Having a hard day? Boss on your back about those reports you were supposed to have finished yesterday? Nothing to look forward to but a skipped lunch hour and a laborious drive home through rush hour traffic?

Well it could be worse, much worse. How? Try doing one of these jobs and you’ll soon find out.

Mosquito Researcher

It’s a widely reported fact that, in the history of the world, more people have been killed by diseases contracted through mosquito bites than all of the casualties of every war combined. One of the worst diseases that mosquitoes spread is malaria. In order to fight the spread of this, too often fatal disease, scientists must study the biting habits of mosquitoes. To do this, they must first trap them.

In Africa, this is done using various devices that the mosquito can be lured into using light and wind. However, in Brazil there lives an all together wilier breed of mosquito, Anopheles Darlingi. This little fellow won’t fall for the traps used elsewhere and will only come near scientist for one reason. Lunch.

As a result scientists are forced to offer themselves up as bait, sitting in a mosquito net with a hole at the bottom. Once the mosquitoes are in, they are trapped. The scientist simply has to collect them up in a tube and deposit them into a container. Whilst being bitten…About 17 times a minute…Sometimes for 180 minutes on end… Running the risk of catching malaria. Easy.

Cat Food Quality Controller

Do you find that cat food makes your stomach turn? Do you hate the way it slops out of the can, held together by what can only be described as (to coin a phrase from Shakespeare) “vile jelly”, looking like some sort of defunct, grotesque organ?

Well, how would you like to put your face into a huge tub of the stuff, sniffing it to ensure it’s fresh? No? How about plunging your arms, elbow deep, into a vat of it, searching for any bones that may be in the mixture? Then, there’s a final test, which is to spread a dollop of it onto a flat surface and prod it. This is done to test how much gristle is in there, naturally.

Bet those report don’t seem so daunting now, right?

Roadkill Remover

A lot of people decide form an early age that they’d really love to work with animals. If you barge into any 6th birthday party (not something I’d advise you do) and ask what the kids want to be when they grow up, you’ll find, amongst the aspiring astronauts, ballerinas and quarterbacks, a number of vets.

If those ambitions don’t work out there’s always the less glamorous, more futile job (form a medical stand point) of roadkill removal. Duties involve scrapping carcases of the asphalt whilst trying not to make matters worse by getting run down by traffic yourself.

Not one for the faint of heart, a strong stomach is required to deal with the cocktail of tyre tracks an offal. Strong arms are also required, for all that dead-weight.

Ape Urine Collector

Alive or dead, animals cause problems in all sorts of professions, but hey, nobody said being an ape urine collector would be easy.

It should be stressed that this work is done for the benefit of science and the word ‘collector’ here should by no means be understood in the ‘comic book collector’ sense. These hardworking men and women aren’t geeks, fanatical about monkey pee. The urine is collected to be used as samples for scientific analysis.

Whilst the guys in the white coats wait patiently in their neat, air conditioned lab for the sample to come in, the collectors are out, tracking down apes, laying down plastic sheets or attaching bags to poles for the apes to pee on/ into.

I wonder if they ever switch roles…

Isolation Chamber Tester

Space is the final frontier. It’s also really, really big and really, really empty. It’s funny how many kids grow up wanting to be astronauts, a job which, assuming you get to go on a space mission, will entail spending months, or maybe even years, travelling in a cramped vehicle with no scenery to look at or even a cheesy radio station to listen to, yet these same kids raise hell if you try to take them on a two hour car journey to visit the grand parents…the hypocrisy!

To make sure NASA has a firmer understanding of the physical and psychological tests that the isolation and claustrophobia of space travel involves it has space engineers, who are responsible for life support systems, spend months in isolation chambers, testing the equipment. And you thought your office cubicle was lonely…

Matthew Pointer is a recruitment specialist in the field of driving jobs but also writes more widely about careers in general, especially those jobs that are out of the ordinary.

Have you already made it past the job interview and now realize that it’s time for the background check? In a way, this spells good news because it means that a company is interested enough in you to find out more. But, depending on what they find in your history, they could be turned off enough to remove you from candidacy.

