Jobs Search

In the past the best way to find a job was to look up in the newspaper, in its "help wanted" section. Many people have spent hours reading these employment advertisements and most of this time was wasted. When I graduated college I spent many days searching for a job. Reading the advertisements in the newspaper didn't help me. Finally, even the thought of looking at the "help wanted" section for a local job search made me feel sick.

A large number of the positions offered in the newspaper were for waitresses and bartenders or careers requiring previous experience. I assume that many entry-level job offers never made it to the newspaper. I had a guidance counselor in college and he advised me to conduct a local job search through the campus resource center. This was a good idea, even though that it turned out to be very hard to look for local jobs when you are eighty miles away from home. Those students able to find a good job were often somehow connected to the business.

I spent quite some time sifting through the employment advertisements in the paper and I felt that it didn't matter what I knew, it only mattered who I knew. That's not the real truth, but just an excuse. I might have searched for internships not immediate employment. If I had a plan it would have been much easier. To conduct a successful local job search you should do more than reading the advertisements in the newspaper, which can only make you lose hope. One of the main disadvantages of the "help wanted" section in the newspapers is that the advertisements are quite short and superficial, so you cannot know what this employers wants in his new employee.

Imagine you'd have to change places with the employer. It is hard to employ someone only after getting their response to an advertisement. There was a dire need the local job search method be changed. Nowadays the World Wide Web offers numerous possibilities to conduct a local employment search. Now searching for a local job is much different than it used to be in the past. No matter what kind of position you might be looking for, whether entry-lever, advanced or professional, you can find it through the Internet. It only takes a few clicks before you find a local job offer that might be the right one for you.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning career. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting Local Job Search [http://www.jobscareersinfo.com/jobs--careers/employment/how-to-conduct-a-local-job-search.html]

Job

A fairly common job interview question is, "Who is your hero, and why?"

The intent of this question is to find out more about you -- your character, personality, and values. If you anticipate this question and prepare your answer in a way that shows the traits you most admire in others -- and more importantly, that you have in common with them -- you'll turn this question into another great opportunity to blast your competition out of the water!

But there's a right way, AND a wrong way to answer this question.

Here's the best way to develop your answer.

First, decide which personal traits would be best to highlight for the position. For example, if you're applying for a job as a firefighter or police officer, you'd want to highlight traits such as courage and integrity.

Here are some other traits that employers are looking for: leadership, honesty, creativity, dedication, generosity.

Next, craft your answer to include the traits you want to highlight.

Be careful about naming a celebrity, sports star or politician! Why? Because interviewers are people, and people have attitudes and biases that you'll be unaware of.

Suppose you named Lance Armstrong as your hero because of his total commitment to success and amazing ability to overcome challenges and obstacles. Most people would have no problem with that. But what if the person interviewing you is a woman who thinks Lance is a total jerk for putting his career ahead of his family and leaving his wife for a rock star? It might not be fair, but this interviewer may think you are a jerk for admiring Lance! Do you think she's going to hire a jerk?

People have opinions about people they think they know. You won't know what those opinions are. So the safest bet is to name a hero they can't possibly know or object to.

Sample Answer:

"My hero is my father. He taught me to always do the right thing; to value others and help them whenever I can; to plan ahead, work hard and do my best in any situation; to be a lifelong learner; to smile and keep a sense of humor even when things get tough; and to love, support and protect my family."

Remember, all interview questions can provide an opportunity to highlight not only your qualifications, but also your character and values. Plan ahead, give great answers, and win your dream job!

Bonnie Lowe is author of the popular Job Interview Success System and free information-packed ezine, "Career-Life Times." Find those and other powerful career-building resources and tips at her website: http://www.Best-Interview-Strategies.com

Job

It happens. You get all pumped up to look for a new job, get your resume and cover letter all spruced up and then...nothing. How do you put the excitement back in your job search?

Remember Why You're Job Hunting

It's easy to forget why you felt it was important to look for a job in the first place. You get in a 'job search grind' and can't seem to muster up the enthusiasm you had when you first started job hunting.

So how do you get some of that 'I want a better job' attitude back? Remember what you don't like about your current job. Are there specific tasks or responsibilities that you don't want in a new job? Do you want to come home energized from the day and wanting to spend some quality time with your family instead of being completely deflated and in a bad mood?

Then picture yourself in the job that you want. That you really want. Think about what you would do in a new position and how that makes you feel. Does it get your adrenaline pumping with excitement? Hold onto that feeling.

The Monday Blues

You know what I'm talking about. It's Sunday night and you get this lump in the pit in the bottom of your stomach just thinking about going to work the next morning. It doesn't have to be that way. You honestly can be in a job and career that you enjoy and believe in.

So when you feel a lack of enthusiasm for your job search, remember that you're searching for an end to the workweek dread. Life is entirely too short to have a job that leaves you feeling anxious. Get out there and find a job that makes you feel good about yourself and look forward to each new week.

Picture Your Life in a New Job

Being in a career that you enjoy can enrich your life more than you can imagine. You're healthier, your stress levels decrease and you're relationships can improve dramatically. If you're pleasant to be around, then people will be drawn to you.

Maybe money is part of your incentive of finding a new job. So you can imagine what you would do with a nice raise, incentive or bonus. Pay off some debt? Buy something you haven't been able to afford? Need to save for your kid's college tuition? Whatever the case may be, envision it and make it happen.

You know, it is the lack of career change ideas that seems to keep many would-be career changers stuck.

One of the things that clients often say to me is:

I know I want to change careers, to do something different, but I just don't know what I want to do instead.

The problem is they are stuck in a habitual pattern of boxed-in thinking that prevents them from seeing the wealth of possibilities that are out there.

Would you like some tips to help you get out of that place and to help you to generate a range of new career ideas to explore? Then read on.

Tip 1 - Forget job titles
Job titles really inhibit your thinking. If I asked you to list all the jobs you could think of, you might come up with a couple of hundred before you ran dry. In reality there are thousands of jobs out there that you would never identify under your own steam, so forget the job title and focus instead on the key themes that are important for you in a job. What do you want your dream job to involve?

Tip 2 - List what you don't want to do
This is often quite easy to do if you are in a job you hate and it can be a very useful exercise. It helps you to focus on the aspects of a job that really drive you nuts and then also identify those that are annoying in your current job but actually you'd be prepared to put up with to some degree in a different situation. When you identify something as a no-no, ask if it would always be no under all circumstances. This will help you to avoid rejecting jobs in a knee-jerk way because they share similarities with your current role.

Tip 3 - List what you think you should want to do
What do you think your career should look like? What pressure are you putting on yourself to confirm to certain benchmarks (eg I must be earning a certain salary, I should be in a professional role, it must be something that other people will respect and admire me for). Just check with yourself whose rules you are following here. Who exactly says that your career must look like this? Is this really what you want or what other people say you should aspire to?

Tip 4 - List what you would do if anything were possible
Yes, you are allowed to take the brakes off here and create a big dream. Forget the constraints you put on yourself, wherever they come from. If your fairy godmother arrived to take you to the ball, what job or career would you ask her to line up for you as part of the deal?

Tip 5 - List what you would do if you gave yourself permission to say that you want it
So often, we limit the possibilities in our lives because we just don't allow ourselves to want something. Maybe you want to earn lots of money - but that seems too greedy. Maybe you want to have an easy, quiet job - but that seems too lazy. Maybe you want to set up your own business - but you can't because you have to think about so many other people in your life first. What do you need to give yourself permission to want to do?

Tip 6 - Reinvent yourself
If you could rewind the tape on your life and re-run it, what would you do? If you could dump all the stuff, the rules, the history that you have gathered on your journey through life to this point and travel light without the baggage, where would your journey take you? What would the new you look like and what work would this new person be doing? What does this tell you about what would really inspire you?

Tip 7 - Think big and think small
Your new career does not have to be something world changing and grand. If you want to change the world, great! Go ahead and build your new career around this big vision. But if you feel drawn to operating on a more local scale, that's fine too. Small changes can be just as transforming for your career and your life as big ones, so don't be fooled into thinking that bigger is necessarily better. Career change success is about finding what feels right for you.

