The big switch: Eight practical steps to making a career change

1. Review your history.
You know the saying: You can’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been. So think back, way back, to that third, fifth and ninth job and write them all down. For one, it’ll explain you how far you’ve come, and, if you’re like most Americans, it’ll illustrate just how many different tasks you’re capable of carrying out. Don’t forget to include volunteer positions.

2. Make a list. Or three.
Write down all the skills you mastered at each of those jobs, even the seemingly trivial. That major makeover you pulled on the office lunch room may seem inconsequential, but it may be a clue that you have a hope in interior design. On another page, list your interests. The things you like to do when you’re not earning a paycheck.

3. Find a direction.
The lists you made are clues to a new way, but you have to have the right tools to decode the signs. Soloway suggests using professional career and personality tests (check out careermaze.com as an example) to figure out what your skills and interests are telling you. Career counselors at JVS use the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, among other tools, to narrow down the types of careers that fit your individuality and talents

4. Try on some shoes.
You’ve narrowed down your options. Now how do you select between pastry chef and greeting card designer? Dig in and find out everything you can about your prospective career: which skills are needed, which degrees are required, what is the pay, what the job conditions are like. Simple online research can fill in many of those blanks, but for the real dish, you have to network face to face.

5. Stay busy.
Spending days at a time in your pajamas, rotating laptop, Blackberry and TV screens in front of your face will not only drag down your feel, it’ll sully your resumé. utilize your free time wisely to show prospective employers that you are active, resourceful and willing to work, even without a paycheck as motivation. Volunteer at your synagogue, a local shelter, school or food bank. Bonus points if you do something that’s relevant to your field of interest. Look for internships, freelance opportunities and other ways to get your foot in the door.

6. Hit the books.
To snag certain jobs, like an X-ray technician or an electrician, you’ll have to sign up for a vocational school. For others, you may be able to fill in the educational gap with classes at a community college, an online course, or some how-to books: i.e. Bartending for Dummies, Day Trading for Dummies, Event Planning for Dummies. Educating yourself shows initiative and drive, and even if the most important thing you study in your creative writing class is that you can’t string a sentence together, at least you can cross Romance Novelist off your list of potential careers.

7. Take baby steps.
Going from school psychologist to web designer is quite a leap, so consider making the transition in several steps. Soloway encourages clients to get “stepping stone jobs” that move them one step closer to their desired career. For instance, our psychologist can apply for a job writing content for the LAUSD website to gain some basic knowledge of what makes a site appealing.

8. Recruit cheerleaders.
Job hunting, particularly for career shifters, is incremental in nature and may take years to achieve the final goal. You’re going to require a cheering section, with verve, and stamina for the long haul. The career counselors at JVS are there to hand you cups of water and granola bars throughout the marathon, Soloway says. But you can recruit your best friend, your daughter, your neighbor – whoever will be genuinely interested – to keep track of your progress and help you focus on the positive.

Holiday job search tips offered Dec. 6

"Job Searching through the Holidays" is the topic of the Hudson Job hunt meeting on Dec. 6 at Christ Church Episcopal. Sign-in starts at 7:15 p.m., and the meeting begins at 7:30. It is free and open to the public.

Robin Raybuck, founder of Robin Raybuck and Associates, a career management and coaching firm, will share her ideas for job searching through the holiday period. She has extensive experience in the field and has had her own business for 16 years.She is a frequent speaker and author of several articles.

She completed her master's grade and some doctoral work in counseling and business at Case Western Reserve University.

Raybuck will talk about the strategies for successful holiday job search and will also offer ideas for handling the ups and downs of job searching during the holidays.

4 Job Search Tips for Aspiring SEO/SEM Specialists

1. Show, Don’t Tell

It doesn’t matter how pretty your resume is or how many years of experience you have. What SEO firms are looking for is evidence that you can do a good job pulling their clients’ websites to the top of search engines. Do that, and you’re in.

