ExitBuddy

As a globally recognized Certified Professional Resume Writer , Executive Recruiter, and founder of Haute Resume & Career Services LLC , I review hundreds of resumes each year for unemployed job seekers who’ve often spent months unsuccessfully searching for a job. Most of these costly mistakes are easily preventable when the job seeker has educated him/herself in the art of resume writing. Avoid these common mistakes on your resume!

Job seekers sometimes tell me that they’re actively looking for a job, but they haven’t seen anything online for a week or two, and they feel like their job search is becoming stagnant. This can be a very frustrating situation when you’re in desperate need of work. What can you do to move your job search forward when there doesn’t seem to be anything appropriate available?

This advert demonstrates an interesting way of making sure you're the last candidate standing (or sitting) at a job interview! What we want to know is-how did the two friends make sure they got shortlisted for the same job interview, on the same day?

I was recently asked a question by someone trying to help a job seeker that had been terminated from his last position. They wanted to give some helpful advice. Here’s the conversation (edited for privacy)… I am trying to help a gentleman who was let go from “ABC Company” last month. My first impression was that he was laid off, but when I asked him some questions about the change he said he was terminated. Obviously I wasn’t there, but this person was at “ABC Company” for 20 years, had very successful performance reviews and then got a new manager (and from what it sounds like) this manager just really wanted someone different in his role and instead of laying him off, terminated him through progressive discipline and said he wasn’t meeting the requirements of the job. He won his unemployment case, but he’s having difficulty talking about this when he interviews. This person is very smart, focused and it’s hard to imagine him being terminated. How should he best deal with t...

The most important key to success for any interview… A fellow coach once told me that she had a client who spent so much time trying to craft perfect answers to each question that her body language was completely off. She was so nervous that she wasn’t connecting with any of the people she was interviewing with. The key to being a great interviewee is you’ve got to give yourself time to relax. This means you must plan on arriving for your interview 10-20 minutes early. When you get to an interview late or in the nick of time you’re going to look and feel rushed. That is the last impression you want to leave a potential employer with. Preparing for an interview is not as hard as some of you may think. You may not know the exact questions you will be asked, but you can count on the questions focusing on two things; whether you have the experience, skills and knowledge to do the job, and whether you fit the perceived profile of the person this company is going to hire. Taking this into a...

Many times when I speak with business owners about analytics, the first statement that comes to mind is that analytics is for Search Engine Optimization: SEO, as we know it. At that notion, my first reaction is is to shake my head. Because that’s not entirely right.

1: Do not digress from the question asked. Keep it brief and relevant When asked a ‘Tell me about yourself’ question, the tendency is to oversell ourselves however be aware of not talking too long or digressing from the question. What the employer wants to know is how useful and suitable are you for the role not the ins and outs of your daily life or personal history from way back, so keep your answer ‘short and sweet’ or else the interviewee will lose interest and become bored. 2: Good eye contact If faced with one interviewer or a panel remember to give eye contact to all members it demonstrates confidence and creates a good impression.

There’s no doubt that you have a lot of branding opportunity on the Internet today. With every newly released social networking or blogging site comes another way to brand yourself to this new audience. Just like a company’s brand needs to be consistent, so does your personal brand. A problem some people may have is that they sign up for a new profile and don’t keep their profile congruent with the others they already have. Not only is this confusing for an outsider, but it can hurt your personal brand.

In my Brand-Yourself post last week I spoke about the benefits of using Twitter for your business.  This week I wanted to discuss why social media , as a whole, matters to your business. Social media is the next tool for businesses to connect with their clients, customers and target audience.  Other mediums (such as print, radio, television, website banner ads, in-video game ads, etc.) may still be pertinent to your business, however, social media is one avenue that cannot be ignored by *almost* everyone.

2Gb free and if you click the link you'll get 250mb of additional free storage  http://db.tt/DpUyZJd   Posted via email from AndyWergedal

I love Dropbox and use it everyday. 2Gb free but if you click the link you get 250mb of additional free storage  http://db.tt/DpUyZJd   Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Looking for a job can be difficult on your own. With today’s job market it can be harder than ever to find a job . Using an employment staffing company or a recruiter to help you with your job search can be vital. These options are often unknown possibilities that many people fail to take advantage of. Below we will discuss how these options can be beneficial to you. 5 Benefits of Using A Staffing Company or Recruiter

YouTube is often seen as the video site full of strange and wacky characters, up and coming musicians, comedy acts and just about anything that can be caught on film. But all the goofiness and oddness aside, YouTube can be quite helpful in your business endeavors and bring more depth to you and your employees.

