In today’s world of economic ups and downs, sometimes it can be hard to find a stable job. The search for jobs is at an all time high. So it’s more important than ever to make sure that you’re prepared. Being a step ahead of the competition just might land you the job. Here are 10 things that smart job seekers do.

They Make Sure they have a Professional Resume

A resume is the most important aspect of job searching. The sad fact is that many people make the mistake of not keeping their resume up-to-date. That makes them appear unprofessional and shows that they are unprepared. Therefore, job interviewers look at them as unprepared for the job – in essence, tossing their application in the trash. Smart job seekers always keep their resume up-to-date and only include things that add to their potential job worth. Sometimes it’s not about knowing what to include on a resume, but what not to include. Let’s look at some things that smart job seekers leave off of their resume.

Personal Information

First of all, employers don’t need to know the names of your children. They don’t need to know your physical description (unless you’re applying to be an actor). I only mention this because a lot of people add this information to their resume. All it does is clutters up the space and makes it look unprofessional.

Objectives

In the past, putting your personal goals on a resume was important. In today’s world, employers don’t care what you want. They only care about their needs.

Title

Whatever you do, do not include the word ‘Resume’ at the top. Employers know what they are looking at. Instead, use this space for keywords to show employers what your experiences are.

They Make their Resume Hook the Reader within the first Few Seconds

Let’s face it, employers get hundreds of applications when they get an opening. That’s a lot of applications and resumes to go through. Therefore, it’s important to hook them early on. That will lead them to actually finish reading your resume. This can be accomplished by utilizing keywords early on and tell the reader what value you can offer.

They Get a Website for their Resume

The Internet rules the world. Most companies are required to search potential employees using search engines. So why not use this to your advantage? Building a website is really easy. It costs less than $10 a month to host it. And getting your name ranked on search engines is easy. So take the time to build a resume website. When an employer searches your name and lands on another resume, you will make an impression.

They Build a Video Resume

Not everyone will get a face-to-face interview. In fact, most of the time employers will research you before even considering setting up an interview. Again, why not go ahead and prepare for that? A video can act just like an interview. So instead of waiting for an employer to schedule you, you will have the chance to show them who you are. Chances are that if an employer stumbles across a video resume, they are gonna want to watch it.

They Research Potential Employers

Before filling out an application, job seekers should research the company using the Internet. Knowledge is power. This power gives job seekers the ability to customize their resume specifically for the company they want to work for.

They Look Everywhere for Potential Job Leads

Having a great resume isn’t the only step to finding a great job. The smart job seekers will look everywhere for a potential job. This could include the local supermarket (where there is usually a job board), family, friends, and even the doctor. Word of mouth can go a long way towards finding a job. The smart job searchers know this.

They are Always Professional

During an interview, it’s best to remain professional in both appearance and demeanor. That means showing up on time, dressing professionally, and speaking in turn. Answer questions promptly and always listen.

They Always Ask for the Job

Many people don’t realize this, but it’s important to always ask for the job during an interview. It shows both potential and confidence.

They Never Ask about Raises or Promotions During an Interview

Doing the proper research will allow an applicant to know this information ahead of time. There is no reason to mention it during an interview. Those who do come off as the type of person who is only interested in money. Money is definitely an issue, but employers want people who actually want the job, not only the money.

They Clean up their Internet Profile

Finally, successful job applicants always make sure their internet profile is positive. Search your name on Google, Yahoo, and other search engines. Be absolutely sure there’s nothing negative that shows up.

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How’s your resume looking? I hope you’ve been keeping it updated and tweaking it lately or taken it to a resume service to get it into shape, because the American Jobs Act that President Obama is backing could help give the U.S. economy a much-needed boost.

Obama’s plan could help the 9% of unemployed Americans (16% counting those who have given up the job search as well as those with only part-time jobs) find adequate employment. The first economic stimulus package, which pumped $780 billion into the American economy, helped the economy partially recover and helped create nearly 3 million jobs. It wasn’t enough, though, so this time the President is looking out for the American people by backing an act that would create around $250 billion in tax cuts, hiring incentives for businesses, $60 billion in unemployment benefits, and increased spending on infrastructure and education.

