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January 2012

Great Gurus and One-Stop Advice Shops
Love from Your Local Public Library
Great Guidance from Government Sources
The Collegiate Corner || More Great Guides
Job Search Tips || Prefer Video or Audio?
Advice for the Mature Job Seeker
Working a Job Fair || Finding the Hidden Job Market
The Online Job Search

We also have information on The International Job Search, Working with Search Firms and The Internet as a Job Reference.

Custom Search: Search this site (plus a few others)

Great Gurus and One-Stop Advice Shops

When I have a question, I start here because it's more than a job, it's a career. These sites offer you advice beyond just the best ways to find work.

Joyce Lain Kennedy's Careers Now

...if you don't know Joyce, where have you been? She's been writing her syndicated career column for over 30 years (it appears in more than 100 newspapers). Joyce has also written many books on careers and job search which have influenced the way thousands of us think of this process. A large number of her columns are archived here, and a few more sit on the Tribune Media Service website.

JobHuntersBible.com from Richard Bolles

...the newest addition to the many guides from the author of What Color Is Your Parachute? This incorporates his Net Guide (meta-list of job resource online) plus many of the self-assessment exercises from Parachute. You'll love it.

Ask the Headhunter

...Nick Corcodilos is a headhunter and management consultant helping you with his own style of advice. Several good articles for you to read. While you are here, take a look at his new book, How to Work with Headhunters, and his excellent blog

The Job Lounge

...a blog for job seekers and career changers from Susan Ireland, a professional job search coach and resume writer, and a good friend. She posts something helpful almost every weekday, and will try to answer questions that you submit.

The Career Activist

Mark Swartz, a Toronto-based career coach, author, and self-proclaimed Career Activist, offers you very good advice on job searching along with selected quality links to additional articles and resources. His focus is on serving his fellow Canadians, but all job seekers will appreciate his advice and find most of the links to be useful.

Knock 'em Dead Online

...hosted by Martin Yate, the best-selling author of the Knock 'em Dead series of job search books, this site gives you fast access to much of his great advice. Yes, you will find information on his books here, but you'll also get new articles, list of resources, and access to his blog with questions from other users and answers from the man himself.

The 21st Century Job Search Guide For The Perplexed, Mary Elizabeth Bradford (TheCareerArtisan.com)

Short, sweet, and terrific guide to the "new" job search (which isn't new, it is just continually evolving). Bradford's short ebook (in PDF format, so no Nook or Kindle necessary) explains what you need to do and how to improve your job search quickly. Only 30 pages, and fully understandable by those who are not so Internet savvy. Also great for college students. And right now you can download your copy for free! Quick, get yours before she comes to her senses. And tell all your friends! You will recognize Mary Elizabeth's name from links to articles she has written further down this page.

Keppie Careers

...this site offers numerous helpful and upbeat articles designed to encourage and assist you in your career, whether you are seeking a new job, a new direction, or just a new attitude about it all. Miriam Salpeter, founder of Keppie Careers, has been working in the career advising field for over 10 years and formerly headed Career Action Center at the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, one of the first college career centers to really move and shake it online.

Marty Nemko's Career and Education Ideas

You may have heard of Marty Nemko, but just in case you haven't, he is a highly regarded expert in careers. Marty is a career coach based in San Francisco who hosts his own radio show, he is co-author of "Cool Careers for Dummies", he's career advisor for Monster.com, and much more. His web site includes several articles he has written on careers, worklife, and education issues and over 200 of his "Fast Fixes," tips for improving your worklife or education. He's done so much, which is why he is so knowledgeable about what you can do to help yourself, and his website is a gold mine of free information.

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Love from Your Local Public Library

We want you to succeed, and we will do as much as we can to help you make it happen!

Job Help Blog, Toronto Public Library

I have read a lot of job and career blogs, but I think this is my favorite. The librarians from TPL cover relevant topics of interest, offering advice and resources to assist all users. Some of the entries even feature lists of books (you know, those paper things) with even more good advice. Yes, the references are targeted to residents of Canada but the advice is universal and many of the online resources are accessible to and useable by anyone online.

Focus on Jobs & Careers, Dayton (OH) Metro Library

Lists of new books in their collection (search for them at your library), articles on a variety of topics that link online resources plus books, and so much more. Scroll down the right side to see a full list of topics.

