Job interviews can be hard to come by these days, but don’t get intimidated. Even if it’s been years since your last job interview, you have the skills and experience employers are looking for. Here’s a list of six great tips on acing a job interview.

1. Be On Time

Being prompt or arriving five minutes early starts the interview off on the right foot. There is no acceptable excuse for being late or canceling an interview at the last minute, so if this happens, just move on to your next lead. Also, be ready to begin the interview the second you walk through the doors. Make sure you don’t need to use the restroom and you have your cell phone turned off before coming in the building.

2. Bring Extra Résumés

Frequently, interviews are conducted in a panel-style with two or three interviewers, and more often than not, the employers bring only one copy of your résumé to the interview. Since your résumé is a vital selling piece, make sure to bring plenty of résumés because someone on the panel may not have seen it in advance. In addition, you can take notes on the back of an extra résumé, which is a positive way to stand out.

3. Do your homework

The more you know about the company/position you are applying for, the better you’ll be able to mold your responses to their questions, touching on the things that they feel are important. It is very obvious to the employer when a candidate tries to wing an interview, on the other hand, candidates who have knowledge of the company’s history and approach can impress the employer.

4. Practice

There are two great benefits to practicing responses before an interview. First, practicing increases the likelihood that you will touch on all of your selling points without forgetting anything vital. It’s hard to get a second chance with job interviews. The other benefit is that practice can help eliminate the amount of “ums” and “likes” in your responses. Employers like well-spoken candidates.

5. Ask Questions

A general rule of thumb is for applicants to ask at least three relevant questions throughout the interview. Questions show the employer that you’ve given serious thought to working with their company and lets them know that you’re interested in learning more. Jot some questions down during the interview and show off the fact that you’ve done your research.

6. Follow Up

In today’s job market, employers are likely to interview a number of qualified candidates for a single opening. This means that even if your interview went well, you run the possibility of getting lost in the mix. Sending a follow up/thank you email or card a few days after the interview serves as a reminder and shows your desire to work for the company.

With these six tips and some self confidence, you can walk into any interview knowing that you’re the right person for the job. Good luck and remember to smile.

With the job market still recovering from one of its lowest points, an option that is looking more and more attractive to many people is interning. Internships are a great way to gain invaluable experience and familiarize yourself with the inner workings of an industry.

Although not all internships are able to offer you money, the true payment for an internship comes in the form of increased knowledge and opportunities. Here are the top three reasons that you should consider taking an unpaid internship:

Take your new career out for a test run

A large portion of the individuals currently working at unpaid internships are students, many of whom are in college and have never had a full-time career. For them, these internships offer a great chance to see and experience the daily workings of a job they hope to pursue further, without any permanent commitment. And while this presents a great opportunity for young people who are unsure of where their career may take them, the same benefits can be experienced by individuals of any age trying to break into a new field, and a new career.

Enjoy the Benefit of Experience

When you are applying for a job what do you think employers are looking for most? Sure education is great and a good personality is key, but the real difference maker is simple: Experience. Knowing what to do and exactly how to do it is the best and most consistent way to land a job every time, and an internship is often the best way to gain the valuable experience. Remember, while education and a flashy smile may sometimes help you get a job, experience is ultimately what lets you keep the job.

Long term career opportunities may open

There’s a very popular saying in the business world that goes, “It’s not what you know, but who you know.” The world may not be as black and white as this implies, (rest assured, what you know is still important in any job setting) but who you know plays a big part in the opportunities available to you.

Often, companies like to have an internal growth system in which they promote from inside their own company, and internships are often the best and easiest ways to “get on the inside”. And even if there isn’t a job available for you at the same company you’ve interned for rest assured, chances are your boss knows people in the same field and can put in a good word for you and let you know about any opportunities that might be available.

These are three of the best reasons to consider taking on an internship, but they certainly aren’t the only ones. So for anyone interested, I suggest you get out there and experience all the wonderful benefits internships can offer for yourself.

In today’s job market, it may be a discouraging task to make you stand out from the strong competition. But there is no need to give up and call it a hopeless situation; in fact, there are a few creative, unique ways to get a potential employer’s attention. You just have to be willing to try.

1. Take a rejection and turn it into a positive situation

Even if a particular company is not interested in hiring you that does not mean that you can’t encourage them to do so in the future. Instead of throwing away the rejection letter and writing off the opportunity, write a special note thanking the interviewer for their time.

