In the present climate, the situation is extremely difficult when it comes to work. Those who have jobs, often feel fortunate to possess them, and are often desperate to hold on, as they know that the number of those unemployed usually rise by the week.

The current recession has taken a hold, and many firms have either downsized or completely collapsed.

If you’re among the many unfortunate ones who’s lost there job during these times, I am hoping this post can help you in staying positive, and getting you back on your feet again. Firstly, I wish for you to realise that losing your job may come as a drastic shock to the system, but it isn’t the end of the world, it really isn’t. And to get back in the working world again, you’ll need to stay positive, be dedicated, and to be focused.

You’ll need focus, as getting yourself another job should be your prime priority. Forget anything else, particularly when your funds aren’t in the greatest of shape, and you’ll be struggling to pay the bills eventually. You ought to be dedicated, as trying to find a job, is a job by itself, and this is how

I’d like you to structure your job hunt.

If you are unfortunate enough to be dismissed from a job immediately, you must hit the ground running, and by that I mean the day after you get sacked,

I’d like you to wake first thing in the morning, before 9am, and get job hunting. This depends a good deal on your profession, but generally it might mean, printing up a large quantity of CV’s, applying online via a job agency website, walking the streets handing out CV’s etc.

You understand what position you’re in search of, and you ought to know what steps it needs to take to get a job interview. I really want you to work solidly on this day after day until you get a job. Starting at 9am everyday, working thoroughly until 12pm, lunch time. Having 1 hour to eat and relax.

Then getting back on the grind again until 5pm, resting thereafter until the following day. Lastly, although not in the least, you must stay positive. You must stay positive, as unless you’re extremely lucky, you’ll receive many knock backs on your way to getting another job.This could be immediately, as in being told instantly you’re not needed, or this might come later on down the road, perhaps in an interview.

In any case, you’ll need to stay positive so that you can stay on the needed path, and also so your future employer sees you in a positive light. Nobody wants a miserable person working for them, so be positive in every interaction during your job hunt.

I hope that these steps assist you in your journey, as I understand how hard it can also be. Best wishes for your future.

The Inner Dialog of Networking
What are you thinking to yourself when someone you’ve just met asks you to introduce them to people you know? Are you thinking about whether you feel comfortable passing this person on to your network? That’s exactly what other people are thinking.

Just as you value your contacts, so does the person you’re talking to. But if you don’t know what to ask people you’re meeting, you will not make a great impression. And they may be even more reluctant to refer you to anyone in their network.

Reassure Them You Won’t Embarrass Them
The more specific you can be in your requests, the more professional you sound. You sound as though you will have an intelligent conversation with anyone they sent you to. You sound like you’ve got your act together and won’t embarrass them.

This evaluation and inner dialog are going on all the time with you are talking to people. This is another place that having your job search strategy thought out can give you an advantage in your networking.

How to Land more Introductions
Here’s an approach to take when you want to ask someone to introduce you to a specific person in their network. Even if they don’t ask you why you want to meet their friend, volunteer that information.

Tell them how you see that person will be able to help you. Tell them what you want to discuss and/or the questions you will ask. It will go a long way to assuring them that you won’t embarrass them!

Example from My Experience
Someone I met recently asked me to introduce him to a few people I know. Even though I had been impressed with him in our brief conversation, I was asking myself whether I would feel comfortable introducing him to my valued network connections. I never wanted to hear them say, “What were you thinking sending that person to me? It was an awful conversation!”

So I asked specifically what he would like to know from them. And he couldn’t tell me! Yikes, does that mean he would have gone into those meetings without preparation and without having good questions?

What kind of impression would he have made if he didn’t come across as crisp and professional? And what would my contacts have thought of me to send them someone who didn’t really know why he wanted to talk to them?

I knew he was a smart and friendly guy, but that still wasn’t enough for me to take the risk.
So I asked him if he could tell me the kinds of things he would like to find out so I could make sure I was introducing him to the right people. Of course that wasn’t the whole reason I was asking for details, as you can probably tell. It actually took him a couple of days to come up with the specifics of what he wanted to know.

That might seem extreme, but I know I’m not the only person who values and guards their network. Once he had thought about how they could assist him, I was only too happy to make those introductions.

Because of his preparation, when I called my contacts to see if I could refer him to each of them, I was able to tell them what kind of information he was looking for and why I thought they would be perfect to talk to him. It just made the whole process go much easier, everyone felt more comfortable, and he made three fabulous new contacts who are now referring him to other people.