Knowing this could make some candidates feel so afraid that they don’t even want to apply for jobs. Don’t feel afraid, though. Instead, take a look at four things to know about background checks:

Employers Need Permission to Conduct One

Employers need your permission to have third-party agencies conduct background searches, according to the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. Because most don’t have their own background screening capabilities, you will have to sign a form granting them permission. But if you have made it through the interviewing process and haven’t been asked to sign a form, it’s not a bad idea—for your own knowledge—to ask the employer outright if they plan to conduct a check.

Severity of a Crime is Often a Factor

If you have a criminal history, it’s important to note this information on your job application if asked—especially since it will likely pop up during a background check. But it’s good to also note that many employers take a subjective approach to a criminal history. They may look at the severity and timeframe of the crime (DUI in college vs. three DUIs in the past two years) to decide whether to hire you.

Background Check Could Occur After an Employment Offer

One thing to note is that some employers don’t stop their background checks after you’ve been offered a job. You might learn that your new employer is known for conducting frequent and random checks, especially if you are ever considered for a promotion.

Employers Need Permission Only Once

Keep in mind that once you’ve given an employer permission to conduct a background check, they typically don’t need your permission again if they’re conducting the same type of check and it’s within the same company.

A background check can sound like a scary process, especially if you have made mistakes in the past. But if you’re honest, upfront, and are prepared to explain blemishes, you may be surprised by how understanding an employer could be.

Failing to address properly

One of the biggest mistakes while making a motivational letter is that candidates do not address the hiring authorities properly. They start the letter by writing “Dear Sir” which doesn’t cut it for them. A candidate should try to find out the name of the authority that is going to receive the CV and hire the individual. Candidate can do this by contacting the company and ask them the name of the hiring authority.

Trying to be humorous

Most of the candidates try to show that they are over smart by showing wittiness in cover letter. Trying to be a little humorous as they think that the hiring manager or authority will like it, this is not so. This act is discouraged by the hiring authorities and they think the candidate does not take the job seriously. A motivational letter should be a serious one like a business letter.

Rephrasing the resume

Most of the people have a misconception about the motivational letters, they write the same details which they have already mentioned in the CV. This gives a feeling that they have rephrased the resume again and the hiring authorities consider it a foolish act. A cover letter should elaborate on your resume while explaining the skill set you’ll be brining to the table related to the new company.

Making it too short or too long

Candidates make a motivational letter too short or too long which goes against them. Too short cover letters are considered to be just fulfilling the formality whereas the motivational letters which are too long give an impression as if they are a preface of a novel, hiring managers do not even read it properly. The length and the content of the cover letter both should be appropriate.

Using same cover letter of every job

The job seekers who apply for a lot of jobs daily attach the same cover letter. Most of the generic cover letters do not speak about the job and they do not touch the corners of the organization. That gives the hiring authority an impression that you are not interested in this job and that is only a generic cover letter.

Grab the Employer’s Attention with Relevant Titles

You need to immediately catch the employers’ attention. After all, they are most likely looking at hundreds of resumes each month so you need to ensure that your resume stands our from the rest. If your experience is related, even indirectly, to the job you’re applying for, try to phrase your past job titles and skills in such a way that they closely match the job.

Design

The layout of your resume is very important. Leave plenty of white space as it’s easier on the eye and don’t forget to embolden your titles and italicize important points (italicization looks a lot more professional than underlining). Choose the typeface wisely – do not pick a trendy, funny or gimmicky typeface, pick a professional and traditional one like Times. Make sure you use uniformity in your formatting styles so that you keep like with like, for example, all the headings in the Skills section should be the same size and formatted in the same way. Leave wide margins left and right as too many words in each horizontal line can be tiring to read and also wide margins are helpful in case the employer wants to make notes.

Grammar and Punctuation

Make sure that your resume contains no spelling errors and that it’s written with perfect grammar and punctuation. There is nothing more off-putting to a new employer than a badly-written resume with typos and bad grammar. This is especially true if the job you’re applying for involves writing or typing. Check and double-check your spelling and punctuation and, if necessary, ask a friend to give it the once-over too.

Create Content that Sells

Think of your resume as one big advert for yourself. With that in mind, make sure you sell yourself well! Describe your skills, work experience, hobbies and personal details in a professional manner. Avoid excessive wordiness but, at the same time, do ensure that you accurately describe everything. Content is key and a potential employer is much more likely to contact someone who has sold themselves properly through their resume’s content than someone who just threw a few words on a page in a haphazard manner.

