This article contains a list of employment websites and job search engines along with a few extra surprises where you can earn some money while continuing your employment search. There is absolutely no way on Earth to list every single one of the job websites that are available online, so if you would like to suggest other employment websites in your neck of the wood, then please do so in the comment section below.

Remember, to bookmark this page for a quick and easy reference guide to use when seeking new employment. Help someone today and pass this article along to those you know looking for a job.

Simply Hired

Simply Hired has made the job searching easier and faster with their consistently updated job search engine. Simply type the “Job Title, Skills, or Company” and the “City, State or Zip Code” into the search fields to begin your job search. The Simply Hired Job Search Engine will search through its jobs database of more than 3,688,186 currently available job openings and return fantastic employment results.

JobOpenings.net

JobOpenings.net is a comprehensive employment search tool that currently can help you find over 1,510,000 real jobs in the United States and Canada. Membership is free.

Monster

Monster is both a national and international job search tool that can lead your searches to millions of new job openings around the globe. Basic membership is free.

YAHOO! HotJobs

YAHOO! HotJobs contains millions of available job opening currently available around the world and in just about every field imaginable. Also, job hunters can take a break from job searches to sit down and read helpful advice and career articles to give serious job seekers the edge over the competitive and growing unemployed job market. A Yahoo! Account is required to post resumes and membership is free.

Careerbuilder.com

Careerbuilder.com currently has more than 1.6 million jobs available across the USA. Besides, hosting more than a million jobs, this website also will allow job hunters the opportunity to build a resume and email the resume directly to the companies wanting to hire new employees. To be kept informed on new job listings in your area or areas of interest, job seekers can sign-up for the Careerbuilder.com newsletter.

USAJOBS

One of the fastest growing employment segments in the United States is working for the government. USAJOBS offers qualified job candidates a wide variety of employment options and salary ranges.

Government Job Search (http://www.federaljobsearch.com)

Government Job Search currently contains over 71,000 US government jobs openings in city, state or federal government. Government jobs are generally more secure than the free market jobs and usually offer excellent benefits and salaries or wages. The search tools are very easy and straightforward to use and to navigate the website. Some government jobs may require qualified candidates to have valid security clearances or pass a civil service examination, before being considered for the job position(s) that are interested in applying for.

MedicalWorkers.com

The medical industry is probably the second fastest growing employer next to government employment. Medicalworkers.com is a comprehensive search engine website for finding employment within the medical establishment. Healthcare professionals from nurses to surgeons and everything in between can discover thousands of new jobs in the healthcare field on this website. The site and search navigation tools are very easy to use and it only takes seconds to return your first job opening results.

50 State Jobs

50 State Jobs is a comprehensive employment-locating tool that comes complete with charts and listings of the best companies to work for, to the largest employers in the United States. Learning to navigate the website requires a bit of extra time, but the end result could land you a job, so it is worth the time and effort.

UK Jobs

The easiest way to find your next UK job is by visiting UK Jobs Network and searching through more than 298,000 job vacancies that there currently are available on the site. Site navigation is easy and simple to use and job seekers can post their resume on the site once they have joined the site. Membership is free.

CV Library

CV Library covers 90 different industries and has 2,784 agencies and employers looking to fill more than 55,317 United Kingdom job vacancies. Membership is free and CV Library also offers other helpful tools and advice to help you find employment.

Reed.co.uk

Reed is a comprehensive job searching Internet tool that currently contains more than 135, 281 job vacancies and offers its members great easy-to-use career tools to help make finding gainful employment a breeze. Membership is free.

Careerindia.com

Careerindia.com is a comprehensive job site to locate new employment in India. The website can be read in multiple languages including English. There are several thousand-job openings with Indian companies in a variety of industries.

Naukri.com

Naukri.com is India’s #1 Job Site on the Internet. Job seekers can access a large database of jobs that are currently available in a wide range of industries. Members can post a resume in a database that receives 35,000 recruiters each month and membership is free, but the employment opportunities are located in India.

Russian Federation Jobs

Looking to make a big lifestyle change and ready to move to a winter wonderland to work or are you a Russian needing to find a job? There are hundreds of Russian job openings found on this website, including thousands of other jobs throughout the European Union.