“What I want to look at is sites that they’ve optimized,” explains Nick Spears, the director of search for SEO firm Incredible Marketing. “And I am going to basically open up the source code; I’m going to look at how they’re optimizing title tags and things as simplistic as keyword meta tags and descriptions.”

2. Work For Anyone to Build Experience

Work on your own website. This is how both Spears and Canu got their begin. Spears says he used his first sites as “crash dummies” in order to test what worked and what didn’t work. Billy learned SEO while running an online DVD rental business. Working on your own website can be a great way to not only perfect your trade, but build a portfolio.

Volunteer to help a non-profit develop its SEO. You’ll be contributing to a cause you care about and building your portfolio at the same time.

3. Experience Trumps Degree

Since SEO is a relatively fresh field, most accreditation programs are relatively new, and universities are just now starting to offer classes on it. There are instructional programs offered through organizations like SEO company Bruce Clay and the Search Engine Marketing Professionals Organization (SEMPO), but your knowledge will trump any certification that you can buy.

4. Keep Learning

An SEO specialist’s job changes as fast as the Internet. The rise of social search and social media, for instance, has affected how SEO works.

“Someone who would come to me and say, ‘I have a very well understanding of Facebook and Twitter’ is going to be a step ahead of someone who just comes in and says, ‘I understand the SEO strategies and record and things like that,’ ” Spears says.

6 Ways To Impress Your Boss

Ask What Needs to be Done
It sounds like a no-brainer, but quiz your boss on what is the most important method you can spend your time and then make those tasks a priority, suggests Steve Langerud, director of professional opportunities at DePauw University. By tackling the objectives that your boss holds in high esteem, you'll naturally be in a better spot to get attention and praise for your work.

Demonstrate Your Value
Forget what your job description says, create an action plan for how you can be doing your job better, says Mary Hladio, founder of Ember Carriers Leadership Group. Consult your boss and other leaders within the group for their input, and put the ideas in motion.

Be a Team Player
Shaunti Feldhahn, author of "The Male Factor," says high-level managers of both sexes want to know that their employees are on board with the team, particularly at critical moments. "In a demanding period, you want to make sure you are sharing the same pain," she says. For example, this might mean staying late for a meeting or pitching in on a company-wide initiative.

Your Boss
Even if it's not part of your job requirements or you haven't been asked to do it, voluntarily offer your boss reports on your progress, says former Human Resources trainer, Mimi Donaldson. "Bosses are busy," she says. "You cannot expect them to notice when you do something great." But a routine email summing up your day-to-day accomplishments and where you stand on major projects is an influential method to keep your boss informed without monopolizing time.

Network Like You're Unemployed
Langerud also advises reaching out to colleagues in other departments and requesting their feedback on how you can help them be more effective. Around the company, it will only develop your reputation, he says, and it will likely get circulated back to your boss that you are a problem-solver and a dedicated worker.

Be Heard and Seen
It's not about gossiping around the water cooler every morning, but finding subtle, yet powerful, routes to contribute to your firm. For instance, it may be presenting a strong, thoughtful point in a meeting, or sharing innovative ideas up the ranks about ways to develop your company's operation. Plus, being seen at company events, such as holiday parties and other social gatherings, volunteer activities and corporate retreats, shows you care about your job.

The Bottom Line
Not only is the job market more competitive in recessionary times, it's also getting increasingly hard to get a raise. That's because the pool of money corporations reserve for rewarding staff - even the most stellar of employees - is shrinking. According to a survey by the business research organization The Conference Board, the average company is only budgeting 2.8% for wage increases in 2010, a number that hasn't dipped under 3% in more than two decades. The current work environment demands that you must stand out in your boss's mind if you want to get a bump in your salary or a promotion.

4 Tips to Answering Tough Interview Questions Correctly

When answering interview questions, here's the first rule...

1 - Stay Positive...ALWAYS!