Sell your Skills

Ensure that your skills are relevant and professional. There’s no point in simply listing your skills, instead try to sell them to the employer by pointing out the benefits these skills would bring to this new position. If you are highly skilled at marketing, don’t just state ‘I have great marketing skills’. Explain to the potential employer exactly how those marketing skills will bring value to the new role.

This is a guest article by Darren.  Talking about writing, I’ve been writing a lot on the topic on people search free and finding people online.

You didn’t sound enthusiastic

You don’t need to be a cheerleader, you must be energetic and lively. Act like you are very interested.  Try getting warmed up before hand. People want to work with people that bring energy to the organization not those that suck the life out of the room.

You weren’t prepared

You weren’t quite sure what the role was or you didn’t know what level the position was. Be sure you gather whatever information you might need to breeze through the interview.  If you are working with a recruiter, they can usually give you the gist of what the client wants and expects. Otherwise you will need to gather information other ways. Reading the job description is always a good start and you can peruse the job descriptions for other jobs with similar titles for additional information

You didn’t know anything about the company

There is no excuse for not looking at the hiring company’s web page, or googling them at a bare minimum.  Knowing not only what the company does, but learning something about their history and culture can always be helpful.

You talked about what you wanted

Most employers don’t really care about what you want or what they can do for you, they want to know what you can do for them.  Plain and simple, your prospective next company wants to know what you bring to the table – Tell them clearly why you are a good value, i.e. you are worth more than they are going to pay you.

You couldn’t discuss your accomplishments

You had better be ready to answer questions about your resume and your background.  Far to often candidates can’t elaborate on their own resume. Remember: the resume is just an outline of yourself, you need to be able to fill in the blanks during an interview.  Read your resume over and over until you know it upside down and backwards.  Be prepared to provide additional details for everything on your resume and in your cover letter.

You didn’t ask any questions

Asking questions about the company, the role, etc. is expected; asking about salary or benefits is not.  Prepare 3-5 questions beforehand.  Be engaged in the process.  It will help you stand out from the crowd.

When it comes to impressing a prospective employer, anything you can bring to the table which may give you the edge over competing interviewees is a plus. We’ve all got our faults (regardless of what we say in the interview room,) and some of them are difficult to resolve – a poor communicator will almost always remain a poor communicator, and if you’re one of the many people who is hopeless at math, nothing short of serious tuition will improve the situation.

Thankfully, one of the more sought-after skills in the modern workplace is also the easiest to pick up. The need for IT proficiency is a sign of the times, and isn’t purely reserved for the office environment – almost every vocation imaginable employs some degree of IT in order to increase efficiency. But this is the tricky thing – at which point does ’using technology’ become ’IT skills’?

Of course, there’s a vast gulf between being able to send an e-mail and knowing how to compile a data management program from scratch using C++ . The majority of us know how to create a Word document or find an address using Google, but there’s a much overlooked and powerful program which is not only easy to learn but a valuable asset on anyone’s resume.

Enter Excel

Excel was originally released in ‘85 as part of the Office package. The easy-to-use yet immensely customisable application outstripped the leading competitor, Lotus’ 3-2-1, which had (up until then) been the only mainstream spreadsheet program. In fact, Excel arguably did as much as the Windows operating system in giving Microsoft the lion’s share of the computing market.

The program has changed little over the last 25 years, other than a few cosmetic alterations and functional add-ons. Essentially, if you’ve ever used Excel in the past, it won’t take more than half an hour to get up to speed with the latest version.

Who the Heck Uses Spreadsheets, Anyway?

Excel isn’t just used to knock up data graphs for those tedious company presentations. Let’s look at a few possible applications and you’ll see how versatile it can be:

- Personnel rotas can be created pretty swiftly in Excel and fiddled with until your heart’s content (and staff are finally happy!) Any work setting where a number of people are employed can utilise this, from retail stores, offices, warehouses, etc. And it is not just limited to working out shift patterns – such a spreadsheet can do anything from keep pay dates organised in HR to simply sorting out squabbles over who takes which lunch hour.

- Ironically, Excel is also a useful way to get un-technical: if you’re not comfortable working out sales figures and percentages using a calculator, just plug it straight into Excel and let it do the hard work. Very little maths skills are needed in order to set up a complex algebra framework which will save bundles of time if you’re working with a lot of raw data. You can then, if so inclined, turn it into a pretty graph and display it in a tedious company presentation.

