job & interview

The 20 Fastest-Growing Jobs This Decade

With an expected growth rate of 46.1 percent, interpreter is the fastest-growing social services job on our Best Jobs of 2014 list.</P><P>Just how good is a dream job if it's unnecessary to society? Not much good at all, and therein lies the reason hiring demand is the most pervasive factor U.S. News uses when selecting and ranking occupations annually. Every one of our Best Jobs is expected to create new openings between 2012 and 2022, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the best of the bunch will produce those openings at a percentage rate that's faster than 10.8 percent, the average for all occupations. The BLS estimates total employment will increase by 15.6 million by 2022. </P><P>For a handful of occupations on our list, new positions will sprout particularly fast. Here's the skinny, by industry, on those jobs where employment should spike by 30 percent or more:</P><P><B>HEALTH CARE</B><BR>The cause for job growth in this industry is easy to figure out – a large and aging population plus more insured people stemmed from health care reform – but specific reasons for the growth of particular branches of health care are more complex. For example, there should be openings in health care support positions in specialties such as physical therapy, occupational therapy and dentistry, because the qualified professionals who fill these jobs will enable rehabilitation centers and dentists' offices to treat more patients.</P><P><B>[See: </B><B>The Best Health Care Jobs</B><B>.]</B></P><P>When it comes to wellness care, the new job openings and rate at which they'll pop up is different. Seeking treatment for emotional health is losing its previous stigma, so counselors trained to treat and advise on marriage and family issues plus substance abuse and behavioral disorders will face good job prospects. According to the BLS, job prospects will also be favorable because military personnel coming off active duty are expected to seek treatment and will need good therapists and counselors. Overall, health care and social assistance jobs should account for one-third of the projected increase for jobs, the BLS reports.</P><P>Here are the expected growth rates for the fastest-growing health care jobs between 2012 and 2022:</P><B>Personal Care Aide:</B> 48.8 percent<B>Home Health Aide:</B> 48.5 percent<B>Diagnostic Medical Sonographer:</B> 46 percent<B>Occupational Therapy Assistant:</B> 42.6 percent<B>Physical Therapist Assistant:</B> 41 percent<B>Esthetician:</B> 39.8 percent<B>Physician Assistant:</B> 38.4 percent<B>Medical Secretary:</B> 36 percent<B>Physical Therapist:</B> 36 percent<B>Nurse Practitioner:</B> 33.7 percent<B>Dental Hygienist:</B> 33.3 percent<B>Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor:</B> 31.4 percent<B>Marriage and Family Therapist:</B> 30.6 percent<B>Medical Equipment Repairer:</B> 30.3 percent<P><B>BUSINESS</B><BR>It costs a lot of money to develop and promote a product, so most companies want to sell something that's a sure bet to be bought. Enter the market research analyst, who studies our preferences and makes recommendations to clients on how to create, package and promote their materials to best entice us to buy. The drive for more effective marketing strategies will also drive hiring for this position, and the BLS predicts this occupation will grow by 31.6 percent from 2012 to 2022.</P><P>The other swift-growing business job on our list, meeting, convention and event planner, includes social event planners, but the BLS predicts the strongest job prospects will be for job seekers who want to coordinate the logistics of corporate functions. Big businesses have international offices and job openings throughout the globe, and although technology allows colleagues to connect in a variety of ways, face-to-face communication is still preferred. Companies are re-upping their budgets for corporate planners – for both the salaries to employ them and the events they'll plan – so this job should grow at a rate of 33.2 percent between 2012 and 2022.</P><P>Here are the expected growth rates for the fastest-growing business jobs on our list:</P><B>Meeting, Convention and Event Planner:</B> 33.2 percent<B>Market Research Analyst:</B> 31.6 percent<P><B>[See:</B><B> </B><B>The Best Business Jobs</B><B>.]