Russian Jobs Network

Russian Jobs Network in the most comprehensive collection of web sites and Listservs available to find job announcements and contacts for non-governmental and non-profit organizations in the former Soviet Union.

ChinaSplash

ChinaSplash is the #1 job employment site on the Internet. China companies and manufacturers have thousands of job openings available for some of the world’s best-known international companies. Search for jobs, post resumes or post a job opening (employers only) and best of all, find a new place to work for. Membership is free and site content is in English language.

NewChinaCareer.com

NewChinaCareer.com has currently 12,985 job listings from 782 companies operating throughout China. The website content is in English language and the navigation search tools are extremely easy to use. Job seekers will have a wide range of employment opportunities available to choose among, so there is really something here for everyone wanting to work in the beautiful land of China.

The Job Spider

Every job seeker needs a little extra help every once in a while and “The Job Spider” crawls the Internet seeking out the newest job openings from around the world and these great employment opportunities can be discovered on this site. Pick a job category, choose a job, click for details, and then apply if you are interested. Employment opportunities are from all over the world, so this is truly a website for the global community to use when seeking new work.

Australian Job Search

This is an award-winning job search website serves the find continent found down-under of Australia. There are currently 64,218-job opening available throughout Australia in a wide range of employment fields. Membership is free and is hosted by the Australian Government.

Contracted Work

Contracted Work Professional Services is not the typical run-of-the-mill employment website. Used by professionals in the computer sciences fields, networking, website design, graphic illustrators, technical writing and much more. Employers post their current projects in an auction style environment with job description included and potentially interested professionals bid on the project as to how much they would complete the project for. This is not the best option for everyone, but for those interested in working on a contract-basis, then this is what you have been looking for.

Triond

Freelance writing for Triond can potentially earn the right people an extra-income to help pay the bills while you are continuing to look for a new full or part time job. Joining Triond does not cost members anything to join and writers and photographers can earn royalties each month on the content that they publish. Earning some money is better than no money, at all.

Myspace Jobs

The world’s largest online social network with over 100 million worldwide members offers a comprehensive job seeking tool containing thousands of currently available job openings from a wide variety of employment fields. Simply type in the kind of job that you are looking for and the city, state or zip code where you are wanting to work, and then click “Find Jobs” button and your on your way to working again soon.

Indeed

This website provides a simple to use job search engine that has crawled job sites, newspapers, associations, and company career pages to collect 768,250 new job postings in the last 7 days. Look for a job, read job trends, understand salaries or join in on the forums, it is up to you, but there is plenty to be done on a visit to this site.

Dice

Dice specializes in the high-tech job market industry and currently has more than 69,000 tech jobs available for skilled and qualified candidates. The majority of the jobs are located in the United States, but that doesn’t mean that an employment opportunity doesn’t exist in your country or nation or state. Membership is free. Members can post resumes, explore tech market conditions, get tech career advice, discuss salaries, or join into a forum discussion concerning the job market in the technology field.

Searching for a job while still employed has its advantages and drawbacks. The downside is you won't have the same time as an unemployed person in job searching, but the great advantage is that your skills are being used and are current, so you are up to date with the industry's happenings, let alone your contacts. Having a job also provides you with an income. 

Keep these general guidelines handy:

Avoid telling your workmates and manager that you're looking for a new job. There may be instances when circumstance dictates that you need to tell your manager. For example, there is an internal job being advertised and you are interested. To a certain extent, how you relate to your manager will have some bearing. You may also need your manager to act as a reference person in your application. If your relationship with him is positive, he will support you in any way.

• Restrict job-hunting activities to your home. Avoid the temptation of searching for job sites online while at work. This is not a good reflection on your image especially if a workmate catches you.     

• Following your resignation, avoid being critical of your employer by dropping unnecessary comments in front of co-workers. Your friends in the workplace might be offended by your negative comments and might take this as bad-mouthing. 
  

• Maintain a professional relationship with your employer while you are still in their employ.

You Got the Job and Ready to Resign

Okay, so you finally found a job.   