- Live updating is also a useful tool in Excel. If you want your data to update automatically should there be any changes to a website or another Excel document, a few clicks and it’s done. This can be used to unify data between departments (since everyone can track changes as they occur on openly-shared documents) and is very handy if you work in an environment which requires the handling and accuracy of a large volume of information. Once again, with Excel this is very easy to implement.

Why On Earth Do Businesses Care?

At the risk of sounding cliché, time equals money. One of the primary aims of IT is to increase efficiency, and programs such as Excel have been a huge success chiefly because they are designed to save a company time and funds which would otherwise be wasted.

Admittedly this is not a very romantic notion, but that’s the world of business. If an employee can display good spreadsheet skills, they will not only appear keen to constantly update their skill set but also be mindful of how they can go the extra mile for the company.

The converse is also true – if someone does not seem to have even a basic grasp of programs such as Excel (which has been around for some time,) why would an prospective employer choose them over a less-stagnant competitor? In the current economic client, businesses are more likely to hire someone who can both keep themselves organised as well as being able to handle other aspects of the ‘bigger picture’ – in nearly all cases, this will involve some level of IT proficiency.

I See Your Point – So Where Can I Brush Up On My Excel Skills?

As with many things, one of the best resources for learning is the Internet. There are countless pages out there in both video and text format which can help you learn the very basics right up to programming with Excel. One word of advice would be to make sure the tutorial you’re reading is based on the same version of Excel you own – although most of the lessons you’ll learn apply to all versions, program layouts have changed throughout the years.

If you’re currently in employment, an alternative is to ask your manager or IT department for some additional training on Excel. Even if there are no resources for this at your place of work, asking will do no harm and will show you’re taking initiative.

Hopefully this short guide was of some use and you’re well on the road to job success. The guide itself was provided for free by the guys at Sofas and Sectionals, who also know a thing or two about Palliser furniture.

1. Dental Hygienist

A dental hygienist doesn’t require any special degree, just good experience in a dental office. They usually work side-by-side with a dentist.

• Average Annual Income : $67,340
• Top 10% : $93,000 (Experienced)

2. Commercial Pilot

To be a commercial pilot, you just need proper training from a certified school (and quite a bit of training hours). You can earn a handsome earning from this position.

• Average Annual Income : $66,000
• Top 10% : $120,500 (Experienced)

3. Detective and Criminal Investigator

This job or profession also doesn’t require any special qualifications or degrees. You have to be very sharp minded and clever thinker, nothing else.

• Average Annual Income : $62,000
• Top 10% : $99,900 (Experienced)

4. Real Estate Broker

This trade profession based only on PR and active information about your around. You can earn a good amount by just guiding a person to his destination property.

• Average Annual Income : $55,700
• Top 10% : $166,000 (Experienced)

5. Funeral Director

You don’t need to have any special degree for the eligibility of this post.  He is the person who involved in the business of funeral rites. Their common tasks often include embalming and burial or cremation of the dead, and also the arrangements of the actual funeral ceremony.

• Average Annual Income : $54,300
• Top 10% : $94,000 (Experienced)

We have been digging through some data lately, and I saw a bunch of numbers that I thought might be helpful for job seekers and employers alike.

People often ask me when making their resume if they should include specific keywords, and if that would help get their resume noticed.  The answer is obviously yes, as sites like ResumeBucket use keyword based search algorithms to match employers search queries with appropriate resumes.

With that in mind, here is a fun graphic showing our data for most popular job search keywords.

Feel free to share this graphic on your own site, and hopefully give us some credit as the source.

Due to the generally weak economy in today’s world, many individuals have unexpectedly lost their jobs or are unable to secure their first job posts. In either case, a job applicant needs to be properly prepared for an employment interview, because the competition is fierce. The first thing a job applicant needs to do is secure a job interview, and a well-written resume can help. A job seeker who is lucky enough to be granted an interview needs to look and act professional. The right clothing, along with a stylish pair of glasses, can help a job applicant secure the desired position.

