We all know the feeling. Imagine this; Sitting in a waiting room trying to act cool and relaxed whilst you twiddle your thumbs and grind your jaw whilst your forehead induces a waterfall of sweat – constantly listening out for someone to call out your name so you can be led into a room where you will receive a thorough personal interrogation. Sweaty handshakes, weird vocal sounds and fear of saying something stupid all parts of this….

Yes, you definitely know the feeling.

This is a job interview.

However, this whole lengthy (perspiration inducing) process may become something of the past. Online interviews, rather ‘Skype Interviews’ as they have been coined, are beginning to take over. This is due to companies looking at new ways to cut costs and time spent on the interview process – a simple way to interact with perspective candidates for a job. The job applicant also benefits from this new form of online interview also, not being hassled with going to a certain location just to wait and let nerves shake them around like a pneumatic drill.

Advantages

As previously stated, both sides benefit from online job interviews. It is not unheard of a company spending hundreds or even thousands flying out a candidate, housing them, feeding them etc . So, from a company’s perspective this would be a step forward in cutting costs dramatically and we will be seeing Skype interviews being far more in the future. Why fly twenty job applicants out, they can fly out the 2 or 3 finalists?

For the applicant, being able to being able to attend an interview from the comfort of one’s own home is perhaps a godsend. In the past, People have perhaps struggled with the medium of phone interviews as you cannot see the person interviewing you. Lack of sight in a phone interview cuts out a level of crucial analysis of body language both for the interviewer and interviewee, and can lead to things being misinterpreted. With Skype interviews this is not a problem as you can see fully what is going on. Also, the internet is constantly gaining a faster connection speed so dropping frame rate and lag is becoming less of an issue. On top of this, if you haven’t noticed there is a recession going on, which means people are sometimes not able to afford to travel across the country to an interview they might not even land; resulting in online interviews surely paving the way forward.

Disadvantages & Techniques

There surely are some horror stories floating about online, which probably range from a dog bursting into the room barking its tail off or mothers knocking politely at the bedroom door enquiring if there is any dirty pants that need washing. However, all a candidate needs to do is make sure that this won’t happen and prepare themselves accordingly. Here is a checklist of things you might need to do before, and during, an online interview:

• Make sure your flat/house is nice and quiet before and during the interview.
• Make sure where you are conducted your interview is suitable, clean and in order. Besides from your face, the interviewer will inspect what is around you naturally.
• Make sure you are not badly lit, for instance a window or bright light behind you will only make your face darker to the interviewer.
• When you answer a question look into the camera, not at the image on the screen.
• Dress accordingly, but avoid patterns and the colour white – you want your interviewer to be mysteriously drawn to your glorious eyes and teeth.
• Sit in your chair straight, don’t slump and give off the wrong impression. You should have the top half of your body showing – perhaps to just below your shoulders.
• Remember to smile!
• Have your resume ready to send as an attachment.

With not many disadvantages it is clear to see why Skype and online interviews are the future, and you will begin to hear about them more. Hopefully the stress of not having to travel and not be in your own comfort zone will reduce the nerves of a job applicant…and online interviews will definitely eliminate all the psychology needed behind that dreaded simple handshake!

This article was put together by the kind folk at Telegraph Jobs – search a wide range of job vacancies and read up on advice and tips for securing your dream job!

Today’s economy isn’t exactly perfect for the masses of recent college graduates entering the real world for the first time looking for their first job in their respective fields. Don’t worry, it’s been worse than it is now, though, and the good news is that things are consistently on the ups in terms of jobs, especially for entry-level prospects.

But if I had to go back and do it again myself (the American economy was much worse off when I graduated college than it is now), I would have appreciated these 6 nuggets of advice to help me get started – advice that no one else had to give me. So here they are for all of you to revel in.

Be Realistic

OK, just to set all you youngsters straight – the likelihood of you graduating with a job lined up to start a week after your graduation date is slightly unrealistic at this point. Not to say that it isn’t impossible, though – it’s just not common.

Rather than panicking over the fact that you don’t have anything lined up, set realistic goals for yourself. Say you’ll look for jobs solidly for the next 6 months, and if you don’t find anything within that time frame, it’ll be time to refocus your search efforts and try a different approach.

Don’t expect that the world owes you anything because you are a college graduate. Lots of people are, and all of you are fighting for the same jobs at this point. I hate to be harsh, but it’s true. Be realistic about the fact that it may take you longer than you had always anticipated to find the perfect job in your field.

