Feel free to break some job search rules

If the typical job search rules you’ve heard made sense once, they may not apply in today’s increasingly competitive job market. “It used to be that you would fill out a job application, then wait for the response, but companies today are hiring without hard-and-fast rules,” says workplace consultant Jake Greene. Greene and other experts offer seven job search rules you should feel free to break…………..

1.       Apply Only If You Meet All Requirements

Ads demanding specific education, skills and industry experience may be more flexible than you might think, according to Jean Baur, senior consultant at outplacement firm Lee Hecht Harrison and author of Eliminated! Now What? Finding Your Way from Job-Loss Crisis to Career Resilience.

“Sometimes online job descriptions are boilerplate and are not completely accurate,” Baur says. “If you match 85 percent of that ad, fill out a job application or send a resume anyway.”

2. Do a Mass Mailing to Maximize Your Chances

If you throw enough spaghetti at the wall, something will stick, right? Wrong, says Greene. Doing your homework on a smaller pool of companies, and tailoring your resume and cover letter to those organizations’ specific needs, is a much more effective way to find a job. “Even if you submit a resume through their Web sites, find other ways -- more innovative ways -- of connecting with them,” says Greene.

2.       3. Emphasize Your Education

Degrees are important but they’re not what hiring managers care about most, according to Gary Romano, a specialist in nonprofit and government strategic planning and principal consultant at Romano Consulting, a Boston-area management consulting firm. “A hiring manager is looking for experience, any experience -- even if it’s at a supposedly menial job -- that demonstrates your ability to show up and do the work,” he says. “If they don’t see that evidence at the top or near the top of the resume, they’ll move on.”

4. Don’t Call

Sure, employers insist they don’t want calls. But Greene says waiting quietly for a response won’t get you very far either. “It’s an outdated job hunt rule to quietly wait for an answer,” he says. “When you’re waiting, you’re not working.” If you’ve reached out with a cover letter or email to the hiring manager or inside contact, you’re not being a pest if you call a few days later, Greene says.

5. Use the Interview to Talk All About You

You may have heard that you should spend your interview time wowing your interviewers with your skills rather than asking about the company’s problems, challenges or what a typical day would be like. But if you don’t ask penetrating questions, you’ll miss out on valuable information -- like how you might be a good solution to the company’s problems and whether you would even want to work there.

“Remember you’re interviewing the company too, so be prepared with some probing questions to make sure the job is right for you,” Romano says. Asking good questions also makes job seekers seem interested and engaged, hiring managers say.

6. Be Vague About Salary

You can’t dance around salary questions now because many hiring managers and headhunters will cull their applicant pool by asking how much you make or what salary you expect. “It’s all right to give a salary range, but be sure you’re all right with the low end, because that’s often what they’ll offer.” Baur also says it’s appropriate to try to defer the salary question until you know more about what the job actually involves.

7. Don’t Contact the Company Again If It Rejects You

If you don’t get the job, it only means there was someone more appropriate for that job at that particular moment. It’s perfectly fine -- even beneficial -- to follow up and say you’re still interested in the company. “I can't tell you how many times I was second choice, but still ended up with the job,” says Megan Pittsley, job market consultant at Lee Hecht Harrison. “After I was rejected, I followed up with a thank-you note and provided information about what I was working on. When their first choice didn't work out, they came to me because I had built a relationship."

How to define that why you have lost your job

Recognize that there is life after a job loss and take some time to reflect and recharge your attitude. Think about what you learned from the experience, what you could have done differently, and what you will do going forward………

Here are seven things to prepare you when the subject comes up in an interview:

Don't lie.
Be prepared to be up front and honest about your dismissal. Don't lie. If you fail to disclose that you were dismissed for cause, it is likely to come out when the employer checks references and your perceived dishonesty for not sharing this information may cost you the job. When interviewing, be brief in discussing the situation, show what you've learned or what you are doing to change and then move on to what you accomplished and how you can contribute to the new company.

Right job, wrong boss.
If your dismissal resulted from a change in management and you didn't get along with a new boss due to bad chemistry or a difference of opinion, acknowledge that you recognize some people just don't click, then share references of other supervisors you previously worked for and other colleagues.

You might say, "My new supervisor and I, unfortunately, had very different personalities and management styles. I made a strong attempt to create an amicable relationship. I had very good relationships with previous supervisors and was well-thought of by my colleagues." Whatever you do, don't bad mouth the boss. You'll be the one who looks bad. Have a list of other supervisors and coworkers readily available to share with the interviewer. Most people have had a difficult boss at some point in their career and will likely understand.

Change in strategy.
Briefly acknowledge that there was a change in company strategy that you didn't fully agree with, then move on to what you learned from the situation. Say something like, "After the merger, my new boss had a different strategy in mind for our product group. I didn't fully agree with it. Looking back, I realized that I should have tried to find out more about the rationale for the change and find ways to support it." Don't trash the company. Don't blame the company for not following your direction. Every company will change. Show that you are willing to adapt to change.

Lack of skills.
If your job moved forward but you didn't, it's probably time to acquire the necessary skills to succeed. If you haven't yet embraced technology, use your time off to take a few beginners computer classes and learn common office software. In addition to local colleges, many industry associations offer courses and workshops to keep your skills up to date. Take a refresher accounting course, attend a workshop to recharge your creativity, improve you management skills or learn to write for the web. Share your new-found skills with prospective employers and show how these skills will add value at the new employer.