So take some time to think about your career change with these 7 tips in mind - and by time I mean days, weeks, maybe even months if necessary. Changing career is a big step, so allow yourself the time and space to really think it through.

And while these tips are beginning to free up your thinking about new career possibilities, I invite you to take a look around the How To Change Careers website where you will find a host of career change ideas to get you moving, and you can also download my free Career Change Blueprint http://www.how-to-change-careers.com/career-change-blueprint.html - a step-by-step guide to career change success.

From Cherry Douglas - Your Career Change Guide

Job

An individual, possessing valuable skills yet gets a job incongruous to his ability, often suffers frustration, discontentment, and lack of interest in performing his work. Because cases of job mismatching are relatively high in all regions of the world, some people have come up with the best possible solution to alleviate this depreciating social condition. Nowadays, career aptitude tests are readily available online so as to help job-seekers determine their current skills and their job inclination. A career aptitude test or assessment helps them grasp their own capabilities and facilitate them in making best career decisions.

A career aptitude test or assessment aids an individual to gain an understanding as to his or her own innate or acquired capabilities, and helps him or her recognize the best career choices which best suit his or her aptitudes. It can certainly and accurately provide blueprint for success founded on the individual's intrinsic talents or aptitudes. Some of these tests help you find out your personality type and help you concentrate on careers which are best suited for your personality traits. These tests are usually utilized to appraise ability in certain skills. They certainly try to unearth the kinds of jobs that would utterly pique your interest and would definitely make you highly motivated.

If a subject matter interests you, it is most expected that you will advance it with the essential skills in order to make it into a lucrative career. Such career aptitude tests find for areas of your preference and match them to careers where they can be further ameliorated and advanced. Indeed, it can be instrumental while creating a changeover from one line of work to another. Today, career aptitude tests are being customarily utilized to provide for a better match of the abilities of job-seekers to job requirements.

One should therefore take a look as to how these tests can help in making an informed choice of career. Try taking up more than a couple of career aptitude tests or assessments and then make a comparison of the results. They will indeed help you acquire a wider perspective of your innate skills. Various questionnaires can totally aid you with alternate views. It will set the course for introspection.

Now all you need to do is to search for dependable tests which are based on psychometric knowledge. In totality, career aptitude tests are in naturally broad-spectrum and do not put forward personalized career strategies. Aside from career aptitude tests, one can also seek the aid of a career counselor. But generally speaking, both the career counselor and online or offline career aptitude tests will effectively help you in narrowing down the range of career choices that might be suitable for you.

So always remember the saying by the wise men that "only fools rush in", so never rush into looking for a job without knowing first the skills that you have as of the time being. If you want to become successful, then try to follow the discussion above as it is heavily based on reliable information and facts.

If you're now looking for a job that best suits you, you should need to take the online iq test. This will also help you determine your current emotional intelligence.

Job

Accounting is known to be the study of how businesses keep track of their income and assets over a period of time. There are a lot of things one can learn from a career in accounting. One of the most important lessons is learning how businesses work. To point out, one of the many successful businessmen were previously accountants who decided to work their way in business. Why? It is because accounting is the language of business. Accounting is the system, which quantifies business activities, transforms information into reports and communicates the output to top level management. So, here are some of the career options in accounting.

Public Practice. One may start his or her career in accounting as a public accountant. These are accountants who render services with a fee as well as staff accountants employed by them. Public accountants coordinate or work in partnerships, which offer their accounting services to individuals, businesses and governments. However, one should be a certified public accountant to be able to practice individually or as members of public accounting firms. The work of public accountants includes auditing, taxation and management advisory services. It should be noted that public accounting has been the frequently traveled path of most accountants as it provides excellent opportunities to achieve business experiences, which are multifaceted.

Education. Accountants may also be hired as researchers, professors or reviewers. These people make sure that there is continued development of the profession through making an effort to clear out and face emerging issues by doing research and distribute the obtained results to all.

Commerce and Industry. Any corporation whether big or small has an accounting group. The accounting group organizes and prepares financial statements; keeps track of costs, takes care of tax issues and works on international transactions. Over time in practicing accounting, one may be hired as vice presidents for the finance department. They could also be hired as chief accountants, cost accountants, internal auditor or budget officer. The responsibilities and the scope of the activities within this field of accounting vary widely dependent on the size of the company and the level of position.

Government Service. Accountants in the government service either work at the local or state level or the federal level. Government accountant manage and put together budgets, keep track of government costs and analyze programs of the government. Their work can improve the conditions of the public. However, there is higher tendency for it to be political; thus, their work is subject to bureaucratic impediment. The work of government accountants is very crucial. It is in government accounting that provides great development to a lot of organizations to controller and most probably to higher administrative positions. Government accountants are largely employed at the federal level. These include the Department of Defense, the General Accounting Office as well as the Internal Revenue Service.

So, there you go. Those were some of the myriad opportunities in the accounting profession. But one must always remember that success is not always attached to the accounting profession. If one wishes to attain success, one must work hard for it.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Accounting

Job

At the outset, lets accept that there is no such thing as an ideal candidate, and there is no employer who is ideal for everyone. Still, every time we see someone change his or her career or make an upward move, we say or at least think that he/she is brilliant and was the ideal candidate for the position and that the company is lucky to have hired him or her.
But did the candidate really get lucky, or were they just smart?

Is Career Networking So Important?

Don not have an iota of doubt about this in your mind: networking plays an important role in career moves. Despite having reasonably strong work experience and skills, lacking in networking abilities could jettison your chances in finding a good job. Your networking contacts can help you beat the competition and open the door to mostly unadvertised job openings through referrals. That the "Wall Street Journal" claimed a couple of years ago that 94% of successful job seekers claimed that networking had made all the difference for them' should go on to prove the point.

Lets take a hypothetical case of a person in her middle age attempting a career change. The point of contention is not whether or not that person got a raise or a promotion. That worker was traveling to her job a distance of 12 miles every day for the last twelve years and she was beginning to develop frustrations about the employers and her job. However, she could not afford to just quit. She watched the classifieds of local newspapers and lodged her resumes with dozens of recruiters. She knew there were some companies closer to home, but she had been told that there were no vacancies that matched her job profile.

On a Sunday Mass at the local Church she bumped into her childhood friend. Sometime after a friendly exchange, the conversation tuned to her job situation. It turned out that her friend was working in one of those companies and she knew of one vacancy where she could fit in. What followed next is not of importance but this lady got a job at the company where she wanted to work.

In this day and age, savvy career networking is a must. By growing your network, you will have not only expanded your circle of friends but also work acquaintances who may be able to help you open new doors when you finally decide to change jobs or careers.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions Six Sigma Online ( http://www.sixsigmaonline.org ) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Job

Importance of Career Objectives
Companies adapt operating models to achieve pre-defined targets and objectives. It is also crucial for companies to plan for the future by benchmarking employee performance, developing skills, managing talent and succession planning.

Good employers usually provide the necessary infrastructure for encouraging individuals to train, develop and progress in their careers, but much of the emphasis and hard work has to come from employees themselves. This facilitates the need for individuals to plan their careers by establishing a clear career path and an effective strategy. A fundamental part of creating a career plan is having a strategic vision or target role. A career objective is essentially a clear statement of intent for reaching the vision or target job role.

'SMART' components...
Specific: A clearly defined target role. Candidates need to be focused on achieving a specific job role or attaining a level of progression. Maintaining a clear focus on the overall objective is important, though career objectives may change slightly over time.

Measurable: Candidates must be able to monitor progress effectively by benchmarking performance against pre-defined criteria. For many, this is often done through performance reviews with line management. More senior career-minded professionals may use career mentors to outline stages of progression and evaluate performance against set objectives.

Achievable: They must be realistically achievable with clearly defined stages of progression. Objectives and action plans can be set at each stage of progression. Unrealistic objectives can be de-motivating, unhelpful and will ultimately lead to a sense of failure. More important objectives maybe harder to achieve and will generally take longer.