Look of Intelligence

Do employers think potential employees who wear glasses are more qualified? The fact is that glasses do make individuals look more intelligent, and wearing glasses to job interviews can help convince prospective employers that this is the case. It might sound a bit old-fashioned, but most people still regard a person who wears glasses as being a level higher in the intelligence department. An employer wants to hire a person who stands out in a crowd, and is not the typical run-of-the-mill employee, and a nice pair of fashionable glasses can often be extremely persuasive.

Confidence

In addition to giving the appearance of a person who possesses immense amounts of brainpower, glasses can help a person to have more self-confidence, which, in turn, can influence a prospective employer to see confidence exuding from the job applicant. Most employers wish to hire intelligent individuals who have high self-esteem and look professional. Employees who have less than perfect job histories or educational backgrounds can boost the images they project when they wear glasses. However, a pair of glasses should be fashionable, and also needs to match the employee’s better qualities.

Reasonable

Eyeglasses can benefit both men and women who are looking for suitable employment. Even the most mundane job that does not require the highest brain capacity might occasionally require superior intelligence. The business owner or manager is looking for someone who is capable of figuring out solutions to possible problems that might occur in the workplace, and a pair of glasses can serve to enhance the job applicant’s image. Jobs that require long hours of manual labor also occasionally require intelligent reasoning, so someone who looks strong, as well as bright, is more likely to be hired.

Alternatives for Those Who Do Not Need Glasses

Individuals who do not need to wear spectacles can buy frames with clear, nonprescription lenses that look exactly the same as prescription eyeglasses. These glasses can be found in either a neighborhood optician’s office or online. It is best to study photographs of modern, fashionable frames before making a purchase. Additionally, the selected frames should match the person’s face and character traits. Is wearing a pair of glasses a 100 percent guarantee that the job applicant will be hired? No, but the odds are sure to increase. Besides, wearing glasses at a job interview certainly cannot do any harm to the prospective employee, so why not give it a try?

Sara Roberts writes for Just Eyewear, a discount eyeglasses and prescription sunglasses online retailer.

Job seekers, there is no doubt you are facing a very challenging time. Whether you have 20 years of experience or only a year, the pressure is on. But realize it is not impossible to find opportunities, despite our current economic standing.

Job seekers, you have to go the extra mile to show employers you are the right fit. A few years ago, employers could handle the risk of hiring the wrong fit, but today it is very different. The cost to let an employee go and hire another is very high. Employers want to pick the right fit the first time around.

Here are some tips to help you stand out:

1. What is your brand and value proposition?

What will you bring to the employer? What makes you better than the rest? This needs to be communicated in your resume, cover letter, interview and even as you network. Have your elevator speech down. If you met the CEO of your dream company and had 30 seconds to talk about yourself, what would you say?

2. Utilized the free career-related workshops offered in your city.

Services that can cost hundreds of dollars are available at no cost (or very small fees) from organizations looking to help out job seekers in transition. Do your research! You might be able to get assistance with resume development, interview preparation, networking effectively, and much more for free. If you are in Portland or Washington, stay tuned to my site for information regarding events coming up in the area.

3. Research every organization before you submit your resume.

You need to know about these companies well before an interview. It shows your professionalism and more importantly your interest in the company. Employers want employees who will love their company not just the job. This will help you stand out by showing you are genuinely interested in the organization and you will be ready to hit the ground running day one.

Do not just check out the company’s website. Read articles on the company and create Google news alerts for companies you wish to work for. Your goal is to impress the employer with your knowledge of their company.

4. Joining LinkedIn is a requirement.

Job seekers are having amazing luck on LinkedIn. Recruiters, headhunters, hiring managers and others with hiring decision power are recruiting via this site. Make sure you are taking advantage of every aspect of LinkedIn. Many resumes and business cards will have a link to a LinkedIn profile. This is a requirement. Create your profile today.

You can also use LinkedIn to find out more about a company and their employees. I know some job seekers use the site to become more familiar with the person they will be interviewing with. You can also use it as a powerful networking tool and meet people who have similar interests as your own.

5. Your documents need to be flawless.

Resumes, cover letters, thank you letters, websites, social networking sites, portfolios and any other tool you are using to market yourself must be perfect. I know this seems like an apparent one, but typos and grammar issues are pet peeves of employers today. If you can, get the advice of someone in the industry you are looking to go into. Again, all marketing tools need to be 100% error free and be relevant to the industry you are applying for.