Poor reviews.
If you received a series of poor performance reviews, you need to truly assess why. First, if you can muster the courage, consider calling your old boss and asking for advice. You may find the conversation easier than you think, now that the ties of employment have been broken. Call or meet with a former colleague or two and ask them for their honest opinion of how you could improve. Don't be defensive. Listen openly.

If you made repeated mistakes, if you weren't thorough enough in your reports, or missed your sales quotas, consider what you could do to improve. You may find that the job you had wasn't really right for you. If you were a great sales administrator who was promoted to an outside sales position, but lost your job because you couldn't make the quotas, perhaps you need to seek an administrative position. If you were a great sales person who was promoted to manage the sales force then let go due to your poor management skills, maybe you'd be happier and more successful if you were back in front of customers instead of behind a desk.

Misdeeds or dishonesty.
If the reason for your dismissal was for something more egregious, like misusing company funds, sexual harassment, substance use or falsifying company information, you may need to accept that companies could be reluctant to hire you. Whatever the reason always be honest, say only what you need to say, share what you learned and how you've changed and focus on the more positive aspects of your performance and accomplishments.

Solid and legitimate references.
Ideally, your former employer will agree to just give the facts, by verifying your dates of employment and your titles. Secure references from other supervisors and colleagues who will give you a positive review and vouch for your integrity and ability. It's best to have two to three business references as well as a couple of personal references.

Cover letter works when you are unemploy

For many of us, writing a cover letter is about as fun as having a root canal or being audited by the IRS. Add a period of unemployment to the mix, and the task can seem downright daunting. Don’t let time away from the workforce prevent you from writing a good cover letter. Try these expert tips…….. 

The purpose of a cover letter is to pique employers’ interest so they want to interview you. “Talking about unemployment is a downer, and job candidates should only provide information that enhances their value to an employer and makes a compelling case for an interview,” says Linsey Levine, a licensed counselor and president of CareerCounsel, based in Ossining, New York.

Sue Campbell, president of resume-writing firm 1st-Writer.com, agrees that the cover letter should emphasize the job seeker’s strongest qualifications. “Focus on what you can contribute and how this contribution will benefit the employer,” Campbell says. Address relevant skills, abilities, education and experience that will enable you to provide exemplary work, she adds, not extraneous information about your unemployment. 

If you’ve been sitting idle at home when you could have been engaged in career-related activities, it’s time to spring into action. “Job hunters with big gaps of unemployment should demonstrate what they did to be productive while they were not working,” says Nancy Friedberg, a career coach with Career Leverage in New York City.

Friedberg coaches her clients to remain active and keep their skills fresh during periods of unemployment. “If you have done nothing career-related during your unemployment, start today,” she says. Friedberg suggests  volunteering, going back to school, securing freelance or part-time work, assuming leadership roles in charitable organizations or becoming active in your professional organization. “Every activity you undertake requires a skill whether you are paid or not,” she adds.

Millions of people have lost their jobs recently, and employment gaps no longer carry the stigma they once did. It’s not necessary to explain a few months of unemployment due to circumstances beyond your control, such as a layoff.

However, it is a good idea to account for longer-term unemployment. Trisha Scudder, president of New York City-based Executive Coaching Group, coaches her clients to deal with the gap and avoid making excuses. “The bottom line is that there’s a gap,” she says. “You can’t hide it. Tell it straight, and don’t make apologies. Show the interviewer how this makes you a more attractive candidate.” For example, she suggests adding a line to your cover letter saying something like, “Returning to full-time employment after caring for an ill family member, I am eager to contribute my 15 years’ experience in (career field) to benefit your company.”

Campbell also offers verbiage to help explain unemployment: “Since leaving my last employer, I have been completing intensive training in ____” or “I have been contributing my time and talents to the successful advancement of Charitable Organization, while actively seeking a full-time position with a leading company such as yours.”

Scudder advises job seekers not to provide too much information about the unemployment. “Don’t let this gap distract you from the primary purpose of the cover letter -- demonstrating what you could do for the organization if hired,” she says.

However, sometimes special circumstances can work to your advantage. Scudder suggests thinking about how the unemployment could make you a better employee. “For example, did it inspire you to move to a new industry or career? If you took on freelance work, did it teach you the value of retaining clients?” she says.

Friedberg had a client who was diagnosed with cancer and missed an entire year of employment following graduation. “In his cover letters, he confidently and honestly wrote about his cancer,” she says. “He explained that he doubled up on classes in between chemotherapy treatments in order to graduate and sat for the first part of the CPA exam. An accounting firm was so impressed that they called him in for a series of interviews and hired him based on his character, his can-do attitude and his perseverance.”

Whether your time off has been because of a layoff, job termination, illness, care of sick relatives, child care, a sabbatical or any other reason, the purpose of a cover letter -- to generate a call for an interview -- remains the same. “If job seekers can draw a correlation between what they offer and how they will benefit the employer, then the cover letter should achieve some real success,” Campbell says.

How Can You Advertised Your Hidden Skills

Millions of job seekers -- including individuals new to the working world and those well past graduation -- wrestle with the same doubts: They're unsure if they are skilled or experienced enough to land a job in today's employment market…..