Relevant: Career objectives must have a clear context by being relevant to current situations, intended career path and aligned to a planned strategy. A relevant objective gives clear sense of direction and additional focus.

Time Focused: Specifying timescales and deadlines are important otherwise career objectives may never be met. Effective career plans should have clearly defined time periods. A well-structured plan with realistic timescales ensures a sense of urgency and purpose.

Objectives and Career Progression
Successful career progression is often based around an effective and well-structured career plan. Achieving the overall career objective should be the final outcome of any career plan.

Career plans should be flexible enough to take into account the need to improve skills, take on board additional training, projects and development as well as fitting in the necessary time and commitment to drive forward and meet desired objectives. A skills and gap analysis is often required to identify areas of weakness to work on ready for achieving progression. Career progression should be the deserved outcome of any personal and professional improvement activities.

Measurement of Success
Reaching or exceeding career objectives should give an important sense of achievement. The stakes get higher as people progress through organisations with increased management, budgetary and staffing responsibilities. Rewards can also be reaped through a higher salary, additional benefits and a higher professional profile within the company. At higher levels, further professional recognition can be gained through companies looking to headhunt for particular skills and experience.

Setting Objectives
Career objectives never be determined in isolation. They should always be openly discussed and periodically reviewed to ensure they remain 'SMART' and ultimately successful. Objectives should be written down, clarified and clearly aligned to any career plan.

Getting a second opinion through a line manager, career mentor or another career-minded professional always helps to gain a different perspective, resolve any oversights and allows for career plans to be structured effectively. Very often career mentors and line management will have established processes and resources to help people set career objectives and determine viable career plans.

Selling Objectives
Getting across career objectives is important. Conveying career objectives to line management will help in the creation of future development plans and a career path may result. Selling career objectives to prospective employers is also important, as this can show ambition, drive and focus when selecting candidates for job interview. Objectives should therefore be clearly mentioned in a CV or marketing document.

CV Writing and Career Objectives
A career objective in a CV is crucial because it tells recruiters exactly what the candidate is after. It focuses the CV towards a specific job role. Many candidates fail to state what they want and so come across as rather vague. A clear, specific and carefully targeted career goal shows a statement of clear intent. This often reassures the recruiter that the candidate really wants the job, is focused on a particular career path and makes for a stronger application.

In Conclusion
Career objectives carry much weight in terms of defining a career path, a vision and motivation for success. Good objectives will be easier to follow and understand if they are SMART - specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time focused. Objectives may evolve and change over time but must always form part of a wider career plan.

Job

Throughout my fourteen year pharmaceutical career, I've met quite a few nurses who wanted to leave nursing for other careers. They were tired of the long shift hours and having to work overnight shifts as well. Some were also tired of having to physically move patients around. One even injured her back doing just that and had to take a medical leave for rehabilitation. There are also the politics involved in the hospitals that many nurses have grown tired of.

Some of these nurses asked me about the possibility of becoming drug reps in pharmaceutical sales after being exposed to the industry while at the hospitals. Well it turns out that a career move from nursing to a medical sales job is quite a natural one. I've known many drug reps, some even under my own direct management, who were in fact, former nurses.

Nurses who want to become pharmaceutical sales representatives have quite a lot of advantages compared to candidates who have never worked in the health care fields before. Nurses are already knowledgeable in physiology, anatomy and how typical medical environments such as hospitals work.

There are many perks and benefits when working as a drug rep in the pharmaceutical industry. Salaries and bonuses could amount to six figures for high achievers and there is the use of a company car. Corporate expense accounts are also available for business entertaining. There are also the travel opportunities that are paid for by the company as many sales meetings as well as medical conventions are often located at nice places.

Being a pharmaceutical sales representative also means that there is a lot of freedom and independence with the job as fixed working shifts are no longer the way for a drug rep. Even better is that for 95% of the time, there is no boss to look over your shoulder while on the job.

Although nursing does have its rewards since the job involves helping patients, being a drug rep can also have similar satisfaction. The field involves working with medical professionals to bring them useful products that will greatly benefit their patients. So even though there's a career change, nurses who end up being drug reps with pharmaceutical sales forces can still be considered as part of the overall health care team since they are playing an important role in helping patients.

Clint Cora is the author of the book "How To Get A Dream Job In Pharmaceutical Sales - Direct Inside Advice and Guidance from a Sales Manager". He is a former pharmaceutical sales manager and executive. More information about pharmaceutical medical sales jobs can be found at http://www.GetPharmaceuticalSalesJob.com

Job

Are you full of questions on how to apply for jobs at Bob Evans? Do you want to know about company history, work schedules, job requirements and duties, benefits, and where to apply? If so, you're in the right place.

Bob Evans is a chain of restaurants that has had heavy influence throughout the United States. The restaurant chain can be found on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the call sign BOBE and earns annual revenues of around $1 billion. Employing more than 40,000 workers in various capacities, Bob Evans is hiring locally all the time. No matter where you live, there are always going to be employment options.

Select locations are looking to hire new associates in the following restaurant jobs:

• Server - As part of the wait staff at a Bob Evans restaurant, it will be your responsibility to seat customers, take orders, deliver drinks and meals, and bus tables. You will also need to be able to communicate well with the kitchen staff. Other than these qualifications, the job is entry-level, and you only need to be 16 or older to apply. Pay for a server is slightly under minimum wage, between $3 and $4 an hour, but does not include the tips that all servers earn for every table.


• Kitchen Staff - Working at a restaurant like Bob Evans, you're bound to find a kitchen staff separate from the servers. These workers handle everything from making the food to cleaning the dishes. Dishwasher is an entry-level job at Bob Evans and usually only requires applicants to be 16 or older to apply. It pays minimum wage to around $9 an hour. Higher up, there are cooks who usually started out as prep cooks elsewhere or part of the general kitchen staff. Therefore, these employees need a little experience, but are also paid between $9 and $11 an hour.


• Management - On the management side of things, Bob Evans employs workers as kitchen managers, assistant managers, and general restaurant managers. As with any other management job, your duties will include scheduling workers, coordinating with corporate and the rest of the staff, keeping the store running, and training new hires. Kitchen managers only handle the associates who work in the kitchen while assistant managers work with the whole restaurants under the restaurant general manager. Kitchen managers require less experience and are usually paid around $30,000 a year. Assistant managers earn slightly more than that. General managers require experience within the company or management, must be at least 18 years old, and hold a high school diploma or higher. This position is salaried and makes between $40,000 and $60,000 per year.

Bob Evans offers its employees a basket of benefits beyond normal pay. Restaurant managers are well-compensated for their full-time employment. These employees receive scheduling flexibility, a retirement plan, comprehensive medical coverage, life insurance, paid training, and more. To find out what's waiting, you'll just have to apply online with Bob Evans.

Looking for the Bob Evans Job Application? Check out Job-Applications.com and apply for a job today.

At Job-Applications.com, you can begin your job search today and apply for a job at hundreds of great companies.

Job

If finding a job hasn't been something you focused on until recently there's a chance that you could make a mistake in your job search. It's easy to overlook little details when learning anything. But when you make a mistake while searching for a job, you could lose your chance to have a job. Here are seven things to keep in mind as you look for a job.

1. 
   Have reliable contact information. Make sure the phone number on your resume is correct. Check your voicemail message to make sure it's professional sounding. And use a professional looking email address.


2. 
   Make sure your resume is outstanding. There little room for error when searching for a job. Does your resume communicate everything a potential employer needs to know?


3. 
   Make sure your resume is current. Don't just dust off your last resume. Consider starting from scratch and write a new one. Styles may have changed since you last used your resume.


4. 
   Make sure your resume is targeted to each job. Every resume you send out should be written for the specific job you're applying for.


5. 
   Network. Make sure you're on LinkedIn and start making connections. Check your Facebook profile to make sure it looks good. That's the easy part. Next, join some real world groups like Toastmasters and any industry specific group in your area.