How to Build a Great Network
They liked that he was so prepared, asked great questions, and didn’t waste their time. Because he was prepared, he created some great relationships that will be important to him for the rest of his career, not just when he’s looking for a job. Plus each of them was willing to give him a referral to someone in their network. Now he has six great new connections, and is building a great network!

Tip to Try: Do Your Prep Work so People will Feel Comfortable Referring You

Admitting to being the original reluctant networker, Katherine Moody would do almost anything, including hiding out in the ladies room, to avoid a networking event. So she interviewed some networking masters to learn their simple and rarely discussed secrets. Then she went on to get her last 4 jobs by networking her way into the hidden job market with those simple secrets. Katherine shares those insider techniques on her job secrets blog. http://hrjobsearchsecrets.com While there, get her free report: How to create a memorable brand for your networking. You’ll love what it does for your networking!

Have you noticed how old your boss is? How about your boss’ boss?

Do you think they’re going anywhere or are they in it for the long haul?

According to a survey, the number of baby boomers is 78.2 million. With all the fear that existed in American business circles about the potential loss of labor and their intellectual capital, we now have a new problem and, if you are in your 30′s, you may be acutely aware of it.

The number of workers in their 30′s is only 40 million, This means that if you are a Gen-X worker in your 30′s, your career path is blocked by a boomer (like me) in their 50′s.

The good news is that companies caught discriminating against an aging worker will get hammered by the government, the bloggers and a million other constituents. They will embarrassed in the media and run the risk of losing access to valuable potential workers.

The bad news is that where do you go? What is the upside for you? If you’re a Gen-X worker, how do you advance your career?

Republished with permiksion

Tip 1: Resume cover letters must communicate. Review your letter to be sure it does the following:

* Makes the case that you are the solution to the employer’s problems.

* Gets to the primary subject quickly.

* Solidly connects employer’s job requirements with your background and experience.

* Is written such that all sentences and paragraphs are short and easy to read.

* Makes a solid connection with the needs of the prospective employer.

* Has repeated use of the word “you” (i.e., remember that the theme of your resume is what you can do for them, not the other way around).

* Minimizes number of fonts used. One is preferable to me, with sparing use of italics and “bold.”

* Uses a clear and easy to read font that is no smaller than a size “10″ or “11.”

* Makes a simple but clear case that you would like to work for them.

* Expresses a reason why they should contact you.

* Factors in a reason to act sooner rather than later.

* Starts the letter by stating your conclusion upfront.

* Supports your position by presenting a quantifiable objective(s) and briefly mentions why is/are relevant.

* Restate major conclusion in a sentence or two at end of letter.

* Makes it easy to reach you: provides multiple ways that you can be contacted (i.e., home telephone, email, street address, and/or cell number at minimum).

Tip 2: If in doubt, keep it simple. Use an English word equivalent rather than French or Latin terms, and single-syllable words rather than multi-syllable terms. Examples include: “per day” instead of “per diem,” “per year” instead of “per annum,” “essential” instead of “sine qua non,” “genuine” instead of “bona fide.” An exception is if such terms are common in your industry.

Tip 3: Use specific, measurable terms versus those that are unclear. Examples: “we received numerous inquiries,” versus “we received 170 inquiries.”

Tip 4: Eliminate use of repetitive and unnecessary words. Example #1: “assisted in the preparation of…,” versus: “assisted in preparing.” Example #2: “responsible for the directing of…,” versus “directed.”

Tip 5: Use first-person and second-person words (e.g., “I”, “we,” “my,” “our,” “you,” “your,” “yours,” etc.), as appropriate, to personalize your resume and cover letter.

Tip 6: Sometimes it is possible to be too familiar with a document to see it objectively. Consider having someone else review your resume for you, such as a close friend, family member or a resume service.

1. Looking deeply into yourself you can truly identify your real place

It will take a lot of wisdom, insight and courage to peer into your own self. Even then you may be blind to your strengths and weaknesses that are obvious to people around you. This is why you need both insight from both yourself and others in order to look deeply into yourself.

2. Be open and honest with yourself whilst identifying your true value

Nobody wants to believe that they are flirty sluts, useless brown-nosers or impossible klutzes, but one of the biggest mistakes you can do is to fool yourself. If you want to find out your true value, then be prepared to swallow some bitter pills when assessing your own value.

