Let me know if you hear about anything I would be interested in.

Recently I was introduced to someone who almost immediately told me he was looking for a job. Then he said those deadly words: “Let me know if you hear of anything for me.” What a networking killer.

I didn’t know enough about him to even be able to identify a good “anything” yet here he was asking me to let him know when I found one of those. At this point, unfortunately, people often say “sure” and then move on. Don’t kid yourself the way I used to. They won’t remember you.

The Easy Way Out (Leading Nowhere, unfortunately)
It’s hard to think about, but right now we should ask ourselves, “Have I done that?” If you have, think about what you were hoping to accomplish. And how did you feel when you said it?

Remember the words and tone of the response you got. That memory alone may convince you not to make those requests any more.

Help Them Be Able to Help You!
I told him I wouldn’t know how to identify a good “anything” for him. He paused, and then said, “Oh, I’m asking you to do all the work here, aren’t I? Not only do I want you to let me know when you hear about something, but I am leaving it up to you to figure out what I would want to hear about.” He got it!

Sample of Email Requests that Get You Nowhere (again!)
I wanted to share a portion of an email I got from someone just a couple of days ago. I did not know this person, and there wasn’t any way I could be of any assistance to him based on the information in the email.

In addition, I have no idea what “seek your advice on any current and/or future searches for your clients” really means. Strangely that phrase or something similar is in almost every email I get from job seekers.

“I’m currently in a career transition following the elimination of my position due to a company-wide reduction in force.

A copy of my resume is attached and I can be reached on xxx-xxx-xxxx. Please let me know if you hear about anything that might be of interest to me.

I’d appreciate it if you would let me know when you have searches for your clients that would be a good fit for my experience and skills.

Thank you for your time and consideration and I look forward to hearing from you.”

Heartbreaking Results from so much Effort
If I hadn’t been curious about where he learned to write this kind of networking email and how he expected it would help him, I would never have called him. I would have deleted his email and not kept his information. I bet he sent a lot of these out, and I know that was a lot of work.

When I spoke to him, he admitted that he had been coached on how to write this email. He said he had sent it to a lot of people, and was really disappointed in the results. I was the only person who had contacted him!

Tip to Try: Help Others Help You
Please be specific about how others can help you in job search. People do really want to be of assistance. Give us specifics about how we can help you, and you’ll be delighted at the good information that starts coming your way.

Author: Katherine Moody

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With this in mind, here are top 7 ways to crush your fear of Job or Career Fairs and meet helpful people including willing strangers.

1. Packaging - How you dress, How you hair looks. How you accessorize. How you smell. And how clean and polished your shoes are, especially your heels, make a difference, first to you and how you feel, and to the people you meet. You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. Corny, but so true. (Read entire article and learn what is best color to wear to job or career fairs and to any interview).
2. Attitude – No one on the planet looks forward to a Job or Career Fair except for sponsors and few, very few of those  “working the booths.” Yup! If your attitude is upbeat, edgy, filled with energy, and  “positive,” you will benefit.
3. Get Remembered - Your mission is To Be Remembered. A) Have a two-sided business card. B) Hand out individually wrapped breath mints before you move to the next booth or person. C) Wear a fresh flower and give some away. D) Bring day-glow imprinted micro-sized helium-filled balloons and give some away. You’ll be remembered.
4. Huge Legal-Sized Resume - At job fairs, first time through, resume “viewing” time is 5 seconds (not minutes). Enlarge first page of your resume on legal-size (8.5 x 14) piece of paper. Hold it up (higher when applicants are in front of you) so recruiters can say “yes” or “no” to on-the-spot interviewing. Hand out regular-size resumes printed on off-white paper only.
5. Five (5) Applicants Interviewed At The Same Time – Ugh! That’s what to expect at busy career fairs. Your job: Speak up. With energy and just loud enough to be heard, answer in short statements: “I can do that.” Or “I have done that for 5 years.” Or “That’s what I do best.” (Read entire article to get more tips).
6. Follow-Up – Get Business Cards. Circle on each lead person’ name. Get primary or best e-mail address. Get direct line number. Mail three days later (not e-mail) thank-you note that starts with the words “you” or “your,” not “Thank you!” Remind them WHO you are by what you were wearing that day. Beat competing applicants.
7. Expectations – Make a written list of what you must do at job or career fairs. Add that you need to make friends with other professionals. Get acquainted. You give them leads about jobs that match them not you and they will do the same.