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Great Guidance from Government Sources

One of the nice things about these (other than the fact that they are free) is that they often come in several languages. They frequently cover topics that many more experienced and/or educated people don't think about, like Assessing Your Job Readiness.

CareerOneStop

"Welcome to the nation's publicly-funded resource for jobseekers and Businesses. Find jobs--from entry level to technical to professional to CEO. Identify job-ready workers with the right skills. Locate public workforce services in your area. Explore alternative career paths, compare salary data for different occupations, learn which careers are hot, get resume writing tips and job interview strategies, and much more!" This is the government's new single-point entrance to all of the online job search and employment/career services supported by the Department of Labor. From this single site, you can easily access America's Career Infonet, and America's Service Locator, and the training and education information provided by the former America's Learning Exchange. In addition, CareerOneStop also ties in other government resources and services to make this a true One Stop Center online. This entire project continues to be one of the best values for your tax dollars I have seen.

Job Search Publications, Massachusetts Executive Office of Workforce and Labor Development.

A nice collection of printable guides to the job search, almost all of which are available in English, Chinese, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Spanish, and Vietnamese (look under Multi-Lingual Forms).

Publications from the Wisconsin Job Center

This collection of guides prepared by the job search professionals with the state of Wisconsin covers everything you really need to know about job searching and always wanted to find in an easy-to- read document. They cover Job Readiness (are you ready to search and are you ready to work), Job Search (networking, what employers look for, what if you are turned down), Resume and Applications (avoiding errors, transferable skills, resumes), and Interviewing (hidden elements, informational interviewing, telephone techniques). Many of these guides are available in Spanish, and all can be viewed online in HTML or viewed and printed in PDF format (requires Adobe's free reader.)

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The Collegiate Corner

Guidance from College Career Centers or guides for recent college grads.

From College to Career

Authored by Deborah Federico, a college career counselor in the Boston area, this blog offers college students inspiring but practical advice on how to market themselves into a great career. Many more experienced job seekers will also benefit from the advice offered here, including tips on working career fairs, preparing references for contact from employers, preparing your resume so it will actually be read, and much more.

Job Choices

This is the magazine of the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Intended for college students, it includes job search and career advice as well as advertising from potential employers. The print publication can be found in college career centers, but you can also review them online. There are 3 editions of "Job Choices" -- business/liberal arts, science/engineering/tech, and diversity -- but much of the content is replicated. However, still choose the edition that is relevant to your field of interest. Free and public.

PH.D and the Job Search

Scroll to the bottom of the page to view a marvelous FREE collection of short video workshops covering such topics as Creating a CV, Job Search, and Interviewing. These were created by the Department of Career Services at UConn and include advice from several faculty members in various fields (science and liberal arts) and some industry professionals talking about their own job search as well as what they look for in potential candidates. All grad students and Ph.D.s should take the time to review these as they prepare for their own job search. While you are here, take some to watch other videos, look over some of their tips and pointers, and explore as much as you can!

"How To Guides" from the Career Center at Colorado College

This is a marvelous collection of articles on job search, career exploration and planning, and much more. More experienced job seekers will learn as much from these as any undergraduates.

University of Virginia Career Services

Check out their many online documents covering interviewing, job search, and internships.

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More Great Guides

Work Strong by Pete Weddle

This blog on career fitness and personal career management (not job search, although that is included) is authored by Pete Weddle, an early entrant into the Internet recruiting market backed by experience as a recuiter and CEO of 2 HR consulting companies. He knows recruiting, he know the job search, and he knows that Your Career Success is directly related to the value of You. As Pete puts it, "Whether you’re looking for work or searching for talent, Work Strong takes the wimpy, wish-upon-a-star fairy tale out of the job market and tells you the truth about what it takes to succeed in the 21st Century world of work." This blog is guaranteed to make you stop and think for a moment about what you are doing today, right now, to make a healthy change in your career.