It may take two weeks, a month, or longer, most businesses have a termination policy requiring you to serve notice. If you don't serve your full notice, you might forfeit some or all your benefits like annual leave, perhaps sick leave.  

Your resignation should be coursed through your immediate manager. When you go and see him to discuss, you have your formal letter of resignation with you. A lot will depend on your relationship with your manager. Prepare yourself for possible outcomes – a manager could be understanding or resentful. Or, he might counter offer you for a better job position. If he counter offers, ask kindly that you need some time to think it through. But, if you have decided on taking the offer of the future employer, you should decline your manager's offer, but do it politely.       

Continue your work to the best of your ability. Even on your last day, thank everyone – your manager and your workmates -  for their support, friendships and professionalism.

At present, you have continued to read on because your mind is probably filled with two streams of thought. First, who is this guy, an unknown, thinking others may be interested in what he has to say about the difficulties attached to the job search process.  Secondly, just because I too have been out of work for a while, why should anything Richard has to say be of value to me? Let me provide an answer to both points in an effort to encourage you to read on. True, I not famous nor do I seek to be infamous through some single act of notoriety. This is it….I am a man with two college degrees, a BS and MBA, at least some measure of intelligence, optimal business and social skills, a solid resume complete with references, strong family values, love of animals (currently share my house with a rescue greyhound), a cyclist, above average sense of humor, and, for the most part, someone who finds the daily journey of life to be an enjoyable one! And, like many of you, I have been on multiple interviews with several viable organizations only to be told that “the firm has gone another direction” or have decided upon an “internal candidate”.

It is only fair that I jump forth into the true crux of this dissertation, which is a description of how uplifting the job search experience can be for each of us. Is this a twist on words? Of course not, it is meant to be openly sarcastic! My true intention is neither to present to you a very real look into the job search process from my perspective, not as a scare tactic nor to lead you down a path of disenchantment. Rather, I hope to provide a bridge between your current feelings of disconnect and that ever elusive career you desperately seek.

As a product fashioned from control and organizational tendencies, I thought it best to present my thoughts in list form. As a disclaimer, I do not profess to be an executive search professional nor a career counselor. Yet, after waiting for nearly twelve months to re-join the workforce as a contributing member of the nation’s tax base, I believe I do offer some measure of expertise!

1. Go ahead and be upset about the loss of a job. As a committed, loyal, important part of a company it is never easy to find out that you are no longer needed by the firm. It reduces your confidence and will lead you to question both your professional and personal worth. When you exit your firm on your final day, show them that you possess the utmost integrity and fortitude. Never “burn bridges” by lashing out at those who remain as you may need some of those individuals to provide recommendations to your future employer. Once you have left this environment, seek a friend or family member with whom you can vent. Ask this person for support, reassurance, and validation, all necessary ingredients for your professional and personal rebuilding stages (will discuss later).
   
2. Decide upon a plan of action. Now that you have vented and understand that you control your destiny, it is time to develop a plan of action. You will want to begin with an update of your resume, making a list of contacts containing business associates, friends and family, and, finally, making a list of job descriptions. With an updated resume at your disposal you can immediately provide this extended list of contacts with your professional outline, an essential part of the job networking process. In addition, you cannot move forward if you are not certain what industries and positions you aspire to attain during this search.
   
3. The use of recruiters, executive search firms, and career counselor organizations may be necessary. If you are in search of a job or career change and are still employed, financially speaking, you have an advantage over those who are unemployed. However, after researching executive search firms and career counselor groups, I wish I would have utilized these options long ago. Unless you change jobs every two years you are probably not an expert at the search process. As I too am but a novice in such activities I should have become involved with as many recruitment/search/staffing groups as possible! Dependent upon the type of firm you choose to work with, the fees are usually paid by the candidate; however, recruitment firms typically receive a fee from the hiring company once a candidate is located and hired. It is a good idea to contact a large number of recruitment/executive search firms in order to have your resume on file in as many places as possible. The career counselor firms are great options as they will assign a specific person to your search, providing you with revisions and multiple versions of a resume, links to industry specific business information about corporations and their leadership team, leads to both published and unpublished job opportunities, training on interviewing, training on how to write cover letters, and advice in negotiating your compensation package once an offer has been extended.
   
