Stepping Up Your Job Search

Barack Obama finds himself and his performance under the media microscope for his first 100 days in the White House. Similarly, the first 100 days at a new job will give your boss and colleagues an introductory picture of who you are and what you can accomplish, and they will affect the perception your colleagues have of you.  More »

I can't get a job because I have bad credit, and I can't improve my credit because I can't get a job! It feels like a classic Catch-22. Fortunately, the reality is not quite that harsh. In most cases, an imperfect credit record will not automatically prevent you from getting the job or promotion you want. Here are answers to some typical questions regarding the good job seeker-bad credit conundrum.  More »

When you're looking for a job, which web site do you turn to first? I'm guessing it's either CareerBuilder or Monster...probably even both. But while they may be the most widely used by job seekers, not all employers use these big names to search for new hires. Here are a handful of other job boards and job search engines to try.  More »

Have you noticed how we're all enacting cost-cutting measures that might have seemed unnecessary a few years ago? We've shifted from bookstore to library; organic to generic; premium to basic; convenience to economy. And for many people on the burgeoning unemployment rolls, the list of must-have job criteria has dwindled to just one item: a paycheck.  More »

You want to try your hand at working in another field. You know your skills and background can be a good match for something different, but you don't have everything an employer is looking for in the new field. Here's what you need to do.  More »

Thanks to Twitter's growing popularity, I found out, in real time updates, what everyday people are saying about their current jobs, past jobs, unemployment, job searching, and more. Here's a list of job-related tweets from 1/16 and 1/19. Does any of this sound familiar?  More »

With the fall semester now a memory, most college seniors are on winter break -- catching up on sleep, earning money at part-time jobs, or visiting with friends and family. But there' s something that's just as good, if not better: preparing themselves to enter the job market after graduation. If you're a college senior, here's what you need to do.  More »

Is your number one goal for the new year to land a new job? Or maybe you want to be prepared in case you're forced into the job market. To improve your chances in either case, set these five New Year's resolutions today -- and stick to them!  More »

We all know the economy's troubles have led to the loss of nearly 2 million jobs in the last year. With more and more layoffs occurring each week, how difficult might it be for someone to land a new position? Here are some findings from recent surveys that might surprise you, and that could have an impact on your job search.  More »

The job posting seems too good to be true. It's the kind of role that can start you on a path to your long-term career goal, at a company that's been on your short list of targets. You just know that this is a job that's screaming out your name. There's just one little problem: You don't meet all of the experience criteria in the posting. What to do? Apply anyway.  More »