If you turn on the television, or open up a newspaper, you know the bad news: the economy is headed toward recession. Gas prices are at all time highs, and companies are cutting back on their help. Does this all have to affect you – the job seeker? Not at all!

We’ll discuss the secrets to landing your dream job in a tough economy. First of all, we’ll discuss the concept of marketing your skills and experience to employers; versus simply applying for jobs. Secondly, we create a set of metrics you can utilize when making your employer-contacts, to ensure you receive the appropriate number of positive responses you are seeking. Finally, we’ll go over options for individuals who wish to hire a reputable company to market their skills and experience, so that the entire job search process can be completed in the most seamless manner.

When you think of beginning a job search, most of us have the idea of browsing the employment classifieds, finding open positions that match our desire, and then emailing or faxing our latest resume. This is a very simple process, in theory. Think of the number of applicants one single advertisement can illicit. How are you going to differentiate yourself from the volumes of other applicants who are also attempting to obtain the very same position?

It’s time to adjust our thinking on applying for a job, from being “an applicant,” to actively marketing your professional skills, experience and background. When you approach the career search from a marketing perspective, with a solid marketing plan, you soon find that you’ll begin receiving more job offers, and less turn-down letters.

Marketing in of itself, is a numbers game. Marketing yourself to a company as their next super star, requires that you make a certain number of contacts each day until you receive the job offer that hits your target. The sooner you need to make an employment change, the higher the number of contacts you will need to make on a daily basis. Many individuals find it helpful to submit their resume through a targeted resume distribution service. This is one way to reach hundreds of employers, with minimal effort. For the job candidate who wishes to make a change as soon as possible, it’s important to make between 5 and 20 applications per week. Keep in mind, it’s necessary to first research the companies who hire within your field, determine the locations you are willing to work, and then contact the hiring managers.

You may be asking yourself, how is a job seeker supposed to find time for an active career search, along with current professional and family commitments? The entire job search process can be handled from beginning to end, by a professional candidate management company. These companies run daily searches on behalf of the job seeker, market the individual’s skills, background and experience to target companies, and guarantee results. Unlike working with the “traditional headhunter,” a candidate management service or career search company, takes a pro-active approach to the job search, on behalf of the job seeker, for a reasonable fee. This completely changes the dynamic of the recruiting process for companies, and puts more control into the hands of the job applicant.

Difficult financial times, require drastic measures. Finding your dream job will effectively change your life, and the life of your family. Instead of allowing your career to take a “back-seat” during a tough economy, it’s time to become a proactive career seeker. The true secret to landing your target job, is moving your perspective from that of passive job applicant, to an effective career skills marketer.

Christina Archer is a Managing Partner with SterlingProfessions.com, which provides “Fast Track” candidate management services. Serious career seekers who wish to make an job change, may enroll in the Fast Track membership, and receive guaranteed results. The company actively markets the skills, background, and experience of its registered members, and effectively makes the career change process, seamless.

To become a free member of Sterling Professions, visit the company’s website, at http://www.SterlingProfessions.com



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When the job market is tight, it may be tempting to cut corners on your job search, but for the sake of landing a position, please don’t. When it’s a buyer’s market, you owe it to yourself and your family to put your best foot forward. To stand out, there are three key factors you need to concentrate on-your resume, interview skills, and a follow-up strategy.

Resume

While a homespun resume would have garnered interviews in the past, in a tight market you have to step up your game. This isn’t a time to rely on a friend’s goodwill and use her as your “resume writer.”

Search for a professional-a Nationally Certified Resume Writer or someone who works at a One-Stop Center. A professionally written resume can make the difference between getting called in for an interview and getting overlooked.

To ensure the best possible service, ask to look at the writer’s resume samples. Don’t get caught up in all of the hype regarding certifications and publications. This advice may sound strange coming from a Nationally Certified Resume Writer and published author, but I’ve been in the career-services industry long enough to know that quality work trumps credentials.

That said, you can and should add weight to the extras, but the bottom line is that you have to be comfortable with the quality of work you will receive.

Interview Skills

Admit it. How many interviews have you gone on without preparing? In a job-seeker-friendly market when companies are clamoring for great employees, the “wing it” method works just fine. But to compete in today’s market, you have to invest time getting acquainted with common interview questions and sample responses.

To get you started, here are a few.

Many candidates have submitted their resume for consideration. Why should I hire you over other qualified candidates?