The “what’s your greatest weakness” question is your opportunity to shine. One way is to demonstrate you are a positive person by nature. Everyone likes a person with a positive nature, right? Remember you are in the interview to make yourself desirable for hiring, so you might say, “I rarely sit there and think of myself in those terms, nevertheless, I do want to respond to your question” or something on those lines. Notice by the way I did not say “I rarely sit there and think of my weaknesses.” Okay, I take it back. Here’s a rule of thumb that always applies: Do not use or repeat negative terms, even if the interviewer throws it out there.

Here are three other rules I suggest you follow:

2 - No Superlatives!

Keep it singular. Superlatives such as “weakest” or “worst” or “biggest” indicate the greatest degree of whatever is it describing. “Worst weakness” is the weakness of the highest degree implying there are other weaknesses of varying degrees but weaknesses nonetheless. That begs the question “what are some others?” Likewise, “need most to improve” implies there are others areas for improvement. In any case, try this as an alternative: “If I had to come up with one…” (No negatives; no multiples).

3 - No Absolutes!

The absolute, as in “my weakness is…” states the weakness exists unconditionally: Utterly fixed and not likely to change. WOW! Wouldn’t it be better to be a little less restrictive, something more conditional like “it could be I am…” Conditional responses suggest you yourself are not completely convinced of it. This type of response also accomplishes what the bungling technique of using a “strength” to describe a weakness consistently fails to achieve – that your “weakness” may not be a weakness after all.

4 - Keep it Real!

Your “weakness” should be one (singular) that is subjective – of your person. Humanize it!

Top tips on how to get new work

A predicted 500,000 public sector workers could face redundancy and be looking for jobs in the private sector.

While a third of public sector workers believe their background puts them at an advantage, more than a fifth (22%) fear it will put them at a distinct disadvantage.

Employers, meanwhile, say public sector experience is "not very important".

We've teamed up with recruitment specialist Hayes with these top tips on how ex-public sector workers can appeal to the private sector: Don't take it personally Redundancy in these tough times is not the result of poor performance. Focus your energy on planning your next move and remain confident. Identify transferable skills Make your CV appeal by showing your strengths and experience and how they will add value in a new role. Update your CV You may be used to filling out application forms for jobs, but the private sector tends to rely more on CVs. Make yours as clear and succinct as possible and refer to skills, rather than tasks and duties. Consider updating skills and temporary work Learning new skills and qualifications will help you stand out, giving employers evidence you can do the job and are capable of developing. Short-term positions will keep skills up-to-date and may help get your foot in the door. Know the differences Private sector employers often struggle to interpret public sector job titles. You'll need to demonstrate how your skills and experience are relevant to the role you're applying for and show potential employers you understand the market they operate in. Different interview styles The public sector often uses competency-based interviewing, where candidates have skills assessed by being asked how they would perform in a given situation. The private sector uses a range of techniques and interviews can be less formal. Remember, do your research.

10 Top tips from employers to job seekers

Loyalty: One of the key things mentioned, particularly by Production Manager Lotty McWilliam for Eon Media, was that loyalty to their company was “key”, showing commitment to the company or potential employer.

Enthusiasm: was also mentioned by many employers as important. Lincoln Co-operative worker Faye Amberson said: “It would be great if the employee had enthusiasm about the job.”

Passion: Another top tip would be displaying passion for the company. Lee Johnson from Rock Star games said it was key, particularly for his line of work, to have some love for the job: “You need passion, and for this job it needs to be for games.”

Friendliness: Rockstar’s Johnson also said that this is a desirable quality from a possible employee, particularly “a nice bloke,” simple to get on with.

Creativity: Displaying some imagination got the head nodding for Eon Media Lotty McWilliam, who found “showing some creativity” made a candidate stand out.

Well prepared: A huge factor of getting a job was bought up by Business Link’s Mike Gibbs, who said preparation was totally vital for success to getting a job and maintain a successful career.

Willing: Eon Media produced one more key tip: “We want people to be willing to put themselves out there and show confidence in their work.”

Know your market: A big thing for self-employed and employed workers. Mike Gibbs said: “Understanding your client base and what they want is a big thing.”

