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Want a job?

Studies have shown that only about 5 to 10 percent of all new jobs are posted in the classified ads or on the Internet. The other positions are filled by word of mouth.
So whether you’re looking for a new job or changing to a new career, networking is a vital tool for gathering information, talking to the right people and achieving your goal.
Networking can be done anytime, anywhere - a train ride home, at a job fair or in a social setting. So the most important first step in networking is to smile and be friendly. You never know with whom you might strike up an important conversation.
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The Background-Check Challenge

Outsourcers protect themselves from identity theft by finding out all they can about employees, but gathering information can be challenging When the British tabloid the Sun blared the headline “Your Life For Sale” a couple of weeks ago, the most shocking detail likely was a photo of a reporter and an alleged Indian fence purporting to depict the exchange of $5,000 for stolen credit-card data. This was yet another blow to the offshoring community. It follows closely on the heels of perhaps the most infamous identity-theft case in India, one that resulted in nearly $500,000 in bank losses and a whopping 17 arrests. While the world waits to see how the Indian police and courts handle these landmark investigations, both outsourcing customers and providers are examining what changes, if any, should be made to hiring practices in global delivery centers.
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Looking for career moves? Focus on networking

Studies have shown that only about 5-10% of all new jobs are posted in the classified ads or on the Internet. The other positions are filled by word of mouth. So whether you’re looking for a new job or changing to a new career, networking is a vital tool for gathering information, talking to the right people and achieving your goal.Networking can be done anytime, anywhere — a train ride home, at a job fair, or in a social setting. So the most important first step in networking is to smile and be friendly. You never know with whom you might strike up an important conversation.Here are some other tips on how to get the most out of networking:
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How To Pass A Technical Job Interview With Flying Colors

Once again recruiters are hungry and polite, but this doesn’t mean you can easily get a new job. I’d like to share with you some rules and techniques that can increase your interview success rate.

The process of getting a job consists of three separate tiers; let’s call it an IPO pattern:

Getting the Interview
Passing the interview
Getting the Offer
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A Four-Step Strategy for Changing Careers

Is a more meaningful job or a new career in your sights this year? It’s unrealistic to expect a role you may have once loved to remain a perfect match. When your position becomes unsatisfying, it’s time to make your New Year’s resolutions a reality.

Many executives and professionals experience an inner tug-of-war about making career and job changes. They vacillate between nightmares about jumping ship and daydreams about work that’s heaven sent. Perhaps your heart is whispering, “Time to start over with something better.”
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Six Sloppy Speech Habits

You may look good on paper or in your suit, but if you’re looking to nail your big interview, looks aren’t everything. How you sound is often more important. But many job seekers let careless speech habits sink their chances of landing that plum job.

Here are six common language mistakes and how to keep them from sabotaging your interview:

1. Non-words: Filler words such as “um,” “ah,” “you know”, “OK” or “like” tell the interviewer you’re not prepared and make you sound like a Valley Girl (or Boy). A better strategy is to think before you speak, taking pauses and breaths when you lose your train of thought. Everybody utters an occasional “um,” but don’t let it start every sentence.
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Good (And Bad) Writing Skills Stand Out On The Job

For 12 years, Janice Weinrick has been asking job applicants to answer some of her questions in writing. Weinrick, vice president of real estate operations for the Centre City Development Corp in San Diego, interviews a lot of job candidates. She knows that not all communication is oral and asks candidates to write narrative descriptions of their work experiences, rather than just providing a fact-laden resume. “Their ability to communicate orally and in writing is vital to our success,” declares Weinrick. More job recruiters and interviewers should be following her lead. Corporations spend as much as $3 billion annually to improve the writing skills of their workers, and poorly written job applications are often tossed out immediately, according to a recent survey. Poor Writing, Poor Prospects The survey of 120 human resources directors found that two-thirds of salaried workers depend upon their writing skills, and an inability to write can severely limit workers as they try to climb into supervisory and management jobs. The survey was done by the National Commission on Writing for America’s Families, Schools and Colleges, which hopes to expand a commitment to writing in schools.
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The More (Contacts), the Merrier

An effective contact strategy takes research, initiative and accuracy, all important ingredients of a successful job search. Research is required to assemble your contact list. Initiative is essential to place calls and visit every single person on that list. Accuracy is necessary to ensure the correct spelling and pronunciation of each persons name and title.
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Employers value job candidates with a history of achieving their objectives

Have you been looking for a way to distinguish yourself from competitors in your search for a new job? An effective approach is to prove you are a goal-oriented employee. It always is a good idea to sell yourself as a goal-oriented individual because employers are goal-oriented themselves. One of their goals is to find the best-qualified people who can make an immediate contribution to the company’s bottom line. They also have specific objectives for company growth, and are looking for people who will fit easily into the organization and perform capably with a minimal amount of downtime acclimating to the new work routine.
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Get real about working in retirement

Retirement planning is fraught with uncertainty, but one outcome is sure: When we baby boomers wrap up our careers, we’re not going to retire to a rocker on the back porch. No, we’re going to have a working retirement.

How can I be so certain? Because this is what boomers say in survey after survey. In fact, roughly eight in 10 boomers report they plan to keep working in some capacity after leaving their regular jobs.
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