Keep in mind that the interviewer is interested in your candidacy. That is the reason you are interviewing for the position. When answering this question, mention the three main reasons you stand out from others. Depending on your position, reasons can include your proficiency in account management, customer service, and/or strategic planning.

What do you know about our company?

There is a difference between wanting a job and taking a sincere interest in working for the hiring organization. There are no shortcuts to answering this question successfully; you have to conduct research.

What areas of your abilities would you like to improve upon?

This is a tricky way of asking, “What is your greatest weakness?”. Choose an ability that needs improvement but isn’t an integral part of your job.

Follow-Up Strategies

The interview isn’t over when you walk out of the interviewer’s office. Chances are, many candidates interviewed for the position before you did and many more will interview for the position after you. To remain competitive, it is essential that you write a follow-up letter.

This is advice most job seekers tend to ignore. And it’s a shame because the follow-up letter can seal a job offer. This is because only a small percentage of job seekers write a follow-up letter, so those who do take the time to write one stand out.

Below is a sample of a follow-up letter.

Thank you for the opportunity to interview for [name of position]. The level of professionalism displayed by the associates immediately impressed me. Each was warm and exuded a level of enthusiasm that is contagious. My initial impression of [name of company] was solidified during our interview. From the information you relayed during our meeting, my qualities [name qualities here] are a direct fit with the job opening.

Please know that I remain interested in working at [name of company]. If necessary, I’m open to attending another round of interviews to explore this opportunity further.

I can be reached at (631) 387-1894 or linda@careerstrides.com. I look forward to your positive response.

In Closing

Following the advice above will make you more confident. Confidence leads to more interviews. More interviews leads to job offers. Job offers leads to career satisfaction.

So what are you waiting for?

Certified in all three areas of the job search-Certified Interview Coach â„¢ (CIC), Job & Career Transition Coach (JCTC), and Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW)-Linda Matias is qualified to assist you in your career transition, whether it be a complete career makeover, interview preparation, or resume assistance. She is also the author How to Say It: Job Interviews. You can contact Linda Matias at linda@careerstrides.com or visit her website http://www.careerstrides.com for additional career advice and to view resume samples.



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How employers look at online degree? It may be your concern when deciding to goes for offline campus-based degree or pursuing your degree online. Although you find online education has many advantages that will benefit you, you will have hardship to decide to finalize your decision to go for online education because you worry if the degree earn from online degree program not being widely accepted in the job market, you will have trouble to compete with other candidates to secure you favorite job. How most employers validate an online degree? You wonder to know.

According to the survey done by The Secretary of Education’s Commission on the Future of Higher Education, most employers believe that online degree is equal in value with the degree earned in the physical classroom, if the online degree is earned from an accredited universities recognized by the Department of Education. When they interview a candidate who has his/her degree pursued through online education, they will treat the degree as the same with the one earned from a campus-based university, unless they are doubt on the legitimate of the degree, which they will do further clarification on it.

Majority of employers will have no concerned if the online degrees are from legitimate and accredited universities because they know the courses offered in these degree programs are following the guide of education as accredited by a recognized accrediting agency. Here comes to the most important point: Your online degree has no different with the offline campus-based degree if you are getting your degree online from an accreditation university.

You should put your efforts in carefully selecting an online degree program and before you sign up with anyone of them, you should make sure you have all the details information such as the accreditation information of the school, the student review on the school’s program which you can easily found at various forums and online discussion boards. In order to further confirm and get rid of your worry, you can even call up a few big-name companies in your prospective field and ask a human resource representative about the company’s policy on online degrees.

Besides the accreditation, reputation of the university which offered the online degree programs is an important consideration factors when employers validate an online degree. If you are getting your degree from popular schools such as University of Phoenix Online, Kaplan University or Walden University which are well known in the job market, you should not face any difficulty in getting your favorite job that you are qualified for.

During the process of getting your degree, you should obtain industry experience, such as an internship, to enhance your experience in the related field. When you are attending a job interview with you online degree, be honest to disclose to the employer that you are obtaining the degree online. Then, provide transcripts, course information, and background details on the program, including accreditation so that the employer is informed about your degree with the information at the beginning of the interview. Most employers will have no question about the online degree if they have information in hand and the interview can be more focus on your qualification to the job position.

Summary

Most employers are accepting online degrees as the education qualification for their job candidates as long as the degrees are accredited according to the legitimate education requirements.

