So are there any bright spots?

Yes, actually. Health care added 29,000 jobs in October. Temporary employment services had steadily lost jobs in the beginning of the year, but in October they added 34,000 jobs. Companies have the need for more workers, but they’re cautious of adding new permanent employees. If the economy struggles again, they’d prefer to not renew temporary workers’ contracts rather than layoff a group of employees.

Two CareerBuilder.com experts were on TV to discuss the job numbers and the job outlook this morning.

First up, watch CEO Matt Ferguson on CNBC.

And senior career adviser Michael Erwin was on CBS 2 in Chicago. Watch that clip here.

You can also read the detailed, full report from the BLS on its site.

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So Jenkins emphasized her strong sales experience and started targeting sales jobs in healt hcare. Immediately, her job search reaped more results. “I started sending my résumé out and I got so much interest in that area,” she said. Her background even worked in her favor, she explained. “Companies were interested in my outside sales experience.”

Three interviews and one job offer later, Jenkins is now a community ambassador for Silverado Senior Living, an Alzheimer’s community in Los Angeles. She uses her experience in sales to promote the senior living center to doctors and other health care providers. “I go out and create awareness and educate the health care community about the senior living center,” she explained.

Jenkins says she makes about 25% less a year than at her previous position but after five months on the job she is “thriving.” The best part is that she’s no longer worried about getting laid off again. To Jenkins, that’s worth more than the $20,000 paycut.

Of course, no single job can be declared 100 percent secure. Yet, looking at the statistics, Jenkins was right to see that health care was on a trajectory most other industries weren’t–especially during that shaky economic period. In her scenario, a career switch was a smart move.

Still, it makes me wonder how many people are willing to take a hit to the bank account if it means knowing you’ll have a steady paycheck? You’re not guaranteed this lower-paying job will last, but it’s a safer bet than other better-paying jobs–and probably better than having no job at all. Kind of that whole “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” business.

For those of you who find yourselves in this situation, here are some questions to ask while you deliberate taking a secure job for less pay:

• Can you survive on the lower income?
  Some money (the new job) is better than no money (unemployment), but are you taking such a steep cut that you can’t feasibly pay any bills anyway?
• If you’ll be struggling to pay bills, can you take a second job?
  Maybe the lower salary almost covers your needs, so a small supplementary income would be ideal. If the new job doesn’t monopolize all your free time, you could possibly get a part-time job to make ends meet.
• Are you positioning yourself as a qualified candidate?
  The entire question of whether or not to make this career move is moot if you don’t market yourself as someone who deserves the job. Job seekers who are switching industries must remember to tailor their cover letters and résumés to the new employers. Your old jargon and job duties might not make sense until you translate them for your new audience.
• Have you researched the career potential of your new job or industry?
  Look at the projections for industries to see if growth is in its future. Also look at what opportunities for growth are available in a specific organization. On an interview, ask about the opportunities or where the previous person in this role moved to. You want to make sure you’re not sacrificing your professional future in any way.

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If you’re job hunting and have a social networking profile (or two, or six), be warned: 45% of hiring managers are looking for you online. Watch this video for tips on how to make sure you are portrayed in the best possible light across the Web.

Tell us: Have you ever had a hiring manager or boss ask you about something he or she found on your online profile? (No registration needed to comment below. )

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Many companies, typically retailers, hire an abundance of seasonal workers to prepare for the boost in activity during the holiday season. The National Retail Federation reports that in 2008, the average monthly employment during the holiday season was 15.5 million workers. Retailers hired an additional 231,000 workers for the holiday season last year. Although these numbers are lower than in previous years, companies know that they still will experience increased traffic in the coming months and plan to staff accordingly.