2. Contact people who have interviewed you in the past

No matter how far back that may have been, it never hurts to let them know that you are looking.

3. You may be posting your resume on leading online job sites, but that could be doing more harm than good

Instead of focusing mainly on the big players, find a job site that specializes in your particular skill. With less competition, your chances will likely be greater there than anywhere else.

4. Take to the newspapers

Place a personal ad giving information on your skills and expertise, not forgetting to include what position would be preferred; people are bound to be impressed by your determination.

5. Submit ideas to your favorite websites

If you have always felt their site could be improved by a few things, be sure to let them know about it. Even if they don’t respond, it is important to keep trying. After all, a position just might open up in the future, and they just might remember you.

Getting hired can be a frustrating process; however, with a bit of creativity and a willingness to break the mold, you just might find yourself swimming in success.

If you’re considering hiring a headhunter for your job search, you want to make sure you’re choosing the right person. After all, a bad choice can cost you in terms of missed job opportunities, wasted fees, and lost time. So how do you make an informed choice?

1. Make sure you understand the fees

Who pays, when, and how much. Some firms are paid by the employer, while others are paid by the job seeker. If the firm you are considering is paid by you, the job seeker, another important question is whether you are paying only if they find you a job that you accept or if you are paying for consulting services regardless of the outcome, such as interview coaching or resume updating.

2. What kind of experience do they have in your area of interest?

Many firms specialize in certain areas, such as executive placement, sales, or engineering. While they may be able to find you a position outside their core market, headhunters that specialize in your area know how best to market you, plus they have the contacts to speed your job search.

3. Compile a list of recruiters from a reputable source

Once you have a list of names, it will be easier to compare the services, fees, and expertise of the recruiters you are considering.

4. Spend some time getting to know the recruiter before you sign any contracts

You should have a good feel for the company, the services being offered, and the individual recruiter who will be handling your job search. If you have a personality conflict with a particular recruiter but like the company otherwise, consider asking for a new recruiter to be assigned to your account.

5. Ask for, and check, your recruiter’s references

Find out what previous clients liked or disliked about the services, as well as whether the job search was successful. Depending on the services provided and the salary you are seeking, placement fees can run you thousands of dollars…

With a little homework, you can find a Headhunter that specializes in your industry, has reasonable fees, and who will take your job search as personally as you do.

One area that often gets overlooked is the part-time section of the job listings. You’re thinking to yourself that if you take a part time job, you have to report it on your weekly assessment to the department of labor to receive your unemployment insurance pay. This, in turn, will reduce your benefits.

There’s no denying there’s a Catch 22 of benefits and part-time work. However, there are other areas to consider when deciding about a part-time job.

First of all, if the part-time job is in your preferred work area, it could be good to at least keep your foot in the door, so to speak. You will keep your skills sharp and your knowledge current. You will hear of full time openings before any head hunters or employment websites would and you’ll have experience with the company, thus giving you a step ahead of the competition.

Additionally, a part-time job may be classified that way simply based on the fact it’s is a 35 hours per week job. It could offer enough hours to make more money than you’re making with unemployment insurance.

A part-time job will last longer than your temporary unemployment benefits. Many part-time gigs turn full-time down the road, when you’ve shown the company how indispensable you can be. The co-workers you work with in a part-time job could become networking partners down the road and help you obtain a better position in the future.

Keep in mind that unemployment benefits are there to help you until you find something permanent. While you may not have pictured yourself in a part-time job, that doesn’t mean that accepting a job under 40 hours is a bad thing.

The key is to find something, full or part time, that is going to pay you more than you’re bringing home in unemployment. Check out all the various job descriptions in both genres of work. Pursue the part-time with the same professionalism and enthusiasm you would a full-time job, making it clear to the hiring personnel that you do ultimately prefer a full-time position, should it become available.

Look outside the box during this economic slump. Consider options based on the whole picture and how it can improve your situation. Perhaps a part-time opportunity will bring you the income you need now.

You may feel like you have tried everything to land a job in this rough economy. Even though you have worked so hard, nothing seems to be connecting. You are beginning to lose hope. Do not despair. Follow these 6 concrete steps from Unemployment.com you will find a job.