Author: Stephen Q Shannon

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Myth:

Truth: Both recruiters and fee based executive level job boards can severely limit your job search and the responses you receive.

Executive recruiters can only help you if you have the exact qualifications to help them…fill their key search assignments that is.

And fee based job boards usually yield about 1% to maybe 7% response rates. You are going to have to send out a lot of resumes to get any response at all, and of course don’t forget about the intense amount of executive competition you will face for the very same job.

Most executives are all about working smarter, not harder. Though connecting with recruiters and answering 6-figure job ads might seem like the easiest way from point A to point B, it’s actually more work on your part to market yourself thoroughly enough using only these two outlets to get you the kind of results you are hoping for. It’s counterintuitive to your objective.

Want an easier solution? Of course it depends on the industry and position but I find that executive level jobs are best found using the following system:

1. Identification of the industry(s) of interest
2. Identification of the position(s) sought
3. Launching a campaign to penetrate those industries

To be successful (and when I say successful I mean conducting a job search that results in a number of high quality interviews for opportunities you are genuinely interested in, and obtaining one or more viable job offers) you must have a clear plan, followed by a significant level of market exposure.

Here are several highly effective techniques and resources to get going in the right direction:

1. Identify your market

What industry are you interested in and why? You must have a crystal clear direction before you can formulate any sort of plan. Is the market growing, or… are you purposely targeting growing markets? Smart move on your part.

Here are a few examples of market indentification: Technology companies between 20 and 50 million dollars; owners and developers of outpatient surgery centers or US based international civil contractors.

2. Identify your position

In order to target and brand your resume you have to be clear on the type of position you are pursuing. Again, have you thought it through? Are their other emerging positions (e.g.: Chief Ethics Officer) or parallel positions that might offer more challenge, more security or more experience where you need it – that help to achieve your long term career goals? Its worth spending some time here, doing a bit of research and thinking this through.

3. Launching a campaign to penetrate your industry/position of choice

You can do this several ways including:

• Hiring a firm to research contacts and companies that fit your career parameters.
• Using a site like zoominfo.com to research your preferences yourself.
• Hire a career coach (could also be called a career marketer or someone who provides career research)  to analyze, make recommendations and gather the initial information for you.
• Hire an administrative assistant on a project basis to take care of some of your more mundane job search tasks such as mail merging documents, sending out resumes etc… (you should make phone contacts yourself though).
• Find (and follow up on) growth opportunities (companies moving/growing/expanding) through setting up a simple tracking system on Google news or through regular checking of business and trade journals.
• Hire a company to conduct an elite direct mail program for you. Find executive recruiters through a high-end contact that can distribute your resume exclusively to retained search firms.
• Obtain a list of VC firms or PE firms who specialize in your industry of choice.

These are just a few ways that go way beyond fee based, 6 figure job boards. These methods, once they are set up by you – are just as turnkey as responding to a job ad.

Bottom line, a combination of the right executive job search techniques can improve your results by 20%, 30% and even 40%.

Author: Mary Elizabeth Bradford

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You should avoid leaking your job search plans to your new employer, at least until you plan to leave. Doing this is not easy, but you can manage it if you follow some simple tips.

Online Stealth

Online job search sites have made job searching very easy and highly confidential. You can send hundreds of resumes at the click of a button. But while clicking, be aware; don’t end up sending your resume to your own boss. Poorly managed Internet job searches can have severe repercussions to your current job, so you need to be extra cautious while conducting one.

o Before posting your resume, find out about the Internet job search service that your current company’s human resource department uses – or you may find your resume on your boss’s desk.

o Don’t provide too much information on the net about your current job. If a job site demands more information, then there is a good chance that they may leak this information to other job sites without your permission.