Every year, we publish a list of employers that know they are looking for a few extra hands during the holidays. If you’re looking to bring in a few extra bucks this season, here are 10 companies hiring seasonal workers now:

AT&T
Industry: Communications
Number of openings: 1000+
Seasonal positions available: Retail sales associates; store managers; and sales support
Location: Nationwide

A Wireless
Industry: Telecommunications
Number of openings: 250+
Seasonal positions available: Store managers; sales consultants; district managers; information technology; customer service
Location: Nationwide

Blockbuster
Industry: Entertainment
Number of openings: 1000+
Seasonal positions available: Retail sales associates; store managers
Location: Nationwide

hhgregg
Industry: Appliance and electronics retail
Number of openings: 800+
Seasonal positions available: Appliance and electronics sales
Location: Indiana; Ohio; Kentucky; Alabama; Georgia; Florida; North Carolina; South Carolina; Tennessee

Hickory Farms
Industry: Specialty retail
Number of openings: 4,000
Seasonal positions available: Sales associate
Location: Nationwide, shopping malls

Macy’s
Industry: Retail
Number of openings: 1,000 +
Seasonal positions available: Part-time season retail help in gift wrap, sales associates, etc.
Location: Nationwide

Olan Mills Studio
Industry: Studio photography
Number of openings: 100+
Seasonal positions available: Photographers; portrait sales; customer service
Location: Ala., Ga., Pa., Ky., Tenn., N.C., Ind., Mich.

RadioShack
Industry: Electronics sales
Number of openings: 1000
Seasonal positions available: Retail sales associates
Location: 250 cities

Toys”R”Us
Industry: Specialty retail
Number of openings: 35,000
Seasonal positions available: Management positions; sales associates, including cashiers, shelf stockers and customer service roles; and back-of-house stock opportunities
Location: Nationwide

UPS
Industry: Shipping and distribution
Number of openings: 200+
Seasonal positions available: Package delivery drivers; tractor trailer driver
Location: Nationwide

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Oh, salary questions. It’s the issue that arises with every job search. The first thing you have to decide if it you want to actually list your salary requirements in an application. Opinions vary…Most people say that, no, you shouldn’t list any salary information on the application. Common advice says to ignore the salary request until you’re actually in the interview or to simply write on the cover letter or résumé, “Salary negotiable.” More on that later–first to answer your question…

However, if you’ve decided to give your salary history, most employers want to see your most recent salary, which might be what you’re earning now, depending on your situation. Sometimes they even make a point to ask what your starting salary was and what your current salary is, which gives them an idea of what increases you earned and what salary trajectory you’re on. Sometimes that’s all they want, but if they’ve indicated they want a more thorough history, then work your way backwards. You’re most likely earning more now than you did in your first job, so this build a narrative for your income. You should also list the job title and company with each salary. Because this information will line up with your résumé’s job history, it makes the most sense.

But back to whether or not you want to offer this information early in the application process…

Now, if an employer is really strict and they are demanding salary information at this stage, you have to realize that you  might be removing yourself from consideration for the job. That is a risk you take, and if you’re not willing to make the move, then go ahead and list the salary information.

Why do so many people suggest you don’t give salary information, then? Salary information can take you out of the running for a job, too. For example, if you say your last salary was $50,000 per year, the hiring manager might think you’re not going to take the job if it only pays $40,000–so she passes on your application. Or maybe they’re prepared to pay $75,000 and your low salary makes you appear cheap, as if you’re not worth much. Or you could be locking yourself into that salary. If they’re willing to pay more but they see that you’re making $25,000 less than they were going to offer, they think they can offer a similar amount to your current wage and still woo you. You get a tiny pay bump; they save thousands of dollars. All the power goes to them when you put the salary information on the page. (To be fair, at this stage in the job search process, they are the decision makers–regardless of what you do.)

When you push the topic away until you’re at a good stage in the interview (most likely when you’ve been offered the position), you can have an actual conversation where you give your requirements and they offer theirs. It’s easier to find a common ground verbally than via text.

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This got me thinking about when job seekers hit mental blocks, and their drive and motivation is shattered. With 6.3 job seekers competing for every available job and about 5 million people classified as long-term unemployed it’s not surprising that a lot of discouraged and even giving up.

Career consultant Duncan Mathison, co-author of “Unlock the Hidden Job Market: 6 Steps to a Successful Job Search When Times are Tough,” tells discouraged job seekers to “Never give up; never give in.” He are his five tips for staying motivated during a long job search:

1.       Prepare for an extended search. When the job market shrinks, it takes longer to land a job.  Adjust your finances and your expectations now to extend your staying power. Stopping the search until the economy improves is like the farmer who will go hungry at harvest because they didn’t plant seeds in the spring.  Do not give up. Keep planting those seeds.

