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Technology is everywhere these days. It’s hard to get any sort of job that doesn’t require at least a basic knowledge of e-mail and word processing programs. Any position working with data generally requires using Excel, and many administrative positions require someone familiar with PowerPoint and Publisher.

If you’ve been out of the workforce for a while, or your previous positions didn’t require using these programs, how are you supposed to learn? One resource that many people don’t consider is the public library. Libraries across the country now offer classes, ranging from computer basics like typing to more complex topics such as using PowerPoint to create presentations. Some localities offer more advanced classes like digital photography and grant writing. Certain libraries even offer one-on-one tutoring with a teacher. Best of all, classes at public libraries are almost always free, although some require you to have a current library card for that locality.

Perhaps you already have strong fundamental computer skills, but you need to learn a certain program in order to get the job you want. Let’s say, for instance, that you’re interested in going into project management, but you don’t know how to use Microsoft Project. A simple solution? Check out Microsoft Project for Dummies from the public library. If you’re in marketing and want to break into e-marketing, there are also books like The Truth About Search Engine Optimization. If you’re going into business for yourself for the first time, books such as Legal Guide for Starting and Running a Small Business can be a valuable resource.

In addition to offering classes and books on numerous technology topics, almost all public libraries provide Internet access, with many offering wifi as well. If you live in a smaller town with no businesses such as a Kinko’s nearby, the library is also an excellent resource for printing and copying services. As an added bonus, libraries frequently have mailboxes outside, allowing you to immediately send your resumes on their way.

Your local public library contains many low-cost resources for your job search. Whether or not finances are tight during your job search, the library can be your best friend!

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, just over 4 million Americans lost their jobs in 2009 alone. For those millions of people, a new reality has emerged that may include stress, financial difficulties, and uncertainty about the future. Many sociologists have written about the long-term psychological effects of prolonged unemployment. One problem that’s often mentioned is the loss of identity experienced by people who are out of work.

Think about it: When you meet someone socially, one of the first five things you will probably ask them is, “So, what do you do?” or “Where do you work?” For someone who has lost his job, this question suddenly becomes difficult to answer. It’s a lot easier to say, “I’m an analyst at XYZ Bank” than to say, “I used to work as a financial analyst, but I got laid off last year.”

Because it can be difficult to retain your identity through a period of unemployment, it’s particularly important to surround yourself with people who know you as more than just an employee. Whether it be your immediate family, spouse, former coworkers, or closest friends, spending time with people who fundamentally understand, like, and respect you—regardless of where you work at the moment—is critical.

Not only does time spent with family and friends help you to retain a positive sense of yourself, but it can also provide you with ideas for promoting yourself during your job search. Talents that may seem common to you often stand out to your friends. For instance, a friend may say to you, “You’re so good at organizing events and connecting people, you should be running a nonprofit somewhere!” Or, “You’re fantastic at explaining things—have you ever considered becoming a teacher?” The strengths that friends identify in you can be helpful as you market yourself through cover letters and resumes.

As quickly as possible in your job search, it’s important to develop an answer to the question, “What do you do?” For the person mentioned above, an appropriate answer might be, “I’m looking for a financial analysis opportunity with a large bank.” Objective statements are no longer fashionable to use on resumes, but it’s great to have one ready whenever someone asks about your career! Succinctly summarizing the goal of your job search not only helps new acquaintances understand your situation but also allows your family and friends to think clearly about who might be able to help you from their network.

People who know and love you provide invaluable support during a time of unemployment. Heed what they have to say about your strengths, and focus their efforts to help by having a clear goal for your job search.

In the old days most job openings were advertised in physical sources, such as newspapers. Recruiters and hiring managers would receive a manageable number of responses to those advertisements and select the best candidates. With the spread of the internet, things have changed quite a bit. Job openings are advertised all over the place – candidates are overwhelmed with the number of openings and recruiters are overwhelmed with the number of responses they receive. Both parties have to go through tons of useless openings/applications and spend a lot of time finding good quality targets.

So clearly this calls for a change in strategy for the job seeker and here are a few tips to help you out:

Avoid the shotgun approach: Select a few job targets and focus your attention searching/applying to only those job types. This will save you a lot of time, as opposed to applying to everything under the sun. It will also get you more responses, since you can spend enough time tailoring your application material for your target jobs, rather than sending out generic applications (which typically have a lower success rate). You could still use the shotgun approach but only for back-up jobs, which are not your main targets

Grab Attention: Use areas like the subject line of your email to grab recruiter attention and to make your application stand out. Make your application POP, by showing the recruiting manager what specific benefits you can bring to the table

Use references: The internet makes it very easy to quickly find people in your network who work at the company you are applying to. Get them to put in a good work for you

Contact hiring managers directly: Don’t rely solely on advertised job openings. If you know the job you want, you can also try and find out who has the power to hire you for that job. Get in touch with them directly

Work your network: Make a list of friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances, who you can get in touch with and inform about your job search/targets. Ask them for leads and request them to get in touch if they hear of anything interesting. These leads will usually be of better quality than published sources like job boards

If you’re presently conducting a job search, why not make the most of your profile? Give employers the information they need—and direct them back to your profile. Recent statistics state that 90% of hiring managers are using social media to research potential candidates. Leverage this information, and utilize it to your advantage. Simply stated, add your LinkedIn profile address to your resume.

WHERE DO I ADD MY LINKEDIN PROFILE?

