Stepping Up Your Job Search

If companies you interview with don't use Google to dig up dirt about you, they're stupid. Case in point: The FBI stormed into a Massachusetts business recently to arrest an employee who was apparently wrapped up in a drug distribution scheme. No one in the office saw it coming, especially the employer. Learn how to get the job and stay employed if you have a less than perfect past.  More »

Ever wonder how many resumes you'll have to send out before you get at least one interview? Or how many interviews you'll need to suffer through before someone extends a job offer? Nobody likes to hear bad news, but here are two harsh truths that every job seeker needs to hear and understand.  More »

Anyone looking for a part-time job needs to figure out exactly what they want and need out of it, whether it be certain days of the week, specific hours, a particular hourly wage or wage range; whatever. Use this checklist of priorities to figure out what you need most out of your part-time job, and whether your potential employer will meet those needs.  More »

Would you trade a career in a cubicle for a job with a hammer and screwdriver? In the current economic downturn, some may consider making such a switch, if just to bring in money while they're unemployed. But others are rediscovering the value of blue collar jobs, such as skilled tradespeople, laborers, and machine operators.  More »

Some people work to live, and others live to work. What does that mean? If you work so you can afford the things you want to have or do in life, then you work to live. If you're addicted to your Blackberry, check in on your days off, and arrive early and leave late every day, then you live to work. Good cultural fit is one of the deciding factors that hiring managers and potential employees use to figure out whether the working relationship will succeed in the long run.  More »

Need a new job but don't know how or where to begin? Before you start networking or surfing the web for job postings, recognize these three pillars that can help you refine and perfect how you present yourself and your skills to potential employers: your resume, your web presence, and your interview skills.  More »

Job searching is time-consuming and tricky, but what can be even more complex is figuring out when the right time is to follow up on each action you take toward landing that next job. That's where a schedule comes in handy. Use these guidelines to take the guesswork out of finding the right time to contact employers after each step in your job search.  More »

When someone decides that it's time to change careers, their first step is usually to figure out which skills they have already developed that they can transfer to the new field. But what if you know what you want to do, but don't know what transferable skills you have to offer?  More »

Teenage boys aren't the only ones who like to sugarcoat their rejections in ways that sound almost complimentary. Unskilled hiring managers sometimes do, too. You're overqualified is often just another version of the all-purpose you're too good for me breakup line. The real reason they're not offering you the job is probably something (or someone) else altogether.  More »

If you're among the millions out of work and are responding to several job openings or posting your resume to job boards, beware of identity thieves who are just waiting to add to your misery by committing fraud in your name.  More »