Clean Up Your Facebook

Now is as good a time as any to delete all of those pictures of you doing keg stands at the biggest frat party on your campus.

Employers will, I repeat, will, look at your Facebook profile either before they interview you or before they decide to hire you. Facebook is a great way to get to know the kind of person a business is about to hire – but for you, it could be a death trap, depending on what you have on there.

Delete posts with obscene profanity and rid your photos section of anything inappropriate. Most employers won’t mind the pictures of you and a group of friends out at a bar (assuming you are, of course, 21 or older), but try to delete the ones that are of all of your friends taking shots at the bar. There is a big difference between a smiling photo of a close group of friends and a picture of a bunch of drunk college kids drinking themselves into even further oblivion.

Know where the line is – and clean up your social media act before you contact any potential employers.

Use Your Alumni Network to Your Advantage

Most colleges these days have a career development center that features an extensive web of alumni who are willing to help recent graduates by giving advice or possibly even job tips. And guess what? Most recent grads aren’t taking advantage of that FREE offer.

I’m here to tell you that if you aren’t using your alumni database or your college’s career development center, you’re not going to be successful in finding an opportunity. Do not hesitate to reach out to alums who are in your field – the majority of them will be more than happy to at least give some advice to someone just starting out in the field. Others will even know of job openings and help you get an in.

It doesn’t matter if you know the person you are reaching out to – you have the college in common and that’s good enough. They’ll help you however they can if you contact them, even if it’s just to give you some free advice.

Join Networking Groups

To take the idea of reaching out to relevant alums in your industry one step further, join a local networking group, like a county Chamber of Commerce or a Young Professionals group.

Most groups meet once a month in a “mixer”-type setting, meaning they’re often held in a local bar or restaurant the group is supporting and there is food and drink specials and tons of people mingling. Network your way through the group like crazy.

While many of the contacts you make in your new group may be irrelevant to you at the time, you never know when you’re going to need help from someone or you’ll have an idea or a way to help someone else out. You also never know who you’re going to meet – you could end up bumping into a CEO of a company in your field.

Take your chances, let people know who you are and what you do, build your network and get yourself seen and known.

Don’t Be In Such A Rush to Get Out

Is living with your parents really that bad, for now, anyway? The answer is no. And if you can’t afford your own apartment out of college because you don’t have a job, you’re not alone.

Even when you find your first job, if it’s local, consider choosing to be one of the few who lives at home with mom and dad to save some money. That way, in the very near future, you’ll have saved enough to afford both a security deposit and a first month down payment on an apartment of your own or with a couple of roommates.

Save while you can, and suck it up and live at home for a little while in order to do so. Don’t rush yourself into a situation you can’t afford. It won’t be worth it in the end. That said, though, if you do decide to live at home for any period of time, always continue pushing forward with the job hunt. You still don’t want to be stuck there forever.

Broaden Your Horizons

Maybe you studied geology and you think that your only career path is to become a geologist or a science teacher. Or maybe you were in journalism, and you think that you have to write for a swanky newspaper or magazine to consider yourself successful.

Whatever you studied in college, broaden your thought horizons when it comes to finding your first job. Maybe you have that dream job in mind, but take into consideration the kinds of jobs that you can take that will help you get to your ultimate goal – like stepping stones along your career path.

Don’t hesitate to take a paid internship in your field, or even a job that isn’t quite related to your field but uses many of the same skills. Your first post-college job should be something that you use as a resume builder. As long as you’re expanding your knowledge and your skills in the job that you choose, your future will be golden.

Jackie Ryan is a freelance writer who found what she thought was her dream job and ended up hating it. She encourages people to keep an open mind – whether you want to crunch numbers all day, design logo mats in a factory, be a TV personality or work from home, having an open mind can get you to places you never even imagined!

Finding your dream career has never been harder. University fees have soared, opportunities are few and far between, job opportunities are non-existent, and times are generally very hard. With all this to contend with you can often find yourself working in an unskilled career, watching your chances of securing your dream career fade. This can also be the time when a lot of people give up and float into an unrelated job.

Network

If you are having no luck finding a job down the usual avenues, find networking events and meet ups within your chosen industry. Sign up for newsletters, talk to people, and let people know you are in the process of job hunting. Hiding away won’t help you, get out there meet industry professionals, network, and talk to your peers.