3. Identify who you really are and where you want to be

You have to be able to see your destination before you can get there, otherwise you will just end up going around in circles. Set goals for yourself, and you will be able to create some semblance of structure and order in your pursuit of value.

4. You deserve to be treated fairly and you must stand up for yourself

Self-confidence is an essential factor in a person’s value, which is why you have to know when to put your foot down. Stand up for your rights when people try to trample them, and you will prove that you know how to take care of yourself.

5. Always be prepared to learn new things and undertake new tasks

Never refuse an opportunity to better yourself. This is a two cardinal rule of professional growth, especially in today’s cutthroat professional environment where every edge counts.

6. Understand the long-term benefits and growth of your work

Think in the long term, not just for today or tomorrow. This will allow you to see where you are going in your line of work, whether you will find a stagnant or flourishing career.

7. Remain patient, attentive, courteous and reliable

Be patient with failures and shortcomings, be attentive to what is going on around you, be courteous with all people and be reliable enough to get the job done. Cultivate these values, and you will raise your own value in the workplace.

8. Be a good employee and a good person

Set high ethical and professional standards for yourself and your work. These standards will differentiate you from the “average” people around you – those that are too absorbed in themselves to be a good employee and person.

Remember that your value is not determined by one or two factors. It is a complete appraisal of your net worth, from your personal development to your on-the-job performance to your professional growth. Keep this in mind, and you will be better prepared to boost your value without stumbling over some of the more common obstacles in life.

Apply the aforementioned tips in your life, and you will effectively raise your value from a holistic point of view.

Modern life has created additional headaches in our daily lives, but fortunately it has also provided new tools to use to control them. Personal finance software is the best option for keeping one’s personal finances organized and up to date.

Personal finance software comes in many varieties, each offering a specific set of financial tools. The simplest forms simply keep track of multiple bank accounts, including credit card accounts. The most complete versions offer tax tracking, investment tracking, budget analysis, electronic banking and a long list of other features. How much you need depends on your situation and how closely you want to track your finances.

Most banks now offer free electronic banking to their customers. Make sure that whichever program you choose, it is capable of taking advantage of electronic banking. The vast majority of programs offer this feature as standard so you shouldn’t have to look hard. With electronic banking, you can easily check your balance, automatically download statements, transfer funds among accounts and have all your information seamlessly transferred into your electronic account register.

The two powerhouses of financial software are Quicken from Intuit Corporation and Microsoft Money. Both companies offer several versions of the program and generally offer the same features. The interfaces are slightly different and one’s preference will likely come down to which one appeals to you most. New editions are released each year to account for changes in banking and tax law and owners of the previous year’s edition will receive discounts to upgrade.

Another option that is growing in popularity is software that is kept entirely online. You never actually download a program to your computer and can access your information from any computer connected to the Internet, including SmartPhones. This is referred to as “cloud computing.” Some websites offer a low monthly fee to use the software and other sites are free and entirely advertising supported. Some people prefer this method for its convenience and other people stay away from these programs due to security fears.

Once you begin to use personal finance software you’ll wonder how you ever managed your finances without it. People become addicted to seeing the computer generated reports of exactly where their money goes each month. They often find this makes it easier to create a budget and stick to it. Even if you simply want to keep your basic checking account up to date, personal finance software is worth the small price.

Zzzzzz.oh! Excuse me. I was just dozing from reading one of the most boring resumes submitted by one of my clients.

Why was it boring? Well, there were no accomplishments referenced anywhere within a mile of the document, and most of the bullets started with the dreaded ‘Responsible for’. How am I supposed to be engaged or excited by that? It was also a good four pages long. Right there I want to take a snooze. I am really not interested in reading a four-page document. I am looking for a quick impact – something that provides me with a quick hit of information. Four pages? Yikes! He’s interesting, but not that interesting. I say that lovingly, of course.

There is also an entire section dedicated to personal things like number of children, including their ages, and what he enjoys doing with them. Not being a part of his family unit, do I really care about that? Sure, I’m glad he’s happy and has ‘three great kids’. Since they will not be applying with him for the job, and more importantly, won’t impact his performance that can be backspaced out of the entire section. Overall the resume is filled with hyperbole that I really don’t want to see; there’s simply no excitement or interesting information on there.

There are a few hallmarks that represent a good resume.