</B></P><P><B>CONSTRUCTION</B><BR>Our six ranked construction jobs are overshadowed by professions in information technology and health care. The No. 1 job for this industry – construction manager – is a great one, but it has 36 other occupations ranked above it that steal a skosh of its glory on the overall 100 Best list. And a few jobs we were bullish on in 2013, like carpenter and electrician, have skidded out of our rankings. None of this is to say we don't have high hopes for these jobs as the housing market and economy recuperate, and the jobs expected to open at the quickest rates didn't necessarily make our rankings list.</P><P>For instance, one of our unranked jobs, insulation contractor, should grow at a rate of 37.6 percent. There will be more growth for mechanical insulation work – installing heating and cooling material to pipes and ductwork as opposed to ceilings, walls and floors. Brickmasons and blockmasons construct or repair a building's structure. Their job is another unranked entry on our list; still, the BLS predicts employment growth of 35.5 percent for this profession between 2012 and 2022.</P><P>Here are the expected growth rates for the fastest-growing construction jobs on our list:</P><B>Insulation Contractor:</B> 37.6 percent<B>Brickmason and Blockmason:</B> 35.5 percent<P><B>TECHNOLOGY</B><BR>In the last 12 months, there have been major security breaches at Twitter, LivingSocial, Target and the University of Maryland. At this rate, there could be a cyberattack to yet another major corporation before you've finished reading this article. Take this lead-in – and that bad joke – to mean hiring opportunities for qualified information security analysts are cropping up. This job, which involves monitoring and maintaining software and networks plus analyzing and recommending the best cybersecurity practices, is expected to grow at a rate of 36.5 percent between 2012 and 2022. Keep your eye on openings at hospitals and other health care organizations, because as more medical records are transferred to electronic files, more information security analysts will be needed to protect patients' privacy.</P><P>Here is the expected growth rate for the fastest-growing technology job on our list:</P><B>Information Security Analyst:</B> 36.5 percent<P><B>[Read: </B><B>What it Really Takes to Snag an Awesome Tech Job</B><B>.]</B></P><P><B>SOCIAL SERVICES<BR></B>Social services is an elephantine industry of occupations on our list of the 100 Best Jobs. And from that group, the fastest-growing job is expansive all by itself. Interpreters and translators could technically be two occupations – those who are strictly interpreters handle verbal communication while translators work with the written word – and professionals from both pie halves are further segmented by specialty and language. For instance, the BLS anticipates increased hiring demand for interpreters and translators who are fluent in frequently translated languages in the U.S. – such as the Romance languages, German and Russian – but if you speak lesser-translated languages, like Arabic, you're poised to enter the harder-to-fill positions. Video relay service technology now allows people who are deaf to participate in online video conferences, so there will also be a greater need for organizations to hire more people who know American Sign Language.</P><P>If you're interested in this line of work but are struggling to fit a niche, pursue a master's degree in international business. The BLS also predicts verdant job opportunity to facilitate international trade, and if you've complemented your communication skills with an understanding of global markets, you'll be golden. Altogether, the interpreter and translator occupation should grow by 46.1 percent between 2012 and 2022.</P><P>Here is the expected growth rate for the fastest-growing social services job on our list: </P><B>Interpreter and Translator:</B> 46.1 percent<br /><p><a href="http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2014/03/06/the-20-fastest-growing-jobs-this-decade" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>