Obscure and Discreet

Your resume can get you busted, so don’t include your business contact number or other business information on your resume. You should always list your home address with your residential number as well as your personal cell number. Create a separate email account for your job search and be cautious while responding to suspicious job requirements.

Never use company property like the office computer or printer to conduct your job search. It may be convenient, but it is risky and dangerous as some companies scrutinize employee computer usage – so use your personal home computer or visit an Internet café.

“Dress to succeed”, but you should always be tactful. Don’t suddenly wear a suit and come to the office – carry a change of clothing in a bag or cover it up with a jacket. Avoid interview calls during office hours. Schedule your interviews before or after hours or take a personal break.

Be Diplomatic

Avoid disclosing your job search details to your co-workers or office friends. Otherwise, you can be sure that your boss will find out from someone. Always inform your family, as they can help you in case of emergency, and can cover up for you. By disclosing the details to your family, you can be sure that they won’t spill the beans to your colleagues.

Try Frankness

Interviewers and recruiters have been in the market for years and they know all about confidential job searches. So try telling them about your confidential job search and they will understand your situation. There is no need to feel guilty or shy on this subject.

If you are still employed, conducting a covert job search is very important. Follow the tips above and you will be able to leave your current job on your own terms.

Author: Tony Jacowski

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Most likely you will send out a greater number of resumes than ever before, you will have fewer interviews than ever before, and you will face rejection frequently. This frustrating situation is the result of a weak economy and a shattered job market. Secondly, it is important to remember that this type of rejection really is not personal. You are riding the “rejection boat” in the company of many competent, experienced and talented applicants.

So, when rejection comes, and it will, what should you do? Be sure you do an attitude check and choose to handle this minor setback with a positive attitude. If you need an attitude adjustment, quickly work on it. Use this rejection as a learning tool. Honestly review your resume or have a trusted associate critique it for you. It is possible that it needs a few tweaks.

Mentally review the interview process. Were you on time and prepared for the interview? Was your appearance appropriate for the job? Were there any “oh no” moments in your mind during or after the interview? Maybe you could have provided better responses or asked better questions. It is not the end of the world. Use this experience to make the next interview stronger. Do some additional research and rehearsal for a more focused interview.

The question that haunts everyone after rejection is “but why?” It is possible that there was a candidate with more education, more experience and better qualifications. Or, maybe you were just spared a miserable work environment. We all want to believe that everyone likes us, but it is possible that there was a lack of chemistry during the interview. Would you really want to work for someone that had a negative attitude toward you? Can you imagine the communication problems that would result in the work place?

Although everyone would like the answer to ‘but why?’ accept the fact that you will probably never know the reason for the rejection. You need to move forward. View this as an opportunity to improve, grow and learn. You are in control and you have the option to stay positive. You can go forward stronger and better prepared. The perfect job is waiting for you and may be just an interview away!

Mel Otero, author, worked in management in the mortgage banking industry and title insurance industry for over 25 years. She has been mystery shopping part time for over five years. She has started web sites and written articles to provide information, resources and inspiration during this difficult economy. She loves to write, learn, and share information.

Author: Mel Otero

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You might not be. After all, you are doing the same searches on different websites. Once again, this is an important task, but does it ever feel like it is a waste of your time? If so, you want to closely examine desktop applications that work as job finding tools; they are commonly referred to as job finders.

While you can keep doing your searching on all those career search websites, I encourage you to do a little bit of experimenting. Most desktop job finders have a free trial period. Give that free trial a try; ditch the job search websites. But wait! Why should you? What difference you will see?

Maximize the use of your time: If you didn’t already know, a job finder is a program that helps you find a job. They accomplish this goal by searching all the best job sites for you. Good job finders will search hundreds of career sites. Great finders will search thousands for you.

