Introduction

A majority of people in the world, if not everyone, has dreams and goals of landing their ideal job. The harsh reality is that not everyone gets to work in their dream careers. In fact, it is just a small percentage of employees who actually get the satisfaction of landing their dream job. The result of this is that you, as an employee or employer, may end up resenting your job, hating your colleagues or even having bouts of depression. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way. It would be misleading to think that those few, with their dream job, got there just by sheer luck. There must have been some pointers and tips that they took into account in order to land their dream job. Some tips and advice on landing you dream job will therefore be discussed in this article.

Qualifications

Obviously the first thing you would want to consider before embarking on journey to look for work. For this case, your dream job, is assessment of your qualifications. Qualifications, more often than not, go hand in hand with skills, experience and expertise.

It is common to hear a person complain about lack of experience being the one thing that stands between them and their dream job, especially for fresh graduates. This should not be the case, instead, be positive and start assessing yourself. First thing’s first write up a professional resume then work on the rest. As a graduate, you must have worked as an intern in a firm that’s relevant to your field. During that internship you must have picked up or polished some skills, even those you think that are not directly related to your field. It is actually surprising that employers are not just interested in your primary skills, rather what you studied for in your campus degree but also other corporate skills as well; skills that involve client relationship, general sales and general computer skills. Also, some secondary skills you might have picked up such as project management. Highlight these on your resume and they will serve as your qualifications, skills and experience.

Job Search- Tips for Landing Your Dream Job

This is usually the trickiest part, particularly for those who are currently working somewhere else but want to start looking for another job, their dream jobs. Some tips are discussed below.

First of all, you don’t want to make any rush decisions which you might end up regretting. So you can still be working at your current job while actively looking for that job you so much want. One way to do this is by working part-time or as an intern, in that company you wish to join. Doing this will give you a little more experience about the field and company while still maintaining your current job.

If doing that is not possible, perhaps you may try making baby steps by attempting to network or socialize with the company’s employees or attending functions during your free time.

Dressing for the Job Interview

The interview is a very important aspect since it is the time that the potential employers get their first impression of you. You therefore, need to dress professionally and appropriately. For most job interviews, a normal dark colored official suit will do. Make sure that your hair is well done and your attire is very clean not to mention getting rid of body odors and bad breath if that is a problem.

Mistakes by Job Seekers

Some common mistakes made by job seekers are inadequate preparation of the interview and poor negotiation skills. All this can be avoided by early preparation and prior practice.

Introduction

With a higher rate of unemployment these days, it is quite difficult to tell what college degrees are the best.  Top College degrees on demand are less of a challenge, however  it is  much harder is to decide on what career path to follow. A lot of college graduates have fallen victims of poor degree, diploma or career paths because of making the wrong choices. Some people made the wrong choice by choosing to major in the same degree as their friends, while some have been forced into majors by their parents or loved ones. Whatever the case is, the choices you make can be detrimental to one’s future. The good thing about getting into a college is that it offers a wide variety of majors to choose from and upon one’s assessment of their dreams, goals and skills; they can make the right decision. Therefore, the top college degrees on demand are not necessarily the one that has the highest earning professionals in the economy, rather the one that is versatile in its applications and gives you broader choices of career options. Some top college degrees on demand have been discussed below.

Top College Degrees

Every college degree offers its own unique set of pros and cons so it is really up to you to decide which one appeals to you more. With the world economic changes however, some majors will be at the forefront than others. Some of the top college degrees on demand  include; Engineering, Medicine & Healthcare, Information Technology, Business Administration & Management, Sales & Marketing, Biological Sciences, Economics, Political Science, Law, and Arts.

Degrees Currently on Demand and their Completion Time

At the moment there are  certain college degrees  on demand more than others. This is due to the changing nature of the economy and its cycle. Some degrees currently popular are discussed below.

Engineering offers majors such as Civil, Structural, Electrical, Chemical, Mechanical and Computer Engineering. With the technological and infrastructural wave currently taking over, especially in developing countries, specialists and technologists are required for their expertise in this construction industry. An undergraduate degree course in engineering takes about 4 to 5 years, depending on the campus.

Sales and Marketing degrees are also very popular due to the fact that new products and services are continually being developed every year. Such products and services will have to reach the target markets and this can only be achieved by professionals in sales and marketing. A degree course in this area lasts about 2 to 3 years.

Medicine and Healthcare degrees are also quite popular. There are lots of outbreaks and new strains of diseases, cases of people developing resistance to certain drugs, and increase in number of patients worldwide. Such issues can only be tackled efficiently with increase in number of medical professionals. A degree course in medicine takes about 4 to 6 years to complete.

Average cost of these degrees

An undergraduate’s college degrees fees are not the same. It depends on the campus and its reputation in the society. An engineering degree can cost anywhere from 10000 to 65000 US Dollars per academic year. A degree in medicine and healthcare fees can be anywhere from 12000 to 70000 US Dollars per academic year. A Business Management degree costs between 5000 to 40000 US Dollars per academic year. A degree in Information Technology costs between 6000 to 40000 US Dollars per year.