Only time for a short rant today.  And I don’t want to over-do this.  But I am really now tired of getting generic invitations on LinkedIn. Really. Because it takes just a few seconds to personalize the invite.  To make me feel like you have at least tried.  And the image above is what I see every time the generic request comes in.

‘JT & Dale Talk Jobs’ is the largest nationally syndicated career advice column in the country and can be found at JTandDale.com . Dear J.T. & Dale: I’ve been on three separate interviews in the past month where the hiring manager asked me, “What’s your greatest weakness?” I didn’t get any of the jobs, and I think it’s because of the way I answered that question. I was completely honest and told them I have a low tolerance for ignorance and sometimes show my frustration when co-workers make stupid mistakes. Do you think I should answer this differently? — Rae

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By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert , Andy Robinson Managers may come up with dozens of reasons as to why they shouldn’t delegate a specific project – or at all – to their team members. Here are the eight myths about delegation: - I don’t delegate because my team can’t handle the task. In reality, the reason your team may not be able to handle the task is because you haven’t delegated it to them. Assume they will succeed and they probably will. It may be rough at first, but the more involved your employees are, the more experience they will gain and the more competent they will be.

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This a guest post by Kelli Brown. If you’d also like to guest post here on JobMob, follow these guest post guidelines . Imagine the scene: A talented, young college graduate is ready to enter today’s job market. He’s armed to the teeth with a CV chock full of great internships, excellent grades and collegiate honors, and three solid references certain to impress. Tucked under his arm is an impressive portfolio of work demonstrating that he isn’t only well-studied, but capable, too. For so many of today’s job seekers, that’s where the preparation ends. Ten years ago, it would have been enough. Today, you need a Resume 2.0. You need a web site – and specifically, you need a blog.

Many companies today promote building teams over individuals; respecting the entry-level mailroom clerk and the top salesperson equally. They consider failure the beginning not the end of developing talents and careers and that ‘Values’ are not fads. Still in other companies you will find a lack of esprit de corps where departments operate as fiefdoms and do not work in partnership with one another; where leadership is assigned not earned; where secretaries still bring their bosses coffee ala the 60’s, and where you are only as good as your last sale. This is “Company Culture”. Here is my list of tell-tail characteristics of company culture . Learn what you are getting into before you accept your next position.

Kathy Sweeney was a flight attendant for 12 years. She grew up in an aviation family; her mom flew professionally and her dad flew for pleasure. She grew up with airplanes but never had a desire to work for the airlines. However, after feeling burned out in the retail industry and having a friend recommend she give the airlines a try, she wrote a resume and landed the position out of dozens of applicants. The job she landed as a flight attendant at America West had some great travel benefits -- not only for her, but for family members and friends, as well. Sweeney's job allowed for a great deal of flexibility and the ability to start a second business (a resume writing business) while keeping her job as a flight attendant on the weekends.

By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert , Ben Eubanks Your legs wobble as you wipe a stream of sweat from your eyes. The fatigue is getting to you, and you’re almost ready to fall over before you ever reach the car. No, you didn’t complete a marathon, but you did just finish an interview. I might be exaggerating a bit, but for many of you out there, this is a feeling you’re all too familiar with.

With unemployment holding at nearly 10%, many job seekers are contemplating a career change or transition to another industry to solve their job search problems.  While the grass may look greener in other careers or industries, get the facts. For example, you may believe that the bulk of job openings are for Registered Nurses. But, according to the US Labor Market Information Center , RNs are #5 on the Most Openings – All Education Levels list. Who edged them out? Cashiers, Retail Salespersons, Waiters and Waitresses, and Customer Service Representatives.

Written for AOL Some jobs are just inherently dangerous : Window washers spend their days suspended 50 stories above ground, coal miners face risks like wall collapses, gas poisoning and explosions, and the livelihood of firefighters practically depends on the presence of dangerous conditions. Because of the occupational hazards that go along with these jobs, many of us opt for safer means of employment , where we're out of harm's way ... or so we think.