6. 
   Have references ready. Let your usual references know that you're looking for a job and that they may be getting calls soon. Tell them over lunch. Be sure to pick up the check.


7. 
   Prepare for a job interview. Don't just practice interview questions and answers. Check your wardrobe and have one or two sets of clothes for interviews. Have hard copies of your resume and reference sheet ready to go.

It's not easy finding a job. Keep these tips in mind as you search and you'll keep the mistakes to a minimum and find a job fast.

Do you send out bad cover letters and resumes over and over again? That action will get you nowhere. A bad resume will keep you in the unemployment line or in a bad job. You need a great resume and cover letter to get a job interview. Do you have a great resume? Do you need one? You can write a resume and cover letter that will make the phone ring. Watch my video Let's Talk About Resumes at http://www.yourresumehelper.com and find out what I think when I read resumes from people looking for a job. Or visit http://www.fastresumetips.info to find out how to quickly create a winning resume.

Job

It is very easy when you are feeling fed up and frustrated at work to think that the only solution is a new job or career. Maybe you have been in this job for a long time and it is getting stale. Perhaps the management has changed and with it the pleasant working atmosphere you used to enjoy?

But particularly in these uncertain times, it pays to look before you leap. Ask yourself these 10 career change questions before you decide that the only solution is a change of career direction.

1. What is good about your current job?

No job is all bad. Remind yourself of the good bits - there are bound to be some. Are you forgetting these because of a particular problem somewhere in the job?

2. What brought you into this job in the first place?

You must have wanted this job once upon a time. Revisit the motivation that drew you in at the beginning. Does this still apply? Has your motivation changed so dramatically that this job no longer fits the bill?

3. What is bad about the job?

Make an honest list. What is it about the job that gets you down? If you take time to write these things down you may find that one or two aspects have got blown out of proportion.

4. What are the people like - your colleagues, managers and clients?

The people around you will have a big impact on your work satisfaction. Is there one problem person who is spoiling things for you? Are your colleagues great but the customers a pain? Or is it just a new manager who has made things difficult for you?

5. What is the organisational culture like?

Companies have a very particular feel about them. This can depend on the size of the firm or on the general purpose. Are they very high pressure and competitive or too slow and laid back for your taste? If your values do not align with the company ethos, it can leave you feeling very uncomfortable.

6. What is the location like - nice area, nice office?

Sometimes you will find that you are tempted to stay by the pleasant working environment you find yourself in. Nice view, smart office and so on. But this will not be enough if the work is boring or overwhelming. How important are these factors to you?

7. What is your journey to work like?

Commuting can be such a nightmare. It can add hours to your working day and be such a scramble that you arrive at work exhausted. Are there alternative routes you could travel? Could you negotiate a day a week working from home? If your commute is very stressful, it may be time to look for work closer to home.

8. What is the range of tasks and responsibilities like?

Are you overwhelmed with work or bored with not enough to do? Have you been given more and more responsibilities so that you can't see any prospect of getting on top of it all? Are you being asked to do more than you are trained or qualified to do or are you being underused?

9. What are your typical working hours like?

Is the suggestion that your hours are 9 - 5 a joke? Are you expected to stay late or take work home on a regular basis? Are you having to work shifts that play havoc with your social life? Or maybe shifts actually suit you because they give you flexibility?

10. What are your longer term prospects like?

Can you see any possibility of promotion or a sideways move within your company that could improve your situation? Have you asked? Are you stuck in a tiny firm where the only way up is out? Is promotion important to you or are you happy to stay at the same level, doing work you feel you can manage without too much stress?

And one more for luck - Are you paid enough to make the hassle worthwhile?

Money is not everything. It can help ease the pain of a stressful or boring job, but if the hours are long, are you actually getting the time to enjoy the fruits of your labour?

These questions should give you plenty to think about. If you can find enough that is positive about your job, you may decide to stay put for now. On the other hand, if you come up with long list of negatives and very few positives, perhaps you really should start looking, recession or no recession. How much of your life are you going to fritter away in a job that is driving you quietly round the bend?

If you decide the time has come to make a move, but you don't know where to begin, then I invite you to visit the How To Change Careers website, where you will find lots of advice and suggestions on career change. You can also pick up a copy of my free Career Change Blueprint which will give you the 5 essential steps to career change success.

From Cherry Douglas - Your Career Change Guide

Job

There is a broad range of careers that you can pursue with a background in education, many of which you may never have thought of. You can use your teaching skills for career opportunities in higher education, childcare administration, publishing, information science, journalism, sales, marketing, human resources and much more. And this is by no means an exhaustive list; this is just the tip of the iceberg. And it stands to reason that if you can wrangle a gaggle of kindergartners, seventh-graders or first-year college students, you have many of the skills necessary to manage employees in various settings.

Let's take a closer look at a few of the career options mentioned above to get you thinking in some broadening directions:

Higher Education

Do you feel drawn to the world of academia and higher education? Educators and teachers are able to transition with relative ease into jobs in higher ed- college administration, student affairs, curriculum development, alumni relations and development, human resources, you name it. Having a master's degree in education as your foundation, your teacher skills are quite transferable in the higher education workplace, both in faculty and administration. You can work toward becoming a professor, perhaps a dean of a department, a director of financial aid; the possibilities are endless. The Chronicle of Higher Education, the go-to publication for Higher Education professionals, can better help you get a grip on the ins and outs of academia.

Curriculum Specialist / Instructional Coordinator

As a teacher, you've probably been (or will soon be) intimately involved in planning, preparing coursework and developing syllabi for your classes. If you enjoy that aspect of teaching and want to shape the student learning process on a grander scale, think about becoming an instructional coordinator, or curriculum specialist. You'll train other teachers, choose textbooks, coordinate the implementation of technology, evaluate existing programs for suitability and success or even develop a unique curriculum to be used by teachers. This is an exciting and creative field, and for many, as rewarding as teaching.

Information Science

As a direct result of the digital revolution, information science is one of the most exciting fields emerging today. Information scientists attend to how people present, access and use information of all kinds. The amount of data and information available is ever expanding, and is increasing across fields and contexts-from the natural and social sciences, to the humanities, to private and public sectors alike. Educators play an important role in how this information is presented and how we access it. Digital libraries, websites, blogs and all types of online user services are emerging that rely on knowing how a person learns and accesses information, and how others respond to it. Opportunities in new media, online publishing and distance education-just to name a few-abound for students trained in educational practice and theory.

Human Resources

Do you enjoy forging professional relationships and team building? You may want to consider human resources development, perhaps as a personnel or labor relations specialist. Human resources, as a job field, is ever-evolving-pulling together elements of psychology, management, financial planning, economy and development to help steer and guide a company toward shared goals. While it's true that human resources professionals are commonly thought of as bridges between the management and workforce, it can be so much more. So do some investigating yourself; check out this broad and informative overview of careers in human resources, training and labor relations management.

Museum Curator

Are museums your cup of tea? They often employ those with education degrees as archivists, curators and technicians. Museum jobs offer an educational and fascinating alternative to the classroom. An archivist will research, classify and catalog information of all types-photos, news articles, film, video and sound recordings, letters, books and all manner of electronic data. A curator, on the other hand, is more likely to deal with tangible items-art, collectibles, historic objects, bits of nature-and coordinate displays or programs for the public. Museums are the educational cornerstones to our past and future, and museums are always in need of emerging professionals, so check out the American Association of Museums career page to learn more.

You've just had a look at a very small slice of the career options available to those with master's and professional degrees in education. With the ways in which we interact, learn and work changing so rapidly, entire industries are being built around emerging technologies and new economies. Perhaps the wheels have started turning for you and you've begun to realize that a master's degree in education is in no way a limitation on your career options, but instead can prepare you for a whole world of exciting work opportunities. Do your own research, delve deep into your own interests-work will never feel like work as long as you're doing what you love.

http://www.gradschools.com

Job

How about that Robert Wright? He got more than $15.6 million in compensation from General Electric in 2006, including $520,291 in above-market earnings on an employee salary deferral plan.

