There is a time in everyone life when they feel like they need to stop in their tracks and think if the job that they have been doing for years is still for them.

How do we actually know if your job is the right one for you?

According to Diana Ransom who writes for The Wallstreet Journal Online, "While sticking to one career demonstrates focus and dedication, changing course shows a degree of risk taking and self-awareness, which can be attractive qualities to some employers, says Joseph McCabe, a vice chairman for CTPartners, an executive search firm in Boston." To Read full article

Many people wish they can make a career change but the longer you are in your job position people might feel they are at a point where they can not make this change due to financial reason, or just the fact of not knowing what happens next.

Click here if you are ready for your next change

The authors of Resumes From Hell, Jon Reed and Rachel Meyers, said, "If the resume is a sling shot, the cover letter is a hand grenade." Last week we worked on making sure your cover letter was the perfect complement to your resume, and did not work against you by blowing you out of the water. So once you have got that under your belt, you have pinpointed a few employers of interest and you are ready to work towards the interview, your next step is to put together your resume.

To quote The Employment Guide®'s 2007 Job Seeker's Survival Guide, "Your resume provides a snapshot of who you are to a potential employer." If you were going on a blind date, this would be when your mutual friend shows the other a picture of you - just a brief snapshot of a moment, but you want it to sell you well enough that you will get the date, or in this case, the interview.

Along those same lines, there are some cosmetic guidelines you should stick to when building your resume. It should always begin with your contact information: full name, address, telephone number(s) and e-mail address. Always use an easy to read font at 10-12 point size. We recommend using Arial or Times New Roman, which are standard to any word processor.

Just like you tell your date where you are going before dinner, you should always state a clear objective at the beginning of the resume stating what it is you are hoping to accomplish with the resume. If you are hoping to land a job as personal assistant to The Employment Guide®'s Job Spot Blog's writer, then you would say something to the effect of:

Objective: To secure a challenging position as Assistant to the Job Spot Blog Writer where I can utilize both my research skills and my knack for the English language.

Sounds good to me.

Next, you will need to list your work experience. List in reverse chronological order the names and locations of employers, dates of employment, job titles held, description of duties and responsibilities, skills demonstrated, and accomplishments while on the job. It is important to be clear and to the point here, using action verbs and industry buzz words. Always list at least three positions held in the last ten years that will be relevant to the position you are applying for.

Experience
10/04 - Present, The Editor, Norfolk, VA
Assistant to the Editor
- Helped increase readership by 15%.
- Developed research database for use by the writing staff.
- Received The Editor's Award two years in a row.

7/03 - 10/04, Red Rover Primary School, Orient, OH
Teacher's Assistant
- Helped pass 85% of students in the English SOL tests.
- Created a grading rubric adopted by the school's English department.
- Demonstrated ability to successfully impart the English language on students.

4/00 - 7/03, The Daily Crier, Orient, OH
Copy-writer
- Wrote copy for client advertisements.
- Increased advertiser accounts by 10%.
- Winner of numerous in-house sales contests.

Once you have painstakingly listed everything that could possibly sell you to the hiring manager, your next step is to tell them where you learned it all. List your education starting with your university, college or community college first, and working your way back. It is not necessary to list dates attended or dates of degrees.

Education
South Ridge Community College, Orient, OH
- B.A., English Literature, 3.75 GPA
South Ride High School, Orient, OH
- HS Diploma, 3.5 GPA, top quarter of graduating class

And that is that. There is no need to list all of your many impressive hobbies. In fact, telling your hiring manager that you like to jump out of planes is more likely to keep you from getting the interview than getting in good with management. Just like it is fun getting to know your date while actually on the date, you need to save a bit of yourself for the interview. Always, always make sure you use spelling and grammar checks - especially if applying to be my assistant.*

Be sure to check back next week for Part 5 of our Preparing for the Job Search Series, Acing the Interview. We have also got a very exciting interview coming up with the writers of the hilarious and informative, Resumes From Hell, Jon Reed and Rachel Meyers.

From Chapter 13 of their book, "Language Gaffes":

Rachel,

I enjoyed the wonderful interview you mailed us this week and keep getting more and more enlightened by your tit bits!

Also let me know if position #SW02493 would work for me - I am very interested.

Thank you!
Mahendra

Again, please remember to read through your resumes for spelling and grammatical errors.

*Purely for my entertainment purposes only. Flattered you'd want to be my assistant, though!

According to the Alliance for an Experienced Workforce, "by 2010 nearly 1 in every 3 hourly workers in the United States will be over the age of 50.” So why are employers in a panic???

The baby boomer is one on the largest generation that has molded the workforce to be what it is today. Employers now are worried that if they lose their mature workers who's going to take their place. Will this candidate have the same skill level as the employee they are about to lose? So many questions, but not a lot of answers, so what should the employer do?