 If you are among this group, the good news is you likely have more to offer companies than you think. In fact, you may have dozens of "hidden" abilities that employers seek. The trick is to identify and successfully market them. Here's how:

Identifying your skills

The first step is to distinguish your duties from your skills. Duties are the activities you perform on the job: generating reports, helping coordinate an industry conference, providing desktop support. Skills are the tools and techniques you use to accomplish these tasks: knowledge of certain software, communication abilities, leadership.

For example, if you've worked as an administrative assistant, you may have arranged meetings, drafted correspondence and answered the phone. As a result, you likely developed strong planning skills to ensure meetings went smoothly, strong communication abilities to accurately convey your manager's messages to staff, and solid customer service skills to successfully interact with internal and external clients. And that says nothing of your technical skills, such as typing speed, research abilities and knowledge of Microsoft Office. The list goes on.

Before compiling your résumé, write down all of your previous duties. Then list the skills and abilities that were necessary to accomplish each task. Don't limit yourself to full-time jobs. Also include part-time work, volunteer positions and even your hobbies. Perhaps you served as the president of your homeowners association, thereby developing leadership skills, negotiation abilities and knowledge of budgeting processes. Chances are you'll uncover a number of talents you hadn't considered.

Marketing your skills

Of course, identifying your skills is only half the battle. You also must successfully market them to interested companies if you are to eventually land a job. The key is to find out what skills prospective employers are looking for and ensure your résumé and cover letter highlight these abilities.

Start by asking yourself what type of firm you hope to work for: Is it large or small? A public or privately owned company? What industry is it in? What's the corporate culture like? Your answers can help you determine which of your many skills your ideal company may seek.

For example, if you'd like to work for a large firm and speak Mandarin, consider targeting multinational companies that may be looking to hire individuals with your language skills. If you are applying for a position within the advertising field, prospective employers may be intrigued to learn about the pop-culture blog you write.

You can gain an idea of the skills companies seek by looking at the job descriptions they post. For instance, a medical firm may be in need of administrative analysts to help prepare and analyze case reports. Although you have never held this specific role before, the knowledge of case report preparation you attained through volunteering for special projects with other research firms may help you get the job. 

One note of caution: Although it may be tempting to include all of your skills in your résumé and cover letter, throwing everything against the wall in hopes that something will stick is rarely an effective strategy. Hiring managers are only interested in one thing: whether, based on what they read, you deserve serious consideration as a candidate. Information that does not contribute to a positive response -- such as your participation in a recent marathon or your expertise with outdated software -- should be omitted.

No matter how much or how little work experience you possess, you likely have a number of skills that will impress hiring managers. Before launching your next job search, take some time to uncover your hidden talents. Doing so will make you a more attractive candidate and increase your chance of success.

Child Care Jobs

Have you ever been interested in working in childcare? If so now is the time to start your career…..

 More and more mothers are getting into the workforce, not so much for the women’s movement as it once was so emphasized in the past, but now it seems out of necessity. Families are needing two wage earners and the women that loved to stay home with the kids are now having to find employment. Childcare is very rewarding, not only are you taking care of future generations, but you also learn from the young and innocent to view aspects of our daily lives from their perspectives.

 What was that, learn from the children, you might ask? Yes, they view things from a different view point and in turn enable us to continually adapt or learn, build, and create new and innovative ideas of ways to explain things to them, ways to take care of them, and ways to teach them.

Depending on the Childcare business they offer many different things from computers, equipment, workbooks, activities, parental webcams, and various programs. Not only is this type of work challenging, but it is very rewarding, where you can see your hard work and time spend in instant rewards.

 Children also tend to love unconditionally; their wonderful nature makes them a joy to work with. They rely on you for answers, to guide them, to nurture them, and they completely trust in you to provide the best way to do all of this for them. You can easily apply for a local Childcare business, and they will do a background check on you and once they accept the relationship as a great organizational fit, you are able to have steady employment that is fun and aiding for the better good of society. When looking for a place to work, look for a business with a good reputation, known by many people in your communality. These types of attributes are good indications that the business will be around for a while and that your employment with the business will also last. Do your research for a competitive wage in that industry for your local area and be ready with that figure when you go in for an interview. 

Make a list of any concerns or questions you might have with that Childcare, some questions might include:

• Are health care plans included?
• Is there a time off/ sick day requirement?
• Are there any special needs that need to be taken care of for certain children?
• How many children do you work with at a time?

There is a lot of information online about Childcare, such as starting your own Childcare business, how to choose a Caregiver from a parent’s perspective, and how to applying for Childcare positions. Do your homework. If you have worked at other facilities involving caring for children such as a church group, an in home caring for children group, volunteering at pediatric hospitals, or anything in relation to your interaction with children, include it in your resume and add those individuals that worked with you as references. The need for child Caregivers is expanding as their parents need to enter the workforce so now is the opportunity to cease this career.

Best Traveling Jobs That’s Pay Well

Some people just want to travel and explore. They would rather have a decent paying travel job than a dreary desk job…….

 Nowadays, people tend to think they have to choose between worthwhile experiences or financial expansion. In reality, you can have both with a career in the travel industry.