Rather than reaching for the word processing to create your resume, your first step is to pull together a full plan or strategy on your job search. Your plan needs to include these parts: 1) Get clear on 2-3 jobs/titles you are pursuing. 2) Define your criteria for a place to work that includes those jobs 3) Do research to find those companies (that meet the criteria you just developed) and if you need a refresher on the hiring criteria, go update yourself. 4) Figure out a schedule you will do your job search (and stick with it) 5) Identify 2 different search methods you will use 6) Refresh your network and then 7) Create your resume.

Wow. Put it this way: if you aren’t thinking about changing jobs (assuming you actually have a job), then you’re probably the only one in your company who isn’t.  According to Spherion , just about everybody is ready to jump ship. If you’re in the job market – this is ridiculously good news, because all that turnover will open up spots. If you’re with a recruiting agency – gird your loins. You’re about to be called to battle. If you’re in corporate recruiting? Hire some more staff. Pronto. El flood gates are about to get knocked wide open. Best get ready. via recruiter.wordpress.com Posted via email from AndyWergedal

I have noticed recently that marketing, acting, and personal branding are intertwined in many different ways. The two seemingly different careers (or strategies) embrace similar goals. All three are in the business of storytelling, true or false? 1. Marketing is an integrated process by which companies create interest in a product or service. 3. Personal branding is an integrated process by which an individual defines a unique quality and experience to build their brand.

“ For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong. ” – H L Mencken Author Byline: Resume Builder Author Website: http://resumebuildertemplate.com If you are a happy applicant, looking for your dream-job and you don’t know what to start with then this is the article for you.

Most job seekers meet somewhere between 3-5 people at their target companies during an interview process.  And that’s pretty lousy if you are interested in working for them someday.  And usually those “3-5″ were people they met once.  On interview day. Not good.  But what is the value of meeting more people?

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Here are the Top 5 This Week – @andywergedal Social Media , It is not who you know but how you know them! Are they real friends? Are they linkedin contacts that you met at a networking evert, or are they facebook friends who request that you join their mafia family? This weeks posts have a common theme,” How to use Social Media “. Andy’s Tip (same as last week): If you can’t get anyone to talk to you, buy an iPad and go sit in your local starbucks . You can start making real world friends, not just online ones.

No matter what your gender, thin is more in than ever when it comes to getting a job or a promotion. And to the relief of some and the chagrin of others, it's no longer just women who are attempting to trim the fat in their job searches. For years, females have been stuffing themselves into Spanx at Oprah's behest, in order to look slimmer and smoother. But now, when the working world is more competitive than ever, men are streamlining their look as well. Products like Spanx for Men and the Slim Suit from Mohan Custom Tailors are becoming increasingly popular, and it's not so much about looking as dapper Don Draper as it is about looking like the best candidate for the job.

By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert , Jessica Holbrook Hernandez This week we’re exploring strategies and best practices for writing cover letters. So take out your cover letter, dust it off, and let’s go. The purpose of your cover letter is not to bore the hiring manager with your entire life story, explain and justify every gap in employment, account for your career path, and so on and so forth. Your cover letter has one purpose—and one purpose only. Get the hiring manager’s attention so he reads your resume! It’s your opportunity to make a great first impression and let him know you deserve his time. Here are a few points to remember to ensure your cover letter is a success:

"Just tell us how to get a job!" you've implored us at AOL Jobs, and we listened. We're getting out the heavy artillery for you by printing the "One-Day Career Makeover" from the book ' Career Comeback--Repackage Yourself to Get the Job You Want .' It's a makeover you can give yourself at home, so it costs very little, if anything -- and you can do it no matter where you live. In just one day, it can put you head and shoulders above your competition.

Phone interviews are a lot like the kid's game Pin the Tail on the Donkey. You're blindfolded and hoping you stay on target to win the game. Interviews are tough enough in general, but on the phone, there are some unique challenges in making the right impression. And many ways to make the wrong one.

If only we had someone walking around us all the time during job search.  Someone who could chart our progress.  And keep us on the straight and narrow. This someone would have our job search objectives written in detail.  They would know our weaknesses and our strengths.  Helping us to limit the exposure of one and drive the heck out of the other.

As a globally recognized Certified Professional Resume Writer, Executive Recruiter, and founder of Haute Resume & Career Services LLC, I review hundreds of resumes each year for unemployed job seekers who’ve often spent months unsuccessfully searching for a job. Most of these costly mistakes are easily preventable when the job seeker has educated him/herself in the art of resume writing.