But if you're thinking about a job change - regardless of whether you're after a payday like Robert Wright's - money's still something to consider. And until recently, I thought Salary.com was the only game in town when it comes to doing research on salary rates.

Turns out I was wrong. One source is collecting salary information direct from industry sources - even if they're making it not so easy to find on their website. It's CareerJournal.com, and they go deep into the executive levels in a number of fields, including:

* Accounting
* Advertising/Public Relations
* Aerospace & Airlines
* Banking
* College Administration/Academia
* Computers, IT & Internet
* Construction and Architecture
* Consulting
* Corporate Finance
* Energy & Utilities
* Engineers
* Financial Services/Insurance
* Food Marketing & Processing
* Health
* Hotel, Restaurant, Leisure
* HR & Executive Recruiters
* Law
* Librarians
* Manufacturing
* Media/Journalism
* Nonprofits
* Pharmaceuticals
* Real Estate
* Retailing
* Sales/Marketing
* Senior Executives
* Telecommunications

What's more, they break those industries up into dozens of subcategories, so you're bound to find the level of detail you're looking for.

Why go to the trouble? Three reasons:

1. Planning. If you're going to make a change in your executive career, make it an informed one. Don't make a leap to a new industry until you have a firm grasp on what it could do to the rest of your life.

2. Targeting. You want to go for the right position - one that matches your interests as well as your monetary desires (should that be a factor for you - it's not always in the top three reasons for executives deciding to switch jobs).

3. Negotiation. If the recruiter you hook up with matches you with an employer who makes an offer, your research will give you a better idea of how good the offer is - and whether to take it, negotiate it, or pass on it.

So check it out, and while you're at it, check out this other salary source, ExecutiveDisclosure.com. They tout their free site as an "online database that provides compensation data for officers and directors of publicly traded companies."

I've got no loyalty or ties to any of these salary source sites - just a desire to make resources like these available. Which one helps you best is going to depend on your own personal situation.

My advice? Check 'em all out!

Allen Voivod is the Chief Blogger for ResumeMachine.com, the leading resume distribution resource for managers, executives, and professionals looking to accelerate their job search results. Get the attention of thousands of hiring agents with the largest and most frequently updated recruiter database on the web, and dive into a wealth of immediately useful career articles and blog posts - all at http://www.ResumeMachine.com

Job

If you are a recent graduate of a nursing program you may be somewhat overwhelmed by all of the possibilities ahead. It is important for you to understand exactly where your career can go, and where you need to start to get there. Looking into new graduate RN jobs will help you to understand where you can get your feet wet and where you can get started on your exciting and future career.

There are a couple of different entry level positions that a registered nurse can take once they have graduated from their program and passed their NCLEX-RN exam. Some choose to take on a nursing assistant job, hoping to gain more information by assisting one of the nurses in the hospital. This is generally an entry level job for those who have only completed 2 years of a nursing program, however, and is somewhat below the entry level jobs available to RNs.

Most new registered nurses are going to take full time positions as a nurse in a hospital setting or physician's office. These nurses will have different duties based on their skill level and their experience. This means that new graduates are probably going to take the more basic nursing jobs that feature more basic requirements. These nurses will be expected to take vital signs and record patient information. Beyond that, the job depends on the place of employment.

Some hospitals and offices will rely on new graduate RNs to administer medication to patients. Others will ask them to speak with patients about their medication, and about the issues they face. They will work with the patients and help them to understand their dietary and exercise requirements or restrictions due to their injury, illness, or medication they will be taking. Other hospitals and offices are going to rely on their nurses for more clerical work. New nurses are often put in a job that mixes clerical work with nursing duties. The offices and hospitals do rely on these nurses in emergencies or during packed hours, however, giving these nurses the hands-on action they have been looking for.

New Graduate RN jobs are available, and will pay well. Nurses will make, on average, $62,000 per year. Entry level nurses may see starting salaries around the $40,000 or $50,000 mark, but will see raises and increased wages at a fairly rapid rate.

Despite the poor job market, the nursing field is booming. New graduates can expect to find a wealth of jobs as they enter the job market. The nursing industry is expected to grow by over 20 percent over the next ten years. This number is roughly estimated at 500,000 jobs, opening up a job market for any interested parties. Most nurses will work in physician's offices or take on jobs in home health care services. Those who are interested in working in hospitals should know that the number of job opening for hospitals is expected to slow. With that being said, new graduate RN jobs will grow in all fields, giving recent grads an opportunity to jump into their career.

The career of a Registered Nurse is very rewarding and after you finish your training, you'll discover that there are many new graduate RN jobs to choose from. Learn how to search for and find these jobs.

If you're just getting started on your career path to becoming an RN, let us help you find local schools for getting the training you need today. Compare schools and find the right one for you.

Job

National unemployment fluctuates between nine and 10 percent. Fewer employers have job openings, and for those advertised, the standards are far higher than in the past. Job seekers - those unemployed and the employed looking to change workplaces - face many obstacles, and one small mistake removes you from the applicant pool. As the first step to employment involves creating a resume and cover letter and sending it to a potential employer, all documents must make a solid first impression. If you are unsure of yourself, however, professional resume writing services may benefit your job search.

Resume writing services address your job search documents from one of two angles: an existing resume can be edited or a new one can be created. A job seeker writing his or her own resume may miss some points, and these overlooked aspects, from a misplaced comma to job descriptions focusing more on skills, can prevent your resume from being forwarded. A resume writer, when creating or editing, makes sure all statements are grammatically correct and that the documents produced follow current employment trends.

Before you speak with a professional resume writing company, be prepared with the information, from past positions to notable achievements, you want included in a resume and cover letter. A writer or another individual discusses these aspects with you and, after a few days, produces a document. Customers may not be satisfied with the documents the first time, and reputable resume writing services offer rewrites and edits.

Although advanced and executive professionals may appear career confident, professional resume writing services are designed to help everyone. The entry-level professional, for example, has typically finished college and has done one or two internships. He or she may have no full-time work experience, and a professional resume writer takes these skills and crafts a document relevant to a job search. Mid-career and advanced professionals, with a few years or more in the workplace, need to adjust and tune up their resumes on occasion, and contacting a professional resume service makes all materials up-to-date with experience and present trends for job searching.

Job

When considering your job search options, you might choose to work with third-party recruiters and staffing firms. There are four main ways to work with recruiters and staffing firms: contract, temporary, temporary-to-hire and direct hire. Each option has its pros and cons, and some can even be combined during a job search. I would advise that you ask yourself which option or combination of options might work best for you and then factor that into your strategy.

Below are summaries of each option along with their pros and cons:

Contract
Contract employment is usually described as a long-term, project-based job during which you use professional-level skills. Projects can be short term or long term, and you are either self employed as a consultant or employed/paid by a third-party firm.

Why do it?
- Contract jobs usually offer excellent wages.

- Contract jobs offer freedom and variety to move from place to place, company to company, and/or project to project, adding skills and interest to your career.

The flipside
- There's a certain lack of stability, so the contractor's lifestyle may be better suited to a risk-taker type of personality.

- It is uncommon for contractors to be offered benefits, so costs may offset the relatively higher wages if you plan to secure self-funded benefits.

Temporary
Temporary assignments can vary in length - from a day or two (e.g. while an employee is out sick, is out training, etc.) to several months (e.g. while an employee is on medical leave). Often, but not always, temporary assignments entail duties requiring lighter skills, especially the short-term ones. Many people refer to temporary jobs as "transitional" jobs, but I've met a few professional temporary employees over the years. These types of workers usually have other interests such as acting and music, so being non-committed to a traditional employer suits them.

Why do it?
- Temporary jobs fill the gap in between employment and can help provide some income when you need it.

- You can keep your skills up-to-date and just maybe even add new ones.

- Temporary assignments can sometimes open doors. Through networking with those you encounter on assignments, you might hear about a great job opening inside or outside the company.