These are some jobs that require travel:

Public speaker

Public speakers talk to different groups and organizations. At first they may cater to audiences within their local area but as saturation sets in, the natural course of action is expanding to new areas markets and greener pastures.

Most if the time, speakers find themselves getting booked in different places and can go as far or stay as close to home as they want.

Any body can become a professional public speaker. With practice, research, and marketing you can definitely get a speaking job. The pay varies but with perseverance and luck, speakers can become highly esteemed and extremely wealthy.

Traveling Consultant

Consultants are paid to give advice and recommendations depending on their field of expertise. Parties or companies that need their services usually bring them on site. Their opinions, guidance, and suggestions are considered dearly. Expertise and experience in a particular field is an essential in this job.

Being a consultant is usually a freelance career. It is a business where the primary commodity is your knowledge and proficiency in a certain area. Market your self properly and you can get clients that will pay you generously.

Sales rep and agents

In any booming business, expansion is inevitable. Companies will sometimes have to venture to different locations to expand their market and increase potential profits. So, to introduce the products or services to new prospective clients, sales representatives or sales agents are deployed to target locations.

Sales representatives and agents should have excellent communication and people skills. They are essentially marketers of company products. They may get commission from every sale aside from the regular salary. Travel expenses are paid by the companies.

Field Journalism

The responsibility of journalists is to give information to the public about noteworthy events. News is what they provide and news doesn't happen in a single place. Thus, journalists need to travel to where ever the news is happening.

If you have the passion and the skills to provide public information, you can apply in various news outfits such as, TV stations and newspaper publishers. Journalism job positions nowadays are not very strict when it comes to experience and education. Although, some may require a degree in journalism.

Hotel Inspector

Hotel Inspection is a fun job that is almost too good to be true. Imagine traveling to beautiful tourist destinations and staying in the most luxurious hotels. You are often treated like VIP in these establishments because they want your approval and good reviews.

You get to stay in suite rooms and exploit all available amenities. Also, you get to eat the best food they can offer. It is like living like royalty, only, it is a job. Experience and education matters.

Avoid these mistakes which will damage your job search

It's not unusual for job seekers to reach a point in their searches when they stop hoping to land a coveted job and resign themselves to consideringany position. In theory, this "I'll take anything" attitude sounds promising: Less selectivity means greater possibilities, right?......

Not so fast. Before spending precious time applying to jobs for which you're not qualified, consider these ways that a cast-your-net-everywhere tactic can backfire:

1. Employers don't care if you're desperate.

"Hiring managers are looking for one thing: a good match between the job and the applicant," says Catherine Jewell, author of "New Résumé New Career." "Employers want to know that you will fit in and feel comfortable with their culture. The more you sound like them the better."

So just because you're willing to settle for anything, don't assume your value has increased. If you aren't well-versed in the field, your inexperience is bound to be noticed either on paper or in conversation. Conversely, shooting too low in a job search reeks of neediness – never an attractive quality – and raises red flags as to whether you'd be happy in the position or are simply buying time until you can bolt to a more suitable job.

2. Untargeted applications aren't going to be noticed.

When quantity starts taking precedence over quality, the product is going to suffer. A general résumé that could fit any position at any company is simply not going to make a hiring manager choose to interview you over countless others.

"The targeted application helps you stand out from the talented pool of applicants," says Joel Garfinkle, founder of DreamJobCoaching.com. "You can highlight specific experiences that relate to what is outlined in the job description, and the employer can easily see how your qualifications fit what he desires." Garfinkle also recommends learning as much as possible about the company before submitting an application in order to tailor your application to its needs.

3. Busy work takes away from profitable actions.

Most candidates have a certain amount of time and energy they can devote to job searching. If they waste it on generic mass mailings, less is left for activities that could generate good leads.

"Focus on the positions you really want instead of applying for something you don't want," says Richard Deems, co-author of "Make Job Loss Work for You." "Use the same amount of time to network for introductions into organizations that hire people who do what you want to do. Research companies of interest. Find out their unmet needs, think of how you can meet those unmet needs and then present yourself."

4. People may see you as wishy-washy.

Networking means reaching out to others and letting them know what you have to offer. An elevator pitch of "Help! I need a job" is unlikely to convince anyone that your skills are worth remembering. Likewise, contacts may be less inclined to think of you or to offer a recommendation if they are unsure what type of job you actually want.

While you may view yourself as flexible by trying to get a foot in any door at places you'd like to work, others may think differently. "If you apply for just 'anything,' you are wearing out your welcome with that employer," Jewell cautions. "It's tricky to present one image -- say, marketing -- one day, then turn around and present yourself for another opportunity -- such as customer service -- the next week. It leaves the impression that you don't know who you are and what you are about."

5. The strategy can create deceptive hope.

Finally, be aware that churning out applications can do a number on your mind. Initially, the boost in productivity may make you feel as if you're gaining more chances in the job-hunt lottery, but if most of what you've sent out is destined for somebody's wastebasket because it lacks the qualities needed for genuine consideration, your odds of success have not improved.

Garfinkle notes that constantly applying for a job may make you look impressive on the surface. "At the end of the day, your spouse will ask you, 'How's the job search?' and you can respond, 'I sent out 10 résumés today,'" Garfinkle says. "This provides a false sense of feeling good about yourself and the progress you are making on this job search."