The 20 Fastest-Growing Jobs This Decade

With an expected growth rate of 46.1 percent, interpreter is the fastest-growing social services job on our Best Jobs of 2014 list.Just how good is a dream job if it's unnecessary to society? Not muc…

11 Nov 2014

6 Types of Interviews and How to Nail Them

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6 Types of Interviews and How to Nail Them</h1>
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Here's how to prepare for whatever the interviewer throws at you.</h2>
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<span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5;">There are many types of interview styles, and you should be aware of each before putting yourself out there. Before ending the conversation with the interview scheduler (whether by phone or email), try to gather information about the interview itself. You should ask with whom you will be interviewing and if you’ll be meeting with them separately or as a group. Also ask if you will be expected to take tests or prepare a presentation. Knowing what’s to come will allow you to</span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5;"> </span><a class="" href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/02/13/5-ways-to-prepare-for-your-next-interview" style="color: #005ea6; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5; text-decoration: none;" title="Link: http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/02/13/5-ways-to-prepare-for-your-next-interview">mentally prepare</a><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5;">.</span></div>
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Interviewing methods differ greatly depending on the industry to which you’re applying, the company and even the position within the company. The interviewers may focus on one style or engage you in a combination of several interview types. The best thing you can do to prepare is to understand each kind and its intention from the interviewer's perspective.</div>
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<b>Standard</b></div>
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The most common interview questions are:</div>
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<li style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.9em; text-indent: -0.9em;">Where do you see yourself in five years?</li>
<li style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.9em; text-indent: -0.9em;">Why are you here today?</li>
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The interviewer may also ask you to tell him or her about yourself. Come up with well-thought-out, specific and truthful answers to each of these classic questions <a class="" href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/04/23/the-ultimate-interview-prep-checklist" style="color: #005ea6; text-decoration: none;" title="Link: http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/04/23/the-ultimate-interview-prep-checklist">before interview day</a>. That way, you will have a concise response ready to go.</div>
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<b>Behavioral</b></div>
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Behavioral interviews focus on the past so employers can attempt to predict future behavior. For example, they may say:</div>
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<li style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.9em; text-indent: -0.9em;">Describe a time when you didn’t get along with a colleague.</li>
<li style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.9em; text-indent: -0.9em;">Tell me about your biggest professional failure.</li>
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Choose one example, and briefly describe the situation, how you handled it and what you learned from it. People often confuse behavioral and situational interviews, which are described next. Questions may seem similar, because an employer is assessing your behavior in a particular situation.</div>
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<b>Situational</b></div>
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Typically, situational questions concentrate on future performance rather than past performance, which is the focus of <a class="" href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2011/09/26/how-to-answer-behavorial-interview-questions" style="color: #005ea6; text-decoration: none;">behavioral interviews</a>. The interviewer will give you a problem and ask how you would deal with it. For example:</div>
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<li style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.9em; text-indent: -0.9em;">Your boss is on a whirlwind business trip. He assigned you a report to write for a client while he is gone, and he expects a first draft in two days. You thought everything was clear, but when you look back through your meeting notes and emails, there are outstanding questions that will make it difficult to complete the report. What do you do?</li>
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Employers want to know how you would likely solve a problem, and in some cases, they want to measure your expertise. Always be honest and specific. Address the problem, and describe your solution and the action you would take. If it’s a question that probes at your expertise in an area, include something applicable in your answer to show you know your stuff.</div>
