10 Best Job Search Advice Articles of 2012 - FlexJobs

10 Best Job Search Advice Articles of 2012 - FlexJobs10 Best Job Search Advice Articles of 2012 -32As the year comes to an end, we took a look at our most read blog posts in 2012. In case you missed them, here are the top ten most popular job search advice articles published by in 2012The 10 Best Job Search Advice Articles of 2012What is a Consultant Job?One of the most-searched job terms is consultant, but for those of us who are unsure, what does that actually mean? Consultant jobs come in all shapes, sizes, and varieties, and weve created this general guide to help you assess your interest in consulting jobs.4 Simple Reasons Youre Not Getting HiredJob searches can be frustrating. And one question that EVERY job seeker has asked themselves at one point is, Why am I not getting hired? Its terribly unnerving when you dont know why employers are passing you over for jobs, and they arent exactly forthcoming with their reasons until now.How to Answer the 4 Most Difficult Interview Quest ionsIts a given almost every job interview you attend will feature at least one of these tricky questions. Theres only one thing as bad as a no-good response, and thats no response at all. Heres how to respond, and respond well.Unusual Work From Home JobsSara Sutton, the CEO of, was one of the telecommuting experts interviewed for an article published today about unusual work from home jobs.4 Famous Resume Lies and Their LessonsLast week, nachrichtensendung broke that Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson was stepping down after several weeks of increasingly bad press related to his padded resume. From tiny little mischaracterizations of responsibilities to outright lies, resume padding is not a new thing, but its definitely a bad thing. Here are four famous5 Changes to Make to Your Resume NOWHere are five things you can change on your resume right now to make it as effective as possible.How to Re-Enter the Workforce After a BreakIf youve been out of employment for a period of time, there are s everal specific dos and donts for re-entering the workforce. We spoke with three collegiate career counselors who work with unemployed professionals to get their advice for re-entering the workforce after a break.Resume Tips for Unemployed Job-SeekersWe spoke to Joseph Terach, CEO of Resume Deli, as part of our interview series with experts in the job search and telecommuting fields. Joseph shared resume and interview recommendations for job-seekers who have been out of work for a period of time.How to Make a Creative Looking ResumeAre you tired of looking at your same old resume? With this handy, easy-to-use primer, you can add a little flair and creativity to your resume and increase your chances of catching an employers eye.4 Ways to Show HR Youre Qualified for the JobHow is it possible that with so many people out of work, employers leise have a hard time finding people to fill their open jobs? And what can job seekers do to make sure that they are noticed by employers? Here are four tips.Readers, what do you think of these job search advice articles? Tell us in the comments below