Worse yet, the corresponding rejection can damage your self-worth. As Deems warns, "For every 100 you send, you'll only hear from five to seven of them, if that many. And for every one you send that you don't hear from, you'll get a bit more depressed."

So look for opportunities that offer real hope and put in the effort needed to be a viable candidate. True satisfaction comes from landing a job -- not counting the number of attempts you made.

How To Get Job Through Linkedin

Searching for a job can suck if you constrain yourself to the typical tools such as online jobs boards, trade publications, CraigsList, and networking with only your close friends. In these kinds of times, you need to use all the weapons that you can, and one that many people don’t—or at least don’t use to the fullest extent, is LinkedIn….

LinkedIn has over thirty-five million members in over 140 industries. Most of them are adults, employed, and not looking to post something on your Wall or date you. Executives from all the Fortune 500 companies are on LinkedIn. Most have disclosed what they do, where they work now, and where they’ve worked in the past. Talk about a target-rich environment, and the service is free.

Here are some tips to help use LinkedIn to find a job. If you know someone who’s looking for a job, forward them these tips along with an invitation to connect on LinkedIn. Before trying these tips, make sure you’ve filled out your profile and added at least twenty connections

Get the word out. Tell your network that you’re looking for a new position because a job search these days requires the “law of big numbers” There is no stigma that you’re looking right now, so the more people who know you’re looking, the more likely you’ll find a job. Recently, LinkedIn added “status updates” which you can use to let your network know about your newly emancipated status.

Get LinkedIn recommendations from your colleagues. A strong recommendation from your manager highlights your strengths and shows that you were a valued employee. This is especially helpful if you were recently laid off, and there is no better time to ask for this than when your manager is feeling bad because she laid you off. If you were a manager yourself, recommendations from your employees can also highlight leadership qualities.

Find out where people with your backgrounds are working. Find companies that employ people like you by doing an advanced search for people in your area who have your skills. For example, if you’re a web developer in Seattle, search profiles in your zip code using keywords with your skills (for example, JavaScript, XHTML, Ruby on Rails) to see which companies employ people like you.

Find out where people at a company came from. LinkedIn “Company Profiles” show the career path of people before they began work there. This is very useful data to figure out what a company is looking for in new hires. For example, Microsoft employees worked at Hewlett-Packard and Oracle.

Find out where people from a company go next. LinkedIn’s “Company Profiles” also tell you where people go after leaving the company. You can use this to track where people go after leaving your company as well as employees of other companies in your sector. (You could make the case that this feature also enables to figure out which companies to avoid, but I digress.)

Check if a company is still hiring. Company pages on LinkedIn include a section called “New Hires” that lists people who have recently joined the company. If you have real chutzpah, you can ask these new hires how they got their new job. At the very least you can examine their backgrounds to surmise what made them attractive to the new employer.

Get to the hiring manager. LinkedIn’s job search engine allows you to search for any kind of job you want. However, when you view the results, pay close attention to the ones that you’re no more than two degrees away from. This means that you know someone who knows the person that posted the job—it can’t get much better than that. (Power tip: two degrees is about the limit for getting to hiring managers. I never help friends of friends of friends.) Another way to find companies that you have ties to is by looking at the “Companies in Your Network” section on LinkedIn’s Job Search page.

Get to the right HR person. The best case is getting to the hiring manager via someone who knows him, but if that isn’t possible you can still use LinkedIn to find someone inside the company to walk your resume to the hiring manager or HR department. When someone receives a resume from a coworker even if she doesn’t know the coworker, she almost always pays attention to it.

Find out the secret job requirements. Job listings rarely spell out entirely or exactly what a hiring manager is seeking. Find a connection at the company who can get the inside scoop on what really matters for the job. You can do this by searching for the company name; the results will show you who in your network connects you to the company. If you don’t have an inside connection, look at profiles of the people who work at the company to get an idea of their backgrounds and important skills.

Find startups to join. Maybe this recession is God telling you it’s time to try a startup. But great startups are hard to find. Play around with LinkedIn’s advanced search engine using “startup” or “stealth” in the keyword or company field. You can also narrow by industry (for example, startups in the Web 2.0, wireless, or biotech sectors). If large companies can’t offer “job security,” open up your search to include startups.

How can you make successful your phone interview

Many of the techniques that job hunters use to prepare for face-to-face interviews can also be applied to phone interviews—you’ll need to be prepared to both answer and ask questions. However, there are also some other things to be aware of when you’re facing a phone interview……

Preparation

Ideally you should be preparing for phone contact while you are applying for jobs. Contact information should of course be included in a cover letter—and if there is any period during which you will be unavailable for contact by phone, it’s best to say so at this point.

Another important point to consider is your answering machine message. When interviewers contact you by phone, they need to be immediately assured that they’ve contacted the person they’re expecting to speak to. Your phone message should include information that immediately identifies you, and if you share your home with roommates or family, make sure they understand that any messages for you must be taken down accurately.

In addition, consider creating a phone log to keep by the phone—this can include the name of each company you’ve applied to, the title of the position, and a short paragraph that identifies the essential features of the job.