The neat thing is that these are the same career websites you are visiting and searching each day. The only difference is that you need to do just one search. Yes one search! There is no more having to visit ten or more sites a day just to keep performing the same search. One search will search hundreds or thousands of websites for you!

Get the same great features: Many people wonder if they lose anything important when making the switch to doing a traditional website search and searching with a job finder. Most often, you will not lose anything at all. See most of the features are the same. It is not uncommon for you to setup email alerts of new jobs; a desktop application will let you do this. It is not uncommon for you to gain access to advanced search features; a desktop application will give you that same access.

It is not uncommon for you to apply to jobs directly through the website; a job finder will let you do this too! In fact, you are likely to gain access to features not found on a traditional career search website, such as the ability to add customized notes to a job!

As you can see, there are a number of benefits to giving a desktop job finding program a try. So what are you waiting for? You are searching the same websites you have always been searching; you are just making better use of your time now when doing so.

Author: Adnan Masood

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If you have been searching for a job for a while and are tired, feeling discouraged, and just want a break, it’s time to employ some rules that will help you to stop overextending yourself. Before engaging in a job search, it’s vital to take some time to develop good habits that will help you stay motivated and optimistic.

Remember that Job Seeking is Job Within Itself

Many people take for granted the amount of energy required to conduct a job search. Neither your mind nor your body are prepared for the activity. In order to become skilled at job searching, you’ve got to put yourself out there every single day, and get used to the idea of searching for a job as its own occupation. Like any other daily job, you may eventually get tired and bored with job searching. So give yourself breaks in between, and even give yourself room to adapt to your “learning curve.”

Take Care of Your Entire Self

You may be used to thinking of yourself as a “worker” and now that you’re out of work and searching for employment, you’re struggling to regroup. A job search can be a great time to get on-the-ball physically and mentally.

For instance, you might have been accustomed to physical activities before you started your last job, but let those die down as you traded them for hard days at work. Whether you’re into running, basketball, or something else, you now have the time to get back into your physical activity and improve your body. It’s also important to watch what you’re eating. As the old saying goes, you are what you eat, so develop a diet that will keep you lean and energetic, focusing on greens, fruits, and other high health menu items. Working out and eating right will revitalize every aspect of you, and you’ll feel much better.

On the emotional side of things, it’s good to pay attention to how you’re feeling during your job search. For emotional drain, which can be pretty taxing, keep a journal to help you stay focused and encouraged. To keep your mind calm during a stressful job search, try meditation, prayer, or even yoga.

Conducting a job search for a long period of time is definitely a tall order. It’s something you don’t want to take for granted because the wear and tear can drain you before you know it. This makes it important to watch all aspects of your health, so take occasional stock of how you’re doing physically, emotionally, and mentally. This will help to prepare you for not just the job search, but also interviews, and essentially your first day on your new job.

Author: Heather Eagar

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What you need is a way to evaluate your job search strategies to see whether or not they are working effectively for you. 

Ready to get started? Here are 12 building blocks to a successful job search and the goals that will help you get to where you really want to be in the world of work: 

1.) Making networking phone calls: Effective job searches begin and end with networking. Start by making a list of everyone you know: family members, extended family, friends, present & past co-workers, faith community colleagues, barber/hairdresser, dog groomer, neighbors. Even list the clerks who work in your favorite grocery or video store, bank tellers and gas station attendants. Everyone! Call or talk to each person on your list (most people can easily produce a list of 50-100 people). Target: Make 3-5 new networking phone calls weekly. 

2.) Contacting employers before openings occur: The process of applying for a job before an opening is known to be present is referred to as accessing the hidden job market – and doing so is critical for job search success. By using a great on-line tool such as Reference USA to access employer information, you can mail targeted resumes and cover letters to companies that match your size, focus and sales criteria. Target: Mail 5-10 targeted but unsolicited resumes with cover letters weekly. 