The most common place to add your profile address is in the header of the first page. This gives the hiring manager a Web address to view—and the opportunity to see more detailed information about who you are and your career history. If the hiring manager is going to be researching you online anyway, you might as well direct them to information that you can control. Besides, having them read your LinkedIn recommendations only reinforces the positive reputation and brand you’re trying to build.

ASK FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

Make sure your profile is chock-full of professional recommendations from colleagues, former supervisors, etc. This way, when a potential employer is reviewing your profile they’ll find your recommendations—and it will only make you look all the better.

USE A CUSTOM PROFILE ADDRESS

Instead of using the generic URL address that LinkedIn assigns to you, go into your profile and edit the URL so that it has your name in it. This way, the URL is shorter and looks more professional on your resume.

ENSURE THAT YOUR PROFILE IS NOT AN EXACT REPLICA OF YOUR RESUME

If the employer is looking for additional information aside from that which is contained in your resume, it’s best to not repeat everything that is already on your resume in your LinkedIn profile. Utilize additional details you did not include in your resume, and be sure to use keywords and terms that are searchable so a recruiter or hiring manager completing a search on LinkedIn can find you.

The moral of the story is: If you’re not including your LinkedIn profile address on your resume, maybe you should be. If 90% of employers are using social networks and online searches to dig up more information about you—the potential employee—why not provide them with the best information possible.

Jessica Holbrook is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, and presenter.
Author Website: http://www.greatresumesfast.com

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

The days are ticking by, and you find your job search has been less than fruitful. Companies you contact have their budgets on hold until the new year, and you’re left feeling unsure of what your future holds.

If you’ve experienced the mentioned scenario in your employment hunt, it’s time to take your job search to the next level. Let’s discuss three little known strategies to get your foot in the door with a target employer – no matter what time of the year it is. We’ll also talk about creating a “reasonable” time frame for which you should expect an interview invitation, before moving on to a different opportunity. Finally, we’ll take a look at the possibility of creating your own opportunities, when your employment prospects are dropping the ball.

We’ve already mentioned that you’ve come up against a lot of rejection in the job market, simply because many employers put their hiring budgets on hold this time of year. This has absolutely nothing to do with you as a job seeker. Depending on where you live and want to work, and based on the current economy, you may be up against more rejection than you ever thought possible. The issue here comes down to supply and demand. There are more qualified workers so the supply is high; creating a decrease in demand. The goal of this article is for YOU to become in HIGH demand.

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Career assessments are unique tests that are designed to help job seekers understand how their personal attributes affect their career and satisfaction with a chosen career path. They mainly answer a simple question: “what job is right for you?”

Assessments might check multiple personal attributes such as your interests, job preference, values, motivation, and skills. There are multiple tests and flavors for each test. Most personal assessments are easy to complete because the questions are about the one thing you know best about: yourself.

GadBall offers O*NET Integrated Career Interest Assessment & Job Research tool called “Work Genius”. Job Seekers completing the Work Genius assessment on GadBall will identify personal interests; these are linked to matching occupations and matching local open jobs.

The Work Genius Career Assessment is designed to match you with the ideal occupation and job based on your interest profile. Your interest profile is determined based on selecting activities that you like to do and identifying activities you don’t like to do. It’s that simple.

Whether you are planning your future career, have a career but want a change, or just want some additional insight, try out the career assessment. You don’t need to be a GadBall registered user to use this tool but by creating a free job seeker account your answers will be saved on your profile.

When it comes to business, people want to feel safe and have reliable employees beside. That’s why they often recruit people through recommendations and it is your friends who can help you in your job search and spread the word about your talents and strengths. It’s not a rapid process but we’ll show you how to make it more effective.

1. Making your relationships work for you.
If we take a look into our address books, it turns out that each of us has a lot of friends and acquaintances who we haven’t reached out for quite a long time. Some of them are from school, some are from college, a hobby-group, a sport club, previous work, a volunteer organization etc. All of them do something, work somewhere and have a lot of friends. So it makes good sense to talk to them about your job search.

2. Establishing new connections.
It’s not so easy to make new contacts and build new relationships but it’s an essential component of any successful job search. Work out a system of expanding your connections – meeting new people both on your own and through third persons. There’s always a good possibility to join a professional association, attend business and cultural events where you can easily find connections that can lead to jobs or other work-related opportunities.

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GadBall entered the Department of Labor’s “Tools for America’s Job Seekers” Challenge. If you like us, help us win and recommend us.

In addition they feature a list of free resources to all job seekers and employers you might find beneficial.

Recommend here: http://dolchallenge.ideascale.com/a/dtd/20628-5847

Technology can be a wonderful servant … and an awful master.

To find work faster, remember that your goal with any gadgetry or software — from smart phones and email to Linkedin and Twitter — is to meet people who can hire you.

With that in mind, here are two ways to find a job — one high-tech and the other very low — from Australia. How can you adapt them to your search?

1) Tweet and Meet

Jade Craven (www.jadecraven.com), in Geelong, Australia, found work in August 2009 by doing a few smart things on Twitter.

She offered the following five tips to help you do the same.

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Last week, I wrote about four common frustrations found in the hundreds of emails I’ve received this year from job seekers across America.

This week, I’ll address two more problems and offer solutions to help you get hired faster.

Do either of these apply to you?

Frustration #1: There just aren’t enough jobs out there to apply for.

Solution: Let’s unpack this one …

When I speak to job hunters, in seminars, by phone, and via email, I ask the same question: “How are you looking for jobs?” Almost invariably, the answer is: “I look online or in the paper.”

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