A strong document should have the following:

Strong Opening Summary: A summary sets the tone of the document and quickly provides the reader with a peek about what you bring to a new position. If someone is only going to spend about 10 seconds looking at the resume, the first thing you should do at the top is lead with some hard hitting evidence of your ability to produce.

Core Competency Section: A grouping of words that will provide a hiring manager with key words about your overarching skills. This area is also important if you are uploading a document to a company’s database. If there is a system that is scanning for key words, yours will be picked up immediately.

Ample Use of Action Words: Lead the bullets with strong action-oriented words that engage the reader. Spearheaded, Championed, Drove, Initiated, Led are all words that help someone understand that you mean business.

Metrics: Draw attention to your document by supplying the reader with strong results. Use the SAR method to provide information: Situation – Action – Result. This will allow you to quickly define what you did, how you did it, and the results produced.

KISS Factor: Keep It Simple Silly. You cannot get everything you have ever done on the resume; more importantly, you should not try. The resume is designed to ‘show a little shoulder’ not give away the entire store. You simply want to get the reader interested in you enough to call you for the interview. You can then blow them away during a face-to-face meeting with how you can make an impact for the company.

Leave Off Extraneous Information: It is not necessary to include ‘References available upon request’ at the bottom of the resume. I am sure the reader knows that if asked, you would certainly supply them. Additionally, unless your hobbies are things like rock climbing and jumping out of planes, it is not necessary to include hobbies on the document. Reading is a hobby, but not an icebreaker in an interview.

1. Not Dressing in a conservative business suit – The only appropriate dress is a conservative, 2-piece suit for a man or pantsuit for a woman. For men, you should wear a simple, white shirt with a basic, solid color tie. This is not the time to be creative, flashy, or to make a fashion statement.

2. Not presenting a well-groomed appearance – In concert with the above point, you must be well-groomed. This has nothing to do with hair length or body composition or any of that. It is about being showered, clean, trimmed fingernails, and no noticeable perfumes or colognes.

3. Not having a resume tailored to the job and company involved – At a minimum, you should edit your resume to reflect the language and wants of the job description at issue. A generic resume will not necessarily hurt you, but speaking in their language will always help.

4. Not being on time – This can be a complete deal breaker. By not being on time, you demonstrate poor planning, lack of respect, irresponsibility and so much more. A former colleague survived being late by presenting tremendous credentials and establishing great chemistry with the divisional manager. But that is not a hill you want to have to climb.

5. Not having a list of questions to ask – A job interview is a 2 way street. Not being able to engage in a meaningful discussion with the interviewer is, in most cases, a deal breaker; unless you are interviewing for a minimum wage job with no opportunity for advancement.

6. Not knowing when to stop speaking – Gluttony is a terrible sin. Not knowing when to stop speaking is like not knowing when to stop eating at your first dinner with your girlfriend’s or boyfriend’s family. It is terrible. Your answers must be brief and to the point. If the interviewer asks for more clarification, then certainly, you should answer more in depth. But you should speak for no more than half a minute to a minute. Time yourself; 30 seconds is a long time. I have read that you should keep your answers under 2 minutes. 2 minutes is a very, very long time.

7. Not asking for the next interview – This is the whole point of the interview. You want to move forward to the next interview. Unless you are applying for the minimum wage position, you will interview several times before getting a job offer. Do not end a great interview with a handshake and a goodbye. You should ask what the next steps are and who you would expect to be meeting with. No need to be presumptuous or arrogant here, but do ask firmly.

8. Not sending a follow-up letter or thank you letter – Do the things that will set you apart. A very, very brief letter contains 3 sentences. It should include thank you for meeting with me; here’s the most important thing that came out of the meeting that should make you hire me; and looking forward to the next contact.

The dynamics of a job interview is fluid. It would foolish to try and define a list of actions that would guarantee success in a given job interview. While trying to pinpoint what to do is very important; it is also vital not to sabotage yourself.

In some ways, getting a job is like a video game. You must get avoid all the traps, obstacles, and bad guys to get to the next level. And being mindful of these 8 negatives, you increase your odds of getting to the next level.

For free advice, tips and guidelines on writing your best and most compelling cover letter; check out all the great resources and ideas at http://www.LandingOnYourFeet.com. While you’re at it, sign up for the newsletter – all kinds of free EBooks and advice (for what its worth)