1. Apply for Multiple Positions in the Same Company
Perhaps you are looking for an administrative or managerial position. This makes sense, but you need to think outside of the box. With this kind of experience, you may be able to easily land a position in marketing or sales and work your way up within a company. If you need a job ASAP, then consider applying for up to many different positions in a company rather than only one or two. Make your name and presence known.

2. Send Thoughtful Follow up Notes
Don’t worry that you will appear to be a “brown-noser”, instead let the company know how much you want the job and make them love you. Seriously. Tell them how excited you are to have applied and what a great opportunity it would be to work with them. Share relevant articles and ideas, as if you are already working to show them you are already thinking like an employee.

3. Amp Up the Resume and Have 10 People Read It
I know. You are going to say that you have already revised your resume. But seriously, until you land a job, you need to make your resume perfect. Include exciting language that is result-oriented. If something on your resume has not produced a solid result, then cut it. Have at least 10 people read over your resume before you submit it to a company. It is amazing what fresh eyes will catch.

4. Create Your Own Work and Be Proactive
Contact local businesses and tell them how your skills can basically “outdo” their current provider’s skill set. And offer to do it for a fraction of the price.

5. Make a Face to Face Meeting
This is such an easy one that people often forget to do. With the Internet, many people think they can turn a resume in online without speaking with someone. See if you can setup an informational interview and form relationships with the people that work there. By simply coming in and talking with employees, you show your interest. Plus, this is great networking.

6. Confidently Present Ideas in 30 Seconds
Speak confidently when you finally do meet with a manager. Have your skill set summed up in 30 seconds or less and how your background and experience will add value to company.

With these tips, you will be well on your way to securing a job. Be positive – you only need one job!

Few experiences in life are more traumatic than losing your job. Your self-esteem, financial stability, and sense of security are all threatened in one devastating loss. What do you do? Here’s a plan of action to help you cope:

1. Assess your financial situation. The sudden loss of income puts people into a panicked tailspin. Sit down with your spouse and take a hard look at the bills that need to be paid. Cut out any unneeded expenses. Write down the amount of your mortgage, loan payments, utility bills and the cost of food and other necessary items.

2. Take advantage of the safety net. Immediately set up an appointment with the local unemployment bureau to begin receiving benefits. Your church might be able to help. Family members might offer to help you make the mortgage for a couple of months. Be willing to accept help.

3. Contact your creditors. The common response is to bury one’s head in the financial sand. A much better course of action is to call your creditors and let them know what’s happened. Creditors are a lot more understanding than you think. If you credit history is reasonable and you generally pay your bills on time — it makes better business sense for your creditors to give you some leeway in making payments instead of forcing you into bankruptcy. Be honest about your situation. Ask them to negotiate lower payments or defray the payments until you can get back to work. Falling behind in payments and not calling is the worse thing you can do.

4. Start looking for a job. Dust off the resume or develop your first one. Begin your job search in your area of experience since that’s where you’re most likely to find work. Contact friends and ask them for insider information on who’s hiring. Networking with others in your field can result in landing a job that never gets listed in the classified section of the newspaper. Employers aren’t going to come looking for you. Go to them.

5. Get ready for a long time on unemployment. The current job market is dismal in many sectors. You need to be self-disciplined in spending and persistent in searching for your next job.

Losing your job is a stressful experience. It helps to have a plan of action. Take one step at a time and create the most favorable outlook for surviving financially and finding your next job.

When the economy goes bad, naturally people become concerned about the safety of their jobs. Granted, not all jobs are equally vulnerable to lay offs during a recession. Some jobs tend to be safer than others. The following are jobs you should consider if you want to have a recession-proof job.

Nursing, medicine and other health care professions are recession-proof professions for the simple reason that people are always going to become ill no matter what happens. In fact, people may become ill more often when they lack basic insurance, when they fail to adhere to a proper diet or when they lack the ability to take steps that could prevent the health problems entirely.

Pharmacy is a safe career in a recession because as long as people become ill, there will be a need for doctors to prescribe medications. If medications get prescribed, you have to go and get the medications from a pharmacy. Thus, if you are a pharmacist who works in a pharmacy where you dispense medication, your job will most likely be secure in a recession.

Education is another safe career area to be in because no matter how bad the economy is, children will always need to go to elementary school, junior high school and high school. Thus, there will always be a need for teachers, principals and other school-related personnel to meet the needs of those who must attend school. In addition, students will always attend college and graduate school in order to become educated and start a career. Thus there will always be a need for college professors, college administrators and others who work in the college environment.