Many job opportunities can come from being recommended, or speaking to the right person. You can meet someone influential anywhere, so be prepared to speak about your skills and be personable.

Work Experience

Work experience can really help secure a job. It shows you have gone out your way to get experience in your chosen field. In some cases it can even lead to a permanent career if you manage to prove yourself, and if the opportunity if there. It also shows you aren’t waiting around for a job to fall into your lap. It immediately tells an employer that you are pro active.

Resume

Job hunting is not easy, and in order to reach your dream career it takes a lot of work and preparation to prepare for your job hunt. Present your resume in a clear and concise way. Long sentences and babble can bore the person reading your resume. They will be reading several, so you need to get your point across and be clear, straight to the point. You can always elaborate and give examples in the interview.

Spelling and grammar mistakes immediately ruin your chances. Make sure you check your resume for mistakes and ask your friends and family to check. If you have made a mistake after printing, never cross it out in biro and correct the mistake. Make the effort to correct it and re print it. Your resume presentation will be all the employer has to judge you. Think about everything, even the paper you print on, the font, the colour, the layout, the language you use to express yourself, and details you include.

General Presentation

Its common sense, but make sure you are dressed to suit the job. If the job is office based, be smart but memorable. Maybe look a little different but still suit the position you are aiming for. Something memorable, maybe an interesting tie, or a nice coloured shirt or blouse can make it easy for the interviewer to recognise you and refer back to you to the rest of the panel.

Interviews

Many people read interview tips online. It is of course a daunting situation and these tips can be useful, but when each and every candidate applying for the job position regurgitates the same interview script, you don’t stand out.

Prepare well in advance of your interview. Don’t just read through the company website the night before. Really think about what it is you want the interviewer to know about you. Why should they employ you? Why do you stand out? Don’t answer using the usual answers, give examples of what you have done referring back to you experience on your resume.

If you prepare well enough you can feel confident in the interview and come across in the best possible way. They could be mean interviewers and chuck some nasty questions your way to try trip you up, if you are prepared, you can duck around these and come out in a positive light. Turn any negative questions into positives. One of the worst questions is ‘What are your worst characteristics?’ this immediately assumes a negative response. Be clever about it and say something like you are a perfectionist and you are not happy when things are not done to the best they can be which can frustrate you, but then say this does however push you to strive for the best possible outcome, no matter how hard it is to achieve.

If you want to succeed at you career you need to work hard at all aspects. Don’t complete a degree and assume all the hard work is over. You constantly need to work hard to move onwards and upwards, be open to learning new skills and grab all opportunities. It won’t be easy, but if you want it enough, you will get there.

These tips can also apply to setting up your own business. Networking, presentation, and work experience can really develop you as a person and help you build and push your business forward.

Kirsten works for WhoIsHostingThis? They gather hosting user reviews for those seeking a good reliable hosting company such as Yahoo, HostPapa or One.com. They can be useful for new businesses setting up.

Remember when people actually believed it was worthwhile to invest time and energy creating resume templates for employment sites like Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com?

The simple fact is that while these are very reputable websites with laudable goals of finding people gainful employment, their success has had the ironic effect of making them less effective due to the deluge of people using the services. It’s not that people aren’t finding jobs using these sites, it’s that statistically speaking those people aren’t likely to be you.

So, what’s the answer?

The good news is that there are still some good online resources for job searchers, but it will depend on where you are in your search and your current career trajectory.

LinkedIn

They don’t call it “the world’s largest professional network” for nothing. LinkedIn is the Facebook of the working world and a hub for both job seekers and employers.

LinkedIn is a surefire way to get your networking plan in order and off the ground. You can upload multiple resumes, list previous employers, add photos and biographical information, and generally build a workable online profile and portfolio that is accessible to potential employers.

What’s more, many savvy employers are now adding a LinkedIn tether in their online application process, so if you have an up-to-date account it can make your application process that much easier and more seamless.

USAJOBS

USAJOBS.com is the go-to website for federal employment, and while state employment budgets may be shrinking we all know the federal government is excellent at spending money it doesn’t have – particularly on its own growth.

Applying to federal jobs can be tricky, however, and anyone using USAJOBS for the first time should do some research on just how the website works. It is a hub for a large spectrum of federal employers, each of which has different screening processes and hiring tactics. The key is to read up on how your agency of choice reviews resumes and tailor your online application accordingly.