Ask A Manager, Alison Green

"I manage a medium-sized, successful organization. I hire, fire, promote, manage, all that. If you're not sure what the hell your manager is thinking, or how to ask for a raise, or whether you might be in danger of getting fired, or how to act in a second interview ... ask away." Created by Alison Green, a hiring manager, this is a marvelous blog allowing you the opportunity to ask those questions you'd like answered or just reading her answers to previous questions (there are lots on the topic of salary). You'll also find her in other locations, like USNews.com, which is where I found her.

Job Seeker Resources from Career Directors International

Full disclosure: I am a member of this group. But what I want you to see are all of the free resources they have prepared for you. Career Directors International (CDI) is an association of career professionals from all walks of life and experience, including professional resume writers, job developers, recruiters, career coaches, career counselors, assessment specialists, HR professionals, and more. The Job Seeker resources includes articles and guidance written for you by these folks along with a searchable member directory that you can use to help connect with the professional you need.

Get A Job!, the American Library Association

Yes, it is geared to people searching for jobs in public, academic, and other libraries and/or information services fields, but there are many articles here which will help all job seekers. For example, under "How Do I Network?", take a look at Making the Most of Conferences by ALA President-Elect Camila Alire. She offers 10 good tips on creating opportunities at conferences. After reading this, prep yourself with the advice found in How Do I Craft My Elevator Speech?. Yes, much of the advice is specific to librarians and other people who work in this field, but much of it is applicable to all job seekers just by changing a few words.

Career Articles by Resume to Referral

...a collection of articles on job searching, choosing a career path, negotiation, and many other job-search related topics. Resume to Referral is a resume preparation and career management firm operated by Teena Rose, CPRW, CEIP, CCM, and author.

Interview IQ

...a blog on job hunting intelligence (interview tips, resume tips, etc.) authored by Karalyn Brown, a careers journalist and former HR and recruitment consultant based in Australia. Great articles!

The Career Clinic

...a radio show talking about careers, job search, and much more. They are carried on over 40 stations around the US plus the Armed Forces Network, but even better is the fact they are providing today's broadcast over the Internet using RealPlayer (free software can be added to your computer.) Guests are as varied as the topics they cover, ranging from every day folks who love their jobs to experts like Dick Bolles and other riffraff like yours truly. Check their web site for the audios, the station list, a schedule of show topics, and links to related services to help you.

MyCornerOfficeConsultants: Your Personal Career Portal

Established by the recruiting firm Corner Office Consultants to aid job seekers who did not fit into their business focus (computing / IT), this free site offers advice along with a stream of job announcements sources from multiple sites, targeted to you. The free career advice and resources help guide you through an effective job search as well as help you improve your interpersonal skills and job search techniques. The Career Portal is not specific to any single profession, so all should feel free to try it out. And did I mention that it's free?

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Prefer Video or Audio?

For those of you who prefer to learn by listening or watching, here are some great resources for you too.

Job Search Videos, University of Connecticut Career Services

Nice collection of instructive videos on different pieces of your job search.

JobRadio.fm

...founded by Chris Russell (AllCountyJobs.com) and Peter Clayton (http://www.totalpicture.com/), this site features free podcasts with career advice and even job opportunities (JobsinPods.com). You will find their content in the iTunes radio directory under the TALK/SPOKEN WORD. There are several different shows available, so look for the one (or the many) that interest you!

Money & Careers from VideoJug

"Life Explained. On Film." VideoJug is a free online video library with a collection of over 43,000 short, professionally-produced videos cover numerous topics from cooking to do-it-yourself projects and more. I have linked directly to the Jobs & Careers section, which includes numerous short videos (3 to 5 minutes or so) on Office Life, Dream Careers, Starting a Business, Resume Preparation, and much more. The videos I watched were well done, well presented, and featured good information from real experts like Marty Nemko. Please note that others areas of this site cover other topics which some viewers may find uncomfortable. I watched some of these also and found all of the videos to be well presented and tasteful but you might disagree.

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Job Search Tips

The Recession Has Changed The Search For New Employees, Judit Price, CareerCampaign.com

This article by Ms. Price discusses hiring in the new economy and how it affects you, the job seeker. Bottom line -- employers demand more of new hires, and you must match those demands exactly in order to be considered.

If Work is Work Then You Are in the Wrong Business, AfricanAmericanHires.com

The subject of this interview is a game designer, but his advice has to do with the job search. Showing that you can fit into the culture of a place is an important aspect, maybe the most important aspect, of the professional job search process.

