The Top 10 Ways to Stay Confident During a Job Search!
Judi Craig, Ph.D., MCC

1. Structure your day.
Sleeping late, surfing channels in your pajamas, grazing at the fridge, doing crossword puzzles and otherwise "taking it easy" will neither help you find a job nor bolster your confidence once you realize how much time you're spending in NOT being productive. Finding a job is real work. Set up a schedule for yourself on week days and then follow it.

2. Keep up with your industry.
Staying on top of what's going on in your field helps you feel connected to the work world and let's you know that you won't be caught short in upcoming interviews when asked about some latest industry challenge, product, service or trend.

3. Know your strengths.
Not sure what they are? Ask yourself questions like "What do people come to me for?", "Why do people seek me out?" Get a copy of NOW DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS (Buckingham & Clifton), take the on-line 20-minute self assessment and you'll have a whole new perspective on your gifts and talents.

4. Listen to motivational CDs while you're driving.
What better time to keep yourself "up" as you listen to ideas from the pros about how to market yourself, how to come across positively, how to interview, etc.

5. Hang out with optimistic, positive people.
The doom-and-gloomers are no help to you and can bring you down fast (even if they are well-meaning relatives).

6. Do some volunteer work.
Not only will you have opportunity for new networking contacts, but you'll have something to talk about besides your job search. And helping someone else creates a good feeling in your soul that's hard to take away.

7. Limit your listening to "The News" on radio and television.
You want to stay informed about the world, but most news stories are about tragedies, inequities, ethical violations, crimes, violence and other "downer" issues. Catch up? but move on.

8. Start a self-improvement project.
Whether it's getting fit, building something, learning a new skill or finishing some project you abandoned, achievement is downright motivating.

9. Nurture moi.
If it's not going to get you arrested or bankrupt, do something fun? something that makes you feel good. Maybe it is reading mysteries, fiddling with plants, playing with your dog, getting a massage? you get the idea. You're going through a difficult, frustrating time and deserve a little delicious self-care.

10. Pursue your spiritual path.
Who couldn't use a little extra energy put toward whatever it is that makes you feel connected to something larger than yourself? Whether it's time spent in spiritual reading, meditation, prayer or communing with Mother Nature, you now have the time to pay more attention to those activities that restore and nurture your Spirit.

Job Seeker’s Checklist

Note: The process of searching for a job is one that should be highly organized and planned. The process outlined below is one that is thorough and persistent, and supplies a company of interest every possible opportunity to review your qualifications. This process also helps to prevent these companies from dropping your credentials into a filing system or the trash without carefully examining your résumé. It is helpful to print and mark off each step as they are completed.




_____ Step 1. Identify potential companies that interest you. These are companies that may offer positions comparable to those that would interest you whether advertised or not. Create an entry in the log for each of these companies with all available information you can find.

_____ Step 2. Identify companies that are actively advertising positions that interest you. Create an entry in the log for each of these companies with all available information that you can find. Try going to their website or look them up by other means to find out as much as possible about these companies.

_____ Step 3. Carefully read through job advertisements to identify common requirements among the companies/positions that interest you. This should be done according to the most basic skills and work your way up to more advanced skills.

_____ Step 4. List these requirements from least important to most important or most demanding requirements. Now, go down the list and determine which of the key skills you possess. Of the skills that you possess, start with the most advanced qualifications and make sure that these qualifications are mentioned in the upper ½ of the first page of your résumé. Bullets can be rearranged or words can be added to existing statements, but these qualifications must have mention in this section. Do not re-write your résumé or add content that is not complimentary to the rest of the résumé to do this. The résumé likely has this information already if you have accurately selected jobs that you possess interest and are moderately qualified for.

_____Step 5. If various positions differ greatly in requirements or fall into two of more groups of similar companies/jobs, it is a good idea to use a certain résumé for one group and another copy for another group. A subtle change such as re-arranging sentences to fall in an order so that the content of interest is mentioned first is suitable in most cases.

_____ Step 6. Print your résumé on a quality 24lb paper that is light in color. For best results, take your résumé to a professional printing center on diskette to have them laser print your résumé. Get matching full-page size 9½ x 12 envelopes. If you’re able to print addresses directly on the envelopes or can print labels to address the envelopes with it will look more professional than hand-written envelopes. Be sure to include the contact person’s name if available just below the company name and above the address so that it is delivered directly to the intended recipient. Mail all of your résumés out at once, ensuring that each company has the appropriate copy enclosed.

_____ Step 7. Allow 2 days for local delivery, and four business days for the rest of the addresses you have sent your résumé to. On the anticipated day of arrival of your résumé, send a copy by email and announce the arrival of the hard copy in the mail. It is best if your email goes out the day before or the exact day that your résumé arrives. Mention in the email that you will follow up with them by phone on a specified day and state whether you will call in the morning or afternoon. You should call no later than three business days after your résumé arrives.