3.) Responding to online postings: There are literally hundreds of sites like Monster.com, and you can pour hours and hours into searching them for job opportunities. Remember to search on multiple titles or portions of titles and to post your resume at every opportunity. Target: respond to 3-5 postings weekly. 

4.) Responding to newspaper help wanted ads: This is the favorite job seeking strategy of searchers everywhere, but guess what? Out of every 100 resumes an employer receives, they will throw away 92-95! Target: Submit only 3-5 resumes and cover letters weekly in response to help wanted ads. 

5.) Identifying new employers to contact: Find employers the old-fashioned way: in phone books, through networking leads, through word-of-mouth, in reference sources and online databases (such as Reference USA, mentioned above), through articles in local papers and through the Yellow Pages of your local phone directory. Target: Identify and research 5 new employers weekly and use them to fill your quota for #2, above. 

6.) Contacting recruiters and employment agencies: Its not appropriate for every job seeker to contact recruiters and employment agencies, but if this strategy makes sense for you, then by all means make use of them. Target: Contact 1 new recruiter or agency weekly. 

7.) Making follow-up phone calls & sending thank you letters/cards: Sending out resumes and cover letters is only the first step in the process of developing relationships with employers. About 1 to 2 weeks afterward, call them to verify they received your materials and to inquire about next steps. Always follow-up on interviews and make is a habit to send thank you letters or cards afterward as well. Target: Make 5-10 follow-up phone calls weekly and send a thank you letter or card for every job interview or informational interview you participate in each week. 

8.) Managing your references: How do you manage references? Supply each one with a copy of each version of your resume. Keep them up-to-date on what is happening in your job search. You dont need to call them weekly, but you should generate news every few weeks at least. Give your references a copy of all the references youre using so each one can refer an employer on to someone else on the list if asked. Prepare your references by giving them background information, adjectives and descriptive words that sell your best stuff. Target: Contact each reference at least once per month during your active job search and contact everyone when that perfect opportunity comes along to prepare them. 

9.) Practicing interview answers: Dont just practice the night before an interview. Target: Practice your interview answers and questions at least 1 time per week. 

10.) Practicing the salary negotiations process: Ditto with salary negotiations. Target: Practice your strategies and responses at least 1-2 times per week. 

11.) Staying socially connected with employed others: Job searching is extremely lonely, so make sure you stay socially involved with family and friends. Target: Get out of the house at least 2 times weekly to see friends or extended family. 

12.) Managing your attitude and energy: This is the most important building block of all, because without a positive attitude and high, focused energy, you wont achieve the result you want. Targets: Do at least 1 fun and creative thing outside your house weekly. 
Why not take Fridays off (if youre unemployed) and enjoy! Absolutely, categorically dont job search on weekends. Exercise, take care of your body, and journal. Feed your mind good books and your spirit hope. 

Strengthen or do more of what works. Adapt, replace or fix what does not work. Reevaluate your search progress every 30 days for as long as it takes for you to find the work you really want. And, if your job search results do not markedly improve within 45 days, see a career search professional for individualized assistance. 

Author: Cheryl Lynch Simpson

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How you handle these factors can make the difference between a long, drawn out job search and one that nets quicker results. Rather than focusing on what we cannot change, let’s focus on what we can. Here are five reasons that you may not be getting the results you want in your current job search:

You’ve already convinced yourself that there aren’t any jobs available.

Henry Ford once said, “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” Attitude and confidence play a large role in success – whether you are an athlete, businesswoman, or job hunter. Your belief – or disbelief – in your ability to achieve success will greatly impact how you conduct your job search and the impression you make with others.

Imagine an unseeded tennis player that is scheduled to go up against a top-ranking player in a match. This isn’t the situation that she’d hoped for. But, now that it is here, how will she approach the opportunity she’s been given? She has two options:

She can step onto the court already looking defeated. Head and shoulders dropped. Slumped posture. Panged look on her face. She is, in effect, telling her opponent, “You’ve already won.” Not surprisingly, she will be right. Her fear will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

On the other hand she can consider this to be a tremendous opportunity. She knows how good her opponent is and she respects her game. But, she is confident in her own skills and ability. She sees this as the biggest opportunity of her career and she is determined to go for it. This attitude of confidence and self-belief is just as critical to her success as her talent and abilities.