Networking and Patience: The Most Important Aspects of the Job Search Process, AfricanAmericanHires.com

Advice from a job seeker who discovered that he needed to take his time and conduct the search right in order to succeed.

The Benefits of Keeping Cool While Searching for a Job, AfricanAmericanHires.com

"As I looked for a job, I found that a penny of patience is worth a pound of push. The more that I stayed cool, the better I did in the job interview process. I also learned some interesting things about how some employers find the personalities that they want to work with."

How to Market Yourself, Ron McGowan

"Unless you get an employers' attention by marketing, you won't succeed in selling." Ron McGowan is a consultant in Vancouver working to help job seekers and career changers understand today's workplace and how to go about finding work.

The Biggest Mistakes Recent Graduates Make In Seeking Employment, Ron McGowan

From concentrating on jobs to waiting too long, Ron points out some of the biggest mistakes young graduates make when searching for their first employment opportunity and offers suggestions for fixing them.

Seven Strategies for Finding a Job in Today's Market, Mike Ramer

As noted, a list of seven strategies help you create a plan to find new employment. From Mike Ramer, "America's Career Coach".

Best Job Hunting Tips, Alison Doyle (About.com)

"These job hunting tips from leading career experts and top executives at leading job sites will help you focus your job hunt, get to contacts at companies, learn how to effectively follow up, get a promotion to a new job, and utilize the top job search strategies that will ensure your job hunt succeeds." Alison surveyed several career experts and shares their advice with you. Some of these ideas are really terrific. (Disclaimer -- I'm quoted.)

Holiday Hope!, Susan Joyce (job-hunt.org)

...The period between Thanksgiving and New Year is absolutely not the time to give up on your search. In fact, it may be the absolute best time to be job searching. Susan's article will tell you why and give you tips on how to possibly make this a very happy holiday season.

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Advice for the Mature Job Seeker

Age 50 Plus Career Coach Blog

...great advice from Camille Grabowski, a career coach specialized in working with mature workers. You'll find even more articles and advice on her website, 50plusCareerCoach.com.

How to Make Age an Asset When Job Searching, Tory Johnson, Women for Hire (About.com)

Several suggestions for emphasizing your experience, not your age.

Job Search Tips for Older Workers, Alison Doyle (About.com)

"Strategies you can implement to help expedite your job search and to find gainful, and meaningful, employment."

Over 50 and Job Hunting?, Susan Joyce (job-hunt.org)

She focuses on networking as your best way to find a new opportunity, but also offers suggestions for sourcing jobs.

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Working a Job Fair

The Better Way to Work a Tradeshow

...nice short article on the best way to market yourself at a trade show without carrying a stack of resumes. From the "Take Charge of Your Career" blog authored by Maureen Nelson.

Job Fairs: How to Make Them Work for You

Prepared by the School of Management at the University of Buffalo, this is a great article on how to prepare for and then work a job fair! It includes a section on the elevator speech and how it applies here. Very good!

Job Fair Success

... a series of articles on working a job fair and coming out on top in your search for a new job from CollegeGrad.com. Topics include Understanding the Different Types of Job Fairs, Your Job Fair Portfolio, The Three Types of Job Fair Interviews, and The Lasting Impression Technique. Targeted to the recent college grad, these articles include good info for job seekers at all levels and in all fields.

Make Your First Professional Contacts at the Career Fair

Recruiters: "Student Preparedness Vital for Success at Career Fairs", by Kevin Gray

Both of these articles from the Online Recruiters Directory offer simple advice on how to behave and be noticed by the recruiters at career fairs. Ignore the fact that they may be targeted to college students because all of us can benefit from the thoughts offered.

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Finding the Hidden Job Market

A Fresh Approach to Job Search with the Help of an Old Standard: The Library, Barbara Safani (posted at jobs4hr.com)

"I love doing research on the Internet, but for certain research, you just can't beat the public library. Some of the best online research tools are fee-based, but you can gain access to these same resources in book form at your local library. Whether you need to search for recruiters, networking leads, or decision makers, the library can provide priceless (and free) access to numerous search-relevant materials." She goes on to list 14 of her favorite directories, some of which your local public library may have online for you to access for free! Others may be available online from your college or university, making that alumni association membership even more valuable to you! But she tells you what each directory is good for and how it can help you crack that hidden job market.