- Temporary work can be used as a path of exploration into new industries and new career possibilities, especially if you're fresh out of school or have just moved into town.

The flipside
- It does take a commitment of time away from a full-time job search, so you might want to use temporary work as a last resource.

- Sometimes assignments end abruptly, and this can be disconcerting to a "Steady Eddie" type personality - someone who likes to know where the work is coming from tomorrow.

- Wages are often lower because the tasks tend to be entry-level.

- If you are receiving unemployment benefits, you will want to find out what your state agency's rules are about temporary employment income, and you will need to find out how the staffing firm reports information about your employment status to your state agency.

Temporary-to-Hire
The temporary-to-hire option allows a company and a job candidate to go through a third-party during a designated assessment period. Sometimes the trial period is an economic choice for the company, but more often the trial is used to be sure the employer/employee match is a good one before a commitment to hire and acceptance of employment is finalized.

Why do it?
- While they are evaluating you, you can be evaluating them. Do they offer what you want? Do they meet your top priorities as an employer?

- If the staffing firm has a strong relationship with the hiring company, they should be able to give you insight and feedback during the selection and hiring process. Should things not work out, technically you would still be employed by the staffing firm and wouldn't have to show a possible short-term disaster on your resume.

The flipside
- Check out the benefits situation - does the staffing firm offer anything while you are their payroll? Also, when you are hired by the company, how long do you have to wait to qualify for their benefits? The time you're temporary probably won't count toward that period.

- Even though many temporary-to-hire positions start out as temporary and evolve to temporary-to-hire status, most temporary-to-hire jobs requires a fresh interview process. Sometimes, because of the possibility of a trail period, both you and the hiring manager might chance a less thorough interview and selection process. This increases the risk factor of a mismatch.

- Be clear about this point - are you expected to stop your job search and will the employer stop their candidate search when you start working for them during the trial period?

Direct Hire
Executive search firms, third-party recruiters and most staffing firms offer the option of presenting you for regular positions with their clients. It is called direct hire because the hiring company does not request that you go though the payroll of a third party but, rather, hires you directly as staff. Most recruiters are paid on a contingency basis - when they make the placement, they are paid - while others work on a retainer basis. Either way, their primary commitment is to the company who has engaged them for the search. However, if you spend the time to develop this relationship, you might just find that a seasoned recruiter can become a long-term advocate and coach for you - someone who can be there as your career develops and it's time to make further job advancements.

Why do it?
- A good recruiter will represent you and "sell" your candidacy well and will have both a trained as well as innate sense of matching you to available opportunities. He or she will also likely have the edge of an established relationship with the hiring authority, allowing him or her to be able to persuade the hiring company to interview you better than your cover letter ever could.

- Since there's a good chance a recruiter will know his or her client well, you'll receive extra guidance you wouldn't otherwise have interviewing on your own. He or she should give you insight to the company's culture, tell you about the hiring manager's interview style, and assist with salary negotiation.

The flipside
- Third-party involvement can be frustrating at times when the company uses the recruiter as a buffer to protect themselves from direct contact. Some go-getter type personalities might find it tedious to work through someone else.

- Clarify your obligation to go through the third party for future employment by the hiring company because most recruiters and firms have contractual terms governing this area. You might not be able to be hired directly without the third party's involvement for a period of time after having already been presented by a third party to that company.

Foot in the Door
No matter which way you decide to go, remember that when you engage with third-party recruiters and representatives at staffing firms you should develop the relationship just as you would with any person in your network. It could very well be beneficial to your career because they have a foot inside many doors that you might like to walk through. Applying to work with a staffing firm could be like applying with 50 companies at once.

Angela Loëb is a published author, speaker and career/personal development consultant who facilitates workshops and works with individuals one-on-one. She's been dedicated to helping people bring who they are to what they do for two decades. She's written hundreds of articles and co-hosts an internet radio show. In addition to owning her own firm, InSync Resources, she is a partner at Great Occupations. Learn more at http://www.insyncresources.com

Job

I think I am going to aim for a career in baseball.

I've been thinking recently about my career path and what direction I should take. And a baseball job seems to now be stuck in my mind. I love the game, and if I was able to work in the baseball industry, I cannot ever imagine getting bored.

I wonder if it was this hard back in my father's day to decide on a career direction. It seems that in today's world the choices available now are so many and varied - it's been hard to know where to start.

I began by making a list of all the things that interest me in life. I listed where I spend my time, where my mind is mostly focused, what I am happy spending money on and what my friends and I most frequently talk about. And on my list - baseball was the common theme. So it seemed obvious that I should narrow my search down to a career somewhere in the baseball industry.

What amazes me now is just how many different types of baseball jobs there are. Certainly I don't have the skills to be a player, and without serious player skills I don't see myself as being worthy of a baseball coaching role either.

But after having a session with a baseball counselor, I really can now see myself working in ticket sales, maybe sponsorship sales and even perhaps later getting involved in endorsements and management. The irony of seeing the counselor is that counseling is in fact the baseball job I want most of all.

So I am now mapping out my career path with certain stepping-stones along the way which all together will build up my skills and experience - to be a better counselor. I've decided to get involved with the field crew and at the operational level where I will be close to the action and on the inside. And then from the inside seek out the right opportunities to broaden my experience.

I can see that after then, within a few years, I can gravitate toward player development and counseling. And later in life, perhaps then I will get more hands on with sponsorship sales and endorsement management.

What was confusion to me is now an exciting future outlook. I really do feel happy and excited now, and I am very much looking forward to a career in baseball.

Phil Jarvie is a professional forex day trader, author and SEO Professional. If you are interested in a career in baseball, please visit Baseball Jobs

Job

This question deals with an issue that is on just about everyone's mind these days: job security. It seems that every corner you peer into, the failing economy is having its impact. No one is immune.

Within the profession of nursing, however, the news is good...yet very complicated. Jobs are being lost at a frightening pace here in 2009. Businesses are closing their doors so fast it can make your head spin. Many of today's jobs are jobs that depend on people either having money to spend, or enough credit to feel comfortable in spending money they don't actually have.

When that dries up, consumers stop consuming. Producers have to stop producing, and jobs are lost. Whether it's new homes, home decor, restaurant food, supermarket food, festivals, concerts, movies, cars, vacations, manicures, housekeeping services, or whatever, the consumer is no longer buying what producers are selling. He chooses to "go without" when money is tight and credit is almost non-existent.

But what if that same person who has chosen to close his wallet and do without has a heart attack? Catches pneumonia? Breaks his arm?

This is where the truth of the job security that nursing affords begins to show forth: no matter the economy, no matter the state of the world's banks, people will continue to get sick. They will continue to be injured. They will continue to need nurses in hospitals and doctors' offices and clinics and schools and everywhere else to help care for them.

Turn on the TV news, or look on the internet, and you'll find reports of hospitals laying off nursing staff, mainly in the large city hospitals. Sounds scary, no? Keep in mind that the entire world is making a very huge, and very necessary financial adjustment. Hospitals and the rest of the health care sector are no exception.

What is happening in nursing today isn't entirely new, although our current situation is much, much more complicated. The current economy poses unique problems as well as unique opportunities. The future for nurses is changing rapidly, and those who know what is coming can position themselves to take the best advantage!

Here are the current truths, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

1. Employment of RN's is expected to grow much faster than the average for all other occupations through 2016.


2. The aging "Baby-Boomer" population will need more and more medical and thus nursing care, though not all of it will be as hospital in-patients. The home health care sector is projected to experience the greatest growth rate through 2016.


3. Overall job opportunities for RN's are expected to be excellent.


4. Much of the current RN workforce is and soon will be retiring (aging Baby-Boomers); it is projected that today's aging RN's will be exiting the workforce more rapidly than they are being replaced by new RN's.

Looking for job security? Know an industry where there will ALWAYS be "consumers?" Know an industry where demand is projected to be much, much greater than supply? Think nursing!

