In order to make yourself stand out in front of the competition, you need to target your resume to the employer so that it makes it past the computer and into the hands of a real person. Using the right keywords is of outmost importance, expecially now that many companies employ software to scan through resumes looking for the right keywords that should highlight your compentencies, skills and experience.

In this clip, Brian Kurth, the author of the book “Test Drive your Dream Job“

These are the list of possible careers that Vacation Vocations can help you fulfill:

* Actor
* Alpaca Rancher
* Animal Therapist
* Animator & Digital Designer
* Animation TV Producer
* Architect
* Artist & Gallery Owner
* Artist & Studio Owner
* Artist
* Artistic Director - Theatre
* Arts Center Director
* Baker
* Baseball Announcer
* Baseball Radio Anouncer
* Baseball Team General Manager
* Bed & Breakfast Owner
* Bison Rancher
* Boat Captain
* Book Store Owner
* Brew Master
* Broadway Director
* Broadway Producer
* Cake Decorator
* Car Critic & Writer
* Catamaran Captain/Owner
* Caterer
* Cattle Rancher
* Cheese Maker
* Cheesemonger
* Cheese Retailer
* Chef
* Chocolatier
* Chocolatier & Pastry Chef
* Choreographer
* Clock Restorer
* Coffeehouse Owner
* Comedian
* Comedy Club Owner
* Composer
* Costume Designer
* Dance Studio Owner
* Dog Daycare Owner
* Dog Daycare Owner & Dog Trainer
* Dog Kennel Owner
* Dog Sled Trainer and Kennel Owner
* Dog Trainer
* Dude Rancher
* Ecology Tour Boat Captain
* Farmer
* Farmer and Dairy Owner
* Fashion Buyer/Retailer
* Fashion Designer
* Fashion Stylist
* Film Score Composer
* Fishing Guide
* Fishing Outfitter
* Florist
* Fly Fishing Outfitter
* Franchise Restuarant Owner
* Golf Instructor
* Golf Pro
* Guitar Maker
* Guitar Repairer
* Hair Stylist & Salon Owner
* Hobby Store Owner
* Home Inspector
* Horse Adoption Agency Director
* Horse Breeder
* Horse Trainer
* Horse Trainer and Rancher
* Hot Rod Manufacturer
* Hotel General Manager
* Ice Cream Retailer
* Illustrator
* Interior Designer
* Jewelry Designer
* Karate School Owner
* Kayak Outfitter
* Luthier
* Make-Up Artist
* Martial Arts School Owner
* Meteorologist
* Model
* Museum Curator
* Music Club/Cafe Owner
* Music Club Owner
* Music Composer
* Music Producer
* Music Publisher
* Music Therapist
* Natural Food Store Owner
* Not-for-Profit Director
* Pageant Producer
* Park Ranger
* Perfumer
* Photographer
* Pit Crew Member
* Potter & Gallery Owner
* Private Investigator
* Production Manager
* Professional Speaker
* Pro Wrestling Color Commentator
* Pro Wrestling Live Event Coordinator
* Pro Wrestling Personal Assistant (PA)
* Pro Wrestling Ring Announcer
* Pro Wrestling Ringside Manager
* Pro Wrestling Sponsorship & Promotions Coordinator
* Public Relations Firm Owner
* Raceway Manager
* Radio Personality
* Radio Sports Announcer
* Real Estate Broker
* Resort Owner
* Restaurant Critic
* Restaurateur
* RV Campground Owner
* Sailing Boat Captain
* Schooner Captain
* Self Publisher
* Shoe Designer
* Soapmaker & Retailer
* Songwriter
* Songwriter/Music Publisher
* Songwriter/Singer
* Spa Owner
* Sports Broadcaster
* Stained Glass Artist
* Sword Maker
* Symphony Composer
* Talent Agent
* Trucker
* TV Producer
* TV Production Designer
* Veterinarian
* Voice-Over Artist
* Voice-Over Producer
* Wedding Coordinator
* White Water Rafting Outfitter
* Wildlife Preservationist
* Wildlife Rehabilitator
* Wine Maker
* Wine Bar Owner & Retailer
* Wine Retailer
* Wine Sommelier
* Yoga Studio Owner

Yes there are, and plenty!