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<b>Case</b></div>
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Case interviews are used mainly in the <a class="" href="http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/management-analyst" style="color: #005ea6; text-decoration: none;">consulting industry</a> and focus on how you would solve specific business issues. These can include quantitative questions that show the interviewer how you think. For example:</div>
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<li style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.9em; text-indent: -0.9em;">An online bank is growing well, but it's not reaching profitability targets. What could be wrong?</li>
<li style="list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0.9em; text-indent: -0.9em;">How many gallons of ketchup do New York City McDonald’s restaurants use each month?</li>
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You’ll want to talk aloud as you consider your answer, because the interviewer is looking for insight into your thought process and an interactive conversation rather than an exact answer. Explain your suppositions and issues that may have a substantial effect on your estimate. As you talk through it, you will come to an estimate. This is a skill you are wise to practice in advance if you will be interviewing with a company that uses this technique. Google “case interview questions,” and you’ll come up with good samples and resources.</div>
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<b>Presentation</b></div>
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Some interviewers will challenge you with a business issue and ask you to present solutions to one or more employees. You may be given 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes or less to present.</div>
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The key here is to put pen to paper immediately to get thinking fast. In the first five minutes or less, outline the problem and as many solutions that come to mind in words. Drawing diagrams or pictures may help, too. Next, circle the solutions you think are the best or the ones for which you have the most ideas on how to implement. After that, brainstorm what resources you need to apply to each solution in under five minutes. Use the remaining time to prepare. If you were asked to use a whiteboard or computer for the presentation, transfer your ideas to the board or screen. Don’t worry about being fancy, because you don’t have time for that. The logic and contents of your thought process are most important.</div>
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<b>Panel</b></div>
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Perhaps you’ll be interviewed by five people at once. Each person may have a list of questions to ask you – perhaps in varying interview styles. Or maybe each interviewer came up with his or her own questions in advance based on your background. Use the techniques above under behavioral, situational and case interviews. In all types of interviews, eye contact, smiling when you can and leaning forward to show you’re engaged in the conversation are all fundamental to scoring <a class="" href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2013/03/04/simple-techniques-to-increase-your-likeability-at-work" style="color: #005ea6; text-decoration: none;" title="Link: http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2013/03/04/simple-techniques-to-increase-your-likeability-at-work">likeability points</a>. Chemistry is something all interviewers are looking for. If they don’t like you, it’s unlikely you’ll be hired – no matter how smart or experienced you are.</div>
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There are many other types of interview situations. One or more interviewers may use all the different types of questions. You may be in a speed interviewing session where you meet with a new interviewer every five minutes. You may be given writing or behavioral assessments. In every case, while you’re trying to sell yourself to the employer, you want to always be yourself. The last thing you want is to give a false impression or erroneous information and end up in a job that’s not a good fit for you or the company.</div>
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<b>Marcelle Yeager</b> is the president of <a class="" href="http://www.careervalet.com/" style="color: #005ea6; text-decoration: none;" title="Link: http://www.careervalet.com/">Career Valet</a>, which delivers personalized career navigation services. Her goal is to enable people to recognize skills and job possibilities they didn’t know they had to make a career change or progress in their current career. She worked for more than 10 years as a strategic communications consultant, including four years overseas. Marcelle holds an MBA from the University of Maryland. </div>
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<a href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/07/24/6-types-of-interviews-and-how-to-nail-them" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">View the original article here</a></div>

