Since the job economy is dismal at best, there are a large number of people who are out of work and have been out of work for a long time. For many employed workers, they are working in a field totally unrelated to their college degree. So, is it helping?

Statistics show that those with a degree earn more money than those with only a high school diploma (90% compared to 64%). They may not be making as much as they had hoped, or in a field they trained for. But a college degree is still important.

Hopefully, the times that we live in currently will not last forever and the job economy will get better. When that happens, there will be more job opportunities that may fit your degree better.

Even those who attend a technical college and train in a specialized degree do better, on average. It may seem as if going to college is a waste of time currently, but it simply is not. You have to invest in yourself and hope for a better future.

If you don’t, you will be most likely working for a lot less money than you are really worth. No one wants that. And, everyone wants to be able to take care of themselves and making more money is where it’s at.

The year 2012 is full of promise and now just may be the time that you seriously consider getting a degree. It does not matter how old you are, there is never a better time than now to better your life.

It’s a dog eat dog world out there when it comes to job hunting in today’s job market. There are way too many applicants and not enough jobs to go around. That makes the competition really tough. But, you could be hindering yourself by your attitude.

It is hard to keep morale up lately, but if you are the type of person who has resigned themselves to not getting a job because you keep getting the brush off, then you may be making it worse.

Even if you are not aware of it, low morale and negativity can be felt by others. So, if you have a feeling of resignation and just going through the emotions, the prospective employer may sense that you are really just not interested in the job and pass you over.

It’s better to give yourself a pep talk before any interview. Maybe get a friend to role play with you to see how you are coming across to others.

In addition, social networking is also a great confidence builder. Ask several of your Facebook friends to look at your resume to see where you could improve upon it. You may not can see any flaws but others can.

And, above all, go into any business with your resume in hand, dressed for success, shoulders squared, a big smile on your face and be confident. This very first impression will be the one to get your resume to the next level.

Everyone knows about job related stress. But few know how to resolve it or to reduce it. Job related stress can make your life absolutely miserable and it’s important to get rid of it altogether, or at least get it reduced so it doesn’t affect your everyday life.

It is estimated that a whopping 62% of Americans feel their work is the major cause of stress in their lives. Yikes! At the same time, stress levels have increased 50% since 2007. These are very significant numbers.

Some of the things that induce job related stress are impending layoffs, problems with co-workers or superiors, overtime, no time off, and simply not being in the right job position.

Any number of these things can cause physical problems such as things upset stomachs, frequent headaches, sleep issues and even grinding your teeth. More serious health issues are increased blood pressure, diabetes, weight gain and psychological problems.

No one wants any of the above mentioned problems. Therefore, it’s important to make a change. Possible changes include taking time off from work, working out any differences between co-workers and superiors, making sure you are prepared in case there are layoffs, and if you are just unhappy in your position, start searching for another position. Remember, nothing in this world is more important than your health and your well being. A vacation or a job change will affect your income, but it’s important to understand that it’s better to make adjustments and rearrange a couple of bills in order to make things easier on you.

You don’t want to have problems with family or have psychological problems over job stress. If necessary, find a new job.

Make the new year count by reducing the stress levels in your life. It is never too late to make changes so that you can live a more balanced, calm life.

I’m sure most people remember the song “Working 9 to 5″ by Dolly Parton (that song is in your head now, isn’t it?). Not too long ago, that was the perfect job position, to work nine to five with weekends off. Everyone wanted to work those hours. But today, can you even find many positions like that? Are work environments changing? How, and is it for the better?

With the advancing use of the internet, more jobs are offering telecommuting and work from home positions. Some of the older generation does not understand this concept because they can’t walk by and see an employee at work. They feel that it will hurt business by working from home. In fact, studies show that the opposite is true. More work is actually getting accomplished and at all hours of the night and day. The eight hour shift is not the norm any longer.

The companies who are embracing new technology are seeing more loyalty out of their employees. There is less absenteeism as people can schedule their day to have time with family and still work. There is not a log of turnover in employees who can telecommute or have the freedom at a workplace to stay in contact with family while at work.

In a word, yes. Work environments are changing, for the better for everyone involved. If you are looking for work, now would be a good time to overhaul your resume to reflect the flexibility and work ethic that you can bring to the table. Even if it doesn’t mean telecommuting, but flexibility in a managerial position that you would do what it takes to keep employees happy and willing to work.

Expert resume writers will help you fine tune your executive resume so that you will be reflected in a more powerful light for the new workplaces.

It seems there are employees in today’s market that think getting to work on time is not/should not be an issue. More and more workers in the workplace are getting to work late more times than not. If you want to keep your job, it is absolutely imperative to arrive at work on time. Punctuality is one of the most important work ethics there is.

Not only should you get in the habit of getting to work on time as it is considered a good work ethic to be prompt, but the current job market will hurt you if you have this bad habit. There are thousands of people out of work who are willing and able to get to work on time. They would love to be in your shoes.