If you Miss the Call

If you miss a phone call and the hiring manager leaves a message, return the call as soon as possible. Bear in mind that the person you’re calling may have called many people during the day, and won’t necessarily remember who you are right away. Give your full name and state that you are returning a call regarding the specific position you’re applying for. If you’re not able to return the call for several hours, leave a message with this information—but be prepared in case the employer is still available for a phone interview.

During and After the Interview

If a hiring manager or recruiter calls and you’re there to answer it, they will likely ask you if you’re available to speak at that time. If there is anything that might make it difficult to conduct the interview, it is fine to tell them that and ask to arrange another time, but make sure you express your interest in the interview and the job at the same time as you are rescheduling.

After the interview is completed, make some notes on your conversation; then send a short thank you note to the interviewer and state your continued interest in the position.

Jobs That Can Change Your Future

How many of you reading this have dreamt of escaping the 9 to 5 world of work in favour of fewer hours spent in the office yet earning more money? Quite a few of you I would imagine……

 For many of us, the idea of leaving the rate race behind is an impossibility especially given the testing economic conditions that are seeing many of us work even longer hours than we already do just to ensure that the mortgage is paid every month. But there are jobs out there that mean you can work fewer hours yet still earn more than the average hourly pay.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the average annual salary at the end of 2008 was £31,969 which equates to between £15-16 per hour when based on a working week of 37-40 hours. So what jobs can you do that pay higher than this whilst demanding less time doing the role?

1.  Supply teachers

A recurring theme running throughout this list is those roles that are on a self-employed basis. And teaching is one of the most in demand. The daily rate of pay is calculated on the basis of annual salary entitlement according to the pay scale, divided by the maximum number of working days for a teacher -- 195 per annum. This means that the average rate is £139 per day for 6.5 hours -- the maximum allowed by law -- of work (£21.50 per hour).

2. Agency nurses

According to BNA, one of the UK's leading nursing employment agencies, a Registered General Nurse (RGN) employed by the NHS will typically earn £24,985 (£12.98 per hour), whereas the same RGN plying their trade through an agency on a self-employed basis is paid an average of £15.66 per hour -- with the option to work as few or as many hours as they choose. So, if the agency nurse works a full 37-hour week, the pay could be equivalent to a full-time salary of £30,129. But that doesn't include bank holiday rates (doubled) or Christmas rates (tripled).

3. IT consultants

With many organisations increasingly migrating much of their operations online and technology changing so fast that as soon as you can say, "Windows Vista is the latest must-have" it is quickly replaced by the next must-have, demand for IT professionals continues to be high despite a slowdown in the latter part of 2008, according to ITJobsWatch. And with many consultants commanding of £45,421 (£23.61 per hour) it comes as no surprise that many people are opting to work for themselves so that they can cherry-pick the world that they want to do.

4. Visiting college lecturers

With colleges and universities open for just 36 weeks of the year, the world of the visiting college lecturer is a happy one. Employed on a freelance basis, these lecturers can be hired by more than one university or college for their expertise in a particular field and can expect to be paid around £25 per hour, taking their annual earning to £33-35,000.

5. Therapists

Whereas therapy was once considered to be a taboo, it is increasingly being seen as an important support mechanism to promote a more meaningful life, according to Harley Therapy. Harley have reported that this sector has seen a 15 per cent increase in demand since the end of 2007 -- a fact that is reflected in the Government's £170 million investment in creating 32 psychological therapy centres across Britain. The threat of redundancies, difficult economic conditions and a depressed housing market which has seen the value of peoples' homes plummet in recent months, all conspire to create anxiety and stress. Which is good news for those working in the field of counselling and therapy with earnings hovering around the £34,647 (ONS) mark.

6. Recruitment consultants

You may think that a spate of redundancies would see the decline of the number of recruitment consultants but not so. The continuous growth in temporary recruitment shows that this is being used to meet peaks and troughs in business workloads. Indeed, turnover in the recruitment consultancy industry is expected to continue rising in the temporary sector throughout 2008, according to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). This means that demand for executive recruiters -- or so-called 'head-hunters' -- will no doubt see another year of more consultants spurning the comfort zone and going it alone. And who would blame them with commissions that typically range from 15-20 per cent of a candidate's salary.

8 Tips To Get Your Desired Job

You have to make a job out of getting a job, in other words: It's not just a matter of applying for one job and waiting, or even applying for lots of jobs with the same approach. Getting the job you want is a full time project……..

It helps if you can plan out the key steps. Here are 8 steps that should help you:

1. Research your target employer and the job role. The more you know about them, the better your chances of winning.

2. Make recruitment agents your competitive advantage. Explain you will prepare well for any interviews as this will raise their chance of earning commission by placing you into a job! Find out which companies they place a lot of people into, as this could be an easier way into your next job. Ask them (or an employer's human resources department) which process they will use to decide who gets the job. Who will be interviewing you, when and what should you prepare? What are the top 3 most important qualities that the interviewer will be looking for?

3. Find out the key requirements: Each time you apply for a job you should find out the key job requirements and make sure you put 3 aspects of your experience that match the job at the top of the first page. What can you refer to in your education, interests, social life or sporting achievements that show you have the qualities that the role requires? Are you able to provide references from people who know you and your capabilities? Do you have any specialist knowledge in areas the job requires, perhaps from holiday jobs or voluntary work?