4. Job Fairs and networking events: At first, I was hesitant to attend job fairs because they had not netted favorable results in the past. However, while standing in line at the last event I attended I met someone who knew someone in my industry, and whose company was in a growth mode at present. Also, I learned of a solid lead as a result of attending a professional networking session that took place at a church in the metro Atlanta area. I printed professional business cards at home and attended the event, whereby I was able to meet with and exchange cards with individuals willing to share viable leads. Please do not forget this message…networking is not only a way to reach the door…. it is a way to have someone open it and invite you in!!
   
5. The internet is now the most common place to search for a job. Remember, any job you see on the internet may be seen by hundreds (possibly thousands) of other candidates. While these jobs in the published market will be seen by many others, you can remain a marquee candidate through extra effort. For example, contact the firm you are interested in and attempt to get the name of the decision maker for your approach letters, as this is a much more professional approach than “to whom it may concern.” Generate a log to track of companies and opportunities you have contacted in order to send follow up responses within a certain period after initial correspondence has been sent.
   
6. Always send an approach (cover) letter with your resume whether you apply for a position on-line or through an agency website. In addition, send a copy of this correspondence to the decision maker within the company of interest. Do not fear that this is an unnecessary step that will make you appear “overly eager”. Instead, it will help place your name at the top of the list as someone whom they will remember.
   
7. When you review your communication logs each day, you must designate a portion of the day to follow up on letters or resume submitted in the past. My advice is to send the original communication, follow up with an email, phone call, etc. after fourteen days to ensure that your original information was received and reviewed. Typically, you will want to submit the original communication, and two subsequent follow up messages. After this point if there is no feedback from the organization, your efforts are better spent in other pursuits!

If this information appears common or oversimplified then I am pleased. So much of the daily activities associated with the search process are not always so simple, especially when combined with the stress of financial and career uncertainty. These points of information are my thoughts, my experiences, and my suggestions after waging a war against unemployment for nearly one year. My goal is to shed some light upon a difficult struggle that I truly hope does not affect you for an extended period of time. Remember, job loss is not the end of the road but the beginning of a new one. Remain positive throughout each phase of your search activities because it is that air of confidence and determination that will guide you to your next professional destination.

1. Google Base

   This choice should be a no-brainer for any online retail business. Why? Because it's free! All that is needed for Google Base is a Google account and a product feed. They provide numerous tutorials and their interface is relatively easy to use. Further, by starting with Google Base you can get acquainted with how product feeds and shopping portals work without worrying about cost. Just make sure you upload your product feed each month or your products will be removed and they will have to be re-listed.
   
   Pros: Free, Simple, Educational
   
   Cons: Tracking sales can be complicated

2. SortPrice

   SortPrice is also a good choice for any online retail business. What sets SortPrice apart is its flat monthly rate. It does not charge per click like most shopping portals. Instead, merchants pay a flat monthly rate based on the number of products they wish to sell. In addition to this, SortPrice regularly rotates their results on a given category page. There is no worrying about bidding and placement. They offer more of a level playing field where the online retail giants and the small-time “mom and pop” businesses can sell together in harmony. They have account representatives to help you set-up and maintain your product listings. Plus, they can take product feeds from other shopping portals so you don't have to make a new one just for them (unless you want to).
   
   Pros: Flat rate, Account reps, Good online presence
   
   Cons: Little control over placement.

3. PriceGrabber

   Of all the shopping portals I have used, PriceGrabber is by far my favorite. It is a little more complicated to get set up with them and their merchant interface isn't the best, but they provide results. I have a dedicated account represented that emails me regularly and calls me periodically just to check in and see how things are going. Just like any other portal, PriceGrabber has a number of sub-portals where they list their merchants' products. After my account had been going for a while, my account rep took me out of some of the sub-portals that were not doing so well for me and my conversion rate more than doubled. By far, my conversion rate with PriceGrabber is higher than any of my other shopping portals.
   
   Pros: Great service, Good presence
   
   Cons: Getting started my be slightly more complicated than other portals.