If you are late once in a while, it is probably not a big deal as long as you explain why to your manager. They are probably going to understand. But, if you are late 3 out of 5 days a week, that is a problem. The manager will not like it and neither will your co-workers. Remember, they are getting to work on time and will expect you to do so as well.

If you can’t get to work on time, consider re-setting your alarm clock so you can get up earlier. If you are typically 30 minutes late to work, re-set your clock for 45 minutes earlier. Make adjustments so that you can get to work on time.

After all, the job you have supports you. You don’t want to be part of the thousands who do not have a job. If you take care of your job, your job will take care of you.

Beginning a career, or changing careers might not come as easily to you as it did to your friend/colleague. Having the education for a career, or even the skills needed is one thing—but getting out there and using them is another. Many people know they want a change, but just aren’t sure doing what.

This is the point where knowing how to find a career coach will help you to find the best job for you, period. Finding a career coach is not as hard as it is made out to be.

There are career coaches for all different stages in your life: high school, college, career transition, executive level, and more. On the other hand, there are people who are out of high school and college, or who have never attended school at all and need help analyzing the skills they already have. These folks need to know how to find a career coach in order to have an equal chance at succeeding. People whose education hasn’t progressed to finishing high school, or they have just finished, will need to go to the local employment office in their respective state. Each state employment office will give out the basics that are needed in terms of how to begin the search for a career coach. However, once the state employment office has gotten you started, they will help you find a career coach. This career coach may be someone who simply gets you on the path to a good job, and stays around to help for a while.

Once that career coach is gone, and moving on is something that you want to do, look around through various means to find one. Ask around—people that you know that might currently be using one should be able to guide you. Look on the Internet. Take some time to do a search—and use the term career advisor as well. There are plenty of career coaches—even executive career coaches—available.

Determining the cost that you may pay will be dependent on the materials that you find. Most career coaches now have websites. Look at their website.

Learning how to find a career coach is really not difficult. It simply takes a little bit of thought, and planning. So take the time to do your research, and ask for the help that you need. The effort will be worth it—you will have a better job, and a career that you really want.

The days of having a generic, all-purpose resume has been replaced by the need for highly developed, targeted resumes. Now you must tailor make your resume to fit into the job description offered by the employer. Targeted resumes aren’t just a necessity, they are critical to you finding long term employment. Targeted resumes put forth your best face and allow HR Managers to see exactly what you bring to the company.

Targeted resumes enable a job seeker to market their skills by addressing a specific concern for the company.  It allows them to see how your skills and past experiences will fit in closely with what they require. They also use targeted keywords that closely fit and attract attention to the needed qualifications for the position. You should play up your strengths and focus your attention there, but do not dismiss your past failures, embrace them and take responsibilities in them. But you don’t have to make them the focal point.

Chances are your resume is an all-purpose resume. What everyone likes about the all-purpose resume is that its broad and captures the wide appeal of employers. But saving time is not important, if you really want that job you have to have a complete targeted resume for each position you apply for. But don’t toss that original resume just yet, you still can use it as your base for completing your targeted resume.

Steps to creating a targeted resume

Use your all-purpose resume to build off of, this will save you some time in creating a brand new resume every time you apply for a job. It’s actually fairly easy to take your existing resume and tweak it to fit your needs. So here’s how you proceed:

Create your all-purpose resume

Think of everything that you’ve done in past jobs, experiences, education, clubs, sports teams, anything that you could use as a basis for who you are. Your all-purpose resume is the heart of your resume, employers will never see it but it will allow you to paint a lush picture of your overall capabilities.

Review the job requirements

If you find a job you are interested in, look over the job requirements in the ad. Review the requirements and see how your education and experience stack up with what they are looking for. You want the job to be a good fit and this is an important step of the process. Use the job requirements as your basis for altering your all-purpose resume. Highlight what the job requirements highlight. Tailor make your resume to fit what the company is looking for. Be careful not to overindulge.

Develop your targeted resume

When finished with researching requirements, you need to actually alter your resume. Look over your existing resume to see how you can alter it into the final product you will send to HR Managers. Add secondary keywords, accomplishments, training and skills to round out the resume. Your all set, now you just need to ace that interview.

Yes, it’s that time of year again.  In just a few weeks, many corporate professionals will be attending holiday parties with their coworkers. Time to kick-off your heels and celebrate another year towards retirement, right? Wrong.

Even though you are attending a “party” there is still etiquette you need to follow to ensure that your reputation and job are intact on Monday morning.

Make sure your spouse or significant other is actually invited to the event before you show up with him or her on your arm. As many companies are scaling back their celebrations due to tough economic times, some are only having parties for their employees – no guests.