2.      Don’t waste your time on long-shots. If you are only applying to posted jobs and those seem far and few between, your tendency is to cast a wider net by applying outside your geographic area or outside of your expertise (“I could do that job!”). This is a dead-end strategy and you will only face more painful rejection and depressing stories of 500 applicants to 1 job. When it comes to job postings: focus, focus, focus.

3.      The right job for you is out there – it just won’t be advertised. Employers cut recruiting budgets when times are tight.  Instead hiring managers use less expensive and informal word of mouth strategies. As a result a higher percentage of available positions are in the “hidden job market”.  Job seekers must significantly expand the quality and quantity of their networking efforts to find unpublished jobs.

4.      Leave the resume at home. The secret to good networking is to help your network help you. Instead of a resume, give people in your network (everyone you know) a list of 50-75 employers who you think would hire people with your type of skills.  Do not ask if the companies are hiring.  Instead ask if anyone knows people who work there – particularly managers who might hire and manage people with your skills.

5.      Contact managers directly. Get their name, get an introduction and introduce yourself to them.  Your introduction can be a simple, “I understand you have people with my kind of background and skills working for you.  I don’t assume to know if you have job openings but I would like to meet you and learn more about the type of people you like to have on your team and share with you a bit about my background.” They may say “sure”, they may say “send a resume” or they may say “no”, but now they know about you. Remember the ONLY thing managers can do to assure their success is to meet and hire great people.  And that’s you!

While these are great words of advice, many long-term job seekers will likely say “Easier said than done” or “I’m doing all these already.” We’ll continue to look for other ways to fight your despair.

If you are a job seeker or someone who was recently hired and has found a way to keep your sanity during your search, share your tips here.

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But I digress … I’m here to talk about one book in particular. While I would love to tell you (again) about CareerBuilder’s job search handbook “Career Building,” I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you about this particular gem I found called “101 Toughest Interview Questions … and Answers That Win the Job!” by Daniel Porot and Frances Bolles Haynes. It’s not your typical dry interview book. This book is compact and comes in a flashcard-like format and arms you with the answers that interviewers really want to hear.

The book is divided into four sections which address employers’ main concerns when hiring a new employee – 1) Can you do the job? 2) Who are you? 3) Will you fit in at the company? 4) What will you cost us? — and supply potential interview questions that will answer those matters.

Porot and Haynes cover questions from the most standard (”What are your greatest achievements?” and “Do you prefer to work alone or in a group?”) to the most challenging (”So?” and “Have you approached any other organizations?” and “Would you like to sit in my chair one day?”) and give suggestions and fill-in-the blank options of how you might answer each.

For example, the authors give five sample answers that you can adapt to your situation and personality to the question, “Why do you think you have the potential for this job?”

• I know my potential, and I can tell you that I plan to enrich the company in two areas. (Mention two areas in which you are 100 percent sure you can add value.)
• I can answer that positively for two reasons. (Mention two examples or facts as proof.)
• My three strongest qualifications for this job are ______, ______ and ______.
• Based on the information you have shared with me today, I can say that I have the potential as well as the enthusiasm and persistence that you would expect from someone working for your company.
• I have encountered situations and challenges in my previous jobs that are similar to those involved with this position and I have a successful track record. (Elaborate on one.)

But I don’t think you should read this book before your interview. I think you should read it before you even apply to jobs. “Why?” you ask? If you review all the questions as a job search exercise, the information you discover and the answers you craft can be used in your cover letters and help you discover holes in your resume. All that in a purse- or backpack-friendly size.

There is one question that I take issue with: “What is your favorite Web site and why?” This wordsmith and bibliophile whould have liked the question to read: “What is your favorite book and/or Web site and why?” (Hint to anyone who ever interviews for a job with me.) Otherwise, as Chelsea Handler would say, I give this book … my blessing.

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Today we have a guest blog post from Joe Turner, the Job Search Guy, who is the author of  “Job Search Secrets Unlocked” and “Paycheck 911.”  You’ll find Turner’s free tips and advice on landing a job in this tough economy at

Using social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn has been front and center on many job hunters’ “To Do” lists these days.  Most likely, you’ve made some forays into these areas already.  While some are reporting success by incorporating these sites into their job search strategy, if you have little experience using these sites, you might not know where to begin.

