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If you're feeling down about being unemployed, try these techniques to project a positive attitude during interviews. Tune Up When athletes enter the arena before the start of a competition, they're often wearing headphones. That's because listening to music helps them control their emotions and their nerves, which in turn leads to a winning performance. If you've been depressed about your job search, you may unconsciously emit negative vibes or tension.... Read more

Some job seekers have said when they asked about salaries during negotiations, their interviewers insisted in hearing their minimum salary requirements - sometimes after just one interview. Once the candidates named their price, the negotiations ended. Calum Coburn, global managing director for the Negotiation Experts, a negotiation training and consulting firm based in Sydney, says even that bad news contains a thread of useful information. His reasoning: Assuming your requested salary... Read more

Hopefully, you'll never need this step-by-step guide to surviving a layoff. But if you do, following these steps will put you on your way to a new opportunity. 1. Negotiate a Good Deal It may be possible to negotiate at least some terms of your layoff. Employers often budget substantial funds for such purposes, but exiting employees don't realize they can negotiate or they are too traumatized to ask. As soon as... Read more

Interviewing for a job can be nerve racking. Even experienced professionals can have a hard time demonstrating their capabilities and expressing themselves effectively, given the tension of an interview situation. The best way to reduce your anxiety and increase your interviewing proficiency, is to eliminate the element of surprise by anticipating the questions you’ll be asked, and preparing some answers. During the interview, you should expect to hear the interviewer ask... Read more

When employers and candidates first meet, there are usually a few unknowns. Salary and compensation isn't one of them. Both parties have a number in mind, but neither wants to be the first one to put it on the table, lest they come out on the short end of the deal. While it's unlikely pay will be the first thing discussed during an interview, talk about compensation shouldn't become a... Read more

Your mother probably taught you to choose your friends wisely, because who you hung out with made you look good - or bad - depending on the crowd. Now it appears the same advice applies to connections you make on networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook. Kirsten Dixson, a reputation management and online identity expert, warns prospective employers may cast judgments, so job seekers should be prudent when making online connections.... Read more

In December 2007, which marked the start of the recession, there were 1.7 candidates for every job opening. By March 2009, the number of unemployed workers had increased to 13.2 million, which translates to 4.8 unemployed workers for every available job. Of course, those stats don't come close to estimating how many candidates might initially submit an application or a resume. Instead, they reflect the overall statistical odds job seekers... Read more

In the near term, the federal government will likely outpace the private sector in creating jobs. Among other things, a proposal from the Obama administration recommends transferring 141,300 contractor positions back to the federal payroll. If you've been laid off from the private sector, you might be tempted to pursue one of these opportunities. After all, government job security and benefits are hard to beat. But if you've always worked... Read more

Do you persevere through obstacles when others succumb? Are you a gregarious leader who motivates others into tackling difficult assignments? Although behind every job seeker lies a story of career challenge and triumph, few succeed at captivating reviewers with their tale, because they don't convey that story in their resume. "Your resume should not read like an obituary," says Jason Alba, chief executive of JibberJobber, a career management Web site. "It... Read more

If you signed an employment or non-compete agreement with your previous employer, either as a condition of employment or in exchange for a severance package, better check the details before starting a new job. Nowadays, companies are taking steps to protect client lists, intellectual property and trade secrets when they see former staffers sign on with a competitor. Enforcement of these agreements vary by state, the specific language of the agreement... Read more

Without a reviewer-friendly resume, even the most talented professional can be passed over for a competitor. To make sure recruiters and hiring managers notice you, encase your experience in an eye-catching design. Visual Basics If you fail to grab reviewers' attention in the first few lines, they'll probably stop reading. So, start at the top: Place your strongest selling points high up, but not in explicit detail. New York-based certified resume writer... Read more

As layoffs mount, more employers are protesting unemployment claims filed by ex-employees, according to The Washington Post. That’s because employers typically fund the state’s unemployment pool and each company’s rate is determined by its history. After their unemployment benefits are denied, some workers are surprised to learn they weren’t really “laid off .” Instead they were reported as terminated for cause, like tardiness or poor performance. While workers have a chance... Read more

Customizing your resume to match each job opportunity will result in more interviews and offers. But is the potential return worth the time investment? By utilizing a few resources and creating a vast experience inventory, resume customization can be as easy as research, edit and submit. Create an Inventory Instead of building your resume from scratch before each submittal, create a warehouse of personal information, so you can peruse your choices, make... Read more

Thanks to mobile technology, you can find new job opportunities, network online and research prospective employers on the run. But be warned: When you call a prospective boss or send him a post-interview thank you e-mail, you should sit down and turn off your Blackberry. Formal communications standards and traditional etiquette rules still apply to the job hunting process. Among other things, experts suggest calling from a land line in a... Read more

During recessions, many laid-off professionals shun a return to traditional employment, opting instead for careers as independent contractors or consultants. On the surface, such a life seems attractive. After all, you get to be your own boss, and nowadays most full-time jobs don’t offer true security anyway. On top of that, many employees self-fund much of their own retirement and benefit costs without much assistance from their employers. In addition,... Read more

Having a good relationship with your boss could be the primary reason you’ll keep your job when others are losing theirs. Why? Simple: If he’s told to let people go to save money, your boss will probably keep the employees he knows best and trusts most. The good news is there are lots of ways to support your boss and build a professional relationship with him - without coming off... Read more

The events of 2008 remind us that job security can be fleeting. Job market vigilance has become a modern day career survival technique, requiring professionals to keep a constant eye open for that next opportunity and be prepared to launch a job search on a moment’s notice. So if proactive job search and career advancement techniques haven’t been part of your regular routine, consider including a few of these resolutions... Read more

People are starting to do some pretty crazy things to get the attention of prospective employers. (In case you - somehow - missed it, one guy wore a sandwich board advertising his availability in New York. In the end, that didn’t get him a job, but the blog he created sure helped.) So when would a job seeker cross the line and get labeled a loon? It’s hard to say, but... Read more

Is your resume grammatically correct? For many job seekers, writing a flawless resume is difficult enough, yet nothing is more important. If it contains grammatical errors, reviewers may surmise you're uneducated, lack good communication skills or attention to detail. Creating a grammatically correct resume requires knowledge of basic grammar, proofreading skills and familiarity with the nuances of resume composition. Not everything you learned in English 101 applies to resumes. "The... Read more