Eager: Showing that you’re keen and excited about a job ticked the box with the Lincoln Co-op’s
Faye Amberson: “It’s great if you can show eagerness at the occupation.”
Understanding company ethics: Several companies like the Lincolnshire Co-operative have a code of ethics and beliefs, which they expect candidates to share

Tips for Living: Bouncing back emotionally after a job loss

Imagine that your supervisor comes to your desk and ask if you have a minute to speak and then says, "I am sorry, but we're going to have to let you go."

Your life now seems to be spinning out of control, and you feel like you have landed in the borrow pit on the freeway of life because you have been let go from a position you expected to have until you retired. You clean out your desk, and now you need to tell your spouse.

This condition happened to me three times between 2005 and 2008. The first question I asked myself was, "Now what?"

While my first concern was the care of my family, my heart ached and my spirit was crushed.

The first week of unemployment, I did what I thought was needed. But as the days progressed, I began to understand that I had lost more than a job; I had lost my purpose. I realized I would no longer be learning alongside my colleagues. I had lost my self-confidence, and I felt I had lost the respect of each one I knew.

Once I lost my job, my priorities quickly changed. I needed to provide for the necessities of life: mortgage, utilities, food and fuel for my vehicles. Finding a job became a major concern. My bills were not being paid. I was depressed, angry, frustrated and felt lost. I didn't feel challenged and I wasn't growing. My world had collapsed.

So how do you begin cope with all of this?

You need to accept that you are grieving. Denial is such an easy emotion to embrace that it is difficult to accept that you no longer have your former job. You need help to overcome the grieving stage. You begin by getting on your knees and opening your heart to your Father in Heaven. Tell him everything you are feeling: your frustrations, your pain, your loss, your needs and your hate. Be truly honest with your emotions. You may feel actual physical pain, so take a sick day and stay in bed.

However, you only get one sick day in your new position as a job hunter. No benefits yet. The next day, get back to work on the job hunt. Remember, only one day.

You cannot keep a confident person if you sit around the house all day. You need to be engaged in some type of work. Work at anything. Now is not the time to hold out for the dream job. You need some income, no matter how small it may be, to feel like you are contributing to the needs of your family. Be a handyman for the elderly in your church and neighborhood, mow lawns, work fast food, convenience stores, or gas stations, anywhere that regularly hires.

Tips for landing your dream job

Learn about yourself. Take time to perform a self-assessment of your values, how you like to work, and what you'd be compelled to do even if you never got paid. Research careers and industries that map to your skills and interests. Hit the Internet, set up informational interviews, take relevant coursework, and arrange to go onsite at a company in your chosen field.

Don't be deterred by a lack of experience. In developing a resume and other promotional materials for the field you want to pursue, think about how your current skills and talents apply to the responsibilities you'll hold in the new job. For example, knowledge of project management, client relations, information technology, and sales will take you far in most types of careers.

Ease into a new career one foot at a time. Perhaps this means earning a paycheck at your current job while doing a part-time internship in your new field or taking an adult education class or workshop on the weekend. The only way to find out if you're passionate about something is to try it – ideally with as little risk as you can manage.

Remember that any progress is good progress. Even confident people stay in unsatisfying jobs because they feel safe, and because they're afraid of making a bad decision. But in the quest to uncover a source of meaningful work, though, your worst enemy is inertia. Make an effort to do one thing, like e-mailing a networking contact or attending an event – that moves you a bit closer to your big picture goal.

Start early. Twenty and thirty-something's have more flexibility when it comes to test-driving different careers. The process of self-discovery is much easier when you're unencumbered by family responsibilities and substantial financial burdens, and when you haven't yet reached a level in a career where it's tougher to turn back. That said, it's never too late to pursue your passion. More and more baby boomers are leaving the world of traditional employment for alternative career paths that will fulfill them well into retirement age.

