I wrote last week about the critical importance of networking in finding your next job. While nothing can replace real-life interaction with friends and friends of friends, the growing world of social networking is a bastion of opportunity you might want to tap as well. There are a host of social networking sites, including LinkedIn, Facebook and MySpace, but some are better than others for finding a job (as opposed to locating new friends). Here’s a look at the inner workings of LinkedIn, which is widely viewed as one of the best sites for professional networking. How does LinkedIn w...

I must have written the word "networking" two dozen times in the last month’s worth of posts here at the JobMonkey blog. (Some recent examples that spring to mind include the recent post on college internships, last Monday’s post on sports careers for women, and another post last week about how to hire a headhunter.) Anyway, I realized that while everybody probably knows what this term means, I’m not sure if we all know how to do it. So this Tuesday’s Tips for Career Success is dedicated to the fine art — and absolutely essential career skill —...

Let’s face it.  This isn’t the easiest time to be looking for a job. One way to get a leg up in this super competitive (some might say "seized up") job market is with the assistance of a headhunter. A headhunter, also known as a recruiter, will work with you to find the right job with the right company.  Headhunters are often tapped by firms to find new executives job search. These professionals will then go out to find and recruit seniors level people to join a new company. Most of you, however, aren’t in the position right now to be tapped by headhunt...

When I first posted about how to write a killer resume, I wasn’t intending to do a writing workshop for the job searcher.  But three weeks later, that’s how it has turned out. First, there was how to write a resume, then cover letter writing, and now this week, I’m putting the spotlight on the final piece of writing you really want to master if you’re going to ace your job search: writing interview thank you letters. Job searching etiquette dictates that one to three days after a job interview, you send a thank you note to your prospective employer.  Now, j...

Last week, we looked at six tips for writing a killer resume. Whether you send your resume in a mail box or via e-mail, you need to be sure that you send it with a cover letter. For many job searchers, writing a cover letter can be an incredibly daunting task. Well, take a deep breath (and grab a cup of coffee), because I’m going to help you demystify the cover letter. There are two reasons you need to write a cover letter: 1) to enthusiastically express your interest in the position and 2) to identify your experiences most relevant to the job. The purpose of the cover letter is NOT t...

Every Tuesday, the blog at JobMonkey will discuss tips and hints for making the most of your job search. We welcome input from our readers and want to hear about the job hunting issues that challenge for you the most. To get a crash course on Career Planning 101, check out JobMonkey’s section on the Job Search. Today we are talking about resumes. I recently read that the average employer spends less than 10 seconds looking at your resume before making a decision about your candidacy. Employers are looking for a reason to put your resume in the No pile. If you want your resume (AKA cu...

Every Tuesday, the blog at JobMonkey will discuss tips and hints for making the most of your job search. We welcome input from our readers and want to hear about the job hunting issues that challenge for you the most. To get a crash course on Career Planning 101, check out JobMonkey’s section on The Job Search. Time management guru Brian Tracy says, " Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement." Whatever it is that you want to achieve in life (and even if you have no idea what that is yet), you won’t get there without having some goals. Goals are instrumental in he...