_____ Step 8. Make follow up calls with your résumé and the advertisement (if available) in hand. If you have to make another follow up call next week, ask them if you may contact them next week to see how their selection process is going if there has been no decision made at that time. Continue process until you have an answer, interview or rejection letter. Befriend the person you are calling, call them by their first name after the first call and keep your résumé copies handy at all times during the process so that you are better prepared if they should call you unexpectedly.

10 Reasons Your Job Search is Failing

On paper, the prescription for unemployment is rather formulaic: send in résumé, go on interview, be your charming self, get hired. The frustrating reality isn't nearly as simple. Getting an interview alone is an exercise in persistence and patience. Here are 10 reasons for why you're not landing that interview and what you can do to reverse the trend.


1. Your résumé and cover letter are as articulate as Courtney Love's Web blog. If your application materials contain typos, grammatical errors and irrelevant or inconsistent information, employers will take notice -- in a bad way. Once you've looked over your résumé and cover letter to the point of dementia, take this advice from Joyce Gioia of the Herman Group: have three people, for whom English is a first language, review your résumé and cover letter before you send it.

2. Your cover letter is generic. Make it personal by tailoring it to the particular job and addressing it to a person, not "To Whom It May Concern." And include a sentence or two about how you are the right fit for that particular job. If no contact is listed, take the initiative to find out who the hiring manager is by searching the company's Web site or calling the reference desk.

3. Your letter is a Cliff's Notes version of your résumé. Instead of simply restating what's on your résumé, include new information like how you found out about the job, why you want to work there and what you can do for them. Finally, close with something that will encourage a response, such as a request for an interview.

4. Your letter exudes self-consciousness, not self confidence. If you don't feel qualified for a job, why are you applying for it? Don't call attention to your shortcomings in a letter; emphasize your strengths by focusing on your skills, experience and ability.

5. You cross the line from sounding confident to sounding cocky. Don't mistake selling yourself with bragging. Putting "I would be an asset to your company" in your cover letter catches the eye; writing "You would be crazy not to hire me" turns the stomach.

6. Your MySpace page lists "binge-drinking" as a favorite pastime. Don't post anything on a publicly accessible Web site that you wouldn't want a potential employer to see. Not all hiring managers run searches on job candidates, but some do, and it's better to err on the side of caution. Google yourself to see what comes up, because recruiters will see the same results.

7. You assume e-mail is enough. Hitting the send button on an online application is only the first step is landing an interview. For one thing, not every e-mail is received or read. Try following up your application by sending a paper résumé and cover letter via snail mail (indicating you've already applied online). After that, call the hiring manager to see that they've received your application and check on the status of the job in question.

8 .You assume the Internet is enough. The majority of all employment opportunities aren't advertised, so be proactive: Contact human resources managers at companies you want to work for inquiring about positions available; register with a job recruitment agency; attend industry events to stay on top of news; and devote energy to meeting like-minded professionals who will be the keys to discovering more opportunities.

9. You misrepresent yourself. It may sound like a no brainer, but misrepresenting yourself on a résumé is bound to catch up with you. Upon performing a reference check, Denise Moorehead, communications director of a non-profit service agency in Boston, once discovered a job candidate had left her previous job a year earlier than she'd admitted. It turned out that the candidate had gotten burned out and decided to take a year to temp and regroup, but thought the obvious employment gap would be held against her, so she simply lied about it. "I figured if she'd lie about something this easy to explain, she might lie about the deadline-driven work she would have to do with me," Moorehead says.

10. You give up. Remember that looking for a job is a full-time job. If you're not hearing back from employers, considering changing your strategy. Experiment with different cover letters, revise your résumé on a regular basis and look for opportunities to add to your experience even when you're not working (i.e. taking classes, participating in workshops, volunteering).

Job Listings: Cracking the Code
 Mary Lorenze
CareerBuilder.com writer

If you’ve ever looked at a job listing and thought, “I’d be perfect for this job, if only...,” you understand the discouragement a lot of job seekers feel.

When it comes to meeting the qualifications for a job, is there any flexibility? That depends on the employer, but in most cases, the answer is yes. Certainly, it helps to understand how your own experience and needs match up to what the employer wants and is willing to offer, which isn’t always an easy task, thanks to the obscure language typical of many job listings.

Here are some common job listing terms and what they really mean for job candidates. “Preferred skills” and “Required skills” “When a job listing says ‘required,’ it’s a lot firmer. Employers are trying to narrow the field,” says Tom Allen, director of career services at DeVry University in Decatur, Ga. A skill that’s listed as “preferred” is not necessarily essential for a candidate to have. In today’s competitive world, however, it’s unrealistic for employers to expect to get a candidate who meets all of their requirements, and employers may relax some of those requirements for a candidate who meets at least most of the requirements. “If you meet 50 to 60 percent of the qualifications, that’s probably not enough,” Allen says. “But if you’re pushing past 80 percent, you’ve got a good shot.”