When networking, following up on an application, reconnecting after an interview, or for virtually any other aspect of a job search… talking to someone is always better than an email. A professional voice on the phone is much harder to ignore than one of dozens of emails. However, for most people, the majority of calls you make will initially result in leaving a voicemail than actually being able to catch someone on the phone. I recently received an email from someone asking what they can do to improve their chances of getting a call back. Good question!

It is not new news that the economy is still having trouble recovering from the worst recession in history, but The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington think tank working at the federal and state levels on fiscal policy and public programs that affect low- and moderate- income families and individuals, recently said that as many as 600,000 to 700,000 more jobs will most likely be cut in the next year. Even with the recent federal aid totaling $26 billion, it is projected that this massive sum of money infusing the economy will not save enough jobs to slow the progression and momentum of an already failing job market.

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It's 6 a.m. and you are about to throw the alarm clock out the window. It's too cold out, you're tired, you had one too many in the pub last night, you've really got to clean your flat, and, most importantly, you haven't had much time to watch your favourite TV show recently. "Just throw a sickie," you tell yourself. "They can get by for one day without me." So, in your best sick voice, you leave a near-death sounding message for your boss and throw in a cough just to make it believable.

Twitter is one of those social media sites that might surprise you. On the surface, it seems frivolous—do you really need to read all those Tweets about the smallest daily details of life? But if you dig a little deeper, you’ll realize just how powerful Twitter can be for your medical sales or health care sales career, if you learn to use it.

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Today’s guest article discusses 3 job search mistakes by former recruiter David Alan Carter. Everyone makes mistakes. That’s just part of being human. But if you’re in between jobs, you can ill afford too many of them. One little mistake here or there, and your job search can be set back weeks if not months. So, what are some of the typical mistakes that are made in a job search? Here are my top three…

Many executives share similar career paths. One of these paths involves entering a company at a job relevant to your degree or experience, and climbing your way up the corporate ladder until you’re eventually running the place. Another path involves working for many different companies for a few years at a time, while regularly being courted away with a higher salary or greater responsibilities. Both of these career paths show that you’ve got what it takes to be an executive. Whichever path your career has followed, there’s a way to write your resume to show it off.

By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert , Chrissy Scivicque If you’re considering a major career change, you may find the process a little overwhelming at first. To help organize your thoughts and feelings on the topic, ask yourself the following 15 questions.   Remember to answer thoughtfully and honestly. This is for your eyes only. Also, be sure to write your answers down. Putting abstract thoughts and feelings into words can help you identify what’s really going on and it adds a tangible element to the reflection process.

The name of this little software program might sound cheesy, but it does exactly what it says, and a lot better than you might expect. It helps you create professional business cards really quickly and easily. And it has been around for a few years/versions, so the UI is mature, stable, and elegant. And EASY.

‘JT & Dale Talk Jobs’ is the largest nationally syndicated career advice column in the country and can be found at JTandDale.com . Dear J.T. & Dale: What am I doing wrong? Everyone tells me to network in order to meet new contacts. I hear constantly from fellow job seekers that they’re having a lot of luck with LinkedIn. So, I reached out to more than a dozen people I thought would make good contacts, and got totally rejected. Not a single one responded to me. Here’s what I’ve been writing: “Dear X: I’d like to connect with you and send you my resume so I could get feedback on what’s wrong with it. I’ve been searching for a job for 12 months with no luck. Will you help me?” — Luisa

Daniel writes: I work in the IT field and am wondering how to use social networking sites to find jobs.   The Career Doctor responds: Social-media for job-seeking takes a lot of time and patience. Complete and compelling profiles are important. You also need to strike a balance between the desire the build a huge network and the need to be discriminating. Both Facebook and LinkedIn urge users to connect only with people they actually know. Some users follow those guidelines; some don’t. LinkedIn makes it especially difficult to connect with strangers. On the other hand, virtually anyone can “follow” you on Twitter (unless you have blocks in place). All three have caps on the number of people you can connect with.

Is there such a thing as automating anything?  Or, is human interaction necessary at every level? I posed those questions over dinner last week to Brandon Kennington and Matt Dotson , the two thought leaders who podcast Automate My Small Business. MATT: And you know both of us have been focused on the internet for most of the things that we’ve done, and I think it’s going to give you a really competitive advantage because I think all the internet businesses are expected to be automated. You’re expected to do all this stuff, but all the people you’re competing against in the local business – this is really foreign to them. And they probably have been around for a while, and I think you have the opportunity to have a huge competitive advantage against them. BRANDON: Yeah. Even simple marketing ideas, like adding your company to the Google maps directory – you’d be surprised how many local businesses are still not listed on the Google maps directory. These guys really ...