Resumetemplates.org

Simply put, you should just bookmark this site. Regardless of all the newfangled technologies and digital networking strategies used today, the resume is still one of the most successful tools to getting that coveted first job interview.

This website is a no-frills access point for free resume templates of all types. There are no gimmicks, pop-ups or weird nonsense. Just go there and find a template that suits your market and go to work. There are samples, a resume builder and tips and advice of all kinds. It’s an invaluable asset for any person who needs help with basic resume-writing techniques.

Craigslist

A lot of people think Craigslist is the place to go for a used couch or a deal on a great apartment. And, it is – but it’s also great for finding jobs.

Craigslist has job listings in every category from accounting to Web design in every major and medium-sized market in the United States, organized by city name. Just click on your location of choice, view the job categories and select an area that interests you, and watch the job opportunities literally scroll down the screen.

The great thing about Craigslist is that it attracts every kind of employer, from huge companies like Amazon to individual people looking for a contractor to do work on short-term projects of every kind. You may be surprised to find a brand-new career path just by scrolling the wide array of jobs found on Craigslist.

Facebook and Google+

Between these two social networking sites, anyone could possible want to know to give you a job or help you get a job is accessible – but you have to sign up and cultivate your profile.

Both networks are fast developing into business hubs in their own ways and while many people use them strictly for socializing that is not the limit of their powers. Both sites will allow you to establish your own “business” profile that can stand apart from your personal page wherein you can build a profile, set up a network of contacts and use it as your platform for self-promotion.

Remember…

These are just a handful of resources available to the savvy job seeker. There are numerous other websites that may be of use to you, many of which are likely specific to your personal experience and history: school alumni career boards, local networking clubs, industry forums and the like. Use these sites as well as the ones listed above to maximize the tools at your disposal in your job search.

Good luck!

James Madeiros writes for Criminal Justice Degree Schools, a leading resource on how to get started in the criminal justice career field and featuring a directory of schools offering criminal justice degrees and interviews with law enforcement professionals.

Landing your first job right out of college is not easy. You have done the hard work to earn your degree, and unfortunately there is still a great deal of work to do to land a job. Here are some tips to help you along the way.

Be on Time

You should always plan to arrive at an interview early. Showing up before your scheduled time not only shows that you are a person with good time management, but communicates that you can be counted on and are reliable as well. By allowing yourself this extra time, you have allotted yourself a bit of insurance should you come upon some unforeseen circumstances that might have otherwise delayed you.

Dress to Impress

This is a simple concept that is so very important. When you walk through those doors into the interview, this is the first impression you are going to make on your new potential employers. If your shirt is wrinkled or you come in dressed very casually, you will give off the air of complacency or lack of enthusiasm. If you come in dressed professionally, you will show that you are taking the interview seriously, that you respect yourself and you deserve to be respected.

Triple Check Your Resume

This may seem like a no brainer, but more times than not people leave the editing process out. Whether they omit this important step due to being anxious or excited makes no difference, forgetting to take a careful look at the spelling and grammar on your resume could be the one thing standing between you and an interview.

Relate Your Experience

Don’t discount your volunteer work or projects you have completed for classes or other extracurricular organizations. By discussing these experiences in interviews, you can demonstrate your work ethic and commitment. Bring relevance to your experiences. Relate them to the work you are interviewing to do. Find ways to compare your past work with the work you are hoping to be able to do for the company you are interviewing for. Discussing the similarities of the jobs, past and future can possibly aid an interviewer in picturing you as the one to fill a certain position.

Ask Specific Questions

When the interviewer asks if you have any questions, ask good ones that show that you are interested in the position and have a solid knowledge of the company and what they are all about. Do your research about the company and then find ways to subtly show that you are in the know. Once you get the job, you can ask questions later to decide if you want to accept it.

Show Enthusiasm

No one wants to hire someone that is complacent. A good employee is one that is passionate and driven and has exciting new ideas. Find ways in your interview to demonstrate your passion and present yourself as an energetic innovative hard worker who is excited to get started.

Choose Your Words Carefully

When you are in an interview situation it is important to consider both the words you choose and your phrasing very carefully. You do not want to offend your interviewer in any way or present yourself in a less than flattering manner. By thinking before you speak, you can ensure that you show that you are an eloquent, educated candidate for the job who knows how to behave appropriately in the work place.