You need to learn as much as you can about your capabilities and the job marketplace. The forces of change affects where you may be able to locate employment. Fewer jobs are being offered by large companies and the federal government. One expert predicts that as much as 80% of the labor force will be working for firms employing fewer than 200 people. Moreover, self-employment seems to be an increasing attractive option for many people.

Employers are looking for people who are able and willing to adapt to diverse situations, who thrive in an ever-changing workplace, and who continue to learn throughout their careers. Companies want team players with strong work records, leaders who are versatile, and employees with diversified skills and varied job experiences. At one time employers valued applicants who were able to be employed for 18 years or longer in one corporation, who had position promotions on a steady basis. However, in today's job market employers would rather interview applicants who had employment changes throughout their careers.

Do you have what employers are looking for? Before you limit your employment search to a particular industry or job, it's a good idea to analyze what you have to offer and what you hope to get from your work. This advance preparation allows you to identify employers who are likely to want you and vice versa.

Get started by jotting down 10 achievements you're proud of accomplishing; think carefully about what specific skills these achievements demanded. As you analyze your achievements, you'll begin to recognize a pattern of skills. Which of them might be valuable to potential employers?

Next, look at your educational preparation, work experience, and extracurricular activities. What do your knowledge and experiences qualify you to do? What have you learned from volunteer work that could benefit you on the job? Have you held any offices, won any awards or scholarships, mastered a second language?

Take stock of your personal characteristics. Are you aggressive, and a born leader? Or would you rather follow? Are you outgoing, articulate, or great with people? Or do you prefer working alone? Make a list of what you believe are your four or five most important qualities. Ask a relative or friend to rate your traits as well.

If you're having difficulty figuring out your interests, characteristics, or capabilities, consult an employment placement office, or the following websites for assistance: Job Diagnosis, lifescript, or Job Hunter's Bible.  There are numerous websites that give career assessments tests. These tests won't reveal your "perfect" job, but they'll help you focus on the types of work best suited to your personality.

Knowing what you can do is one thing. Knowing what you want to do is another. Don't lose sight of your own values. Discover the things that will bring you satisfaction and happiness on the job:

• What would you like to do every day?
• How would you like to work?
• What specific compensation do you expect?
• Can you establish some general career goals?
• What size company would you prefer?
• What type of operation is appealing to you?
• What location would you like?
• What facilities do you envision?
• What sort of corporate culture are you most comfortable with?

While you're figuring out what you can offer an employer and what you want from a job, you can take positive steps toward building your career. There is a lot you can do while you are looking for employment. The following suggestions will help potential employers recognize the value of hiring you:

1. Keep an Employment Portfolio

   Get a three-ring notebook and a package of plastic sleeves that open at the top. Collect anything that shows your ability to perform a job. Your portfolio is a great resource for writing your resume, and it gives employers tangible evidence of your professionalism.

2. Take Interim Assignments

   As you search for a permanent job, consider temporary or freelance work. Also gain a competitive edge by participating in an internship program. These temporary assignments not only help you gain valuable experience and relevant contacts, but also provide you with important references and with items for your portfolio.

3. Work on Polishing and Updating Your Skills

   Whenever possible, join networks of professional colleagues, and friends who can help you keep up with your occupation and industry. While waiting for response to your resume, take a computer course or seek out other educational or life experiences that you can add to your resume.

Your approach to the employment process is to gather as much information as you can; narrowing it as you go until you know precisely the companies you want to approach. Begin by finding out where the job opportunities are; which industries are strong; which parts of the country are booming; and which specific job categories offer the best prospects for the future. From there you can investigate individual organizations, doing your best to learn as much about them as possible. A lot of companies maintain websites which you can research.

As the web grows, the employment information it provides is constantly expanding. Some helpful websites are:

• America's Career InfoNet
  Good place to begin; Offers information on typical wages and employment trends; Gives education; knowledge; and skills requirements for most occupations. Includes links to multiple career resources on the internet.
• The Monster Board 
  Post more than 25,000 openings and 300,000 resumes. Heavily marketed, it brings a flood of employers.
• HotJobs
  Operated by Yahoo. A member-based site that job seekers can create a personal resume, which can be reviewed employers.
• NationJob
  Has one of the largest networks of both active & passive Job Seekers in the country; headquarter in Des Moines, IA.
• CareerBuilder
  Offers a network of career services, job-search information, and tips on how to succeed once you're hired. Includes a database of 20,000 openings.
• Net-Temps
  Maintained by career consultants; offers several thousand updated listing and real-time seminars.
• USAJOBS
  The official job stop for the United States federal government. It's your one-stop source for Federal jobs and employment information.