10 Steps to Unlock the Hidden Job Market, Candace Barr (StrategicExecutiveConnections.com)

Marvelous article with exactly what is necessary to find the 80% of jobs that tradition states are never advertised. It is a research process that you follow, but she is specific about what to look for and how to go about it. (And she isn't even a librarian!)

Tapping the Hidden Job Market

...nice 3-part article on how to tap the "hidden job market" including links to online resources designed to help you. The approach? Push, Pull, and Maintain. "First you reach out to potential employers (PUSH), then you make yourself visible so that employers approach you (PULL), and finally you keep your network alive so that it's there the next time you need it (MAINTAIN)." From Susan Joyce at Job-Hunt.org.

The Hidden Job Market Defined, Mary Elizabeth Bradford (maryelizabethbradford.com)

What Exactly IS the Hidden Job Market and WHY Should I Care? Part II, Mary Elizabeth Bradford (maryelizabethbradford.com)

These 2 articles form a short series, and you really need to read both articles, which should take a total of 5 minutes. In the first article, Mary Elizabeth dispels a few myths about "the hidden job market". "A statement I often hear is “isn’t tapping into the hidden job market just networking?” In short, no. It’s about going direct – and cutting out both “internal” and “external” middle men. Internal within the company (i.e. HR) and external outside of the company (i.e. recruiters)." In part 2, she goes into specifics as to how to access unadvertised opportunities. "There are three strategies to quickly get you started focusing on and finding great jobs that will never see a major job board." Excellent reading, and not just for executives!

The Hidden Job Market

"The best jobs are never advertised. Find out why and what to do about it." Great advice from Jobstar.org.

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The Online Job Search

Successful Use of Social Networking Sites to Find a Job, AllEnvironmentalJobs.com

Yes, he utilized online resources to help find work. But he found which resources to use by networking with colleagues and fellow alumni. We have more information on Social Media and Online Networking.

5 Things You Must Do After You Apply, Michelle St. Onge (messengerassociates.com)

Yes, now that you have sent your resume into the black hole of the Internet, you have more work to do. And the first thing she says is "review your network of contacts to determine anyone you already know can shepherd your application through the process. Company searches on LinkedIn are a great place to start." (Check our info on Networking: Social Media and Online Networking for tips!)

Tips for An Effective Online Job Search, Prashant Parikh

"Looking for a job online may seem like an easy task. But if you want to get accurate results, it requires more than just punching in certain information fields. Research shows that nearly 75% of all online job seekers become just another 'user id' on the job site. But if 25% of the people are getting the required response, there must be something they are doing right! What is it?" Mr. Parikh, founder of Faayda.com, offers several suggestions to improve the results of your online search.

The Dirty Dozen Dangerous Online Job-Search Assumptions, Susan Joyce (job-hunt.org)

..."if it's on the Internet, it must be true!" Remember when everyone thought that? (I do!) Can you trust everyone out there? Nope. Read Susan's article for some advice on what the watch out for.

Riding the Net to Your Next Job: Job Seeker Information from the International Association of Employment Web Sites

...nice, short article on how to approach an online job search, what to look for in job-related websites, and some advice on job applications from the trade association for the global online employment industry.

Job-Board Journalism: Selling out the American Job Hunter (June 17, 2003)

Readers Speak Out about the Job Boards: It's a Jungle Out There! (July 22, 2003)

These 2 articles are from AskTheHeadhunter, a newsletter and job-search advice service provided by Nick Corcodilos, one of our Job Search Gurus. The first is a long essay on how the major job sites have made our job search situation worse, not better. "To summarize, employers appear to be making precious few hires from the job boards, whose success seems to be measured only by their revenues." The second is responses from readers who (mostly) agree with him and emphasize that their success in searching has been through networking, not net-surfing. Nick, a former headhunter, has been online and advising job seekers on the best ways to find new opportunities since 1995. Yes, he may seem a bit controversial at first look ("throw away your resume"), but when you really read what he is saying and think about it you see he is pointing you in the right direction.

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