Here Are Alternatives to Downsizing

Here Are Alternatives to DownsizingHere Are Alternatives to DownsizingOne of the biggest expenses for many business owners is the cost associated with hiring, training, and maintaining employees- and in terminating their employment. When companies downsize, one of the first places they look to trim costs is by reducing the number of employees and/or employee-related expenses such as benefits packages. Downsizing is sometimes necessary, but never to be taken lightly. It sends a message to stockholders and investors as well as to customers that a business is struggling. Layoffs also contribute to lower employee morale and may even lead to other employees being concerned about their jobs and leaving on their own. Consider All Your Options Before laying off employees, be sure that you have looked at all the options, including asking your employees what they would be willing to sacrifice for the good of the company. Employees can show surprising loyalty and flexibility for the good of the company, and to save their jobs when being faced with downsizing or layoffs.Because employee morale will always be affected when a company downsizes, it makes good business sense to allow employees to chime in with their opinions and feelings. Few things make employees feel less valued than to surprise them in a meeting or memo that people will be let go. Your employees are in the day-to-day trenches, and some may even have ideas on how to save the business money or be willing to give up benefits, change their hours, or make other accommodations to keep their jobs. Solicit Your Employees for Their Ideas Never underestimate the value of simply asking your employees for their suggestions and ideas. Even if their ideas do bedrngnis make good business sense and cannot be put into action, you, as the employer, will have demonstrated to your workers that they matter. This morale booster may prove beneficial to employees who remain in your employment, especially if their job duties increa se as a result of laying off other workers.Offer Job Sharing If you can combine the skills of two employees into one position, job sharing can help both employees keep their jobs but will cut your hourly wage costs. This may not work for all employees, but for some, reduced hours may be a preferable alternative to losing their job. Cut Back on Employee Benefits Most workers need their health insurance benefits, but other benefits like vacation pay or sick leave may be able to be trimmed down, or your policies can be revised to make them more cost-effective. For example, requiring employees to work a certain number of hours to accrue paid sick leave, rather than offering it all up front, can spread the costs out over time.Change Your Work Week Many local governments throughout the country save money by staying open for business four days a week instead of five. This saves on salaries as well as operating costs. When You Do Have to Lay Off Staff If layoffs are coming, you either need to make the details as public as possible to avoid panic or keep things completely under wraps.When information is leaked, it is often misinformation that ends up as gossip and can cause employee relations problems. Have a plan in place in advance for those you are terminating.Offer severance pay if you can and consider handing them an exit package with tips on job hunting, job leads, reference letters, and special resource and hotlines for the unemployed. Try not to feel too bad as hard as it is to lay off anyone during a downsize, if it is necessary in order to preserve the longevity of your business, you can rehire when you are in a better position to do so.Every day, businesses all over the world reorganize and downsize.It is nothing to be ashamed of, it is just an unfortunate reality for many businesses. Remember, though, before laying off employees, be sure that you have looked at all the other options.

How Long Are Army Deployments

How Long Are Army DeploymentsHow Long Are Army DeploymentsWhen considering which branch of the military to join, there are a lot of factors to weigh. One of the most important things for many new recruits, especially those with families or planning to start families is how often and for how long he or she may be deployed. The separation of deployment can take a toll on family members and is particularly difficult for parents of young children. So its not a decision to be undertaken hastily. Soldiers Deploy Frequently Soldiers on active duty in the Army deploy mora than any other branch, with the possible exception of the Navy (although most Navy deployments are on ships at sea). How often you deploy depends on whether the U.S. is involved in any ongoing conflicts. Deployment is also heavily determined by your Army job. For example, a combat job, such as infantry, or armor, would deploy more often than an administrative job, such as finance clerk, or legal specialist. Keep in mind that administrative jobs do deploy, just not quite as often as combat or combat support jobs. The average Army deployment rate can range from 12 months deployed, followed by 12 months at home station assignment, to 12 months deployed, 24 months at home. Stop-Loss Its worth noting that the Army has made more use than other branches of the stop-loss program, which means they keep soldiers beyond their normal separation date if they have been scheduled for a deployment. This is affected by a variety of factors but mostly has to do with a shortage of personnel in a given geographic area, a shortage of personnel in a particular job, or escalation of a conflict requiring additional soldiers. Why the Army Deploys Soldiers So Often The oldest of all U.S. military branches, the Army welches established by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775. Before Sept. 11, 2001, the Army was organized for large-scale deployments, mostly of mechanized divisions of upwards of 15,000 soldiers e ach. It was time-consuming to deploy such large forces and difficult to do so in a timely fashion. The Marines were the branch typically called upon when a situation required deployment on short notice. But the Army reorganized its forces into brigade combat teams (BCTs) of a few thousand soldiers, with brigade support battalions (BSBs) serving as combat support. By 2007, the Army had reorganized to 42 BCTs and 75 BSBs. This new focus on making the Army more nimble has allowed for more frequent deployments. Impact of Deployment on Families The Army offers families a family separation allowance, payable to the dependents of soldiers who will be deployed for 30 days or longer. Known as an involuntary separation, the allowance is intended to alleviate the financial burden of having the soldier away from his or her family for long periods. If youre considering joining the Army, take into account how much time you may spend away from home. Be sure you can handle the responsibility be fore taking the plunge.