To have some ideas, have a look at this video to know which jobs are in demand during a period of recession.

So, if you are weary that the impending recession might be a problem for your career, you may want to give a shot.

• How much can you really make?
• What to look for in a legitimate work at home offer?
• What you really need to put in to make it succeed?

Reporter Tracy Fugere has more… Mellina Perry of Fort Washakie, Wyoming came to Bismarck to attend United Tribes Technical College.

She graduated in May with a degree in Business Office Technology. (Mellina Perry, Bismarck Customer) Then I was out there trying to find jobs but then it’s like…Daycare. Perry is a single parent of two girls. She found Career Options and they found her daycare and something else. (Mellina Perry, Bismarck Customer) And we’ve been doing a bunch of work experiences. We did several workshops here, from which I learned a lot so far. It’s helped me and now I’m doing volunteer work. Perry says the volunteer work at the Independent Living Center will help her get her foot in the door in other places to start a career in the business field. Career Options Employment Services Director Trina Gress says a person may have skills that can apply to other career fields.

She says Career Options matches up your abilities and skills to the right career… (Trina Gress / Career Options) If you don’t know your personality or the work environment…it’s never going to equal success. So you really need to look at that to determine who am I…where are my strengths and weaknesses…and how do I match that with the right work environment and work culture in order to equal my success in the workforce. Gress says interests change from day to day…what doesn’t change is your personality. That’s why it’s important to focus on the client rather than the job… (Trina Gress) Okay, if you are making ten dollars an hour now and you are going to take a pay cut and make seven twenty-five an hour, have you budgeted all of that out?

We help them look at all of those things before they get to that point of searching for the job. If you have an idea for a position that doesn’t exist, Career Options will propose creating that job at a business or company.

As a professional recruiter & owner of a staffing firm www.usatechsearch.com, it certainly is not the way we conduct business. In fact, if we did, we would be out of business in a matter of months!

A good recruiter would never send in a candidate’s resume, then sit and wait for a response, and repeat the same process over and over again with minimum results. A good recruiter would call his client (or potential client), pitch the candidate’s experience, and arrange an interview (or at least a tentative interview) before submitting a single document.

Maybe it’s a hidden secret amongst recruiters. Maybe it’s a general rule only experienced recruiters seem to follow. Either way, it time for the general public to start doing things differently and dramatically increase their job interviews instead of waiting by the phone for it to ring.

It’s quite simple. Professional recruiters do this all the time. There are FIVE easy steps:

I. Decide which positions you are interested in

II. Create a list of potential employers

III. Source the names of the hiring authorities you wish to speak with

IV. Call them and create an interest by “selling” your experiences

V. Set up the interview

I. Decide Which Positions You Are Interested In:

This is an essential step in this process because most people are pretty vague when communicating what kind of positions they are interested in. This annoys hiring authorities quite a bit. In fact, it is a primary cause for applicants being turned down for positions. I discussed this in great detail in my book, 25 Reasons Why I Won’t Hire You! What You Did Wrong Before, During and After the Interview- 2nd Ed, which can be found at www.25ReasonsWhy.com or www.Amazon.com

Remember, always have a focus and be as specific as possible when calling a potential employer about what kind of work you would like to do, or which position you are applying for.

II. Create a list of potential employers

There are several ways to create a list of potential employers. One way (the most obvious way) which is probably what you are most comfortable with, is to search the internet and/or job section of your newspaper or employment magazines. Do not send in your resume, simply record their name.

A second way to source names is to contact your local Chamber of Commerce and talk with them about local businesses– who is coming to town, who is expanding, etc. You would be surprised at the resources your local Chamber of Commerce might have to offer.

I recommend that you create a spreadsheet of all your potential employers so that you can keep your list organized. This is a necessary step to stay on task and document your results.