Before you jump into the social media fray, first decide your overall purpose.  In a recent interview, Shama Hyder, social media expert and CEO of the Internet marketing firm Click-to-Client advises job hunters to first start with a focus.  The biggest mistake she notices is that most people post profiles to social media sites without having a future employer in mind.  So start with a purposeful profile and think from the perspective of what overall first impression that employer will have of you.  Hyder suggests only listing interests that support or underscore your purpose.

When we talk about purpose or focus, most job hunters think of themselves as a list of skills, job duties and responsibilities developed over the years.  Unfortunately, this is not going to make you stand out in the world of social media.  Two major issues today grip employers: too little time and unfilled job problems.  They don’t have the time to leisurely read through hundreds, if not thousands, of candidate profiles on Facebook or LinkedIn.  Furthermore, their mind is focused on their immediate job opening and the problems this is causing them.  So, how do you break through these social media barriers?

Consider your BOD.

Before you jump into the social media world, make sure you have a clear understanding of why an employer would hire you. One good way to do that, according to Hyder, is to develop what she calls a “BOD.”  This stands for Brand, Outcome and Differentiator and is a good way to answer the question, “Why would an employer hire me?”

Brand
You can find a lot of personal brand information on the Web.  Actually, a brand is a concise sentence or phrase that can quickly describe you to an employer.  In the marketing world this is called the Unique Selling Proposition.  What is it that sets you apart from other candidates looking for a similar job or opportunity?  Since time is of the essence, Hyder goes even further by asking if your brand can be summed up with one word.  While most of us may not be able to distill our brand into one word, we should at least have it down to a sentence or phrase.

Outcome
This is what I see missing from so many resumes and profiles.  “What is the one clear benefit of hiring you?” Remember, employers have no interest in pawing through lists of skill sets or past duties.  They want to know whether you can solve their problem.  Right now.  So imagine that if an employer were to hire you, what is the single biggest benefit that YOU bring?  This is the outcome of hiring you. 

Differentiator
Employers today may look through thousands of potential candidates before settling on just a handful that they’ll interview.  So ask yourself, what makes you stand out from the pack? What do you bring that other candidates with similar skills and experience don’t?  This is your differentiator.  Examples of good differentiators might be your expertise as a cold caller, your bilingual expertise or your combined technical and management abilities as a project manager.

Look for factors that employers would highly value when searching for your differentiator.

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Peter, if we’re cutting to the chase, the answer to your questions are yes (kind of) and no, respectively. Here’s why…

I know we’ve discussed age at length here and here. But this question touches on something we’ve yet to discuss: How specific should you be on your application when it comes to giving away your age? Well, you don’t need to put your birthdate on your resume or cover letter, whether you’re 16 or 60. So don’t worry about that. And if you’re afraid employers will automatically dismiss you (even though they shouldn’t) because of the dates of your graduation, then leave those dates off. What matters is that you graduated with a degree, not when. There’s absolutely nothing dishonest or deceitful about that.

Still, we don’t advocate lying, and we’re not for burying information either. See, you still should put dates by your employment history, especially the most recent ones (aka ones that you had over the last 10 years, possibly longer depending on your field). Leaving those dates off will seem very suspicious. Employers will assume you’re hiding something. So an employer can always do some quick math if they really want to figure out your age.  Plus, if you get an interview, they’re going to see you face-to-face and, well, unless you’re really good with makeup, they’re going to know you’re not 19. So there’s no point in lying or going through extensive means to hide your age. And do you really want to work for a place that fears mature workers and experience?

Perhaps most importantly, you shouldn’t be ashamed of your age. If an employer is going to assume you can’t perform the tasks or doesn’t want someone with a little grey hair in the office, that’s not going to be a good place for you to work. (Forget how illegal it would be for them to openly dismiss you on those grounds.) Avoiding a few specific dates where possible might not be a bad idea if you’re afraid a college graduation date of 1973 will intimidate someone before they even look at your qualifications. But don’t lie and don’t forget that you probably have gained experience that a newcomer hasn’t. Be yourself and be proud of what you’ve done with your career.

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The key is identifying which skills you have and to which jobs they can be applied. Try using online tools, like CareerPath.com. You may learn that you can easily transfer into a new occupation with the expertise you have or short-term training and/or certification.

This morning, CareerBuilder’s V.P. of Human Resources Rosemary Haefner discussed this very topic on the Today Show. Watch this segment to learn about one woman who is making the move to nursing and how you can make a change, too.

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