Feeling tired of the straight and narrow? Are you desperate to follow a slightly crooked path? There’s a whole batch of occupations out there which enable the criminally inclined to act in illegal ways within the law. Here are a few examples of eyebrow-raising jobs that career advisors frequently forget to mention.

Just Say Yes

credit: samantharachael

In March 2010, John Moores University (JMU) in Liverpool controversially began a research project into the effects of mephedrone, also known as “Miaow Miaow”, using two students as human guinea pigs. Anyone keen to not stay clean should search for similar opportunities. The JMU research project was abandoned in August 2010, but Pete Doherty continues to submit application forms.

Big and Burly? Apply Within

credit: J Mark Dodds

In rare cases, it’s actually legal for bailiffs to break into people’s homes and seize items to recover outstanding debts, but only if they have a magistrates’ warrant and are recovering debts owed to the Magistrates’ Court or HM Revenue & Customs. Not a job for the nice-natured or faint-hearted, possessing the demeanour of a Rottweiler will stand you in good stead.

OK To TWOC

credit: srqpix

Like taking people’s cars? Become a repo man. If a person has fallen behind with their payments a debt collector can legally take a car from a driveway, or even an unlocked garage, without the owner’s consent. Where on Earth do they learn to break into cars so easily? Is there a special school in Dagenham?

And Not a Parrot in Sight

Max Hardberger. Sourced from the Wikimedia Commons

The scourge of pirates throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, Max Hardberger is a ‘vessel repossession specialist’, which means he steals stolen ships back from pirates and returns them to safe waters. A controversial figure, Hardberger makes $100,000 a ship, so light-fingered seafarers may wish to follow in his wake.

Steal Yourself a New Job

credit: Kojach

Is your past more chequered than a chess board? Fear not, a lucrative career as a security consultant could soon open up before you like an unlocked window. For example, take former burglar Bob Portenier, who took from quite a few people, but now shares the secrets of burglars, so that security can be enhanced in homes and businesses.

Be Someone, Become Someone Else

Frank Abagnale. Sourced from the Wikimedia Commons

While identity theft is generally frowned upon, pretending to be someone else can be a fun way to make a living. Las Vegas is stuffed full with Elvis impersonators mimicking the King of Rock and Hot Dog Rolls, who left the building in 1977. Alternatively, you could follow in the footsteps of infamous impostor Frank Abagnale, immortalised in Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can, and swap identity theft for lecturing on crime at the FBI academy.

Hacking for the Man

credit: ikrichter

The perfect job for anyone who grew up watching WarGames, being a “white hat” ethical hacker entails testing computer security systems by attempting various ways to infiltrate the network. The work of the ethical hacker is vital to organisations that need absolute internet security. Not to be confused with the hacking exploits of China or the former staff of the News of the World.

There we have it: career options to build up an alternative CV, without building up a criminal record, brought to you by recruitment agencies directory, AgencyCentral.co.uk.

There are a lot of odd jobs out there, but the occupations that have certain stigmas are also often the ones that pay the most.

So if you’re looking for a new job, or maybe want to embark on a more out-of-the-ordinary career, check out these 10 odd jobs that pay well:

Arachnologist

This job entails the study of spiders and other creepy bugs such as scorpions. This is a pretty creepy job that not many people want to do, which is why Arachnologists earn an average of $61,660 per year.

Sommelier

If you like drinking, then this is the job for you. Sommeliers are wine experts who know everything from how to store wine to what food goes well with what wine, and they can earn up to $60,000 per year, depending on where they work.

Animal sitter

Taking care of your own pets is enough work, but some people make a living by taking care of other people’s animals while they’re away at work or on vacation. While this job doesn’t require a lot of training, it does require a compassionate and reliable person. The average salary is only $28,000 per year, but if you’re running your own business, you can charge whatever you want!

Sex therapist

Any form of therapy is a pretty well-respected career field, but it’s a little weird to coach people on their sex lives. But if you’re willing to talk dirty with your clients, you can earn at least $36,000 per year, and usually more since most therapists set their own hourly rates.

Human directional

These are the people you see outside spinning signs for new businesses. This can be an exhausting and uncomfortable job – especially if you’re working in the extreme heat or cold – but you can earn an average of $58,000 per year.

Cyber police

It’s long been thought that America’s next great threat will be a technological one, which is why we’re placing a strong emphasis on cyber crime prevention. Cyber police, who patrol all forms of technology for bad guys, earn about $52,000 per year.