When I accepted my first job offer as a newly graduated nurse back in 1984, it was on a cardiac step-down unit at a large, university-affiliated hospital in Chicago. I rented an apartment, took out a loan to buy a car, and got ready for my first day of work. About a week before that first day, the phone rang.

"Lori, this is Human Resources calling...we've had some budget cuts, and I'm afraid your position has been eliminated. I'm sorry." What? Did I just lose a job I hadn't even started?

Trembling, I told her that I'd just signed a lease and taken a car loan and I had no income. She asked me if I would be interested in a position in their geriatric center (it was kind of like a glorified nursing home). I took it. Nursing jobs were hard to get.

In less than a year, I was working on the cardiac step-down unit I had originally been hired for. A year after that, I started work in the intensive care unit (ICU). And a year after that, my husband and I moved out of the city and I was welcomed with open arms to the ICU of the local suburban hospital. There weren't enough nurses to fill all the open positions, so the hospitals had to hire outside agency nurses.

Will you be able to get the exact job you want in the exact facility you want at the exact time you want? Maybe. Maybe not. Much of it will depend upon your location and whether or not you are actually qualified for the position you seek.  A newly graduated nurse, for example, is not qualified to work in the ICU or the ER.  Will you be able to get what you want eventually? If you're qualified, probably, yes! Of course, I can't guarantee you employment throughout your lifetime--no one can. I can tell you that as a nurse, your odds of staying employed are way better than most! Remember, in this life, people will always get sick, always get injured, always grow old, and always need some kind of care. 

Of course, job security is one of the great benefits of a career in nursing. But by itself, it isn't enough of a reason to choose nursing as your vocation.  Be sure you consider everything about this challenging field of work, to make sure you have what it takes to be a nurse.  All the touted job security in the world doesn't mean much to the nurses who walked away from their careers, exhausted and burned-out, because they entered a profession they simply weren't meant to be in.  But if nursing is for you, the outlook is certainly positive!   

Lori Havens R.N., B.S.N., is the author of "7 Essential Questions Every Future Nurse Must Ask," a free "mini e-course" which helps answer the biggest questions that people looking into nursing as a career option have; she has also authored "Should I Be A Nurse? A Journey of Self-Exploration for Those Considering A Career in Nursing," a 102 page e-book which takes the reader through a series of carefully-crafted "conversations" and thought-provoking exercises designed to help answer that all-important question: "Should I Be A Nurse?" Both are available at her website, which you can visit at: http://www.isnursing4me.com/home.html

Job

Are you wondering if using Facebook in a job search is a good idea? LinkedIn, the professional networking site, is considered to be the primary networking site for a job seeker. However, I would definitely consider using Facebook in job search in addition to LinkedIn because Facebook is being used by employers to identify new employees.

Social Media sites like Facebook and Twitter are designed to be social and free flowing like a conversation. While using Facebook in a job search, not everything you share should revolve around "I need a job!" Once or twice a week, mention interviews in a positive light, a company that you are researching, an article/ video you enjoyed, or a networking event experience. Keep your comments positive!

Try using these 4 key ways to find a job with Facebook:

1. Search a Target Company Name

When you are using Facebook in a Job Search, start with a search of the name of a company you are really interested in targeting for employment using the fill-in box at the top of the page. You may find a company Facebook page but you will also identify people who work with the company. If that individual is a friend of one of your Facebook friends...Network your way to information about the company and a possible job!

2. Search the Name of a Key Decision Maker

You have been on the company website and you have a list of some of the key players in the company...search those names. You may find out some good information or find that you have a friend in common. By the way, the employers are searching you so make sure your Facebook pages are clean of damaging information to your job search.

3. Find Other Professionals of Your Type

When you are using Facebook in a job search mode, it is a great way to connect with other professionals across the country in a more casual platform than LinkedIn. Search your professional title and you will find individuals and groups for your area. This is a great source for networking and information gathering.

4. Identify People from Past Educational Endeavors

Many people miss this great way to expand on their professional network and to find a job using Facebook. At the bottom of the Facebook page is a tiny link titled "Find Friends." Click on the link and search individuals who graduated from your school and program.

Social Media is geared toward what is happening "now" so assuming that communicating your unemployed status one time is enough, usually is not. Think about being a reminder bell without moaning about unemployment.. Your contacts get busy so continuing to have a presence in social media will remind them of you and your situation. As an example, one week a Facebook friend may have no leads and then two weeks later has a great lead.

Facebook is a great resource for the job seeker if used correctly. Next, get more creative ideas for your job search and find out about a little known technique that is generating interviews by clicking here, using Facebook in a job search, and filling out the form.

Claire Solorio is a seasoned career/ business consultant. As a work at home mom, business owner and career consultant, she has extensive experience in coaching/mentoring and shows people how to leverage the power of the internet to build business and get jobs. Clear Consulting

Job

Times are definitely tough economically and many of us have either lost our jobs or are in danger of losing them. Looking for new jobs can be a challenge. Local newspapers seem to have smaller and smaller 'help wanted' sections and rarely carry listings for opportunities that are beyond your local area. The solution could be job search engines.

What are Job Search Engines/Websites?

Job search websites are massive databases of available job listings which can be searched through by job seekers like you. The jobs can be searched in a wide variety of ways, including by location, job title, company name, experience required, field or industry, and more. You can even combine criteria to help you pin down your search more specifically.

These online search engines are even better because they are usually free to use. Many also provide additional services, such as job advice and resume posting for no additional charge.

The Pros and Cons of Job Search Engines

Job search engines have plenty of advantages. For example, you can search through new listings 24/7. You don't have to wait for the morning paper to scour the ads. Plus, employers can post new jobs 24/7 so you're more likely to see fresh opportunities daily instead of in local papers.

Another benefit is the searching capabilities. You don't have to browse through all of the listings to find the ones that are best suited for you. Plus, most job search engines allow you to customize your search requirements and have daily or weekly job updates sent directly to your email so you'll always know when an interesting position becomes available. You can also act faster.

Job search engines also make it easy to apply online which saves you time (your application is delivered instantly to the eager employer) and money (you don't have to print your resume or use a stamp).

Unfortunately, there are some disadvantages. Most of the job search engine databases contain tons of legitimate jobs from well-respected companies but you'll also find quite a few get-rich-quick scams, too.

Another disadvantage is that some job search engines do not keep their listings updated. You're likely to find postings for many ads that were filled a long time ago. That can be frustrating. However, most of the engines do allow you to organize your search by most recently posted opportunities which improves your chances of finding available work.

Choosing the Best Job Search Websites

Currently, the best job search engines available are Monster.com and Yahoo's Hotjobs.com. Both of these sites provide all of the advantages above, plus plenty of extra features such as the free resume posting which will increase your odds of landing a great job. Additionally, these are two of the biggest names in the industry so companies that are going to post their job openings online will most likely do so at either one or both of these sites before anywhere else.

Finally, you're going to find the most search options at these sites and both will email you news about recent postings that meet your specifications. That makes it easier to find a new job even in a competitive market.

Here's more advice on job search engines including information about Monster and Yahoo search engine.

Job

Are you in the market for work? If you have been searching for weeks, you might stop and say in frustration "I just want a job, why can't I find one?" There are various components of a successful job search. One important component is the actual job search. If you have been saying to yourself "I just want a job, why can't I find one" see if you are making these common mistakes.

Not Looking in the Right Places

It is a well-known fact that it is easiest to find job listings online. Perform a simple search and within minutes you are connected with hundreds of jobs that meet your search criteria. Online searching isn't the only method you should try. Companies still post listings in newspaper employment sections, companies still place now hiring signs in windows, and some companies prefer to post job listings directly on their website (as opposed to a search site).

It is also important to note that there are thousands of career search sites online. We tend to think of Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com first, but more are out there. You need to search as many career sites as possible. Say Company 1 uses Monster.com; great because you search this site. But, say Company 2 uses Dice.com; you don't see the job listing if you don't examine the site.

Since it is time consuming to search hundreds of career search sites, it is advised that you use an application that enables you to search them all at once!