Payroll Taxes

The Act will reduce payroll taxes by 50% for the first $5 million paid by businesses. Because 98% of businesses pay $5 million or less in payroll taxes, this means a 50% break for nearly all U.S. businesses, which will (hopefully) free up some money on payroll to hire more workers. Additionally, the current plan will eliminate payroll taxes for additional workers and increased wages, up to $50 million in payroll increases, freeing up even more money that businesses will hopefully use to increase the workforce.

Hiring Incentives

The Jobs Act includes incentives for businesses to hire veterans, called “Returning Heroes” tax credits. They will provide $5,600 to $9,600 in tax credits for hiring unemployed veterans, which will provide two huge benefits: 1) Encouraging businesses to provide jobs for our nation’s heroes, hopefully helping them make the adjustment to civilian life easier by reducing job hunting stress and 2) Pumping even more money into businesses to expand the workforce.

Unemployment Benefits

Five million U.S. citizens will be able to retain their unemployment benefits while looking for full-time work due to the Act. Also included are reforms designed to prevent layoffs, including work sharing, providing temporary work and on-the-job training and programs designed to spur entrepreneurship. Additionally, businesses who hire long-term unemployed workers will receive tax credits and businesses will be barred from discriminating against unemployed workers. That last point is a big one, because many businesses assume that a long period of unemployment means that a job candidate has a negative attitude or work ethic, while in fact the unemployment may merely be due to the struggling economy and lack of jobs.

Infrastructure Improvement

“Project Rebuild” will send money toward repairing homes and commercial buildings as well as whole communities. Other parts of the Act will invest in improving roads, rail systems, airports and waterways. All of these major building projects have the potential to employ millions of American citizens, increasing spending and decreasing unemployment. Additionally, the creation of a national infrastructure bank, which will fund promising infrastructure projects, could provide a much needed boost to infrastructure development, resulting in more clean energy projects that could result in more job creation in the long term.

Education and Civil Service Spending

The Act will help keep 280,000 educators from losing their jobs, as well as an unknown number of police officers and firefighters. With our education system already suffering from steep budget cuts, this stimulus could keep it from the brink of disaster. Preserving the jobs of police officers and firefighters may seem like an easy decision, but many departments are suffering from the same woes as the education system and are trying to continue providing invaluable services with reduced budgets. This Act could help keep them secure until the economy is able to recover further.

While the economy continues to grow quickly in certain sectors—the Tech sector being a notable standout, where Apple and companies rolling out new cloud computing technology are still thriving—the economy as a whole continues to stutter. Many who default to a belief in Keynesian economics believe that the government must be ‘the-spender-of-the-last-resort.’ And indeed this may be the case. Only time will tell.

Since the financial sector collapsed in late 2008, Americans have watched the economy shed millions of jobs. Many have witnessed or experienced first-hand the pain and uncertainty that comes along with unemployment. Fortunately, there are a few sectors that have been able to weather the storm and provide recession-proof jobs.

Doctor
No matter what happens in the stock market, people will continue to get sick and injured. In fact, as the population continues to age, the number of yearly doctor visits is only expected to increase. Becoming a doctor is still a lucrative proposition for those willing and able to make it through the extensive training.

Registered Nurse
For those on a tighter schedule, nursing is a good option. Nurses enjoy the same job security as doctors, but spend far fewer years in school.

Physical Therapist
Physical therapists help patients regain motor function after an injury or accident, so as long as people get hurt, physical therapists will find no shortage of work. Again, the aging population plays a role. As the elderly find themselves operating with decreased mobility, they will turn to physical therapists for assistance.

Pharmacy Technician
Pharmaceutical companies are doing well despite the economic downturn, which means consumers aren’t cutting their budgets for medicine. Any time you follow a commercial’s instructions to “ask your doctor” about it, you can be sure there will be a pharmacy technician behind the scenes filling the prescription.

Veterinarian
Just as people will always get sick and injured no matter the economic climate, so will animals. People feel so much affection for their pets that many even consider them part of the family. They’ll find room in the family budget for a visit to the vet, even if it means giving up luxuries like eating out or going to the movies.

Networking Specialist
Although many technology jobs can and have been outsourced, there is still a need for specialists who can maintain local networks and perform hardware repair. When the phone company receives a complaint from a customer, they can’t send someone from another country out to the client’s house to check the wires. Given society’s dependence on Internet, television, and smartphones, this is an industry that is bound to do well despite economic troubles.