Have realistic expectations. Even if you're lucky enough to hold your dream job, there's no such thing as the perfect work situation. Every job has its ups and downs, and aspects we love and aspects we don't love. And dream job doesn't mean "cushy" job. As your mom always told you, anything worth having in this world requires some effort. There will be some days you feel like shutting the alarm off and going back to sleep, but many more where you feel more energized by the prospect of work than you ever thought possible!

BBB offers tips on getting holiday jobs

The Better Business Bureau offers the following advice for job hunters this holiday season:

Start the search earlier rather than later: The key to landing a seasonal job is to start searching early. Retail, shipping, restaurants and catering companies are common sources of seasonal employment.

Work where you shop: Try to identify seasonal employment with businesses you actually shop at or frequent. You will already be familiar with the company and its products and discounts available for employees mean significant savings when shopping for Christmas gifts.

Put your best foot forward: Even if you are just picking up application forms at stores in the mall, dress your best and be prepared for an interview. This includes being familiar with the company’s brand and its products.

Be flexible: Full-time employees usually have first dibs on the preferred hours and shifts, so, as a seasonal employee, expect to work long, sometimes inconvenient hours including working on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. If this is a second job, be upfront and clear with your new employer about your available hours.

Goldman Sachs shares job interview wisdom

Before the interview

• Make a list of your education separating your strengths, weaknesses, experiences and skills. Goldman’s advice is to create a story from these that will resonate with your interviewer and show that you are the right candidate for the job.

General preparation

• Know your CV inside out and decide on your key selling points. Practice talking about them in a confident and conversational tone. Use your experiences to show your leadership and communication skills as well as your capability to work as part of a team.

• Research the position and the company so that you can articulate your interest in an informed way. Be aware of relevant industry information.

First impressions

• To make a good impression ensure you arrive early and dress properly for the interview. Prepare a list of talking points and memorise key dates. Remember the names of those interviewing you.

Interview formats

• Goldman favours “behavioural interviews” which involve you giving examples of your skills. The plan is that past behaviour will indicate future performance.

• Other formats include the “historical interview”, which talks your through your CV in chronological order. Using your CV, you’ll be expected to tell your story.

• And don’t be thrown off by the “case study interview” which will involve questions that need some creative thinking such as: “How many manhole covers are there in New York?” Just remember, the goal isn’t to get the right answer but to provide a sound argument for arriving at your response.

At the end

• Ask a few questions about the company or the interviewer’s view of industry trends. Whatever you do, don’t ask about income and benefits as you’ll have plenty of time to discuss these once you get a job offer.

Tips for a successful job interview

Although the first interview is often the most intimidating, the following guidance can help you create a great first impression on your interviewer by not appearing too inexperienced.

Dress appropriately – in your interview the aim is to impress upon your interviewer that you are a professional, and appearances count. The important thing to focus on is being well-groomed, neat, clean, and wearing conservative clothing and jewelry – a suit works wonders.

Non-verbal contact is crucial – about 50 percent of communication is non verbal. This means having good posture, maintaining eye contact, and having a firm (not bone-crushing) handshake. Most importantly, be attentive to your interviewer. This is exemplified by your body posture and will help you appear more professional.

There are certain topics you should avoid – never talk about income or benefits on the first interview. This should only be broached by your employer. Avoid talking negatively about past employers or organizations. Find something positive about the experience that helped you become a better, and more employable, person.

Be prepared – research the employer so you know what you are getting into and can ask questions about the company when speaking with the recruiter.

Be polite – be sure to always say “please” and “thank you” when appropriate. At the end of the interview, thank the interviewer for taking the time to talk with you. Finally, make sure that you write a “thank you” note to your interviewer and mail it within 24 hours after the interview.

Be an active participant – many people get so focused on the “hunt” to find a job that they forget to think about what they really want to gain from their career. Think about what qualities, such as type of work, duties or environment are most important to you. Ask about them. It is main to think of these things because even if you get the job, you might find yourself incompatible or unhappy with it.

How To Nail Job Interview Tips

It's important to nail a good impression at the first job interview because most interviewers form their opinion of you in the first few minutes.