4. Always put a covering email or letter with your CV. State clearly your interest in the job and one or two reasons why you are suitable for the job. Don't just use the same generalised content every time as it is likely to be ignored!

5. Follow up by phone no more than 3 days after mailing the application.Get through to the person handling the application and ask if it's convenient for the person to speak - people can be busy - if it's not convenient fix a time to call back. When you can speak to the person handling the applications, ask if your application arrived ok, stress your interest in the job and ask what the process will be and when interviews will be held.

6. At the right time, ask for an interview. It's just a question - ask in a friendly positive voice stating that it's really important to you as your research about the organisation makes you really interested in the job. You have a right to ask and they have a right to say yes or no, but if you don't ask you don't get! As soon as you get an interview agreed, find out who you will be interviewed by and what they will be looking for.

7. Preparation: Take time before the interview, think about all the possible questions you could get asked and the answers. Try out the question and answer session with a friend to see how it feels to answer tough questions. Think about, and note down, a few questions you can ask that demonstrate real interest in the job and the organisation.

8. Follow up and time management: Use some kind of a calendar or diary to track your activities in the search for a job. After an interview, not more than 48 hours, send a thank you email to the interviewer and as well as thanking them for their time repeating your interest in the job and re-confirming two or three reasons why you fit the job. In your diary, record who you spoke to, what they said and when to call back or when to expect the next step. With several job applications going on at the same time, it's easy to forget calling someone back or providing a reference by a certain date.

Finally, when you do start your new job make sure you have a plan for early success, try our course Work to help you. LET'S-BEGIN courses are built on a unique range of working experiences from over 30 years in job roles that required very strong inter-personal skills in sales, sales management, general management and organisational leadership. 

Kinds Of Stress During Job Search

Most people are aware of the stress of starting a new job, but for those of us still searching for a job, that kind of stress seems like a pretty high-class problem.

Financial Stress

Of course, the most basic stress associated with job searching is the one that affects your checkbook. You may have savings to dip into during times of unemployment or your last employer may have given you a generous severance package. Nevertheless, there is an end to those funds in sight. And for many people, unemployment catches them without anything to fall back on, leaving them with unpaid bills and financial demands they can't meet.

No matter what your situation looks like, try to remember that you are not alone. You may have friends and family to turn to for help. There are also social service organizations that can offer you some relief until you get back on your feet. Most of all don't get down on yourself because you are going through a rough time.

Physical Stress

Often, the effects of being unemployed and sitting for hours at a computer or driving around all day to interviews can reveal themselves physically. Job-hunting really does show up in your physical health. Many people experience back pain, headaches, or changes in appetite or sleep patterns. These are normal symptoms of stress, but they can be alleviated.

Try increasing the amount of exercise you get right now. Be sure you don't spend too long at the computer without a break. Go for walks. Get together with friends and family for meals. Try to watch what you eat. Binging on sugar will only cause more physical stress and lessen your quality of sleep.

Emotional Stress

Both of these areas are linked to your emotional well-being. Looking for a job, even if you are still employed, puts your self-confidence and your peace of mind to the test. This is not the time to make any other big changes in your life if you can help it. Be sure you talk to people about your feelings. And take advantage of chat groups online that are full of other job seekers just like you. Overall, don't forget to give yourself a break now and then. Play a little, and be kind to yourself. Your emotional health is the key to your stability and your stamina.

7 points which harm Your Career

While most career advice focuses on how to succeed, we can all learn valuable lessons by dissecting career failure as well……

 Workplace experts offer insights into some of the top ways workers undermine their own careers and jeopardize their career development.      

1. Not Taking Your Education Seriously

If you party too much in college and end up with a run-of-the-mill 2.5 GPA, you’ll be passed over for the best entry-level jobs, says New York City-based executive recruiter and coach Brian Drum of Drum Associates. Not finishing your master’s degree is another way to hurt your career development goals, adds Anne Angerman, a career coach with Denver-based Career Matters.

2. Not Having a Plan

In the current poor job market, you may have defaulted into a career you aren’t crazy about. That’s OK, as long as you develop career plans to get where you want to be. “Think of every job you take as a stepping-stone to your next job,” Drum advises.

3. Sullying Your Reputation on Facebook or Twitter

Social media can harm your reputation in other ways, too. Personal posts and tweets from work -- when you’re supposed to be doing your job -- can tag you as a slacker. And the content of your posts or tweets can come back to haunt you as well -- you never know who might stumble upon those bachelor-party photos. “You need to assume that every boss and potential employer knows how to use Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, and post from the standpoint that everyone is watching even if in reality they’re not,” Gottsman says.


4. Gossiping, Slandering, Excessively Criticizing

If you publicly bash fellow employees, the boss, the board of directors or even your competitors, you’ll be perceived as negative at best and a troublemaker at worst. The ramifications can be broad and long term, Gottsman says. “Industries are tight,” she says. “You don’t want to be the one who started that rumor about the head of your industry.” As far as bad-mouthing competitors -- what if your company merges with a competitor, or you want to work for one someday?

5. Carrying on an Inappropriate Relationship with Your Boss

Never a good idea, but an especially bad one if your boss is married. “When you get involved in a drama or in something unethical that can be brought out in the open, you’re asking for trouble,” Gottsman says.