III. Source the names of the hiring authorities you wish to speak with

This is where some skills and creativity are going to have to come in. In most cases, you can’t just call a company and expect the receptionist to give you the name of the hiring manager, but in some cases (with less experienced receptionists), it does happen. If the name of the hiring authority (not HR contact person) is not listed in the ad, one effective way to get his/her name is to call the company and simply ask for that particular department.

Note: Often times, the HR representative is the name listed in the ad. This is not the person you want to talk to (unless you are applying for an HR position).

For example, if you are trying to reach the person who ran the ad for an engineering position, you might first start off by asking for the engineering department. It doesn’t matter who answers the phone in that department, because you simply want to ask for the engineering manager.

You can run into some objections with this technique, and I discuss how to handle those objections in greater detail during private career counseling sessions. However, for the most part, this technique alone will give you some immediate results. Don’t get discouraged if you hit a brick wall a few times, keep trying… the results will happen.

IV. Call them and create an interest by “selling” your experiences

Here is where you really need to shine! Once you get that key person on the phone, you need to sell yourself. Take heed- do not go overboard with rambling on and on (out of nervousness) and talk too much (Ch. 9 25 Reasons Why I Won’t Hire You! - 2nd Ed.) However, it is your time to shine!

There are a variety of scripts that will work depending on the position you are applying for and your years of experience. In my one hour counseling sessions, I discuss this in greater detail and help you to develop a script specifically for your field and years of experience. Here is one script that should help most of you:

Script:

Hi Mr. Baxter, my name is John Doe. I wanted to contact you directly because I noticed you were looking for a mechanical engineer for the new California division. I have over 10 years of experience in this field, and I worked for one of your competitors (name drop if you can) for three of those years. I also have my BSME.

Mr. Baxter: Yes, we have been looking for a few weeks now, and we have interviewed a couple of potentials. However, I decided to run the ad for another week or so.

John Doe: I noticed you said that you already interviewed a few people, yet you decided to continue to run the ad. If you don’t mind me asking, what is it that the other applicants are missing or lacking? (Note: This is good to say because now you are engaging him in a conversation, and whatever skill sets they are missing, you can tell him that you have that experience… if it’s true).

During this dialogue, you will need to highlight more of your accomplishments and do the best you can to convince the hiring manager that you are a great candidate. By the end of this dialogue, you conclude by saying:

John Doe: I would like to stop by there some time tomorrow to give you my information. Will you be available to talk for a few minutes, or would a later time be best? (Note: Don’t say, “Can I stop by there.” Tell him you would like to stop by there. Phrasing your question this way makes it more difficult for them to say no.) Mr. Baxter: Well, normally I do require to see something first before I set up anything. You can come by around 3pm, and hopefully, I should be available. (At this point, he may ask you a few more industry related questions so that he knows he is not going to be wasting his time).

John Doe: Great. I will see you then.

Guess what? You just arranged your own interview without a resume! Welcome to the wonderful world of professional recruitment!

Fact: The proof is in the numbers. Don’t give up after your first try. In most cases, you will have to talk with 10-20 people before you get your first interview. Either way, it’s better than waiting for the phone to ring!

Note: Be wise with the information you decide to place on your resume. Read 25 Reasons Why THEY Won’t Hire You! and learn how people of all ages and nationalities are discriminated against on a daily basis because of simple mistakes they make on their resumes, and during the interviewing process.

Put these simple techniques to work, refuse to give up, and you should be able to set up 3-5 interviews in less than a few days. Trust me, experienced recruiters do this every day, and it works!

I strongly encourage you to consider scheduling a one hour career counseling session. I have over 16 years of experience coaching and developing jobs for people in positions from skilled labor to the executive level positions.

Some of the things we will discuss include, but are not limited to:

1. Your career objectives

2. Your resume

3. We will perform a mock interview

4. Various scripts to use when arranging your interviews

5. How to handle objections, such as: a. Just send me your resume first b. We don’t see any applicants without first seeing a resume c. We don’t know when we are filling that position d. We already have a lot of applicants e. You seem overqualified f. You do not have enough experience, and much more

6. How to get past the receptionist when you call the company

7. How to walk into a company and get an interview on-the-spot

8. How to create a job opening. Forget about the ads!

9. What to do if you were terminated or fired from your previous employer

10. What to do if you have a criminal background

11. What you must do if you are:

a. Pregnant and searching for work

b. Over the age of 40

c. Have an “ethnic” name

d. Been unemployed for 6 months or longer

e. Have a physical disability

AND SO MUCH MORE…

To schedule a one hour career counseling session today, send your request to: jobs@25ReasonsWhy.com

Be smart. Get educated.

