching job, like many other employment searches, is about selling yourself and the best way to do this is by identifying what the employer wants.

The following is an abbreviated list of characteristics posted by a teacher in response to a UNICEF request to "What makes a Good Teacher?":

Positive - Thinks positively and enthusiastically about people and what they are capable of becoming. Sees the good in any situation and can move forward to make the most of difficult situations when confronted with obstacles. Encourages others to also be positive.

Dependable - Honest and authentic in working with others. Consistently lives up to commitments to students and others. Works with them in an open, honest, and forthright manner.

Organized - Makes efficient use of time and moves in a planned and systematic direction. Knows where he or she is heading and is able to help students in their own organization and planning. Can think in terms of how organization can be beneficial to those served.

Committed - Demonstrates commitment to students and the profession and is self-confident, poised and personally in control of situations. Has a healthy self-image. Encourages students to look at themselves in a positive manner, careful to honor the self-respect of the students, while encouraging them to develop a positive self-concept.

Motivational - Enthusiastic with standards and expectations for students and self. Understands the intrinsic motivations of individuals, and knows what it is that motivates students. Takes action in constructive ways.

Compassionate - Caring, empathetic and able to respond to people at a feeling level. Open with personal thoughts and feelings, encouraging others to do likewise. Knows and understands the feelings of students.

Flexible - Willing to alter plans and directions in a manner which assists people in moving toward their goals. Seeks to reason out situations with students and staff in a manner that allows all people to move forward in a positive direction.

Knowledgeable - Is in a constant quest for knowledge. Keeps up in his or her specialty areas, and has the insight to integrate new knowledge. Takes knowledge and translates it to students in a way which is comprehensible to them, yet retains its originality.

Creative - Versatile, innovative, and open to new ideas. Strives to incorporate techniques and activities that enable students to have unique and meaningful new growth experiences.

Patient - Is deliberate in coming to conclusions. Strives to look at all aspects of the situation and remains highly fair and objective under most difficult circumstances. Believes that problems can be resolved if enough input and attention is given by people who are affected.

Catering Business or Working in a Restaurant

2007-10-09T14:26:00.000-07:00

Preface: This article will help you to decide take informed decisions between a catering business and working in a restaurant.

Today, more and more people turn to catering and prepared food for their special events. Growing numbers of newly graduated chefs are striking out on their own, turning to this field for an alternative culinary career.

What is the difference between a catering business and working in a restaurant?

While both career choices are fast paced, catering has a different pace than working in a restaurant. A restaurant has fast hours, when people wait in line and the kitchen goes crazy. A catering business has fast days, when everything must be done at once and ready to go when the guests arrive. It involves coordinating all the dishes at one time-and usually with a smaller staff. People who open their own catering businesses often hire their own waiters, or serve the food themselves, so there's a lot more multi-tasking on the part of the catering staff. And while this may sound quick, catering also involves a lot of downtime. Hours may be spent planning menus with clients, experimenting with new tools and mapping out a day. After all, few catering companies cover special events seven days a week!

A catering business tends to be less steady than a restaurant. And if you're starting at the ground level, it's unlikely you'll be needed every day. If you start up your own catering business directly out of culinary school, you'll have to build your own reputation-and you won't have a storefront to lure people in. You'll rely on friends and connections for your business, which is guaranteed to be slow at times. And you'll have to invest in a lot of your own cooking supplies, which can be expensive.

If you're in culinary school and are considering working in catering when you complete your degree, you should take the time now to find a job or internship with a catering company. Not only will this provide a prospect for future employment once you finish your course work, but it will also give you a realistic, inside look at how the catering sector works.

Career Tip: Your Lifestyle Affects Your Job Choice!

2007-10-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

This career tip is for you . . . if you're serious about making a career or job change. Knowing your options and having a strategic plan are critical to your success in today's job marketplace.

For instance, according to recent reports, your lifestyle may seriously affect your career or job choice. Did you know that people without spouses or children will represent one of the fastest growing segments of the workplace population?

As a result, employment law experts warn that discrimination suits based on parental status are likely to emerge.

That's because in 2004 there were 46.4 never-married adults in the U.S.--more than double the number in 1970. The number of childless couples is expected to grow by 50% by 2010.

Already, people without spouses or children are seeking benefits better suited to their lifestyle. As a result, employers will have no choice but to explore a wider variety of work/life benefits instead of work/family benefits.

If you fall into these categories, your career planning should include these considerations. Earlier we reported that workplace privacy issues should also be part of your thinking. Checkout our website for more information on this emerging trend and how it impacts your job search.

For years EEI has recommended advance planning as a guarantee of solid and lucrative career growth. Our ground-breaking e-book, THE FAILSAFE CAREER, has been the career advancement bible for years. It shows you step-by-step how to explore all your options and then identify and go after the job that's just right for you.

Because of the emerging trends we noted, it's even more important than ever to stay on top of the latest strategies and techniques that can assure you of success in your career or job change.

So, the most important career tip of all: know what your needs and options are. Then take the time to identify opportunities that best correspond to those needs.