Not Job Searching Often Enough

There are some job seekers who spend a week job searching, don't have any luck and automatically admit defeat. Job searching isn't easy. Actually it is easy to find jobs to apply for. The hard part involves landing a job interview.

Job search sites and boards are filled with information that changes daily. For example, Monster.com regularly has new job listings posted hourly throughout the day! Searching the best job sites two to three times a day until you find a job is recommended. You cannot search once, apply for a couple of positions, and then be done.

Applying with Companies that Aren't Hiring

Let's say that you have always wanted to work at your local insurance office. So you apply for a job by submitting your resume. Are you applying for any job in particular? Are you responding to a job listing online? Or, are you just submitting your resume just because you want to?

Most companies have a policy that states they will always accept job applications and resumes even if they aren't actively hiring. The goal is to have a stack of resumes ready for when they do need to hire. However, that can be in one month, six months, or one year.

If you just want a job now and don't want to wait one month to one year for a phone call, you should focus your job search on companies that are actively hiring right now. That means finding job listings online, searching your local help wanted ads, and responding to now hiring signs in business windows.

Are you ready to find a job? Download your free 7-day JobFinder trial to search thousands of job sites with this desktop search tool.

Install the free JobFinder Android App today.

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The oil and gas industry is desperately looking for workers at all levels. They would prefer experienced workers, but beggars can't be choosers - many of their most experienced staff are reaching retirement age in the next few years and they need those skills transferred before it is too late. Besides roustabouts, a mudlogger is another entry level oilfield job which leads to better things. Many senior staff on oil rigs started off as mudloggers.

A mudlogger:

• connect various sensors to the drilling apparatus and install specialized equipment


• collects geological samples of rock cuttings from the oil well (as part of the oil drilling process)


• monitor gases coming up out of the wellbore as an indicator of hydrocarbons


• prepares and analyses them geologically


• writes a report on them


• enters the information into the database.

Mudloggers work 12-hour shifts, and there are always 2 of them on an oil rig to ensure 24-hour coverage. The job is strenuous and challenging, especially when you have to install equipment and collect samples while drilling is actively going on. You have to be diligent, because part of your duties includes monitoring the level of dangerous gas which can cause a well blowout.

There is high turnover in this oilfield job. Most mudloggers work for oil services companies - not directly for the major companies like Shell or BP. Larger service companies require you to have a geology degree, and expect you to move up the career ladder quickly. Most mudloggers are young, in their early twenties and single. It is rare to see a middle-aged mudlogger. After 6 months to two years of work, you would ideally gain promotion to data engineer, with more responsibilities. As a data engineer, you will also troubleshoot problems which arise, and maintain and repair sensors as needed. For many mudloggers, the eventual aim is to become the wellsite geologist.

Although a mudlogger is an entry level oilfield job, you will earn at least $50,000 annually. Recent information from the American Association of Petroleum Geologists' April 2008 meeting showed that graduate students with Masters and PhD degrees were receiving salaries of $80,000 to $110,000. Compare this to $55,000 in 2003.

Another perk of your job is travel. Many oil services companies have operations all over the world. For example, Geoservices has service contracts throughout oil rigs on the North Sea. Their employees get the opportunity to travel throughout northern Europe - Norway, Denmark and Holland - when they are off-duty. Working 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off means that you have plenty of time to explore the countries where you are based.

Some new hires hope to use a mudlogger oilfield job to get hired for bigger things by a major oil company like Exxon. This strategy has mixed success. In the United States, many oil wells are owned by wildcatters, who sell their oil to the oil companies. In the North Sea, too, many subcontractors and service companies are used to operate offshore oil rigs. Typically, companies like Shell have only a token presence on board these offshore oil rigs - the company man. Everyone else works for the contractor.

Right now, geology graduates with advanced degrees are being headhunted even before they graduate. But not everyone can go to graduate school, and not every geology student can score straight A's to attract a company like Halliburton. If your results are only average, your best chance to get an oilfield job is to use proven oil rig employment placement services.

Are you looking for oilfield jobs? Visit http://oilrigjobs.calvinmarketing.com/blog/ to learn how RigWorker.com can help you to quickly and easily find oilfield job.

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You are having a difficult time getting an interview for a job despite your impeccable credentials. You think that maybe your resume is not capturing the employer's attention and are considering another professional re-write of your resume. Did you post your resume on several online job search sites?

If you answered "Yes" to the question, your online resume may be hurting your chances of securing that coveted interview.

Advertising your skills and experience when you arrive on the job market is understandable. You must inform employers that you are available to work for them. You desire the biggest megaphone available to communicate your message. The internet is the most effective form of communication. Joining job search sites is extremely convenient. Resisting the lure is not easy because there are major benefits to joining job sites.

• Thousands of potential employers can view your resume.


• No special skills are required. You can either copy/paste or upload your resume with a couple of clicks.


• It is cost effective time-wise. It only takes a couple minutes to register, complete your profile, and upload your resume.


• It is one stop shopping. You can purchase increased exposure or have a current resume professionally re-written.

Your selection between job search strategies is critical. The convenient, cost-effective job search strategy backfires from the starting gate from both a marketing and hiring standpoint. Passively posting your resume to an internet career site does not consider either marketing best practices nor does it address the employer's needs. It is critical to remember that you, the job seeker, are a product. There are over 14,000,000 unemployed in the US. Added to that number are people who currently have jobs but are seeking a change. If 10% of the unemployed have your identical credentials, you have 1,400,000 competitors for the same position.

You must entice the employer to want you instead of the other guy. You must become that one in a million golden opportunity. You need a superior job search marketing strategy.

Online resumes are a form of mass marketing. Mass marketing strategies ignores differences in consumer personal preferences and targets every one. The underlying assumption of the strategy is that the probability of a sale will increase if you advertise to a greater number of people.

Mass marketing is a widely used strategy to advertise generic products. Is there really any difference in the ingredients of cavity/tartar control, whitening toothpaste other than flavor? If you read the labeling, all toothpaste is pretty much the same. It doesn't matter if the toothpaste is a name brand or not. It comes down to perceived quality and price. Since toothpaste is a relatively inexpensive item, there is a lot of price competition. Mass marketing attempts to get people to remember a certain toothpaste by snazzy visuals and jingles the next time the consumer reaches for the toothpaste at the grocery store. All glitter, but no substantial difference.

Compare the mass market strategy to a niche strategy. How many advertisements have you seen for Maserati (car)? The highly prized car is advertised through extremely selective channels like Architectural Digest. Who actually reads Architectural Digest? The lesson here is that you must research extensively research and narrow your target market. What are employers looking for? What do they need? What is the organizational culture? How can I fit? Where do I fit? You must run the extra mile beyond understanding the basic job description if you are to capture an interview. You must use job search strategies that transform you into a Maserati in the employer's eyes and ears.

In today's economy, employers have the upper hand. There's no lack of available talent, so the employer can afford to be discerning. Employers want specifics. The pervasive essentials that employers look for are highly motivated, creative, high-achieving, extremely competent professionals possessing superior people skills. What does saturation strategy say about you? Consider that posting an online resume is:

1. passive rather than active. You can be perceived as not motivated -- a do-er instead of someone who achieves.


2. not particularly creative. It's basically a no-brainer. How many other people are relying on this same form of skills advertising?


3. is quick and easy. Does this indicate that you are not particularly detail-oriented and are inclined to taking short-cuts in your work?


4. does not solve the problem. Does an online resume indicate that you lack the initiative to explore alternative solutions to secure the interview?


5. does not require people skills. You have not contacted the employer to explore job opportunities or present your case why hiring you would be a benefit to the company.

Online resumes do not address the employer's particular needs nor demonstrate why choosing you over the next guy will benefit the organization. It is an employer's market out there. Inattention to employer preferences in your job search strategy will put the nail in the coffin and effectively bury your chance of an interview.

Skylynne Wolverson
http://www.nojobdontworry.com
Follow my travels through unemployment. Insights to being jobless, the economy, and surviving the job-challenged state with observation, humor, and finding what you need to make it.

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