Z. Glass www.25ReasonsWhy.com

Recommended Reading:

25 Reasons Why I Won’t Hire You! What You Did Wrong Before, During and After the Interview- 2nd Ed.

25 Reasons Why THEY Won’t Hire You! How to Overcome Unfair Hiring Practices AND Get Hired

About the Author

Zenja Glass has over 16 years of experience as a corporate employment specialist, professional recruiter, and business owner of a job placement firm serving clients in the USA and abroad. She has interviewed thousands of people for positions ranging from general labor to presidents of some of the leading corporations in the USA today. To view her books, visit www.25ReasonsWhy.com.

Why dress for success?

Dressing has always been one of the higher priorities in the history of man. Since the Stone Age, dressing was an essential part of survival, as well as eating. The social evolution of man has now changed our priorities: if you’re satisfied with food and body protection, you’re now looking for social acceptance; dressing is one of the most important factors in defining the first reaction other people are going to have with you.

Also nothing nowadays is the result of a single person effort; our social life is now part of our survival as eating and sleeping. And how we look at a fist glance will set the tone for our interaction with other people we meet for the first time.

So should not come out as a surprise that a nice share of the success is the direct result of the way you dress and behave; this is why this topic has been studied thoroughly since very long topic. I’ve resumed here the top 4 tips from the experts.

Modern dress for success tip #1: Dress with quiet elegance

In order to dress for success in your day-to-day life you will need to develop a sense of quiet elegance. It’s not necessary using your wage to buy expensive clothes. And even if you do, you have not to be loud. Simple elegance will do the trick: exploit colours and accessories.

Modern dress for success tip #2: Dress with nose

Don’t be offended by this obvious principle: your body odour adds to the way you look.

Hence, investing in some good perfume (plus an effective deodorant) will go a long way to promote a positive first impression. Maybe you had experience of being near someone with a bad smell: every time you are going to meet him, this is the first thing you’re going to remember.

Modern dress for success tip #3: Understand the social etiquette

It is very important when you cultivate the dress for success habit, to develop the required etiquette as well.

Every social context has its own etiquette. You should know how to address an interviewer when you enter the room, you should know how to offer a chair to a woman in a restaurant; you should know how to dance at a formal party and so on.

Etiquette is not just “good manners”, but refers to the correct social formal behaviour in a social context. In other words, you can never dress for success without having the right attitude and correct etiquette.

Modern dress for success tip #4: Dress according to your counterparty expectations

If you want to create a positive impression on your counterparty, the dress code will be very important. It will set his or her judgement base and will imprint their first impression about you. This is equally important with personal relationships (are you going to a date?) and social relationships as well (are you going for a job interview?).

The more formal the context, the more formal the dress. This is a simple rule. So for a job interview the safest bet would be a business suit, tie, and black shoes.

From modern dress for success tips to action

These dress for success tips will help you in getting started on being quickly accepted in your social goals. Of course they are just tips and you have to find your own twist. But the first success principle is that nothing happens without action.

So exploit these dress for success tips to make reaching your social goals easier. If you are dressing for success, you’ll get through your path more easily, but you have still to follow through. These tips are just the start: you have to learn taking action and going ahead. You can learn how the power of action after these modern dress for success tips will help you reaching your goals.

About the Author

These modern dress for success tips are just an appetizer. Supporting your action with proper easy tips on a daily basis will keep you focused and will help you enjoying big and small results in your life. Get Mark Tern’s free 101 daily success tips ecourse and start getting results the easier way.

Visit: http://success-strategy.thesolution2.com

But that doesn’t mean I’ve given up on the web entirely. Here are my favorite ways to strategically use the web in your job search and boost your chances of success.

