Five Industries with Job Growth

If you are currently employed in one of five growing fields, your prospects for continued employment and advancement are good.

On the other hand, if you're like most college students or recent graduates, you're worried about the future. You're concerned about the stubbornly mediocre economy, about its impact on your career prospects and your transition into the workforce.

The downturn and the changes in behavior it caused have shifted the dynamics of the job market. In this new economy, we are left wondering what fields will provide the greatest opportunity for advancement. To see the five fields that are showing strong signs of growth see the full article here.

Best Things to Say in Your Interview

Keep these five things in mind as you go through the interviewing process to give yourself the best chance at landing the job.

Ask Good Questions  Doing so shows that you are thoughtful and interested in understanding the company.

“I’m flexible.”  Whether it’s about possible job duties, a start date or timing for the second interview, stressing your flexibility makes you easy to get along with

The Company’s Own Words  Before your interview, become familiar with the company’s website and literature. Mixing keywords into your answers can provide a subtle hint that you are plugged in to what the organization is looking for.

“That’s a Good Question.”  Say this if the interviewer stumps you with a surprise question. It willgive you a few moments to come up with an answer. Avoid the “I don’t know” answer whenever possible.

Reasons You Want the Job.  Talk about how you see yourself in relation to the company and what you believe you can bring to the position.

For more details on these, see the full article here.

Age, Experience, and the Mature Job Seeker

In a multigenerational workplace, age and experience are a good team. However, there can be some truth in the fact that not all companies acknowledge this, and so a more mature job seeker may find themselves struggling to land a job. Here are some resume’ tips for those who have a few more years of experience under their belt.

A key point is to be sure your resume is age-neutral, limit the amount of information so as not to give away your amount of years in the work force. Limit the amount of work history to the past 15 years on your resume.

Format your resume so that the focus is on skills, not dates. List the prior jobs and skills, but without necessarily pinning a date on them. Focus on the skills and achievements themselves, and not when they were accomplished.

For more pointers and details, see the full article here.

How Older Jobseekers Can Compete

So you’re an older job seeker, out there in the market for a new job, or maybe even a new career. After years at one company or in one industry, maybe it’s time to make a change.

But what happens when you are fighting for a job, and competing with all those younger folks out there who may work for less money, or who may have a totally different set of skills to bring a certain employer?

There are a few simple ways in which you, as an older job seeker, can compete with those younger people to ensure that you get the most out of your job and your needs.  For the details see the full article here.

Unemployment Number Highly Flawed

Currently, 11.2 million people are considered unemployed. "I think a more reasonable number is about 18 million people," Hall said, a former commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  It is too easy to be employed under the current definition, and too hard to be unemployed, Hall said Thursday on Fox News Channel's "Your World."

"If you do any work for money at all you are considered employed," Hall said. A laid-off engineer who helps his neighbor trim a tree and gets paid is considered "employed" even though his income is nowhere near his pay as a full-time engineer. 

To be considered "unemployed," a person has to have no work at all and be actively looking for work. But job hunters eventually run out of employers to send their resume to and run through all their friends who might have job leads. They then go into a "passive mode," checking want ads and seeing if anything pops up
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For more details about employment figures, click here.

Getting the Job When You're Underqualified

When you're changing careers, getting your foot in the door can often be the most difficult part. Even though you may have tons of experience in your industry, which could carry over to the new career, odds are good that you don't meet every requirement on the employer's list.

So, how can you get a job when you're underqualified?

First, it's important to know that when an employer advertises a job opening, most of their list of requirements is a wish list. They are qualifications that the employer would like to find, but they aren't set in stone. Even if you don't meet all of them, you can still apply for the job.

In order to land a job you aren't completely qualified for, you have to consider what your qualifications are. Do you meet at least 80 percent of their advertised requirements? If you were the hiring manager, why would you hire someone with your skills? The answer to these questions will help you determine how to market yourself.

Although the current job market makes it considerably more difficult to land a job when you are underqualified, here are the most important things you can do to stand out:  Click here to learn these invaluable tips.

Negotiating the Best Salary

"What are your salary expectations?"

This is commonly one of the first questions you're asked when interviewing for a new job. Employers want to get this question out in the open:

·       They need a sense if you're willing to work at or below the top of their pay scale for the job

·       They are asking you to negotiate when you have the least negotiating leverage

Job hunters are often at a loss (figuratively and literally) trying to both get the job and obtain the highest possible compensation. Here's how to do it:

1.       Be responsive, but don't commit early on

2.     Find objective data to justify your request

3.     Figure out your Zone of Possible Agreement

4.     Talk about creating fairness and finding common ground

For details on these approaches, see the complete article here.