Know Specifics About Why You Are a Good Fit

Know the requirements of the job that you are applying for and the specific tasks you would be performing should you receive the position. With a greater understanding of what would be required of you in the position, you can show ways that you are qualified for the job by giving examples of past experiences that are relative. Don’t miss the opportunity to give specific examples of your own character traits and how they would benefit specific tasks.

Show Them Why They Should Like You

Engage the interviewer. Show that you are an interesting and dynamic individual. Always be considerate and never interrupt. You want to demonstrate in the interview that you are a good communicator and have good social skills. Remember, not only are you interviewing for a job, you are also potentially about to become a member of an already established community in the work place. Whether or not you will fit in is an important piece of the puzzle.

No One Owes You a Job, You Have to Earn It

Never approach an interview as if you are entitled to the position based on your education or past experience. It is an employer’s market these days and there are hundreds if not thousands of applicants for every job. You have to earn every opportunity. Do not expect for any position to be simply handed to you. Make it your goal to show the employers why they HAVE to choose you.

George Gallagher writes for education and financial publications. He is also a consultant to recent graduates looking for help understanding private student loan consolidation and other financial questions.

Job hunts are tiring and if they don’t bear results within the first few weeks, it’s natural for the motivation level to go down. The important thing to remember however is that getting discouraged will not help you to get a job. On the contrary, it will tamper with your self esteem and slow you down. No one gets selected for the first job they apply to so the key to getting a job is perseverance. Apart from having a strong will power, some changes in your daily job hunt routine can also do you a world of good when it comes to motivation. This post lists some of them. They are as follows:

Make a job hunt timetable

Before you begin the job hunt, get a day planner and decide time slots for everything. Schedule a couple of hours for applying to different companies, keep some time aside for calling them personally to express your interest in working with them and schedule breaks after every hour or so. A plan will help to to get some direction.

Surround yourself with people who motivate you

Motivation comes from the inside as well as from the people who surround you so make sure your friends and family give you constant encouragement. Avoid people who spread negative energy because what you need are positive pep talks.

Work with other job seekers

Join a group for job-seekers. It encourages all the members when they are down and such a group can also help you to stay aware of new vacancies. In fact, some groups even offer to help you with your cover letter and your resume so that will also benefit you.

Meet your friends

It’s quite normal to feel like blocking out everyone from your life and staying in a dark room especially if your friends are employed and thriving. That is not because you are jealous of them but solely because you want professional accomplishments as well. Don’t give in to this desire. Go out and meet your friends. Catch up with them for lunch, dinner or for a night out. In fact, friends can also refer you to employers so always be a part of the action.

It’s all about network expansion

When looking for a job, networking plays a crucial role. Attend networking parties because they are full of employers on the hunt for prospective employees. Such parties give ample opportunity to interact with employers and get information about new ventures along with the privilege of personal contact.

Break the monotony

Sitting in front of the computer everyday for hours can become very boring and monotonous. It also creates a sense of purposelessness. Getting a hobby or pursuing a certificate course while you look for a job will add some meaning to your mundane life and put an end to the monotony. That in turn will encourage you stay motivated during your job hunt.

Don’t spend all your time watching the news

Most of the people who are on the lookout for jobs spend a part of their free time watching television. Even though television is a good source of entertainment (due to the wide variety of social, cultural and political issues it follows and brings into notice), following the news channels like a hawk can be a source of discouragement for those who are unemployed because some segments also discuss the issue of unemployment and lack of job opportunities. Can someone without a job gain anything from knowing how widespread unemployment is getting?

Read motivational books

Motivational books can help those who feel discouraged during their job search and don’t have a lot of people who can give them some support. These books can provide the much required impetus to fuel a half hearted attempt at getting a job.

Get someone to guide you

A guide can give you a sense of direction by teaching you more effective ways to look for a job (clearly your ideas aren’t working) and help you to fix the loopholes in your job hunt process. A mentor will keep up the motivation level which is what you really need to get a job.

Get a gym membership or workout at home

People tend to become sedentary when they start looking for a job and eat frequently which is very unhealthy. Going to the gym or exercising at home will keep the body active and help you to combat stress. Thus, you will have an energized and clear mind everyday.

Make sure you eat healthy food

What you eat is very important especially if your mind and body are not otherwise engaged. The kind of food you eat can increase your stress level or decrease it. Eating a lot of green vegetables like spinach and lettuce will give you more energy to work hard whereas fatty food will only add to lethargy and stress.