Start attracting the mature jobseeker now to start a new career within your organization or entice the currently employed mature workers to stay longer providing them with better incentives to retire at another time.

If you plan on looking to attract mature workers to your organization here are some tips you can use:

1. Network – A referral is a wonderful thing
2. Use Internet Job boards such as: employmentguide.com
3. Partner with organizations such as: AARP or any other baby boomer website

For more useful information about the mature worker check out the following link by clicking here.

Over the last couple of weeks we have gone over some of the basic principles and staples in beginning your job search. We have talked about identifying your personal strengths and weaknesses, targeting positions that will best utilize your undoubtedly countless skills, and even how to search for that perfect job. Now you have pinpointed exactly what you are looking for, and why you would be the best fit for the position; and on the flip side, why your employer might be the best fit for you. So how do you go about getting the interview?

Here is where today's double-entendre comes into play: the Killer Cover letter. Your cover letter is meant to be a shining beacon that will supplement your resume (not completely restate it) and sell your resume, as well as you, to the hiring manager. It is meant to be simple, short and sweet - 150 words or less even. However, for something meant merely as an introduction, it can also be the reason your resume is never even processed, effectively killing your chances with that particular employer.

So what makes a good cover letter go awry? Before we look at some examples of how your cover letter should look, let's examine some cover letters gone wrong, to give you a few chuckles and an idea what not to do on your next cover letter.

The biggest mistake most people make with their cover letters is failing to proof-read and spell check it before attaching it to their many years of work experience. It could be one of the most important parts of writing your cover letter, however, as some of the job seekers behind these gems undoubtedly discovered:

"I am nown for my close attention to detail." *

"I am forwarding my reume to you for your review. Please look this over and hire me for any type of work you have available." *

Another mistake is humor-gone-wrong. You might be the Jerry Seinfeld of the Water Cooler World, but often that kind of humor is lost in translation on paper.

"My ultimate goal is to become a doctor, but since I was not able to get into medical school I would like to work for your company." *

"I have an excellent track record, although I am not a horse." *

Yikes! Sarcasm is not always appreciated or recognized by even the keenest-minded hiring manager, so just avoid it altogether. Other reasons why a cover letter can go bad: overall appearance is sloppy, no contact information, letter is not addressed to hiring manager, no reference to the position sought, the applicant is obviously bragging, and there is no indication of any follow-up action to be carried out by the applicant. Your cover letter should be clear, concise, friendly and engaging. Some things to always include in your cover letter: where you learned the skills needed for the position, why you are the right candidate for the job, how you can be contacted, critical buzzwords that are industry-specific, and of course, your enthusiasm about joining their team.

Here is an example cover letter, primed and perfected for optimum job getting:

Mr. Samuel Smith
12345 Any Street Drive
Roseville, CA 98765
(916) 623-1234

October 19, 2007

Mr. John Lewis
The Factory Store
2819 4th Avenue
Roseville, CA 98765

Re: Assistant Store Manager, Position #1672

Dear Mr. Lewis:

Enclosed is my resume for the Assistant Store Manager position advertised in the October 8-12 Employment Guide. Having over five years experience in retail management and being a frequent shopper at The Factory Store, I feel that I would be a great addition to your Roseville retail outlet.

In my three years at the Quick Shop Center, I was promoted from Head Cashier to Store Supervisor and recognized for my ability to direct employees, hold them accountable, and get bottom-line results. Additionally, I was responsible for increasing sales in the store's gift shop by 20% through improving and increasing inventory.

As I paid my way through community college by working in retail, I know the value of hard work and am ready to bring that work ethic to The Factory Store. I would appreciate an opportunity to interview for the position. I will contact your office next Wednesday.

Sincerely,

Samuel Smith
(916) 623-1234
E-mail: ssmith@aol.com

Enclosure: Resume

Samuel began his cover letter with a powerful opening paragraph that clearly expressed his intent and summarized why he would be "a great addition to" The Factory Store's staff. Once that fact was established, he went on to sell himself by highlighting (not listing) his greatest achievements while employed at his previous job. He then summarized the entire pitch with a great closing statement that highlighted his personal work ethic and excitement about the position. Samuel's cover letter was simple, yet effective.

Of course, it is important to tailor your cover letter specifically to the position being applied for. If your letter comes off as too generic, it will be obvious that you didn't take any time to really consider why you and the position would be a perfect fit.

Now that you have got the tips and an example, we want to see what you are made of. We want you to prepare a cover letter for your ideal job. That could be anything from professional skydiver to Jamba Juice maker extraordinaire! Send your cover letters to egblogger@employmentguide.com and the five most creative and most compelling cover letters will win an exclusive Employment Guide t-shirt! Remember! Be clear, concise, persuasive, and please do not use any horse puns!

