Five Job Search Tips to Help You Land Your Next Job

By Scott Gordon

Before the bottom fell out of the global economy it was safe to say that if you had 60 percent to 70 percent of the listed requirements on a job description, you had a decent chance of being hired. Back then, the job market was thin on talent, and some employers found themselves grateful to have found someone who could do the job, albeit someone with partial abilities.

The job market is different now. If you're a job candidate you have to conduct your job search differently.

Job Search Tips

Below are five simple job search tips that will put your job search in the fast lane.

1) Don't apply for jobs that you know you can't do.

If you are a Software Quality Assurance specialist, don't apply for a Senior Director of Regulatory Compliance. Read the job description in full detail and only apply to the positions for which you have the skills. It feels good to send out a bunch of resumes, but going through the motions isn't going to yield faster rewards in your job search.

2) Don't embellish on your resume.

Lying on a resume is more obvious today than it ever was. Don't. Many job seekers think that it's perfectly OK to "fib a little" on a resume. Why do you list it if you know you don't have that job skill? I know why-because if makes your resume look stellar. It adds to the already glowing list of things you've accomplished in your professional career. Psych 101 says that the things you've listed nearest the top of a resume and mentioned multiple times are the things you are most comfortable doing. Many job seekers today are straining to add words and tasks so their resume looks better than their competition. But this is going to come back to haunt you in your job search-so don't do it! Highlight what you are best at, but also come clean when asked about something you have not done. Your candor will get your further.

3) Take a pay cut if you have to. Don't price yourself out of the market just because you think you deserve it more than the next job candidate.

Trying to recover from a previous layoff by overpricing yourself is a bad idea. Assume there are 15 other people applying for the same job. You must, must, must be more aggressive in this market. Pride is the 800 pound gorilla-let go of it and land the job even it means taking a small pay cut. The job candidate who is next in line needs the job more than you. A pay cut will not last forever; and you'll recover from the pay cut and be back to where you were soon enough.

4) Apply once and follow up with an e-mail to confirm receipt.

Sending 28 resumes to the same company won't get you a quicker response than sending one resume. My inbox fills up typically between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. with multiple submissions of resumes from the same job seeker. The additional submissions are deleted. The contact management tools of today are smarter than you think; and if you submit more than once, your resume is automatically deleted. Some job search Web sites won't allow you to submit your resume more than once anyway, so make your first shot your best one. After submitting your resume, send a simple e-mail to the contact asking to confirm receipt. Most of the time, you'll get a reply. If you don't...send another e-mail. Recruiters today are averaging 150 to 300 resume submissions per day from job seekers. It's a lot to dig through and takes time, so be patient.

5) Use a job recruiter.

When I say use, I mean use. Find a reputable job recruitment firm and partner with them. Part of what I tell job candidates during interviews is that we are all in this together. Use their contacts and search with job recruiters instead of sitting at home waiting on a call. If you come across a job listing that fits your job skills, call your job recruiter and ask what he or she knows about the company. There's a better than average chance the recruiter will know someone on the inside who might be able to get you in the door faster.

Word to the wise on a job search: If you don't trust your job recruiter, find another one. This is your career, this is how you put food on the table, and this is how you pay your mortgage-don't waste your time with a job recruiter who's only in it for personal gain.

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10 Ways to Go Green at Work

By sierraclub .typepad .com

Greener homes are in the spotlight these days, but what about the other places where many of us spend huge chunks of our time--our offices? Some simple changes of habit can save energy and resources at work, and these small steps can be multiplied by persuading the powers-that-be at your workplace to adopt environmentally friendly (and often cost-effective) policies.

1) Be bright about light
 

Artificial lighting accounts for 44 percent of the electricity use in office buildings.

> Make it a habit to turn off the lights when you're leaving any room for 15 minutes or more and utilize natural light when you can.

> Make it a policy to buy Energy Star-rated lightbulbs and fixtures, which use at least two-thirds less energy than regular lighting, and install timers or motion sensors that automatically shut off lights when they're not needed.

2) Maximize computer efficiency
 

Computers in the business sector unnecessarily waste $1 billion worth of electricity a year.

> Make it a habit to turn off your computer—and the power strip it's plugged into—when you leave for the day. Otherwise, you're still burning energy even if you're not burning the midnight oil. (Check with your IT department to make sure the computer doesn't need to be on to run backups or other maintenance.) During the day, setting your computer to go to sleep automatically during short breaks can cut energy use by 70 percent. Remember, screen savers don't save energy.

> Make it a policy to invest in energy-saving computers, monitors, and printers and make sure that old equipment is properly recycled. Look for a recycler that has pledged not to export hazardous e-waste and to follow other safety guidelines. Old computers that still work, and are less than five years old, can be donated to organizations that will refurbish them and find them new homes. (You may even get a tax deduction.)

3) Print smarter
 

The average U.S. office worker goes through 10,000 sheets of copy paper a year.

> Make it a habit to print on both sides or use the back side of old documents for faxes, scrap paper, or drafts. Avoid color printing and print in draft mode whenever feasible.

> Make it a policy to buy chlorine-free paper with a higher percentage of post-consumer recycled content. Also consider switching to a lighter stock of paper or alternatives made from bamboo, hemp, organic cotton, or kenaf. Recycle toner and ink cartridges and buy remanufactured ones. According to Office Depot, each remanufactured toner cartridge "keeps approximately 2.5 pounds of metal and plastic out of landfills...and conserves about a half gallon of oil."

4) Go paperless when possible

> Make it a habit to think before you print: could this be read or stored online instead? When you receive unwanted catalogs, newsletters, magazines, or junk mail, request to be removed from the mailing list before you recycle the item.

> Make it a policy to post employee manuals and similar materials online, rather than distribute print copies. They're easier to update that way too.

5) Ramp up your recycling

> Make it a habit to recycle everything your company collects. Just about any kind of paper you would encounter in an office, including fax paper, envelopes, and junk mail, can be recycled. So can your old cell phone, PDA, or pager.

> Make it a policy to place recycling bins in accessible, high-traffic areas and provide clear information about what can and can not be recycled.

6) Close the loop

> Make it a policy to purchase office supplies and furniture made from recycled materials.

7) Watch what (and how) you eat

> Make it a habit to bring your own mug and dishware for those meals you eat at the office.

> Make it a policy to provide reusable dishes, silverware, and glasses. Switch to Fair Trade and organic coffee and tea, and buy as much organic and local food as possible for parties and other events. Provide filtered drinking water to reduce bottled-water waste.

8) Rethink your travel

> Make it a habit to take the train, bus, or subway when feasible instead of a rental car when traveling on business. If you have to rent a car, some rental agencies now offer hybrids and other high-mileage vehicles.

> Make it a policy to invest in videoconferencing and other technological solutions that can reduce the amount of employee travel.

9) Reconsider your commute

> Make it a habit to carpool, bike, or take transit to work, and/or telecommute when possible. If you need to drive occasionally, consider joining a car-sharing service like Zipcar and Flexcar instead of owning your own wheels.

> Make it a policy to encourage telecommuting (a nice perk that's also good for the planet!) and make it easy for employees to take alternative modes of transportation by subsidizing commuter checks, offering bike parking, or organizing a carpool board.

10) Create a healthy office environment

> Make it a habit to use nontoxic cleaning products. Brighten up your cubicle with plants, which absorb indoor pollution.

> Make it a policy to buy furniture, carpeting, and paint that are free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and won't off-gas toxic chemicals.

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