Rodeo clown

An extremely dangerous occupation, rodeo clowns protect fallen bull riders from being attacked by angered bulls by providing a distraction. In some cases they may also provide crowd entertainment. Rodeo clowns can earn at least $50,000 per year, and many even make six-figure salaries.

Psychic

Some people believe in their craft and others don’t, but psychics claim to be able to predict the future. Those who do believe will pay good money to find out what’s ahead, which is why psychics can earn roughly $41,000 per year.

Repo man

These workers are hired by businesses who need to take back items that customers bought but never paid for or by institutions that need collateral. Since people don’t generally like their stuff being taken away, this can be a dangerous job, and therefore pays about $73,000 per year.

Bounty hunter

Known in the U.S. as bail enforcement agents or fugitive recovery agents, these workers hunt down prisoners who were let go on bail and then skipped town. Bounty hunters earn at least $30,000 per year and can also take in a part of the actual bounty placed on a person.

Salary info is from CareerCast and SimplyHired.

Blogging about employment, recruiting, and social media. Check out http://www.pcrecruiter.net/home.htm for more.

Why Hobbies Are Important

A hobby is something we participate in, that is individual – tailored for our unique interests and talents. Hobbies can offer an increased sense of well-being and added meaning to our lives. Just as physical activity is necessary and important for keeping our bodies in good shape, mental stimulation, as well as relaxation, are necessary and important for keeping our minds in good shape. Studies have shown that people who are involved in hobbies are less prone to suffer from anxiety and depression, and other types of mental illness. Here are some additional reasons why having a hobby, or hobbies, is important:

Pleasure

Hobbies are a great source of relief from mental fatigue and burnout. Since your hobby will be an activity of your choosing, and one that you enjoy, it’s a given that you’ll receive pleasure from participating. Even if you only spend a short period of time in your hobby of choice, you will be able to feel the difference.

Getting to Know Yourself

Spending time enjoying your hobby can be an excellent way to get in touch with yourself. It’s not really about what sort of hobby you’re involved in, as much as it’s about the fact that you are doing something that is entirely your own. Many times in our modern society, we fail to disconnect for any significant period of time, and we lose touch with our inner selves. Hobbies can help alleviate and correct this problem.

Money

Being involved in a hobby can also become a way of earning money. Whenever we begin to pursue a career in an area that we’re especially interested in, or passionate about, it’s automatically more rewarding, and usually much more successful.

Retirement Preparedness

Many people fall into a pattern of thinking that assumes hobbies are something that are meant to be pursued and enjoyed after retirement, but this, of course, isn’t true. There’s no time like the present to go out and discover a new passion, and plan on enjoying it right into your retirement years. Your hobby can be a source of pleasure for many years to come.

Creative Outlet

Hobbies can be a fantastic way of expressing your individuality and showcasing your creativity. Activities such as scrapbooking are especially suited for those who are seeking a creative outlet. There are many specialty tools and implements, such as custom made rubber stamps to provide you with a steady source of inspiration.

Meet People

Getting involved in a hobby doesn’t always have to be a solitary pursuit. Hobbies are also an excellent way to meet new people who share the same sort of interests as you. In the beginning, there will naturally be those who are more experienced than you, and will be happy to mentor you, and help you learn and grow in your hobby. After time has passed and your level of skill has increased, you can, in turn, provide this sort of friendship and support for another person – which is extremely rewarding and fulfilling.

Take some time to explore hobbies and get involved in something you enjoy. Your mind and body will thank you!

This article was written by Walter McKinnon for Blade Rubber Stamps.

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.

People have always had a way of greeting each other either orally with a “hello” or physically by a hug, a smile, or a handshake. Even with these different types of greetings, one never stops to think about the intent behind these salutations. Not only should we wonder about the greetings we receive, but what about the ones that we give. When applying for a job or after going through an interview, handshakes are a common conclusion to the ongoing interaction. So, what does your handshake say about you?

Handshakes have always been a form of greeting, more so for men than for women. But when you are greeted in this fashion, whether male or female, the extension is reciprocated as a sign of proper etiquette. But handshakes have changed over the years along with each younger generation from the sixties up to the 21st century, as they each have put their twist on it, resulting in a trendier greeting.

Types of Handshakes

Firm handshake. When a person grabs your hand firmly, it speaks to a person’s outgoing personality. Another word that can be used is extroverts. This handshake also says that the person is open, confident, aggressive, and strong,

Weak handshake. This handclasp which is in opposition to firm, says that the person is rather shy. They also exhibit nervousness, insecurity, or they are afraid of interacting with other people.