• If your party is at a colleague’s home, take a small gift with you for the host/hostess. A holiday bouquet or goody that can be shared at the party would be sufficient. Only take a bottle of wine or other alcoholic beverage if you know your host is serving alcohol during the party.
• Know the dress code for the evening…and then abide by it. Even at the office party, what you wear can affect your coworkers’ and bosses’ perception of you. Wearing clothes that are too low cut or revealing is a no-no at a business function.
• If there is a meal, whether sit-down or buffet, remember your table manners. If there is more food available at the buffet, make sure every table has already had their first trip to the food line before you make a second. Always take the time to thank the wait staff and others who are serving you during the party.
• While there may be alcohol served at the party, this is not the time to see how much “holiday cheer” you can consume in one evening. As you are happily mingling with others, be conscious of how much you are drinking. Too much drinking, leads to too much talking which leads to nothing good on Monday morning.
• If there is mistletoe at the party, steer clear. Although this is a holiday tradition that has been around for years, stealing a kiss from the wrong person under the mistletoe can lead to an awkward situation or even worse, a possible reprimand for sexual harassment (yes, we’ve heard of this!).
• Network, network, network! Very rarely is there a time where all levels of an organization are together at once and there may be many new faces to greet. Try to meet colleagues in other departments and if you have the chance to rub elbows with the CEO, simply introduce yourself, thank him/her for the party and move on. While networking is okay, cornering the CEO to give him a 5-minute version of your resume is not.
• Lastly, in today’s world of social media and smart phones, you can almost bet there will be a few pictures taken during the party. If you are asked to be in a picture, smile and keep it professional. Even though some of your coworkers may be your “friends” on social media sites, you don’t want inappropriate pictures of you being fed to others throughout the company.

While the annual holiday party can be a great time to socialize with your colleagues, the bottom line is that you need to remember that an office party of any type is still about business. Don’t overindulge in alcohol, put lampshades on your head and pose for pictures, or stalk the CEO the entire evening – you don’t want to be the one with the red face at the water cooler on Monday morning.

 

 

Finding the right Social Media balance takes more than just knowing how to update your profiles. Firing off quick Twitter updates or Facebook comments will not get you noticed on job boards or help you find open positions.

If you’re not receiving the right kind of attention through Social Media, you should change your strategy. You must be able to connect with your Social Media peers. It’s not as simple as it seems and you must be diligent.

Learning on the fly can be hard, but these tips will help you on your way:

1. Update your LinkedIn profile with the most accurate, up-to-date information.

I cannot advocate this enough – you need to a strong representation of your talents, skills and experience in order to have a fully functional LinkedIn account. Review your Summary and Specialties areas with appropriate keywords, phrases and any information prospective employers look for. Have past coworkers give you quality recommendations. Return the favor with similar recommendations from people who have helped you. Build your network by inviting past colleagues and friends who you want to stay connected with.

2. Post your resume to the right online job board.

You want to be highly visible on job sites so that HR managers can find your resume. Some HR managers search job boards, LinkedIn and niche job sites – you need to have your resume in the right place so that when the opportunity comes along you have your resume where people can find it.

3. Update LinkedIn status bar along with your job board resumes.

LinkedIn sends weekly emails to your connections which gives a summary of the activities their connections are involved in. Updating your status allows these connections to know that you are actively looking for a new position.

Recruiters who browse job sites also get weekly updated resume notifications. Whenever you update your resume or save a new one, it gets posted to the job board, allowing HR managers to see your resume more often. Get your name out there!

4. Network!

Talk to your family, friends, colleagues, or anyone. Talk to anyone who might know of an open position with a company you like. You can have them make introductions through LinkedIn to the appropriate person within their company. Many people find their jobs through networking situations, so it’s always a good idea to talk to people and explain that you are interested in their company or open position. Don’t rely on email. You want to be able to actually speak with the right person – putting a face to a voice or an ear to words will go a lot further than simply emailing someone.

5. Create your professional online identity.

This is a combined effort of Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Google+ in a coordinated effort to showcase your talents, skills and expertise. Building yourself up online gives you credibility beyond simply seeing a resume. If HR managers can find out pertinent information about you online, it will improve your chances.

 

 

With the recovery finally on, people are looking for job options that will be around for while. So what kind of options do job seekers have when it comes to long-lasting careers and what type of careers should be avoided?

Job gains have averaged 125,000 per month but there are still industries that will take a tumble. So here are the industries you should shy away from:

1. Data processing and hosting services

Many of these jobs are being shipped overseas, so if you’re not a high-level IT professional, you should probably look for new employment options. Many companies practiced cost-cutting procedures so some of the jobs may stay here.

2. Apartment rental and home buyers

Apartment rental peaked in 2005 but with a wave of mergers and acquisitions among large apartment complexes, these jobs are being phased out. Lagging construction will keep the need for new apartments low until more apartment complexes are built.

3. United States Postal Service

The U.S. Postal Service has been usurped by email and competing companies such as FedEx and UPS. The post office is considering closing some offices and reducing staff to meet budget requirements. This is on top of the 147,000 jobs that have been cut since 2007.

4. Soft drink companies

This industry received a wealth of growth as new products were pushed to market, but now the same products are experiencing blow-back as the industry overgrew itself. It now seeks to pull back the reigns on existing products to make way for traditional drinks.

5. Wired Communication

As more companies go digital and the number of cell phone users increases, less wired services will be offered. This means a drop in the number of wired customers and an overall drop in the industry. Some phone companies are offering internet service in order to offset this, but the gains will be minimal.