Accounting is a safe profession during a recession because as the economy gets worse, individuals and companies will still have to pay taxes. Since they still have to pay taxes, they will seek ways to find more tax deductions. In order to make sure they are getting all of the deductions they can get, they will need skilled accountants who stay abreast of tax law and who know how to find the deductions.

Bankruptcy law is another safe career area during a recession because, as economic troubles force individuals and companies into bankruptcy, they need bankruptcy lawyers to help them through the process of declaring bankruptcy. The bankruptcy process involves several steps. For instance, people have to go for an initial interview, fill out forms, go to a meeting of the creditors and go through other steps. Bankruptcy lawyers help to demystify the process and help clients through bankruptcy.

The aforementioned jobs are just a few examples of recession-proof jobs. Find out more information about these careers. Find out the requirements that must be met in order to pursue these professions.

The last two years have been particularly hard on the job market. The recession led to the loss of 7 million jobs and has left 1 in every 10 Americans unemployed. Growing concern has surfaced over the government’s handling of the issue. In President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address on January 27, 2010, job growth featured prominently in his plans for reigniting economic growth, designating it as his number one focus for 2010. He presented several areas in which jobs would be created and serve the road to long term recovery.

The creation of infrastructure projects to move goods, services and information, investment in clean energy jobs, increase in exporting activities and incentives for small business development were highlighted as initiatives to put Americans back to work.

Through the government’s funding of improving the nation’s infrastructure, America would be better able to compete in the global market, laying the foundation for future stability and growth. He cited Tampa Bay as an example where jobs were being filled in the construction of a new high speed railway, and that across America the development of the country’s infrastructure would ensure job creation and long term security.

Investment in clean energy products and clean energy power plants were shown to offer an exciting opportunity for America to take the lead in research and innovation. Solar panels, solar battery packs, bio-fuels and clean coal technologies were given as examples wherein their development and others of their kind, would serve to provide jobs for millions of people.

The export of more goods would support more job creation. The President revealed that he was going to enact a national export initiative in order to double export figures within 5 years. The move will generate the creation of 2 million more jobs and help farmers and small business owners to be increasingly more competitive in the global market.

The movement of jobs overseas has negatively impacted the potential for job growth in America. Therefore the President indicated that he would cut the tax breaks for companies that send jobs overseas and shift the break to those businesses that keep the jobs in America. With the removal of the capital gains tax on small business and the disincentive to outsource jobs, the job market will be better positioned to take on employees.

Everything considered, prospects for the job market look positive as the President’s plan laid out an aggressive and comprehensive approach to building long term growth and stability. With his focus squarely fixed on this issue, he challenged both houses of congress and both parties to quickly get a job bill passed so that the American people can get back to work.

Networking on the Internet is the most efficient way to search for new job opportunities. Networking Sites bring people, contacts, companies, headhunters and even a friend or two right to your desktop. These sites allow you to target thousands of potential possibilities with a click of the mouse.

Job boards and job sites are great places to find job listings, but networking sites allow you to target the people you know and leverage your relationships to find a great position.

Linkedin.com

Linkedin is a premier networking site for job seekers, companies, and recruiters. Once you sign up for this free service you can maximize your exposure by linking your profile to other sites. Learn how to gain top ranking in major search engines like Yahoo or Google.

You can check on a prospective company’s health such as profit margins and employee satisfaction. You can even find out about the manager who will interview you! If the site is used to it’s full potential you should be able to pick and choose a rewarding career.

Jobirn.com

What sets Jobirn apart from other networking sites is the referral system. Referrers are actual employees who can “refer” you as a candidate for a job opening in their company. This is where good networking comes into play. You can also chat live with recruiters and Human resources to apply for a job without having to wait the usual two or three days for your resume to be read in an e-mail.

If your computer is equipped with a web cam, quite a few companies will conduct a live interview. You are supplied with a personal representative to help you navigate through the system.

Jobster.com

Jobster only communicates between job seekers and employers. One unique feature it does offer is the ability for you to tag your skills. Employers looking for these particular skills will automatically be sent to your career profile. You can add employers to your contact list and will be notified of an opening. Jobster is easy to navigate and user-friendly.

Looking for employment can be frustrating and sometimes depressing. Using the Internet for your job search is only one of the tools in your arsenal. Always keep your eyes and ears open to all avenues of employment.