Secret handshake. There are fraternities, clubs, and organizations that have the secret handshakes. These special secret greetings are used as signals of identification among members. Special handshakes are symbols and signs that are also used by gang members to distinguish themselves from each other.

Flirty handshake. This handshake says that someone is interested in another person. It is held longer than a normal handshake, and the hand is accepted and released in a slow fashion. It can also be accompanied with slowly shifting the grip to caress the palms, the fingers, and then the back of the hand.

Emphatic handshake. This handshake is expressing a forceful and clear statement.

Two-handed handshake. This handshake is indicates friendship, respect, trust or endearment. Instead of extending one hand, both hands are used to greet the person.

Power handshake. This handshake involves the grasping and crushing of hands in a painful grip. Some people use it as an intimidating factor, while others use it to say that they are confident, in control, and are not afraid.

Knuckle or fist bump. As generations come, go, and advance, so does the handshakes. The youth today have replaced the traditional handshake with the knuckle or fist bump. When they greet each other, two fists are bumped together, knuckles meeting knuckles. This is the trendy handshake.

Sympathy handshake. This hand grasp expresses deep concern over another’s loss and says I know what you†are going through.  This handshake is often followed by words and is deeply personal. Both hands are used but should only be used to express a condolence.

So when applying for a job, being aware of your handshake might just make that lasting impression that you want to have on your potential employer.

This guest article was contributed by Jennifer Bell from†Health Training Guide. Check out her site to learn more about certified nursing assistant training†and other exciting health careers.

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.

Did your mother ever tell you that you could be the President of the United States some day, if you really wanted to? So did mine. I got to wondering what presidents used to do before they were elected president. So I did some research… and it turns out it’s pretty boring: they were all lawyers and congressmen and the like. After digging a little deeper, I found an interesting sub-story: there are some Presidents that did things a little differently. This is their story.

1. Abraham Lincoln: Ferryboat Operator

Sure, I can see it. Leading a boat across a river over and over again is just like running a country… right? He also used to be the postmaster – that may make more sense if you consider the time period of his presidency. Postmasters were pretty important back in Lincoln’s time, and I’m sure Honest Abe had the integrity it took for such a position. I just can’t imagine the guy wearing anything other than a top hat!

2. William Harrison – Clerk of Hamilton County
Not a very exciting job… but how did President Harrison go from that role DIRECTLY to President of the United States? Man… that must have been some serious campaigning.

3. Zachary Taylor – Soldier
But here’s the thing – President Taylor was only a soldier. That’s it. Soldier, and President. I think that’s awesome – talk about serving your country your entire life! I’ve got a lot of respect for our armed forces, and talk about a great career move. I’ve got a few friends in the military, emergency city services (i.e. Firefighters) and the Coast Guard, and I can tell you they’re the friends losing the least amount of their hair during this recession.

4. Gerald Ford – Busboy, Male Model
Wait. Gerald Ford. Male Model? Are you kidding me? No seriously. Look at that guy. Although I suppose physical charisma goes a long way towards being our country’s leader. Although I personally think Clinton deserves to rot in hell, Tim Ferriss has a great article on what made Clinton great.

5. Harry Truman – Haberdasher
I just love the name “Haberdasher” Truman was actually one of several presidents who came from clothing and tailoring, since the industry was such a huge boon to our young Country. I just didn’t see any of the others referred to as “Haberdasher” – awesome.

6. Jimmy Carter – Peanut Farmer
I didn’t know Georgia was where Peanuts were grown. It must have been passed down from his family. Farmers have long term residual income that can sustain a family for generations. I’ve always been an admirer of this lifestyle – you earn what you grow. It’s as simple as that (if you’re a farmer, please don’t write me an angry email. I know it’s not that simple).

7. Ronald Reagan – Actor, Lifeguard, Radio Announcer

This is an easy one. Reagan holds arguably the most well-known former professions out of all our illustrious Presidents. Again… it’s all in the charisma. If you can sell an audience, you can sell a country. It’s not Voodoo. Get it? Yeah… sorry.

8. James Garfield – Carpenter, Janitor

Wait. Janitor? This one just doesn’t make much sense. I can’t see how anything relates to Presidential duties… oh, except for cleaning up other people’s messes, of course. I imagine our next President will certainly have his fair share of cleaning up to do!