Hiring methods have forever changed. In the past 10 years, the internet has revolutionized the way we look for jobs as well as the way employers go about hiring. This became even more evident to me recently when I took on a new job seeker client; she’d had zero experience in using the Internet to find work.  She had been in her previous position for the last 13 years and suddenly was out of a job because the small company she worked for was going under. She didn’t have an electronic version of her resume; only a paper one. She had never used a job board or even craigslist, let alone built a LinkedIn profile. She felt like a fish out of water.

It’s an all too familiar story, really. Many casualties of this recession have been long term employees of small businesses who suddenly find themselves without a job and without a clue about how to find a new one. Does this sound like you? You might be wondering, “where do I begin?” You might also be surprised when I tell you that job boards should not be your focus. Of course, they should be included in your job search efforts but they should not be the only sites you rely upon nor should they be where you spend most of your job search efforts.

First, let me tell you about 3 things that you MUST do/have before you start your job search:

1. You MUST have a resume. If you can afford to pay a professional, then I’d advise you to do so. If you cannot, then there are a plethora of available resources to help you but you have to invest the time in getting it done or you are simply extending your unemployment. Make sure you have it stored on someplace other than just on your home computer. A CD is great but you should also keep a copy in gmail, yahoo or other free email account so that you can pull it up from anywhere. You never know when you might need it!
2. Get a LinkedIn profile. This is just as important as having a resume. LinkedIn is the number one “go to” site for recruiters when they are looking for potential candidates. Not to mention, it’s a great place to make connections and network with other professionals in your line of work. Building your profile should be fairly self explanatory, as LinkedIn does a great job indicating how complete your profile is and what needs a finishing touch. If you aren’t sure how one should look, search profiles of other professionals in your industry. Find one that is complete and review it carefully. There are a lot of things you can include on your LinkedIn profile now such as blogs and tweets.
3. Get a Twitter profile. Stop saying, “I don’t Twitter.” Stop saying, “I don’t get Twitter.” If you want to be noticed, this is a MUST HAVE tool.  If you don’t get it, then read Twitter Tips. Then go build your profile and don’t flake out. Santa is watching and so is God. They will know if you skip this step.

Now that you have a resume, a LinkedIn and a Twitter profile, you’re ready to start! Here’s what to do next:

1. ENGAGE. Here is the hard part. Most are afraid to jump in and start networking but you can’t be. Start with friends and family if that helps – connect with them on these platforms and let them know that you are actively job searching. Ask for leads. Don’t be afraid to tell anyone that you are out of work – this is NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF. Not telling people isn’t going to help you and they will still know you are unemployed eventually.
2. Get INVOLVED! LinkedIn has thousands of groups and you should be a part of them! Search the groups on LinkedIn for keywords in your industry. These groups will lead you to others in your line of work that you can network with. In addition, there are job search groups that can help with additional tips and guidance. Make sure you continue to stay involved once you start! If you want people to take you seriously, this is the key. Besides, if you aren’t involved you won’t be on top of your game. Consistently staying involved is more likely to net more leads and connections.
3. Get out from behind the computer. Yes, you read that correctly. This was the advice that worked like a charm for my most recent client. Visit every temp and employment agency that you can.  Don’t rule out temporary work because full time work can often be found through them. That doesn’t mean send them all your resume by email. I mean shower, get dressed like you’re going to interview, get in your car (or on the subway, bus, train, whatever!) and beat feet. People don’t generally ignore you in person like they might be tempted to do through email. Make sure you bring paper copies of your resume as well as a CD with a Word Doc version of your resume on it.
4. Review these tips as often as necessary and ask yourself, “Am I doing what it takes to get noticed?”

The most important thing to remember is to be kind to yourself. Job searching is a tough task for anyone and it can wear you down. Try to follow as normal a routine as you can. Maintain your Monday through Friday schedule; get up early and go to bed at a reasonable hour. Although your job search should be a full time job, you should still be taking time off. Weekends are a great time to recharge and doing so will help you remain sharp.

Do you have additional tips to share on how to get noticed in today’s work force? Please feel free to share them with us!

Finding the Energy to Network
It’s an interesting phenomenon that often occurs among many job seekers. Everywhere you go, you hear the call to “network, network, network.”And statistics continue to show that the old adage: “It’s who you know”still rings true. Depending on whom you believe, networking in one form or another can account for anywhere from 60% to 80% of all job placements.
Wow! Those are pretty good stats! So why, then, does it seem so hard for all of us, job seekers especially, to find the energy to do it?
I’m not sure anyone can give you exact reasons, but here are a few that I have compiled after having coached hundreds of job seekers each year through the job search process:
1. Networking isn’t linear. You know, when you apply for a position online, it’s pretty straightforward. The company posts an ad; you submit your resume. Never mind that more times than not you will never receive a response from that company, it still feels like progress to you. You can check it off a list. Pat yourself on the back. You did something!
Networking, however, is completely different from that. You show up at an event, have coffee with an old friend, or start up a chat on a social networking site. The experience may be pleasant, but you often walk away feeling like it didn’t do much to further your cause. You talked about the weather, your kids, the latest American Idol winner, etc. How does any of that lead to a job?

Guest Blog By Jason D. Tremblay

It’s no secret that the job market is brutal right now; at the start of 2009, the economy is the worst that it’s been in decades, and there don’t seem to be enough jobs to go around. Given the state of things, standing out from the sea of job applicants is more important than ever. Here are a few things to consider when you’re searching for a new job, especially if you’re a recent graduate or are changing fields.