I am sure we have all been there and that scenario is nerve racking enough. Now imagine if I had walked into that office with a wrinkled suit, messed up hair, and completely unshaven. The chances of getting a second interview, let alone a job offer would have been near zero.

Well years later I was on the other side of the interview process. For three years I was responsible for interviewing potential candidates to fill positions in my department. Much to my surprise I was flabbergasted to see the number of candidates that would walk through the door as if no one ever showed them how to dress.

It was simply amazing. Candidates that walked through the door wore wrinkled suits, to some not even wearing suits, to sporting nice new sneakers, yes I said sneakers, to one person who walked in wearing shorts and sandals. Maybe they had our job interview mixed up with something else. And after quizzing them on what we did, they probably did come in for the wrong job.

Needless to say, ladies and gentlemen, that although the days are long gone of your father's type of company where everyone wears suits and works a nine to five shift, there is not a quicker way to be disqualified from a job position (short of lying on your application) then to dress inappropriately for the interview.

Here are a couple of quick tips that I recommend. Dress as if you are going to a funeral. Yes I know it sounds morbid but it is true. Would you disrespect a friend or relative by showing up in bad clothing? No of course you wouldn't. You would dress in a nice dark suit, cleanly pressed, with a nice tie and shoes. You would be clean shaven and of course well groomed.

It might not be the nicest way of putting it but sometimes when people just do not get it, you have to put it in terms they will understand.

 

And for crying out loud, men trim those fingernails!

Like many people before me, I went to college, graduated and found myself looking for a much needed career. I submitted literally hundreds of resumes to various companies. To my own astonishment you could imagine how I felt when I either did not get called for an interview or received the company standard “don't call us we'll call you” form letter.

So I did some research and changed my approach by customizing my resumes and cover letters for the companies that I was applying to. This seemed to work for me as I started getting some interviews. However, what I learned quickly is that my interview skills flat out sucked.

I was very soft in my speaking, my handshake was terrible, and I paused and stuttered too much as if I were looking for the answers somewhere in the room. That was just interview number one. Interviews were a lot more different than the fast food job I had in high school. I needed to fine tune my skills so that the interviewer did not think I was a bumbling idiot.

In the town where I lived the local government had free workshops of which one was for interviewing. I immediately signed up. It was a one on one session with a volunteer who worked full time as an HR person for a local company. They treated it as if it were a real interview. I made it about 30 seconds before she stopped me and in not so many words said, “My God you are terrible at this.” Continuing she said, “Have you ever interacted with people before?”

At first I was offended, but she was right I was bad. She gave me some pointers on how to be better at the interview and believe it or not they weren't life changing alterations. For example, sit up straight. Sitting up straight gives the look of confidence. Slouching is sloppy looking and looks lazy. Look the interviewer in the eye. The person doing the interview does not have laser beams shooting out of their eyes so don't be afraid to look at the person. They aren't Medusa and you won't turn to stone. Give a firm handshake but not too firm. A good handshake also gives off confidence.

I worked on each and every one of those skills with this person. Over and over we went through each step until it was nearly perfect. By the time I left that session which was about an hour and a half to two hours long (if I remember correctly), I believe I had perfected the interview process.

I wasn't done yet. I signed up for the interview session again this time getting someone different. I wanted to see what a new pair of eyes and ears on my interviewing skills, that I had now learned, looked like to someone who never met me.

This time it was a person who did interviews for the City Government. I sat down and he proceeded to interview me as if I were applying for a job. He commented at how well I did, that I made good eye contact; my answers were good but could be more thorough. He made some minor adjustments on some things, mostly in how I answered questions, but other than that, he said I was ready.

It took me five interviews before I landed a position. What I found during this entire job interviewing process was that with each interview I went on I became better and better at it until I finally landed the job.