What is your belief about your ability to succeed in your job search? It will either limit your ability to succeed or propel you forward. Limit the amount of negative information you allow in each day. Find the balance between staying informed and absorbing every negative report about the job market and the economy. Improve your job search skills and techniques. This will further boost your confidence.

You’re not as productive as you think you are.

“I’ve been looking for a job for months, but I’m not getting any results.” This is the most common complaint I encounter with my job search coaching clients. My response is, “What have you been doing during those months?” Their initial response usually sounds promising. They’ve sent out twenty resumes or spend two hours per day combing job ads. However, when we look at the numbers more objectively we usually discover room for improvement. Sending twenty targeted resumes out in two weeks is impressive. Sending out just twenty resumes over the course of two and a half months will considerably lengthen your job search.

The average job search can range from three months to a year. The length of your job search is largely determined by the time, energy, and effort that you put into it. If you are a full-time job hunter, approach your job search much the same way you would approach a full-time job. Carefully assess your current job search. What kind of time and effort are you putting into your job search? Are you a full-time job hunter, a part-time job hunter, or is your job search become more of a hobby? Honestly assess your situation and make adjustments where necessary.

You have no clear plan.

Can you imagine a sports team entering a game without a game plan? From little league to the pros there is always a game plan is place. You study the opposition. Study the field of play. You play to your strengths while exploiting the opposer’s weaknesses. As a job hunter you must take the same approach.

Learn about different job search strategies. Conduct careful research on your field and industry. Learn as much as you can about your targeted geographic locations. Your industry may be dying in your local region yet blossoming another. Create a plan of action based on the information that you gather and implement it consistently. Keep track of your results and make adjustments as needed.

You shy away from high-risk, high-reward job search techniques.

It isn’t uncommon for a frustrated job hunter to reveal that they spend countless hours on their job search each day. The majority – if not all – of that time is spent in passive job search activities like surfing online job boards and combing through newspaper ads. These activities are convenient and feel safe. However, they are not the most effective strategies for landing your next job.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 70 percent of all jobs are found through networking. If you are currently involved in a job hunt, networking should be an integral part of your strategic plan. Learn how to network effectively. If you are hesitant or perhaps shy, begin slowly. Practice with friends or family to raise your confidence. Then take the plunge. Realize that the best way to get over your fear of networking is to just do it. The more you network, the better you’ll become at this essential skill.

Remember that networking is about building mutually beneficial relationships with others. Keep in touch with the members of your network. Don’t just call upon them when you need something. Look for opportunities to support them as well.

You’re trying to go it alone.

A job hunt can be a lonely and devastating experience. Do not isolate yourself. Communicate with friends and family. Let them know how you’re feeling. Get support from others. If you can’t find the support that you need within your own circle:

• Join a job hunters group locally or online.
• Buddy up with another job hunter and commit to calling each other at least once a week.
• Work with a job search or career coach.

Enlisting the support of others can provide ongoing support, encouragement, and added accountability. Many job hunters find that this greatly improves their results. Honestly assess your current situation. If your job hunt isn’t getting any traction consider how leveraging support can improve your results.

We are in a highly-competitive job market. Yet, jobs are available. If your job search isn’t getting results, rethink your current strategy. Improve your outlook; ramp up your activity; establish a clear game plan; go for high-risk, high-reward strategies; and get needed support.

Author: Roxanne Ravenel

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The June of 2008 US News and World report listed the jobs that older Americans are most likely to find available. I will use this article as a jumping off point in the search for jobs for mature Americans. We will not visit all of the jobs and professions in the article because in our current economic straits, some of the jobs would be untenable. For instance, real estate broker does not seem like a particularly good job to have right now even if it was available.