Take a day off

Consider your job hunt to be a regular job. When you work in a company, you get a day off to relax and be lazy. The same should apply to your job hunt. Take a day off and spend it doing things that you enjoy.

Try to make your job hunt a habit

Once the job search becomes a careless effort, you will get used to the idea of applying for jobs on a daily basis and you will stop getting discouraged if the companies don’t respond. That’s an easier way to deal with it.

Don’t regret

Take everyday as it comes. Don’t look back and think about the mistakes you made previously. If you want to look back, try to learn something from your mistakes. Keep a positive outlook and look at the glass as ‘half full’ instead of ‘half empty’.

Set a goal for yourself everyday

The easy way to stay motivated is to set daily goals and accomplish them on an everyday basis. The lack of professional productivity is what gets people discouraged when they look for a job so try to be productive in your own way.

This post is written by Jason Gilbert. Check out 40+ easy jobs that pay well.

One of the most important pieces of career advice I can give is related to the eleventh hour; that moment just before things are taken out of your hand and you’re given the pink slip. There will come a time in everyone’s career where they’ll make a mistake that might put them on the precipice of losing their job; it’s only natural. What you do after the fact is the most important next step if you’re keen on keeping your job. A career advice centre might avoid talking about it, but spotting the signs you’re treading in the red is important in order to make the changes you need to bounce back from the mishap and keep your job. Career advice for UK employees is the same for most countries; you will be able to spot warning signs.

That Gut Feeling

The first tier of signs is when something just doesn’t quite feel right. You may just have that gut feeling, thoughts of anger or feeling treated unfairly; you may feel victimised which is apt since you may indeed become a victim. If you want to keep your job, career advice would suggest that if you’re feeling uneasy then you should understand why before it becomes the truth. If your boss ignores you for long periods of time before taking you aside to have a significant chat with you this is almost certainly a sign you should pull up your socks, keep your head down and improve your performance. One bitter sweet result of a situation like this is an office coach may be assigned to help you through your situation; in this case you know you’re in hot water but you can recognise that management value enough to make an effort. With true career advice and guidance that the coach will offer, you can make serious positive changes and have a witness speak on your behalf when you make the effort.

Time for a Career Change

There are other reasons you may feel your job is threatened; we’re adults, career advice for when this happens is only practical to consider. Times can be tough and companies do often need to downsize, but how can you know you’re in the path of this drawback. It may come in less subtle ways, like a reduction in title or responsibilities, someone could be given many of the tasks that you’re usually in charge of and the only explanation you have for it isn’t nearly as watertight as you would like; all of these are bad signs. Sometimes the signs are as subtle as rumours of downsizing coupled with sad, silent looks aimed in your direction; if these looks are coming from human resources employees then seek advice on a career change immediately and work on your resume. It’s a fact of life that few people remain at a single company or business for the entire duration of their lives and while it can be heartbreaking to lose a job, if you see it coming then it will lessen the blow. My career advice at this point would be to hold your head up high and learn as much about the situation as you can; it could lead to greener pastures and a brighter future.

Eugene Calvini is a writer and office consultant; with a quick office search his successes are apparent including executive suites Raleigh and many other examples scattered across Europe.

We all know job hunting is no walk in the park. It’s not fun, or easy, especially when it comes to finding the perfect job.  So how then do you find the right job for you without the endless frustrations that always come along with finding the job you want?  A few steps can be taken to make sure you find it.

Shop Around

Far too often job hunters get stuck in the rut of scouring job hunting sites for a perfect position only to find traveling sales and other cookie cutter positions available.  Shopping around means just that, and around doesn’t just mean job listing sites.  If you’re looking for jobs in a specific industry and location, try looking at website for the actual companies you want to work for.  Also, you may look for prominent industry leaders in the news.  Finding companies looking to hire isn’t solely dependent on job listing mega sites.  Often the position you’re looking for is right on your potential employers site.  Make the most of it and pool your resources.  Be creative and truly shop around, don’t just take the easy way out that leads to not finding a job.

Think Outside the Box

It’s no surprise when we hear job hunters frustrated with not being able to find a job.  What does surprise us is the lack of flexibility many job hunters have in finding a new position elsewhere.  Just because you have engineering experience doesn’t mean you can’t be appealing to an industry outside of the one you worked in prior.  Employers like people with flexibility and unique talents.  We often encounter military personnel transitioning to civilian life and see a variety of flexible options for their career move far from their prior experience.  Be realistic with your talents and think outside the box on potential future jobs.