9. Herbert Hoover – Geologist
Worrying about the earth… to worrying about the earth! Total natural transition.. right?

10. Calvin Coolidge – Toymaker

I’m pretty sure Calvin Coolidge produced Indian Bats – and that makes him the coolest President of them all.

‘Tis the season… to get ahead.

I was on the phone with a reporter yesterday who was asking me about tips for finding jobs during the holidays. “Yes,” I said, “from what I can see it’s going pretty well. We’re getting more and more job postings every day on ResumeBucket. Companies are hiring for the new year. Particularly there is growth in technology and finance jobs.” Then, she asked me a question that really got me thinking.

“So you’re saying people should look for jobs now, even though people are going away for the holidays?”

I was dumbstruck. It took me a few moments to respond, and I’m the kind of guy that really likes to talk. This woman was suggesting that she expected people to wait around during the holidays because no one else was working.

I’ve worked my entire career. It’s easy. You spend a small part of your day figuring out what you have to do, and a larger part of your day getting those things done. Create a list, knock it down. It’s simple. If I’m at work, I’m either creating work or completing it. How many times have I taken off more than a few days for the holidays? I can’t even remember the last time.

Here’s the thing – how is the fact that other people don’t work during the holidays a bad thing? Back when I used to work in the corporate world, I used to relish this time of year. Why would I use my precious vacation days when everyone else was using their time off? That’s silly! Do you know how much more work you can get done when half of your office is off drinking egg nog and hanging missletoe? I’ll give you a hint – it’s more than when they’re there.

The same applies for the unemployed. Let me give you a hint, people. Employers don’t like employees that take time off every chance they get. If you’re not employed, then looking for a job is your FULL TIME JOB. 8 hours a day. Make yourself do it. Prove to people that you don’t quit, that you’re a hard worker, that you put in your time and go the extra mile. This is NOT a vacation. You AREN’T getting paid for it.

Or, look at it this way. Maybe 20 to 40 percent of hiring departments are on vacation right now – sure. But so is 20 to 40 percent of your competition. Less competition means more results.

So forget a New Year’s Resolution – use this time when everyone else is relaxing to work double time. Kill it. Right now is when people are really paying attention.  And you can start at our sample resumes section of ResumeBucket.  Don’t wait, do it now.

Finding a job is just like learning to ride a bike.  Like riding a bike, this is something we can all do. And exactly like learning to ride, it is something we can pick up again at a later date because we remember the skills, even if they’re a bit rusty.

The Early Days

When you first pick up a bike, you have no idea what to do. Everyone has made it look so easy. The other kids are all able to do it. You get on, and you instantly fall off. You have no idea how it is done.

The same applies when you first start applying for work. You write your resume and send it out. You either don’t hear anything back, or you get lots of rejection letters. You wonder why. All your friends seem to be getting jobs. You however, have no idea how it is done.

Training Wheels

Your first experiences on a bike as a kid are with training wheels. These help you to get the idea of what you are supposed to do. The training wheels help the bike to keep its balance, while you practice the actions that you need to take to get the bike moving and keep it progressing along the road.

Your first experiences of creating a resume are often a bit like this; often when you are about to leave schooling for the real world. You have the supporting environment of college around you and careers advisory services to help you out. If you’re lucky, kind advisors help you to “stabilize” your resume. They look over your first few drafts and tell you where you’re going wrong. Their hints help to get you on track, to start moving and make progress along the road to getting a job.

Crashing

An inevitable of the learning to ride a bike experience: your first crash. You take off the training wheels and try to start riding without them. It was easy with them, so you’re definitely ready to leave them behind. You know that other people crash, you’ve seen your friends with scabbed up hands and knees and the colorful bruises that a fall can bring. It doesn’t put you off though, and you kind of think to yourself, “That won’t happen to me”. Your dad or mom is holding the bike seat and you’re all set. Then they let go, and the first thing that happens is you tumble to the ground, bike on top. Often you won’t feel like getting back on that contraption right way. You want to lick your wounds for a while and recover. However, mom and dad know best, and they get you right back on there again.

In your job search this also happens. You apply for jobs that you think you are clearly highly suited for. The job market isn’t all that great, but that is OK because you truly are great and surely every employer will be able to see it right away and snap you up quick. You send in your best application. You wait. And then you receive a rejection. Or worse, you receive nothing at all, not even an acknowledgement of your application. Your job application just crashed. This can be a very demoralizing experience, but just like riding a bike, it is something that happens to everyone. And just like the bike learning experience, you have to get up and keep going.