A few years ago I found myself being the one doing the interviewing. Talk about coming full circle. I saw in a lot of candidates the mistakes that I myself had made. So being able to see both sides of the interview process has been very rewarding to me on a personal and professional level.

If you are looking for your first job or tense up when it comes to interviewing for a new position check into some local training sessions. Most local colleges offer them free or very low cost. These trainings sessions could do for you, what they did for me.

I want to touch on today your resume and for many that I have seen in my own experience, I really should say the lack thereof in regards to your resume. Potential candidates have sent me resumes (regardless of how or what format) that are just really bad. They lack a certain characteristic that I am going to talk about in moment. Without this I was really unable to determine anything about them.

Chances are you may be missing this as well. One thing I noticed about the internet in doing my research is that thousands if not hundreds of thousands of websites crave this item. This item allows these sites to stay fresh, new and up to date. Do you know what that item is? Simply, it is content.

Content is key in the online world as it is on your resume. I have read numerous resumes that lack good quality content. Without it I derive that either one, they do not have the experience that I require, or two, they are not thorough enough in the work that they do.

Content in regards to your resume is nothing more than elaborating on your expertise, experience and education. Give the person reading your resume a reason to get excited. For example if you are applying to be the new widget sales person, don't just put down as your prior experience, “sold XYZ product from start year to end year”. Do you see how vague that is?

Instead elaborate on that. Tell the person what you accomplished and how it relates to helping their company. For example, “From start year to end year I was responsible for the sales of our XYZ products. During this time I sold X number of units that accounted for 19% of the total sales for our company. Due to my success of selling the XYZ product line I created a new training aid for our company that was taught to other sales team members and in turn helped increase company revenue to about 33%.” You get the point.

Elaborate on each job experience that you put down. First explain what you did in complete detail. Then talk about how your experience their helped the company you worked for and finally finish off by stating how you were able to contribute to the team members around you to make the company a better place.

If you follow this simple plan to fully detail your resume you will be sure to wow anyone in any company with what you bring to the table. Remember you are judged for a job long before anyone even talks to you.

Decide at home, before making the first phone call, exactly what you want. First, what is your price range? As a general rule of thumb, your rent should not exceed 1/3rd of your total gross income. Secondly, what is the time frame within which you need to move? Availability is a big factor in the pricing and even in the quality of service you will receive from the leasing agent. May through August is the major season for moving, and if you can move off season you will find a larger selection of apartments at reduced prices or with move-in specials.

Number Two:

Decide what features are must-haves, and which are preferences. Beware carpet, as it is one of the most common reasons that security deposits are not returned, and require extra care from the renter. Now that you have a rough paper draft of what you are looking for, begin looking at the ads. Apartment guides and news papers ads are worth skimming, but realize that the apartment complexes offering the big glossy ad’s are never going to be the best deal. Private owner properties almost always have lower rents, less fees, and less restrictive policies. They can also be less responsive when it comes to maintenance requests, so when you become interested in an apartment try to research the management company as well. Craigslist is an excellent place to search for an apartment, as well as simply driving around your desired neighborhood looking for ‘for rent’ signs.

When touring the apartment, make sure you ask:

What are the lease terms? Ask for a disclosure of all fees and deposits. Make sure you understand exactly what utilities you will be responsible for, and if laundry is in unit, in building, or down the street. Ask about policies regarding pets and children as they pertain to you. Ask their policy for lease breakage and maintenance. Emergency maintenance is also a nice feature. Not all leasing agents have the power to negotiate, but a lot of them do, so it may be worth your time to act less than impressed (But never be rude or overly critical) to see if you draw the offer of a concession or a waived fee from the agent in an attempt to close the deal.