Here's a few tips to help you with your interview. You may want to talk to people who have worked at the company. If it's practical, hang around outside the building while employees are arriving and note how they dress and behave.

Learn the name and title of the person you'll be meeting with. Arrive at least 10 minutes early to collect your thoughts. Take time to greet and acknowledge the secretary or administrative assistant. This might be old-fashioned courtesy, but this person may provide some influence.

Always bring an extra resume and letters of recommendation in case the interviewer doesn't have them handy. Be open and upbeat. Face your interviewer with arms and legs uncrossed, head up, and hands and face at ease. Smile and always look the interviewer in the eye because this builds honesty and trust.

Know the company's business, target clients, market and direction cold. Walk in prepared with a few relevant questions and listen carefully. Subtly give the impression that you're already part of the team by using "we" when asking how something is done. For example, say, "How do we deal with the press?"

Conclude with a positive statement and a quick, firm handshake. Ask when you might follow up, and get a business card from the interviewer. And one of the most important steps is to send a thank-you note. This shows responsibility.

Career experts offer tips to make job hunt less frightening

Job hunting can be scary, even after Halloween has passed. Here’s a set of tips from job clubs, recruiters and human resource consultants to improve the odds of a good job offer:

• Use LinkedIn to connect with people you’ve worked with, and connect the site’s relevant online groups to get your name in their networks. Recruiters are scavenging names from LinkedIn because they know that people who know people are the greatest resources.

• Don’t just look on well-worn paths. If you only react to online job postings, you’re going to be joining hundreds, maybe thousands, of other applicants.

• Spend only a fraction of your time answering online ads, then try to focus on specialty niches, trade publications and corporate sites.

• Get out of your house. Attend professional and association meetings in your field. Ask others for detail, not jobs. Let people know what you’re looking for.

• Don’t pass up doors that don’t seem inviting at first glance. It may not be wise to refuse jobs because they don’t pay what you used to earn or aren’t a step up.

• Go to job clubs, community career offices at community colleges and large public libraries, where you’ll find outstanding and free job search resources.

• Don’t masquerade as someone you’re not. Have an accurate self-perception of your talents and your market value.

• Study the landscape. Don’t misuse your time hunting in depressed areas or industries that have nothing to give.

• Make your own goodies. If you aren’t getting a job dumped in your lap, create one. Sell your talents.

10 tips to build your career in IT

So you've heard that, despite doubts about the economy, CIO salaries can still reach £200,000 - or higher. You'd like a slice of that action. But first you need to build your IT career. What's the secret of the high-earners?

When you meet some of the most successful IT professionals in the world, one fact shines out: none of them set out with pound (or dollar) signs in their eyes. They simply wanted to be great IT people who added value to their organisations. And because they were, the success and the stellar salaries (in some cases) followed as a matter of course.

So what is the secret of their success? Here are 10 characteristics which the top IT leaders share

1. They understand how IT can help their businesses grow.

To put it another way, they know what part IT should play to help realise the organisation's strategy. Take, for example, Sharon Bevis-Hoover, Coca-Cola's director of IT global transformation. Last year, she caught the eye of Coke's new chief executive Muhtar Kent, who asked her to work out how IT could help transform the global business.

2. They lead from the front.

They know that's the way to build a high-performing IT team. Jacqueline Guichelaar, who has a high-profile IT role at Deutsche Bank, can provide a lesson or two there. Her ability to build and lead teams of IT professionals has propelled her career through a succession of big IT jobs around the globe.

3. They know how to make change happen.

That is important when so many people feel threatened by IT-led change. You can't manage change well unless you're as fascinated by people - and what makes them tick - as with technology, advises Graham Johnson, transformation director at Ecclesiastical Insurance.

4. They are great IT talent-spotters.

They know that effective IT leaders don't grab all the glory for themselves. Every one of the top IT leaders has that ability.