Julie Harvard is the author of http://www.studykiosk.com. Find information and resources about online degree programs offered by accredited online universities which will help you in deciding whether to pursue your degree online or follow the traditional education path.



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How to Not get the Job

Let’s start with how most people look for a job. If you like wasting time sending out endless resumes, be like everyone else. Go to Monster.com and apply to everything you see. Don’t take the time to research the company. Don’t modify your resume to fit the position. Sit back and wonder why your phone doesn’t ring…I call it the shotgun approach to job hunting.

Or you can do something even worse. Use a resume blaster. If Monster.com is a shotgun, this is a nuclear device!

If you want a job, don’t apply to job postings

It only gets you thrown into the black hole known as Human Resources. Their job is to screen out applicants to a reasonable level. This is a case where you want a sniper rifle, not a shotgun. It may seem counterintuitive, but the fewer jobs you pursue the more successful you will be.

11 Step Strategy to Land your Dream Job

Here is my 11 step strategy. It has almost always gotten me the job. Everyone I know that has used it found it to be the easiest job search of their careers.

It may seem like more work, but it isn’t. You put in 10 hours up front and blow away your competition. You impress your future boss. You go in offering a solution to their problems, not asking them to help you with a job.

You also find the “hidden” jobs. The best jobs are filled internally. If they go out to the general public it is because they are required to do so by HR. They already know who they want to hire.

  1. Identify 10 companies you want to work for.
  2. Do basic research on these companies and the industry. Talk to friends. Ask family what they know. Google them. Your goal is to weed it down to 3-5 that are strong candidates.
  3. Now you start the real work. Dig deep into each company. Go to the library and research them. Look up news articles and press releases. Get their annual reports.
  4. Do the same for the industry. You want to be an industry expert.
  5. Research their competition. Know thy enemy…
  6. Get an informational interview with several people in the company. You need to know more about the company and your future boss. You may find you don’t like what you see, and now is the best time to change your mind. Do not try and turn this into a job interview. You need to be honest and be doing research. Often this will lead to an interview. They may ask you back for an official interview, but you are not ready yet. Push it out a few days out so you can get ready.Not only are you gathering info, you are getting to know the management team. You want to go in as a known candidate, not as one of the masses sent by HR. Also, if you meet several people and come across informed and capable, multiple jobs will appear.
  7. Put together your portfolio focusing on how you and your skills will help the company succeed and grow. Things to include:
    • Resume/CV
    • Letters of recommendation: go to family friends, coaches, professors, ministers, etc…
    • certificates of accomplishment
    • diplomas you have earned
    • a copy of your transcript
    • executive summary of the company
    • executive summary of the industry
    • executive summary of the competition
    • summary of the projects you have worked on (listed last because it is the least important thing).
  8. Think of ways you can help the company. Come up with several thoughtful questions about the company and the interviewer. Go through common interview questions and come up with good answers. Practice with friends.
  9. Call your future boss and tell him you love the company. Let him know you have been researching the industry and think you have some ideas to help them ______(fill in the blank with your newfound industry knowledge and info from the informational interviews). Be polite and professional.
  10. Go dressed in a suit. Shine your shoes. Get a hair cut. Look your best.
  11. Send everyone you meet at the company a thank you card. Don’t email, write it out by hand.

Brandt Smith is Senior Editor at Wealth and Wisdom, a website focused on achieving a successful and balanced life. Their advise on wealth, personal finance, personal development, and life balance can help take you to the next level. You can also read more of his thoughts at his blog



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The average person will change careers three to five times in their lifetime.
Are you ready to change yours?

Here are the 3 stages you need to go through to succeed:

1) Plan and Research: The key here is “Know Thyself”. Understand why you are changing careers and what is important to you this time around. Write these things down so you can reread the reasons later. Are you aiming for more money? Less stress? More responsibility? You need to have some idea of the job/career you are aiming for, and then begin the research process. Look into what the job actually requires and what the criteria are for interview. Find out what the career path is within the organisations you are looking at. Make a written plan for your career change process that includes a timeline of when you would expect to actually be starting your job. Remember to consider the financial impact of changing career. Do you need to save for a few months to pay for the downtime or retraining?