Stay tuned for Part 4 of our Preparing for the Job Search Series next week, Resume Writing.

* examples courtesty of http://www.perfectcoverletters.com

It's not what you know, but who you know!

How many times do you actually hear that saying? A lot, especially if you are in the market for a new position within your company or just a new job or career. So you ask yourself the question, "how much should I be networking?"

According to about.com, “At least 60% - some report even higher statistics - of all jobs are found by networking.” But then we ask ourselves how do we network? Here are a couple of tips you can use to start creating that network:

• Develop contacts with family, friends, Co-workers, everyone that you know.
  
• Join networking sites online
  
• Go to local networking events

Attending events and joining networking sites are just a couple of options you can use to get started, however, there are so much more you can do. We just need to ask ourselves how much should we be doing to add to our network.

Tis the season.....

For all of us to reach into our hard earned saving accounts and spend it all on family and friends! The Holidays are just not the same anymore. Remember, when you were a kid and had no money and you created a homemade gift with whatever was laying around the house, or better yet the Christmas ornament you made in grade school. Well that time has changed and gifts got a little pricier! Video game systems, MP3, and more is what the kids are asking for today. But how are you going to afford all the new trends this holiday season?

There are a lot of options, but the first one that comes to my head in finding a seasonal full or part-time job. A lot of retailer have additional opening to fill during this time. According to About.com, "Christmas is the busiest retail season of the year. Between 25% and 50% of total annual retail sales take place during the holidays and retail employers usually increase their workforce by at least 4% just for the holiday gift-buying rush."

Besides just the retail section of our economy there are other occupations that are seasonal as well. Living in the high country of Colorado we also have the benefits of working on the slopes for the winter.

So the next time you stop by a department store or purchase a lift ticket, you may want to learn how you can expand your wallet this holiday season!

When searching for the right job, it is important to be vigilant. The perfect job is very much like the perfect carving pumpkin - elusive - despite its round, bright orange shape. I recently found myself rummaging (decisively vigilant) through a rather large cardboard box of USA Carving Pumpkins, in the hopes of finding a lovely specimen that I could use to both scare little children and roast pumpkin seeds. Yum! What makes the perfect pumpkin, you ask?

It is a combination of factors that don't really stray too far from the same formula every year: circumference + height + stem length + color + plumpness = your perfect pumpkin. It really is that precise. What makes that so much easier is that just about everywhere has pumpkins in stock this time of year, from Walgreens to Farm Fresh, and everyone's favorite: the local pumpkin patch.

Similarly, if you're looking for a job, just head on out to your local job patch. They've got what you need. That is not exactly accurate, but it actually is just that easy. The Internet has become a veritable cornucopia of resources for the job seeker. Larger search engines like Google and Yahoo are a great start for the job seeker. Simply type in the address (Google.com or Yahoo.com) and search for the type of job you want.

More specifically, job boards are a great resource for the job seeker. Web sites like Indeed.com and SimplyHired.com offer a fantastic search feature that allows the seeker to search by key words, job titles, location, and company name. A quick search for "Graphic Designer" produces over 12,300 results all over the country through Indeed's job search function. This can be narrowed down by also searching by zip code.

To really narrow down your search and get down to the nitty-gritty of the thing, JobAlot.com is host to 49 niche job boards that will help you find yours. Niche, that is. James Acheson, who got his start as a Costume Designer for the Monty Python movie series and on the set of Bernardo Bertolucci's films, could easily find work by visiting Jobalot.com and searching under the Fashion & Interior Design category.

To hone in on hourly and skilled jobs nationwide, EmploymentGuide.com still has the other job boards beat with its localized search feature and industry-specific video center. If you're interested in transportation opportunities specifically, check out CareersinGear.com, and likewise, HealthCareerWeb.com for the health care industry.

If you know the exact company you want to work for, corporations like Target are even working hard to make it easier on the job seeker. A quick visit to Target.com gives us the option to browse through their available jobs, from corporate positions to hourly positions. Similar companies like Wal-Mart and K-Mart also offer this functionality.

The trick and treat is to be creative with your searching. With so many options and methods available to the job seeker, finding the perfect pumpkin of a job is easier than ever. Even easier than finding the perfect pumpkin!

Check out these great resources:

- www.JobAlot.com
- www.Indeed.com
- www.SimplyHired.com
- www.careeronestop.org
- www.restaurant.org
- www.HealthCareerWeb.com
- www.CareersinGear.com
- www.EmploymentGuide.com

Stay tuned for Part 3 of our Preparing for the Job Search series next week, Killer Cover Letters.