Matt writes: I’m a recent MBA grad, and I’ve been invited to meet with the marketing/sales manager for a company that deals with digital forensic reconstruction of accidents. I would be in charge of regional marketing and sales, mainly dealing with insurance adjusters and attorneys of the clients. Since I am going up against some people with a lot more industry experience, I wondered if you have advice for interview prep. The Career Doctor responds: Sure. Here’s a quick rundown on how to best prepare: 1. Be sure to thoroughly research the company and industry .

“ What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. ” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Author Byline:  Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM Author Website: http://jobsearchinfoexchange.com Regardless of the reason, when the shoe drops and you lose your job, its Job Search time. Whether this just happened or you have been in the job search mode for awhile, you need to be thinking ahead. Maybe the shoe has not dropped and you have more control or are taking more control over your career. You should still stay ahead in your job search and be thinking ahead.

This is a guest post by Melvin Dichoso. If you’d also like to guest post here on JobMob, follow these guest post guidelines . I know the word “ideal” varies from person to person but here in this article by saying “ideal job”, what I mean is a job that you want and you think you can enjoy. In this guest writeup, I’m going to cover up why you need to define your ideal job first and foremost and how it’s going to make your job hunting much easier.

Last week I started a new job as a marketing manager for a software company here in Austin (which I hope offers a sort of apologetic explanation for my hiatus). The first week is always a mix of excitement, bewilderment, and high anxiety. It was also a chance to practice some ethnographic techniques which I’ll explain in greater detail in an upcoming post. But as I experienced the full rush of being back in steady employment for the first time in 20 months, I was constantly reminded of this bit of conventional wisdom: Start looking for your next job as soon as you start your current job.

If you can believe the data, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, it now takes an individual on average 32 weeks to find employment versus 24 weeks in 2009. The headlines say things are getting better, but does the data lie. There is no better way to find a new job fast than to have “lucky” timing.  You can potentially turn 32 weeks into 4 weeks. Historically if the perfect job opportunity opens up, in your area of expertise, at the exact moment you are looking, and you are aware of it, you have an excellent chance of landing it.  However, given the extremely high unemployment that still persists, even this “lucky” timing may not get you the offer. So what to do?

Lizandra Vega, author of 'The Image of Success: Make a Great Impression and Land The Job You Want' After months of seeking out jobs, hundreds of revisions to your resume , and going to every networking event you can, you've finally landed an interview. After brief small talk about how bad the traffic was or how slow the elevators are, the interviewer switches gears and begins her formal line of questioning. "I see you currently work for our main competitor. What makes our company a more appealing choice for you?" It's not a difficult question to answer. But suddenly you're tongue-tied and your answer comes out as: "Well, actually, it's like, um, you know."

With the oncoming change of seasons, many of us may be considering a career change . But how do we know that it’s what we really want? And if we do, how do we go about it?

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Anyone who has been laid off from a dying industry and has been to a jobs center to look for work knows where the jobs are -- health care , education , government , the defense industry, and green jobs . The problem is figuring out how to transfer your skills to a recession-proof career and land a job. Career coach and author Jeff Cohen helps the jobless, or working people who are looking for a career change , learn how to transfer their skills to a recession-proof career in his new book, ' The Complete Idiot's Guide to Recession-Proof Careers .' Much of the 330-page book details industries and jobs that are growing, but the best parts are some of the early chapters on how to recession-proof yourself.

I review a lot of resumes. And most of them have at least one of four major problems related to content, style, and form. Does your resume fall into one or more of these categories? If so, it may be time to perform a checkup on your resume to improve the overall health of your job-search campaign.

That to which you give attention, grows. If you’re having a terrible time with your job search, you’re the reason. Those who stop reading here are especially the ones who should continue. Do any of these phrases sound familiar? • Craig’s Consulting laid off 150 consultants. Now the market is flooded. • It’s hard to find a job when the economy is so terrible. • No one is hiring me! I’ll never find a job! If you’re uttering these types of phrases, stop it. Thought precedes action precedes results. Whether you’re aware of it or not, your actions support your thoughts. Negative statements such as these perpetuate themselves unconsciously with every ensuing decision. It becomes useless to improve your resume. You disqualify yourself from ads. Your efforts become less intense. Look at what's going wrong, and if you don't know what it is - and you probably don't or it wouldn't be happening - then find someone who can tell you.