1. Google yourself. See what comes up. Some employers are doing this, so it’s best to know what they might see. Clean up any blogs, youtube contributions, myspace sites, etc that could diminish your professional image. You can also google potential bosses, coworkers or companies to learn more about them.

2. Set Google Alerts (http://www.google.com/alerts) on the focus of your career search. You can set an alert for articles about a specific company, specific job title, or just a set of keywords related to the work you want to do. You can set local, regional or national alerts.

3. Target Specialized Job Search Sites. I like www.RileyGuide.com for links to specialized job search sites such as Non Profits, Political, Women, Over 50, Religious careers and more.

4. Expand Your Network. A great online networking site is www.LinkedIn.com.

5. Expand Your Possibilities. Use sites like Monster, CareerBuilder, and Indeed.com to help you research job titles you may be a fit for. Search for keywords using skills you have or want to use in a new job and see what titles surface. Then begin searching for similar titles in your preferred city or state. Sample job postings can also be great tools to figure out what the most important skills and abilities are for the type of job you want. Then you make sure to orient your resume around these themes.

6. Research Jobs or Careers. O*Net Online is a great database that describes jobs in detail . You can run searches using keywords to find out about job titles that fit your skills, experience or interest or you can look up detailed job descriptions of specific titles. Visit it at http://online.onetcenter.org/.

7. Find Out What The Going Rate Is. Visit www.Salary.com to research salary ranges for common jobs.

8. Add pizzazz to Your Resume. www.VisualThesaurus.com can help you find just the right words for your resume and other job search materials.

9. Research Potential Employers. Get the inside scoop on what employees really think (versus what the company website says). Visit www. Vault.com to read up on companies of interest.

10. Considering Relocating? Find cities that may suit you (and your family) best by taking the online quiz at http://www.findyourspot.com/.

These are my top 10 sites for supporting you in finding a fulfilling career that fits your priorities and goals. I’d love to hear what sites you like to use and why. I may feature some of your spotlight sites in future newsletters.

About the Author

© 2006, Shawn Driscoll, Succeed Coaching & Development. This article is provided courtesy of Shawn Driscoll, Career Success Coach and owner of www.succeedcoaching.com. Professionals: upgrade your work life today! We provide products and services to help you succeed at work, in business and in life. Sign up to receive your free Success Wise ezine–and get success tips, inspiration, and resources to skyrocket your success–at www.succeedcoaching.com.

Yet when you’re working solo, it can seem like there is a great deal to do. Leads to follow up, research to do and above everything, your life has to continue to function - which is a full time job on it’s own.

Land Your Dream Job - Get Your Mates Onside!

When you have a lot of ground to cover, there is a bunch of people you can call in to help you. We all know hundreds, if not thousands of people . Acquaintances; friends; colleagues.

People from school, college and ‘that art class you took last June’… Family, teachers; even old flames.

Hundreds and probably thousands of people are in your social network! So there are all these people who are people you know and are ready and waiting to be your ambassadors in your searching.

Chances are that your team of willing volunteers will, somewhere along the way, know someone you need to get to in your search for the job you want. There’s a contact you know already who will know someone who can get you the dream job you want.

To Land Your Dream Job You Need To Ask The Right Questions

Bringing your team together, onside for you as you seek your dream job requires a special series of tactics. You need to work out what your supporters want from you first, before you can get from them what you need - those valuable contacts they already know for you, or the people they can enlist as well.

You will need to build a relationship with every one of those people - and build it fast, especially if you aren’t close to them.

To do this, you will need to show them that you find them and their situation very interesting. By asking them questions that show how interested in them you are.

As you do this, you will find that naturally they will warm to you and want to know more about you too - and then you can ask for their help in your quest. It’s as simple as that.

People want to be liked. They want to help, because naturally, as they help, they get liked more! So, you can readily have your army of supporters, helping you land your dream job, making it much easier.

About the Author

(c) 2007 “How To Land Your Dream Job”. You can have the job of your dreams. There’s a great free, e-course at htlydjmini@aweber.com. More? All you need at Martin Haworth’s website, How To Land Your Dream Job.