Software Engineer
As the economy turns away from manufacturing, software engineering might be the new factory floor job. Manufacturing output has been replaced by virtual products and services, so anyone who can program a computer will find a wide variety of opportunities over the next few decades.

Accountant
As both companies and families struggle to keep their finances in order, accountants will have many requests for help managing investments, balancing budgets, and securing tax refunds. Most people realize that hiring a good accountant is an investment that more than pays for itself, making it a popular service in a depressed economy.

Debt Advisor
The recent economic collapse was fueled by bad debt, so it’s no surprise that those trained in helping people maneuver through the tricky pathways of debt consolidation and reduction, financial planning, and bankruptcy aren’t having a hard time finding business.

Public Relations Specialist
As big companies struggle through the economic storm, they often face public relations troubles. A corporation might lay off thousands of workers, but keep their PR specialist around to handle the negative attention the move is sure to attract.

Cosmetologist
A trip to the salon is a way for people to relax and boost their self-esteem with a new look. That may seem like a luxury, but it can make a big difference for someone who is trying to look their best right before an important job interview, or otherwise trying to feel good about themselves in the midst of stressful work and finance situations.

Social Worker
Social workers assist youth, adults, and families with a wide variety of problems. As the economy continues to suffer, more and more people will be laid off or have trouble making ends meet. The stress of these conditions can lead to family problems and more work for social workers.

College Professor
Government budget cuts have made public school teaching a less secure job than it once was, but the unemployed are flocking to community colleges and graduate programs to train for new jobs and acquire new skills. Although most tenure-track jobs require a PhD, some lower-level instructor positions might be available for those with less education.

Auto Mechanic
When money is tight, people cut back on unnecessary expenses, such as buying a new car when the old one is running just fine. Of course, the more miles it racks up, the less likely it is to run “just fine.” Auto mechanics can count on a steady stream of customers who are much happier paying a few hundred dollars to get their old car fixed than a few thousand to buy a brand new one.

Funeral Director
It might be morbid, but it is a fact of life that people will die no matter what happens in the economy. It takes a certain kind of person to be able to handle so much death, dying and grief, but for those who can, funeral directors have one of the highest job securities.

Mechanical Engineer
Mechanical engineers design and build everything from folding chairs to airplanes. With defense spending at an all-time high, there is demand for engineers to design tanks, missiles, supply systems, and safety equipment for the military.

Medical Scientist
Biotechnology is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy. With numerous companies working on new pharmaceuticals, genome sequencing, and innovative medical devices, scientists and engineers trained in the medical sciences will have no trouble landing jobs with competitive compensation.

InterFysio recruits international healthcare professionals for employment in the United States of America. They are an experienced team of healthcare professionals, lawyers, recruiters, licensing and credentialing specialists. InterFysio is dedicated to satisfying the growing need for Physical Therapist Jobs in the United States with qualified, professional candidates from around the world.

Where auto industry jobs are concerned, the glass is definitely half full. The days of the glass being empty are gone. What really sparked the resurrection of the US auto industry? Several things: the rise of alternative energy and technology, Americans unwilling to live through decades of hardship and joblessness, and a US company that is the icon of US industry—GM.

GM, Reaching Up, Reaching Out

Doom and gloom is always the prediction of naysayers. GM proved them wrong. An American auto industry that suffered its own Great Recession has found a light at the end of the tunnel. GM listened to its customers as well as the voices of its employees. In a display of appreciation for a government bailout, GM worked hard to accomplish what seemed the impossible—healthy sales of US automobiles. And what a collection of automobiles they are; everyone is clamoring after the new styles and designs.

Buying USA Creates Jobs USA

GM’s ingenuous idea to diversify and upgrade its product line is a winner. Their design engineers have made it possible to create state-of-the-art engines and interior designs in every vehicle that rolls off the assembly lines. This is the drawing card that increased customer base. It also means a wider variety of jobs available for mechanical designers as well as for those in the engineering fields. Healthier sales also mean an increase in production and assembly jobs, not to mention auto sales within dealerships across the country.

GM looks for innovators who help the company maintain its status as a leader in the auto industry. If their staff’s ingenuity, skills and experience are any barometer of what to expect in the future, it makes sense that the nation’s leader in the auto industry would also be the catalyst for a surge in U.S. jobs across the board.