Just when you think the unemployment situation is about to improve, numbers start heading in the opposite direction of progress. Last week, for example, initial claims for state unemployment benefits jumped by 12,000 to 500,000, the highest since mid-November, according to the latest numbers from the Department of Labor. This is the fourth rise in jobless claims in the past five weeks.

Marketing has changed – permanently. The old, traditional marketing and PR methods still work, thought not entirely on their own. Enter Social Media. At first it seemed there was a stronger emphasis on ‘social’ instead of ‘media.’ But what we’ve come to learn is this – Social Media is a critical element in any company’s PR and marketing efforts. That it’s social tells us about the importance of the relationship in the business building process.

More people filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week than at any time since November, providing additional evidence that the economic recovery has stalled and turning up the reelection pressure on incumbents. Forecasters had expected the number of new weekly jobless claims to drop last week. Instead, claims jumped by 12,000 to 500,000 , the third straight weekly increase and the first time in nine months that the half-million mark has been hit. via washingtonpost.com Posted via email from AndyWergedal

April Morse was a young mother of two whose custom cabinet family business was floundering. The economy has been tough on the entire nation, but April's tiny Northern California community, Lodi, has been notorious for its lack of action ever since Credence Clearwater Revival sang, "Oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again!" It's the last place you'd expect to find a hot new product that one of America's most prominent retailers can't resist.

It’s very discouraging to send countless resumes out into the world, and hear absolutely nothing back. It’s hard not to take it personally. Yet if you talk to hiring managers about why they reject most resumes , the reasons are pretty predictable. One of the most common is that the resume shows the applicant is overqualified. In other words, they’re too good for the job! (It sounds better put that way, doesn’t it?) At the large school where my sister worked, they were looking for an office secretary. Among the applicants? A woman with a degree in marine biology! She wasn’t offered the job. My sister’s comment: “Wow, she must really have been desperate to apply for that!”

Despite being some of the brightest problem solvers walking around at many companies, IT employees often have a hard time translating their skills onto a resume.  Information technology employees sometimes assume that they can load up their resumes with technological terms and industry jargon—not realizing that the first one or two people who read that resume probably won’t understand anything it says.

Question: How does one negotiate for a job when inquiring about one without having a career? One feels vulnerable after being out of work for a long time or gaps in employment. –K- Discussing a job when you don’t have experience. First you need to make sure you are feeling confident about yourself when you discuss jobs with a potential employer.

Job interviews can be overwhelming at times. Sometimes it seems like there is so much to remember. Forgetting one important detail could be the deal breaker so it pays to be prepared. I turned to Carole Martin, the Interview Coach , for some tips on what to do before, during, and after the job interview.

As a recent college graduate, it's difficult to argue that you have more experience and knowledge than someone in their 40s or 50s. However, you may just have a case if you are talking about social media. Whether it's a small business, a non-profit or a Fortune 500 company, every organization is at a disadvantage without an effective social media strategy. As a Millennial, you should take advantage of being a member of the first generation to have Facebook and Twitter accounts!

As the driving force behind the revival of the Batman franchise and the recent blockbuster Inception , Christopher Nolan has cemented his place as a household name.  One of his most notable trademarks has been the large viral marketing campaigns for both The Dark Knight and Inception which created enormous buzz in the months leading to their respective releases.  Despite its place as a buzzword, many people have difficulty understanding what viral marketing actually is.

“The superior man is modest in his speech, but excels in his actions.” – Confucius You know the old saying – “the only thing that is constant is change” and that is exactly what the Internet is all about. Job search is no different, and the Internet helps fuel this change. It is almost the two year anniversary of CareerAlley and I’ve watched the explosion of new job search sites, the growth of technology in job search and the sharing of ideas that would not have been possible ten years ago. Today’s post is all about a “fresh look at job search”. That does not necessarily mean that each of today’s links are new to the Web (although they may be), but they do provide another view into the world of managing your job search.

“The superior man is modest in his speech, but excels in his actions.” – Confucius You know the old saying – “the only thing that is constant is change” and that is exactly what the Internet is all about. Job search is no different, and the Internet helps fuel this change. It is almost the two year anniversary of CareerAlley and I’ve watched the explosion of new job search sites, the growth of technology in job search and the sharing of ideas that would not have been possible ten years ago. Today’s post is all about a “fresh look at job search”. That does not necessarily mean that each of today’s links are new to the Web (although they may be), but they do provide another view into the world of managing your job search.