The jobs we will look at are:

1. Retail Sales/ Sales worker
2. Driver
3. Secretaries/Administrative assistant
4. Tax preparer

Let’s make a few simplifying assumptions. First, let us stipulate that the elderly worker is willing to move to get a new job and that he is willing to train for a new job if necessary. These assumptions may not be as arbitrary as they seem. If you and a large number of coworkers were laid off, it is less likely that the particular skill that you have is not in demand in the place where you live. A willingness to retrain and a willingness to move virtually doubles your chances of getting a new job.

Given that we are talking about an older worker, a long apprenticeship is out of question. Jobs like engineer, doctor, lawyer, and machinist are out unless you already possess those skills.

Of the four areas we have decided to look at let’s see which one would be the most fruitful. We are going to use one of the large popular job search sites to do our looking. Namely Yahoo’s hotjobs. We are going to simplify our search criteria to make it easier to search and find the most jobs.

Let’s search on the word “retail” by typing that word in the keyword box and clearing out anything that might be in the City or Category boxes. Then push the search button. I get the following:

1. Retail: 21,944 jobs

A very good supply. Let’s try some similar search terms:

A. Sales: 36,938 jobs
B. Worker: 8,513 jobs

2. Driver: 15,167 jobs
A. Truck: 8,372 jobs

3. Admin 16,455 jobs
A. Administrative 16,455 jobs
B. Secretary 7,511 jobs

4. Tax 3,451 jobs
A. Tax Preparer 65 jobs

If you are doing a thorough job search you might want to compare these results with those from the job search sites like Monster and HeadHunter. If you really want to wade through all the jobs in the working universe–and if your skills are not much in use you may have to–I recommend one of the meta search engines such as Indeed, JuJu, or SimplyHired. The meta job search engines allow you to search all the little job search sites in one fell swoop.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, what can we learn from our Yahoo hotjobs search? If you want to increase your odds of getting a job nationwide, don’t become a tax preparer. Such advice must be taken with a grain of salt. Obviously as we get nearer to April 15th the demand for tax preparers should increase and the results of the search will change. But if you want a job right now, doing someone’s taxes does not look like the way to go.

Advertising yourself as a worker or a guy who knows trucks does not look like the best way to get a job.

If you have a resume that says you are a secretary, it seems like you might do better by creating a new resume that talks up your strengths as an administrative assistant.

Despite the weak economy, someone somewhere is still hiring retail sales folks. An administrative assistant with retail sales experience should be able to find a job pretty easily.

For grins let’s add a few more jobs that we think might be in demand.

1. Manager 36,652 jobs

2. Trainee 1,560 jobs

3. Entry level 14,734 jobs

Even if you are trying to enter a new field, do not look for a job as a trainee. Rather you should look for the entry level jobs.

As long as there are employees there must be managers so if you have a management skill that looks to be a good bet for you.

Different jobs sites go through different procedures when you actually look for the details on a job and try to apply. On Yahoo, you will sometimes need to click through to the website of an individual company and apply for work there. On the other hand, if you have saved your resume on Yahoo hotjobs, there will likely be some jobs you can apply for while never leaving the Yahoo website.

I would advise against the work at home jobs that you find on job search sites. Yes, such jobs exist. I have had two different ones. The problem is that most of the work at home jobs you will see are a scam intended to do one of two things. Either separate you from your money or to infect your computer with viruses or adware.

Some of the jobs you want to apply for may require office skills or software experience that you don’t have. Often there are community colleges or two year institutions near you that can quickly and cheaply teach you all you need to know. Some well equipped libraries have Microsoft Office software that you may practice on for free.

You should go to a vocational school only as a last resort. They can be expensive. If you do wind up at a vocational school, make sure that it has been in business for a few years. Make sure that it is accredited and licensed to operate in your state. Check for complaints against the institution on the better business bureau web site. See if the vocational school has any job search assistance and talk to former students to see if the assistance was timely and if employers welcomed the certificate that the vocational school offers.

Author: Michael Skinner

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