5. They talk business language.

They know managers aren't impressed with technical jargon. As Abby Ewen, director of business transformation at global law firm Simmons & Simmons, say, "I can have nerdy conversations with the best of them, but I can also have strategic conversations. And I think that part of being a good manager is being able to make the leap between high-level and low-level subjects."

6. They know that great IT projects come from great teams.

Heather Allan is corporate services director at The Global Fund, which deploys a £2bn each year to fight Aids, tuberculosis and malaria. She says, "You have to motivate and inspire a team with a clear vision of the future and you have to energise and motivate people to want to achieve it."

7. They create strong relationships with their stakeholders.

To put it another way, you need to win friends and influence people. Take Ian Woosey, group IT and e-commerce director at Carpetright. He worked with people throughout the company to help design end-to-end processes which new IT systems would support. Then he gave people in the business a role in defining the new system requirements.

8. They manage expectations of IT.

IT is not a 'silver bullet' that solves all problems. Allan Paterson, director of information systems for the Isle of Man government, says, "The key to a successful career in IT is delivery, delivery, delivery." But, notes Paterson, that doesn't mean agreeing with every off-the-wall idea that comes your way.

9. They use new technologies to deliver competitive edge.

One top IT professional who knows about this is Richard Cross, technology director at ITV. Cross has been proactive in finding ways to use IT to cut costs. And he was also at the forefront in helping ITV harness digital technologies to deliver new viewer services.

10. They contribute to senior management decision-making.

In order to do so, they acquire deep industry knowledge to add to their IT expertise. And that lesson applies as much in the public as the private sector. For example, the fact that Alan Cook acquired a deep knowledge of local government as well as IT made him an ideal choice for head of service business improvement and IT at Cumbria County Council.

Employment experts offers tips for job seekers

Most people don't view themselves as a company.

But in the competitive world of job hunting, that's not a bad approach to take, according to Dan Schawbel.

A recognized "personal branding guru," Schawbel is the managing partner of Millennial Branding LLC, and a leading authority on personal branding.

Schawbel advises job hopefuls to launch a broad attack in their quest for employment. And in many cases, that means thinking like a company.

"There are millions of job seekers out there and the ratio right now is five applicants for every one job opening," Schawbel said. "The online world has become a global talent pool. If you don't have an online website, a blog or you're not on Facebook, every time a job comes up you're losing opportunities."

Schawbel said job seekers can greatly increase their chances of being hired by developing specialized skills.

"Seventy percent of employers are looking to hire people for specialized positions, while 61 percent of job seekers have more generalized skills," he said. "Try to pick an area and become the best in the world at it. You'll become more marketable and it will allow you more flexibility to move up."

Schawbel also noted that business are looking beyond technical skills and experience. These days, they're also placing an increasing importance on interpersonal skills, such as good communication, teamwork and organizational abilities, as well as cultural fit.


Marinoff, associate director of Cal Poly Pomona's career center, said today's job market is tough for everyone - students included.

"The average number of people who apply for every job posting that appears on Monster.com or other web-based job search sites is 300 to 500," Marinoff said recently. "So if you are a student who will be graduating next June you need to be looking now."

Marinoff said the job seekers in the current economy need to be focused - and aggressive.

"It's not about quantity, but quality," he said. "The summary to me is, `Am I the best dressed in the line? Do I have the best portfolio? Am I the most qualified?' It's very competitive, but we have a program in place through our career center that has a 100-percent placement rate.

We're working with students one at a time to make sure they are prepped and hand delivered to employers."

Schawbel said schools like DeVry University and its Keller Graduate School of Management offer specialized bachelor's and master's degree programs that are focused on high-growth career fields.

"You should do some research online to find flexible and affordable opportunities to dial in your personal brand niche," he said. "It's important to have an educational foundation. And some of these schools have professors with real-world experience. So it's not just about who you know, but also who they know."

Los Angeles County's unemployment rate held steady at 12.6 percent in September, but every San Gabriel Valley city saw its jobless rate decline, according to figures released last week by the state Employment Development Department.