Here are the Top 5 This Week – @andywergedal Networking, Networking, Networking. It’s not what you know, it’s who! Here are a few gems to help you network and track your progress. Andy’s Tip: If you can’t get anyone to talk to you, buy an iPad and go sit in your local S tarbucks . It will take less than an hour for someone ask you about it. The Top 5 This Week

It’s probably not news to many people that there are not many “lifetime” jobs available anymore these days. My dad worked at the same company for 35 years before he retired in 1993. At the time, it wasn’t that unusual to hear similar stories as his. In the last 20 to 25 years though, even the companies considered the most stable and secure have had massive lay-offs at one point or another.

Does your application secretly have the words "overqualified," "desperate" and "likely to be bored stiff within a month" written all over it? If you are aiming too low in your job search , chances are employers will read between the lines and notice -- and move on to someone else.

The feelings older workers have about age discrimination and being condemned to joblessness isn't just in their heads. According to The Office for National Statistics (ONS), the number of older workers who have been unemployed for 12 months or more is 50 percent higher this year than it was last year and marks the biggest increase across all age groups. So is there really an "Over 50s Curse" when it comes to finding work? Is there such a thing as being too old to get a new job ?

Getting laid off is hard.  It can suck the life out of you.  Especially the first time you experience it. I’ve said getting laid-off is like experiencing a tornado .  The way it can come so randomly.  Picking folks out of the crowd and dropping them into a new unstructured world.

From blog.indeed.com July 2010 Industry Employment Trends Industry Job Postings Annual Change Accounting 125,730 11% Construction 100,136 19% Education 115,863 19% Financial Services and Banking 222,521 16% Healthcare 691,223 -2% Hospitality 90,259 34% Information Technology 299,652 32% Manufacturing 100,597 44% Media and Newspaper 40,885 40% Real Estate 26,311 8% Retail 336,880 39% Transportation 107,484 103% Be sure to check back each month for Industry Employment Trends, a leading indicator for the job market. Also, take a look at our recently updated Job Market Competition index for the latest on the number of jobs available in your area. via blog.indeed.com Posted via email from AndyWergedal

If you’re asked about your references in the job interview, do you have a few names ready? Do you know what those people would say about you if they were called? You need to know how to choose the best references, how to make sure they say fantastic, glowing things about you, and why it’s so important to the success of your job search. Many candidates hem and haw when asked about references even if they have spectacular ones. And when they’re asked what the reference will say about them, they stumble even more-because they don’t know, they’re wishy-washy. That’s unacceptable. If you’re an outstanding employee, you should have an outstanding reference. And if you don’t know what your references will say, and if you aren’t sure that they will tell the interviewer what they need to know to hire you, you need to prep your reference. Choosing a Great Reference When you are asked for your references, the interviewer wants the name and title of the person as well as what they did in ...

By CAREEREALISM.com founder, J.T. O’Donnell I’ve been in the career coaching business for 9+ years. Prior to that, I was in the HR/staffing industry. I’ve met all kinds of career coaches. Some are truly exceptional. Others are okay. Then, there are always the few who give our profession a bad name.

As you advance in your career as an executive, the number of opportunities appropriate for your skill set decreases. You know what they say: It’s lonely at the top. In order to secure an executive position that will fully utilize your talents and abilities, it’s important to have a resume that effectively markets you as a truly outstanding candidate. Some ways to distinguish yourself include: Graduate degree or continuing education Many executives have set themselves apart from the others by going back to school in order to obtain an MBA or some type of continuing education. Even if you don’t have a graduate degree, in all likelihood your company has sent you to conferences and management training seminars throughout the years; if any of that training was relevant to your career goals, it can certainly enhance your resume.

I love the concept of gardening -- connecting with the earth, the beauty of flowers and plants, the feeling of accomplishment. Sigh. If my garden had eyes, they would be rolling. If it had a mouth, it would be laughing -- or, more likely, complaining. As far as I know, there is not a Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Plants; if there was, I am certain I would be some list. My Mom, Dad, husband George, and some local kids who are saving money to by iPods have (thankfully) come to the rescue of my thirsty, rocky, and weedy garden. It looks great, no thanks to me.