“Command of” and “Working knowledge of” If you have “working knowledge of” a certain program, you know the basics of how to operate that program; if you have “command of” a program, you have enough experience with it to be able to explain how it works and use it for more complex projects or a higher level of work.

“Entry-level” and “Experienced” If a job posting indicates it’s an entry-level position, employers are typically looking for someone who has been out of college up to two years, Allen says. “Experienced” candidates usually have been working for three or more years in the industry or have graduate degrees, which can account for some work experience.

And then there’s the little matter of payment… Confused by the terms like “competitive” or “scale”? When it comes to salary, research is essential. Online search sites like CBsalary.com provide the average salary for one’s profession, city and level of experience. By figuring out what the “competitive” salary for that job is, candidates can figure out their worth and put up an asking price that’s fair to both themselves and employers.

If an employer asks for salary requirements, Allen says it’s preferable to avoid it altogether, because if you name a salary that’s too low, you are selling yourself short; but if you give too high a number, you can automatically take yourself out of the running. The best way to avoid providing a requirement is to give a range – one that you can live with. Again, do your research beforehand.

There’s less wiggle room, however, when employers ask job seekers to provide salary histories. Because employers can easily verify a candidate’s history, it’s best to be up front about that, says Allen, who’s known some employers ask to see copies of W-2’s. If you’re still unsure as to whether your skills match a certain job or whether you’d fit in with a company, Allen advises getting an inside opinion. Try to network within the company or the industry in order to meet people who can answer your questions or advise you. Learning all you can about a company’s culture and the job itself is critical to any job search. Do your research and you’ll have an edge over others who are competing for the same position, because you’ll be prepared and confident come time for the interview, Allen says. “If you play sports, you practice and train to have as sharp an edge as the other athletes,” he says. “Competing for a job is no different

Top 10 Online Job Search Tips
Mary Lorenz, Careerbuilder.com writer

While the popularity of online job boards puts millions of jobs at one's fingertips, it has also made the job applicant pool that much bigger. For this reason, national job search sites and the Internet as a whole have gotten a bad rap from some industry professionals as an ineffective job seeker tool; on the contrary, the Internet actually can be a great resource for job seekers -- they just need to know how to use it.

When it comes to a fruitful online job search, successful job seekers follow these 10 guidelines.

1. If you build it, they can come.
Instead of simply posting your résumé on a Web site, take it one step further and design an easily-navigable Web site or online portfolio where recruiters can view your body of work, read about your goals and obtain contact information.

2. Check yourself to make sure you haven't wrecked yourself.
Google yourself to see what comes up -- and what potential employers will see if they do the same. If you don't like what you find, it's time to do damage control.

3. Narrow your options.
Many job boards offer filters to help users refine their search results more quickly. You should have the option to narrow your job search by region, industry and duration, and, oftentimes, you can narrow it even more by keywords, company names, experience needed and salary.

4. Go directly to the source.
Instead of just applying for the posted job opening, one of the best strategies to finding a job is to first figure out where you want to work, target that company or industry and then contact the hiring manager. Also, many employers' career pages invite visitors to fill out candidate profiles, describing their background, jobs of interest, salary requirements and other preferences.

5. Find your niche with industry Web sites.
Refine your search even more by visiting your industry's national or regional Web site, where you can find jobs in your field that might not appear on a national job board. More and more employers are advertising jobs on these sites in hopes of getting a bigger pool of qualified applicants.

6. Try online recruiters.
Recruiters will help match you with jobs that meet your specific skills and needs. Not sure where to start? Sites such as recruiterlink.com, onlinerecruitersdirectory.com, searchfirm.com and i-recruit.com provide links to online headhunters for job seekers.

7. Utilize video résumés.
Video résumés are just one more way to stand out to employers. Intended as supplements to -- not replacements for -- traditional résumés, video résumés allow job seekers to showcase a little bit of their personalities and highlight one or two points of interest on their résumés.

8. Run queries.
You run searches on everything else, from your high school sweetheart to low-fat recipes, so why not jobs? Enter a query that describes the exact kind of job you're seeking and you may find more resources you wouldn't find otherwise (but be prepared to do some sorting).

9. Utilize job alerts.
Most job boards have features that allow you to sign up to receive e-mail alerts about newly available jobs that match your chosen criteria. Or go a step further and arrange an RSS (really simple syndication) feed from one of these job sites to appear on your customized Internet homepage or your PC's news-reader software.

10. Get connected.
How many times have you been told that it's not what you know, but who you know? Thanks to the emergence of professional networking sites like LinkedIn.com, job seekers no longer have to rely on the old standby of exchanging business cards with strangers. These sites are composed of millions of industry professionals and allow you to connect with people you know and the people they know and so forth. (A word of caution: When you sign up for online social networking sites, you are in a public domain. Unless you are able to put a filter on some of your information, nothing is private, and it can be difficult to erase once it is posted.)