Talk to a Recruiter

Recruiters can be one of the biggest assets to your job hunting, especially for executive positions or technical occupations.  Recruiters often have access to direct listings from employers and have an unbiased view of your credentials.  Also, they can likely point you in the direction of more likely leads and assist in helping you tweak your resume to suit the needs of employers they are coming across.  Because their exposed to so many industries and potential candidates they may know an avenue of employment that you’ve never considered.

When looking for a job it’s important to find one that’s right for you.  What you might not know is your dream job is a position you may not be aware of.  Doing some solid job shopping, creatively assessing your skills and utilizing tools and help that exists can help you find your dream job.  Make the most of what at your fingertips and see what can happen.

DefensePlacements is a job recruitment company that works with human resources departments to connect talented individuals with open positions in the manufacturing, defense, security and private equity industries.

Quitting your job is always going to be a bit scary, so you might as well try and have some fun in the process. Here are four imaginative suggestions for signing off in style!

Use The Emergency Slide

This is only really an option if you’re a flight attendant or pilot. It might sound made up but it’s exactly how Steven Slater terminated his employment with the American airline JetBlue.

While a flight was boarding in Pittsburgh one of the passengers said something to rumble Steven. After nearly 30 years of being insulted by rude customers he finally lost it. He took to the intercom, swore, grabbed a beer and deployed the emergency slide.

Unfortunately he was arrested shortly afterwards but there’s no denying that what Steven did was pretty cool.

By Sending A Gift

Sending a gift to a boss whose been taking you for granted for years is particularly satisfying as you’ll get to watch their facial expression turn from excitement to one of anger and disappointment. That sounds a bit mean, but if they’ve been treating you badly it’s nothing more than they deserve.

Obviously for this to work your gift has got to be funny whilst ramming home the point that you’ve quit your job. You don’t want to leave any loose ends. You could send a cake with decorated with your resignation, but your former colleagues might enjoy eating it a bit too much. Maybe a message carved from some mouldy cheese would work a bit better.

With a Pie Chart

Now ordinarily pie charts aren’t funny but when they’re detailing the reasons for your resignation they certainly can be. A pie chart lets you break all your reasons for leaving into a percentage. So Clive will know that his inappropriate antics at last year’s Christmas party make up 25% of your overall decision to quit, and Janet’s macaroon stealing can be attributed 7% of the blame.

It could be fun to whip your chart out at the end of a presentation you’ve been asked to do as it guarantees an audience for your moment of triumph. Actually it’s probably a better idea do it at the start of the presentation, that way you can get home a little early.

Write A Book

This is quite a commitment but at least it will give you enough time to decide whether you really want to quit. Writing a book is a particularly great way to resign if you’ve got a lot of bad things to say, as you’ll need a lot of material to fill all those pages.

The great Ernest Hemingway managed to terminate his contract with Boni and Liveright, an American publisher, by writing a novel. He was tied into a three book contract but if one of the first two was to be rejected it could be terminated. He wrote his novel ‘The Torrents of Spring’ in just 10 days knowing that it was far to risque to get published.

If it was good enough for Ernest it’s good enough for you. Happy writing!

Andy Dawson loves to read and write about funny things. He does a lot of work for Find Me A Gift, the funny gifts retailer based in the UK.

Does anyone know exactly who determined the height of cubicle walls?

The guy either had to be so short he thought it was high enough for real privacy or tall enough to be able to easily snoop on everyone else in the office.

Every employee who has toiled away inside these cloth-covered cubicle walls can relate to these 8 drawbacks, and most probably have a few favorites that we somehow left off the list.

Of course, cubicles don’t necessarily have to make bad working environments. Surrounded by a good team of creative people in an office that encourages and rewards hard work and accomplishments, the lack of electrical outlets doesn’t seem so bad, usually.

And there are ways to combat the most annoying aspects of cubicle life. Take number 7, for example. Why not rearrange your “furniture”—and I use that term in only the most general sense—so that your back isn’t to the door, er, I mean opening?

So, as you have a laugh or two at the expense of whoever designed your office, remember why you decided to pursue this career in the first place…even it was because you had to find a way to eat.

EQA Office Furniture offers free 3D design services to help companies go beyond the traditional office cubicle layout.