6 Types of Interviews and How to Nail Them

6 Types of Interviews and How to Nail Them Here's how to prepare for whatever the interviewer throws at you. There are many types of interview styles, and you should be aware of each before putting y…

11 Nov 2014

Don't Believe These 8 Job Search Myths

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Don't Believe These 8 Job Search Myths</h1>
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Time to rethink your assumptions about the hiring process.</h2>
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No, you will not hear back from every company to which you apply.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5;">If you are tired of the job search rat race, then stop doing what you are doing. While you are at it, dismiss all the assumptions you’ve made about how jobs get filled. People hire people, not résumés. Let’s debunk your beliefs and myths associated with</span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5;"> </span><a class="" href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/09/02/3-job-search-myths-busted" style="color: #005ea6; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5; text-decoration: none;">job searching</a><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5;">:</span></div>
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<b>MYTH: You will find your next job by applying online. </b>You may believe that if you apply to enough jobs, you’ll eventually beat the odds and land one. While applying to jobs may make you feel productive, a recent CareerXroads survey shows that only 15 percent of positions were filled through job boards. Most jobs are either filled internally or through referrals. When you spend all your time and energy scoping out jobs and applying, you’re hurting your chances.</div>
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So what else should you be doing? Try a combination of things. Successful job seekers use a variety of tactics, such as contacting industry-specific recruiting agencies or <a class="" href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/07/30/3-types-of-recruiters-and-how-to-impress-them" style="color: #005ea6; text-decoration: none;" title="Link: http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/07/30/3-types-of-recruiters-and-how-to-impress-them">third-party recruiters</a>, meeting one-on-one with past colleagues, attending professional association meetings, volunteering and meeting new people every day. If this sounds daunting or almost impossible, remember: More than 70 percent of people land jobs through networking.</div>
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<b>MYTH: You should expect to hear a response soon after you apply. </b>After you have taken time to research a company, modify your résumé and go through the application process, you assume you’ll hear something. The reality is you may not hear back from the company. Expect this to be the norm and take proactive steps. Plan to follow up with someone in human resources after you have submitted your application. Ask what the time frame is for filling the job, and then ask if your application was received. Always end every conversation by asking when you should follow up next and with whom. The really eager job seekers will make that call the same day the application is submitted. The less assertive job seekers wait about a week.</div>
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<b>MYTH: Your cover letter will </b><b>always </b><b>be read in full. </b>You can’t make someone read your cover letter. In reality, some people will never read a cover letter, and others won’t look at your résumé until after reading your cover letter. And there are varying preferences in between. The bottom line is that you should always include a customized <a class="" href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/04/24/is-your-cover-letter-read-worthy" style="color: #005ea6; text-decoration: none;">cover letter</a> that explains specifically why you are interested in and qualified for the job and shares something about the company to show you are a fit. If you don’t take the time to do this, then why should the company take time to review your qualifications for the job?</div>
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<b>MYTH: You should network with human resources. </b>One of the many roles human resources serves is to fill open job requisitions. Often, there are numerous requisitions in the pipeline, and the No. 1 priority is to fill these jobs. Requesting to network with human resources is not in your best interest nor in the best interest of the busy human resources professional. He or she probably doesn’t know about future openings or department-level plans. And and even if he or she did, the advice you get would be to wait until you see something posted.</div>
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Invest your time reaching out to peer-level employees inside a company. Learn how these employees landed the job, what the company culture is like and the skills and responsibilities required in the job.</div>
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<b>MYTH: The best time to network is after the job has been posted. </b>You see the perfect job posted and believe you’re a match. With great excitement, you reach out to someone inside the company only to get ignored or brushed off. You’re doing the right thing, so why isn’t it working? You’re too late to the party. That job has probably been circulating inside the company for weeks. The person you are contacting may even be in the running for the job.</div>
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The best time to network is in advance of job opportunities being posted. In fact, networking after a job has been posted really isn’t networking – it's tracking down a job. That's not bad – in fact, it's recommended – but it's not truly networking. Start identifying companies you would like to work for, and<a class="" href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/06/10/networking-101-for-new-grads" style="color: #005ea6; text-decoration: none;" title="Link: null">begin networking</a> before jobs are posted.</div>
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<b>MYTH: You will be granted an interview for every job you apply to. </b>If you’ve purposely submitted a vague or general résumé with the hope that a recruiter will call for more details, think again. Most of the time, you will not receive a call. Recruiters, human resources staff and the hiring manager only call you if you are a good match for the job. If your application and résumé don’t show how you are a perfect match for the job, the recruiter has very little interest in speaking with you.</div>
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<b>MYTH: Your references are contacted before or during the interview process. </b>Every company has a different policy regarding <a class="" href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/09/11/4-ways-to-guarantee-a-killer-reference-check" style="color: #005ea6; text-decoration: none;" title="Link: http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/09/11/4-ways-to-guarantee-a-killer-reference-check">reference checking</a>. Seldom will your references get checked while résumés are being reviewed or during the interview process. It costs time and money to verify references, and if there are multiple candidates applying and interviewing, this can be a costly investment.</div>
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On the other hand, a quick Internet search can often reveal information, so some recruiters may be checking you out online. Carefully select the people you want to serve as references, and prepare them to provide the most relevant and important details about you.</div>
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<b>MYTH: Your </b><b>résumé</b><b> is the most important job search tool. </b>It is important to have a well-written résumé. However, how many hours do you spend updating, modifying, tweaking and adapting it? Too many. The numerous hours you spend hiding behind a computer screen means you aren’t spending time on the phone reaching out to people or attending one-on-one networking meetings.</div>
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Invest your time wisely. How many people will actually take the time to thoroughly review your résumé and ask you questions about each job you held? Much of the detail you obsess over is irrelevant to hiring professionals or will be overlooked in haste.</div>
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<b>Hannah Morgan</b> writes and speaks on career topics and job search trends on her blog <a class="" href="http://careersherpa.net/" style="color: #005ea6; text-decoration: none;" title="Link: http://careersherpa.net/">Career Sherpa</a>. She co-authored “Social Networking for Business Success,” and has developed and delivered programs to help job seekers understand how to look for work better.</div>
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<a href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/09/17/dont-believe-these-8-job-search-myths" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">View the original article here</a></div>

Don't Believe These 8 Job Search Myths

Don't Believe These 8 Job Search Myths Time to rethink your assumptions about the hiring process. No, you will not hear back from every company to which you apply. If you are tired of the job search …

11 Nov 2014

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