You Pick Yourself Up and Keep Going

You’ve fallen off your bike a few times now. You’re getting fed up. You’ll NEVER get the hang of this. You whine about it to your parents and friends. You’ve half given up, but suddenly something clicks and you just get it. You can ride a bike. And you’re riding along and it’s all going smoothly. You did it. You can join your friends on bike rides around the park without the training wheels. You feel good about yourself and your achievement.

You’ve received job rejections a few times now. You’re getting fed up. All you get is rejections. You don’t want to hear anymore about how there were “many other candidates more suitable” than you. You moan about it to your family and buddies. You’ve half given up, but you have to keep trying, because you need a job to pay your bills. And then suddenly, when you’re not really expecting it anymore, you get that job offer.

Finding a job is just like riding a bike. You try, you fail, you crash, you get up and start again, and suddenly it all clicks and works out for you.

Tip of the Day: For all you administrative assistants out there looking to improve your administrative assistant resume, check ResumeBucket as we’ve just expanded our resume samples section to include a ton more resumes.

It’s that time of year again, the holidays.  And as you look around the room this year you may notice that ham was paid for with unemployment benefits and Uncle Ricky’s hands look a little rough from where his “Will Work For Food” sign has been cutting into his hands.

So this year as you shop around for the perfect gift, your generosity might be best placed within the parable, “To Teach a Man To Fish” rather than giving him the fish.  And I’m here to help you out with the hottest gifts for the unemployed in 2010.

Gas Gift Cards

Looking for a job is pretty inexpensive.  With much of the work being done online and over the phone the minimum requirements for looking for a job are internet access and a phone.  However, once you land an interview that is when the expenses start to kick in.  And assuming you have already taken care of the most expensive part (personal presentation), then the only remaining cost is transportation.  This means lots of money going into your car’s gas tank.

The longer you have been unemployed the wider your net will become.  According to an ABC News poll the average commuter will travel over 16 miles to get to work.  With job seekers having to go on multiple interviews before they land a job, this travel can really hurt their pocket books.

Most gas stations offer gift cards and although not the funnest thing to receive for the holidays, it may be one of the most practical.

A Self-Help Book

I hate the term “self-help” as much as the next person, but if someone is having trouble finding a job, improving themselves is probably a good idea.

There are a wide range of books out there, so it is up to your to figure out what book you think will be welcomed by your giftee, but here are some suggestions to get you started.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey – An oldie but a goodie.  It has been over a decade since this book was first published, but it continues to remain as one of the most successful books in personal improvement.  Covey also updates the book with each new round of publishing, so it may benefit you to get the latest edition.

The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss – This is a current favorite among the internet entrepreneurial crowd.  Ferriss takes a very untraditional and modern approach to self improvement.  Ferriss is also quite the character so this book, if nothing else, is entertaining for the reader.

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell – Gladwell’s fresh look at the world through keen analytical eyes has delighted readers in The New Yorker magazine and the radio program This American Life.  Yet, it his series of books that take an intensely fascinating look at the world around us and how humans actually work.

A Homemade Coupon Book

I know I’m not the only kid that would get their parents handmade booklets that included coupons for hugs and mowing the lawn (not that I didn’t have to mow the lawn anyways).

And with many people who are unemplopyed money is tight.  And sometimes when things are going well you can forget how hard it is for some people just to put food on the dinner table.  Why not make your own coupon book with coupons for “A night out on me” or “Babysitting the kids” so they don’t have to pay a sitter.

And people always love when a gift comes from the heart and not a Best Buy catalog.

Business Cards

Wait, business cards?  Well, not for their job silly, but personal branding cards.

Personal branding business cards tell a future employer that you are incredibly serious about finding a job (and hopefully not that you are making a career of looking for one).  They are also very handy for any situation where you might be making a new connection.  Say you meet someone who could potentially help your career.  Give them your email on a napkin or hand them a sleek card with all the information they need?

Not to mention your receipient can throw a couple cards in the bowl at the local T.G.I.F. and maybe win a free dinner – double win!

A Lead

You can browse Amazon all day long looking for the perfect gift to make your giftees heart flutter, but the sure fire way to get a reaction is to give them a step closer to what their heart truly desires, a job lead.

If you’ve ever been unemployed you know the roller coaster ride that is going on interviews, hearing from employers, and finally landing that job.  You definitely go through the gambit of emotions.  And if you truly want to give the perfect gift, help them with a nice job lead, they will love you for it.