The Leader of the Pack

The old saying, “As GM goes, so goes the US economy” is apparently true. When the leader in the auto industry reinvents itself and increases jobs, it changes the attitudes of American laborers. It inspires them to do what GM does: Reach Up and Reach Out.

If Americans are learning anything from the hardship of a long recession, they know how important it is to support their nation’s industries first. “Made in the USA” is no longer just a union label; it’s literally a badge of survival.

Okay. So, Where Are The Jobs?

Job seekers may ask: “Where are the jobs?” They overlook that the job market isn’t what it was. Today’s job market is a giant jigsaw puzzle and astute job seekers know all the puzzle pieces fit if they find the right connections. Visit most any major business website and you will find that most offer a career page filled with job opportunities. This is also true of GM’s career page. Seek and ye shall find.

Tony Simpson is an insurance consultant and content contributor for carinsurancecompanies.org, a site offering coverage by all the leading insurance companies, such as USAA car insurance for U.S. military families.

Looking for a new career?

Numbers show that the majority of people change careers five to ten times during their lives. Once the initial excitement wears off most employees tend to burn themselves out and go through what’s called a “Midcareer Crisis.”

“Midlife crisis” may be many things — depression, a reassessment,
dissatisfaction, or unease — but a key contributor can be career
issues.”

Other factors such as location, layoffs, and personal issues influence may also impact this decision. While sometimes it is necessary to ‘reinvent’ yourself.. tread carefully because it’s easy to harm relationships, burn  bridges, kill-off networking opportunities, and emp you down the line with a resume which has no specific industry focus and short employment histories.

If you fall into this category you need to focus on presenting yourself to hiring managers as an asset that can fill the role just as well as your competition, most of whom have had experience in tyour potential field for years. The key is being able to associate your past employment history, skills, and qualifications into your new venture.

Four Tips To Transitioning

1. Identify your accomplishments, skills, and expertise that your new venture will expect you to have. Knowing these traits will be your best resource in transferring into a new industry.

2. Extensively research the ins and outs of any new opportunity. Running into an interview blind will fail nine out of ten times. If you don’t have someone in the space to pull information, the Internet is your next and best resource.
3. Combine the the first and second steps above to identify the vital skills and competence you’ll bring to this next opportunity. Establish yourself as confident and valuable resource.

4. Formulate your resume around this information and be ready to elaborate on it during the interview. You will be grilled on it. This is your chance to prove your worth, and where all the above steps come into play.

Graduting with no experience? Follow these 3 student resume steps.

Your diploma, unfortunatly, isn’t a ‘get a job free’ card. All to often graduates have no clue what to include on your resume and cover letter. Unless you have a few extra-curricular activities under your belt, the only things you can list are common part time jobs which most likely involved absolutely nothing relevant to the position you want.

Often the question that comes up is if you are applying for a full time career position, how do you create a resume for a full time career if your only previous experience in the workforce was at a clothing store or fast food joint? It shows you have experience but is it the experience they are looking for? Follow the quick three step guide in this first installment of Student Week at ResumeBucket.

1. Make the layout professional

• Don’t go overboard with fancy fonts, graphics, or a confusing structure. While you may think this makes you look good, it’s painful to read for the employer.
• Keep it simple and easy to read. You can find resume layout examples in our database of sample resumes.

2. Content is key

• Employers and Recruiters don’t care about any part type job you had in high school or college. Unless you moved up to a management/supervisor position, omit this information.
• Instead include any type of extra-curricular activities you may have been involved in on campus, this includes sports, clubs, student body government. Anything to show you were more than just a body who showed up to class then left.
• Write a 2-3 short and concise introduction about yourself and your goals, be careful and don’t make it to wordy. Tailor this to suit the job you are applying for.
• Finish it with any references you have. Many people lie here and get caught. Employers DO check. Make sure to use reputable people and not friends or family remembers.

3. Clean up

• Keep it to a one page. Employers who are looking at a fresh resume don’t expect you to have that much experience in the work force. Padding your resume with trivial information is a turn off to hiring manager reading your resume.
• Most likely your name will be Googled by employers. Make your Facebook or any other social sites that may come up private. You don’t want them seeing your pictures from Friday and Saturday nights. Instead build out a Linkedin.com profile, sign up and post your resume on ResumeBucket.com. Google yourself and see what comes up and work from there.

Post up your comments! We love to help out our users with any questions they have, and if you really want an outstanding resume check out our top tier resume writer.