6. Job-Hopping Just for the Money

Job-hopping -- in moderation -- may not automatically disqualify you from a position. “But it gets to the point -- like if you have seven or eight jobs by the time you’re 35 -- that employers are not going to want to invest in you,” Drum says. Also, if you have leadership aspirations, keep in mind that the top dogs of many large corporations have been with those organizations for long periods, he says. Additionally, many companies have “last in, first out” layoff policies, which could leave you out of a job if you never stick around long enough to build tenure anywhere.

7. Losing Touch with References

You’ll kick yourself later if you leave a job without collecting personal contact information from colleagues who can serve as professional references for you in the future. “If you were forced to leave a job and you can’t ask your boss for a reference, hopefully you’ve built up some rapport with a colleague and can ask them,” Angerman says.

Tips for success

Whether starting a career or moving into senior management, everyone defines success differently…….

 Whatever definition of success you use, these five assets can help you realize it on a professional level.

1-As you climb the corporate ladder or chase your dreams, you'll likely encounter criticism and rejection. Learn how to accept both graciously, sooner rather than later. Constructive criticism can help you refine your plans. Rejection becomes less scary after you experience it a couple of times, which will help you become a bolder businessperson.

2-Pursuing professional success often involves risk-taking -- leaving a longtime job for a new opportunity, relocating to another state or country, or opening your own business. It's easier to take such risks if you have a modest financial cushion. Work now to create a nest egg big enough to cover six months of living expenses. This will give you the freedom and flexibility to answer when a new opportunity knocks.

3-Pursuing your passion -- whatever it may be -- requires courage. You need to be able to ask for a promotion, ask for business, ask for financing. This can be intimidating, but, not unlike rejection, practice makes perfect. Start asking for what you want; you may not always get it, but you'll become more comfortable (and confident) doing so.

4-If you want to move forward in your professional life, you need a goal to move toward. If you don't have a goal, get one -- or you could hit a career plateau.

Once you've identified your long-term goal, begin assembling a list of short-term objectives that will act as stepping-stones to achieving your dream.

If you find you don't know what you want to do with your life, try meeting with a career counselor or coach who can work with you to identify your passions and how you can pursue them professionally.

5-Chasing success is never easy, but it can be easier if you follow in someone else's footsteps. Focus on an individual whose rise to professional power has inspired you and model some of your actions after hers. Your role model doesn't have to work in the same field as you. What's important is to zero in on the habits and work ethic that may help you in your career. Look at how she handled adversity or how much determination it took to keep doggedly pursuing a goal and let that inspire and motivate you to follow suit.

How Can You Creat An Ideal Resume YourSelf

While many career professionals hire a professional resume writer, many more attempt to draft their resume themselves. People who write a lot for business usually have more success in putting together a sharp, focused presentation; however, anyone can learn the basic steps to resume presentation……..

The average resume is scanned, not read, for only 8-15 seconds. It creates a strong impression to the reader from the first glance. It is similar to the impression you make in the interview when you first greet the interviewer. Make sure your resume is wearing a “business suit” and not jeans and flip-flops!

Choose a format that suits your business goal. If you are seeking a job in your field and have experience, use a chronological resume. This resume starts with your most recent job and works backward. 

Conversely, if you are seeking a new type of work, you may want to consider the functional/combination resume. This style groups your skills from several jobs together and includes a short chronological work history at the end.

Other ways to insure that your format and presentation get noticed:

No errors: use spell check and also have someone review for missing or misused words.

Consistent format and use of capitalization and punctuation throughout.

Lots of white space to accent strong parts of the resume.

No more than 2 fonts.

Include your name, address, phone number and email address.

Laser printed on quality white or cream resume paper.

Not all accomplishments have to be big, but they have to show that you got results as you carried out your responsibilities. Often, they are something you are proud of that you’ve done. Or, they can simply quantify what you have done on a daily basis. Many of your routine activities can be quantified and written as an accomplishment that shows your experience and

knowledge and that you’ve HELPED the company!

Here are some things to consider when naming accomplishments. Quantify when possible. Did you:

Save the company any money? How much and how? Help improve sales? How much?Improve productivity and efficiency?Implement any new systems or processes?Help launch any new products or services?Achieve more with (same or fewer) resources?Resolve a major problem with little investment?Participate in technical/operational improvements?Exceed accepted standards for quality or quantity?Identify the need for a program, plan or service?Prepare any original reports, studies or documents?Serve on any committees? What was the outcome?Get elected to any boards, teams or task forces?Get sent to any training classes?Resolve customer problems?Get rated outstanding in performance reviews?

Many job seekers either don’t know or don’t understand the many items which do not belong in a resume. They include the following:

Do not use “I”, “me” or “my” statements; use the telegraphic method and drop the pronoun to make it more active. Instead of “I wrote the 40-page employee manual”, say “Wrote the 40-page employee manual.”

Avoid the use of the words “responsible for” and “duties included.”

Do not include personal information, such as age, health, ethnicity, marriage and family status.  Employers will throw your resume out if it has such information because they could someday be accused of hiring bias.

Do not explain your reasons for leaving your previous jobs or why you have employment gaps.

Don’t send along extra papers such as letters of recommendation, certificates or samples of your work.  They clutter up your presentation and are too premature. Use in the interview if appropriate.Never include past or expected salary information.Do not include a list of professional references.