Once in the apartment, make sure to check:

The number and location of outlets and phone jacks. Always check water pressure of both the shower and the toilet flush. I had an apartment once that was almost perfect except for the tiny little spray of dribble I had to shower in for a year. Open cabinets and drawers, look in the oven. It doesn’t even hurt to knock on walls to test their thickness. If in an urban location, make sure to ask where the closest hospital is—landing on an ambulance route can make for an apartment nightmare. If the apartment seems to be the closest to the specifications you made out on paper before hand, Step away from the leasing consultant to consult with your moral support (if available). Never make the decision without leaving the presence of the leasing agent for a brief period, the power of sales people on even savvy consumers can be quite persuasive. If it is go, return to the leasing consultant and ask if there is a time period of refundability on the deposit required to take the apartment off of the market. Most places offer this. If the deposit is refundable within a certain period of time, put it down immediately. While the deposit is still refundable, it is time to do the last leg of your research. 1. If you are paying for utilities, call the utilities companies and ask for an average bill.

IMPORTANT:

Make sure you know how long the unit has been vacant. Aside from the sales advantage of knowing that a unit has been on the market for a while (it means that you are in a good position to negotiate if that is an option) you really need this information to make sure the numbers quoted to you by the utility company are accurate. More than one renter has moved in on the promise of low utility bills, only to find out that those numbers came from when the apartment was vacant and unused. This is another good reason, if utilities are not included, to check the age of the windows and heating and cooling systems, and to factor in the height of your ceilings.

If you originally viewed your apartment building in the day, make sure you drive by at night. Conversely if you toured your apartment in the evening, make sure you drive by during the day. I once rented an apartment that looked perfectly safe at night, only to find out that during the day people sat out on there stoops all day and drank alcohol.

If the deposit is immediately non-refundable, I recommend doing this research before putting down money, unless you are hunting in a very competitive housing market. If everything pans out, ask if you can get a better deal. We are often raised that this is not polite, but often times there are specials or discounts available if requested, and if not, you are not the worse off for asking. Welcome Home!

As a resume writer, I once helped a Japanese engineer find a job. I suggested to him that rather than write one general resume trying to cover the range of his vast experiences all over the world, that he would fax or email to me each ad he wanted to answer and that I would individualize each cover letter and resume for that particular ad. I wrote six cover letters and six resumes for him. He sent them all out. About 30 days later he telephoned me from Tokyo to tell me that he was invited to

five interviews out of the six companies contacted and that he ultimately accepted a position at twice his anticipated salary and was relocating to United Arab Emirates. The fee he paid me for the special arrangements were well worth it! The point is that you need two or three resumes.

Do not worry about the styles of the resumes. There is NO one style for you. You are out of work or in need of a job. You must be flexible. Stay focused on each job opportunity. There is little to be gained by scattering the same resume among an assortment of different companies.

On a scale of one to ten, the best resume is one written for a specific job and company. At the bottom of the scale is the general resume written to mail indiscriminately to all types of firms, regardless of the position open or the nature of the business.

Employers today want to know concrete things about you, and what you can produce. Most résumés today are filed.

ATTITUDE MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Developing an enthusiastic, positive attitude is, unquestionably, the first thing to do in starting your job search. This can be a marvelous journey for you, the chance to revive your career, to find the job that is ideal for which your talents, skills and abilities are uniquely suited. Your attitude will be a major determinant of your success. You must first be sold on yourself in order to be convincing to others who are in a position to help or hire you. The keys to a positive attitude are self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-knowledge. Let's look briefly at each of these:

Self-esteem

Reflect on your successes and the many skills and abilities you used to achieve them.

Self-confidence

Think of all the things you know how to do, the technical capabilities you have, the contributions you are capable of making to a business or other enterprise, and the many personal attributes or traits that distinguish you as a vital person.

Self-knowledge

Think of who you really are and what you have become over the years, how you have developed; what motivates you, drives you, interests you; how you would describe yourself in terms of style and personality; what you most like to do and what you do best, better than anyone else you know.

Your attitude, history and purpose will only be satisfactorily reflected in your resume if you have thought out your process and committed yourself to this new adventure of finding the job you really want.

SET GOALS

For you to pace your job search activities in a realistic and productive manner, and to organize what is going to become your "guerrilla" campaign for a new job, you must have goals. Your goals must be specific to assist you in focusing on the type of business or industry in which you are most likely to find a job and the characteristics of the type of company you prefer. For example, the size and location of the company, the type of business activity, and other related issues must be decided by you early so that you do not waste your time. Stay focused!