2) Retrain and Work for free: Once you know what job you want, it is likely you will need to retrain in some way or get some more experience before you are in paid employment in your new role. Retraining may be full or part-time study or even a correspondence course. Working for free is another way to gain the skills and experience needed. It also gives you an insight into what the job really is, as opposed to what you think it might be. This may involve volunteering for an associated charity, asking to shadow people in that role already or an apprenticeship program. If you have decided that you want to start your own business, then work at it in the evenings and weekends. By keeping the day job, you will put less pressure on yourself and working for free gives you more options while you consider your new career path. Remember you have choices at all stages of the process. You can change courses, or decide on a specialty. Keep your eyes open for opportunities that will appear as you gain more experience in your new field.

3) Commitment and Persistence: Changing your career can be hard work, especially if you are still doing your old job in order to pay for the move. But this is your commitment to yourself and your long term happiness. Your commitment to the process means following your plan even when it gets difficult. Persistence is important as you will find ways to give up otherwise. Surely two hours working on your retraining is worth more than two hours of TV? If you managed that several times a week, you will be well on your way. Reread your reasons to change from step 1. Remember why you need to make the change this time. What will happen if you don’t go through with it this time? Will you still be in the same situation in 6 months?

Joanna Penn is the author of the book “How to Enjoy Your Job”. Packed full of strategies, ideas and tips to help you enjoy your job and your life now! Get your FREE e-workbook from http://www.HowToEnjoyYourJob.com



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One of the issues many individuals face when they are in an established, recurring rhythm is the realization that things seem to stand still. The work starts at the same time every day. The weekly meetings are on the same day each week. The calls to the partners and clients around the globe are pretty much at the same time and often revolve around the same issues. Projects change but the work needed to complete them is repetitive.

Once, or in some cases, twice a year, the performance review is the point in time to reflect and find out if what you have done has put you in a place that allows for advancement, or at least a raise. One of the questions that will be answered in that process is:

Did you achieve the goals we have said since the last review?

If things went half way they always do, that is probably answered with a resounding YES!

Next comes the question:

What has happened that requires changes? (This can be phrased in many different ways and typically aims to mean: What have you done for me (your boss) or the company (the place that pays your paycheck).

Depending on circumstances there either is an opportunity to advance and the discussion might shift to the how and when of it, – and if there isn’t you set the goals for the time till the next review, probably sign a form, and go on with you normal routine.

One of the most important questions isn’t addressed because everybody seems to believe that the dialogue has to happen internally within ourselves. In a nutshell it comes down to:

How you do anything is how you do everything

If you are always on time, prepared, trying to improve yourself, be caring for others, loving to those you have relationships with, oriented towards your goals in harmony with the goals of your family, your employer, and your life, then you are doing everything you can to advance and become a star or Legendary Leader. All you add whenever required is learning of skills you don’t already have. This way you are known to be who you are in every situation, act predictably, and always with your and others goals in mind – forming win-win-win situations.

What are your saying? Did I hear a little bit of: “this isn’t really me they are describing…”

Well, if it’s not (and nobody is perky and great every second of every day), ask yourself: WHY?

The answer is what I said before: How you do anything is how you do everything.

If you want to change and become the person who is chosen, accepted, loved, asked for help, etc. change the way you do things. Start with the small and easy stuff and move forward to bigger and bigger things. The more you do it the more it becomes second nature – and if you want to know if you are doing it right:

Ask those you trust for honest and open feedback!

They will appreciate it and you will not only know what worked so far, but receive wonderful advice on how you can do even better – often faster then you think.

Now you know: How come nothing changes?

Take the first step to do something different and everything will start to get better, unless you are one of the few among us who already do everything the way they do anything in a successful, loving, caring and meaningful way. In that case, keep doing what you’re doing and let other participate in your success.

If, on the other hand, you are frustrated, like 84% of respondents in a recent poll, then take a first step and play to your strength. To find out what they are, performing an assessment is a good first step. You can also get a coach who will guide you to discover your goals, your ambitions, and your strength. This will pave a way to a better future. It will be fun, enjoyable and open completely new ways of life for you.

Axel Meierhoefer is an experienced performance coach, author, educator, consultant, and the founder of Axel Meierhoefer Consulting LLC (AMC LLC). His motto is” Helping others help themselves achieve success”. If you would like to get his latest FREE special report go to http://www.meierhoefer.net/special or send an email to AM@Meierhoefer.net



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When you leave a job after having had a demanding manager, you may feel like you just took off a tight pair of shoes. What a relief!

Even if you have been laid off and you are not sure what your next step is there can be a feeling of freedom.

Being accountable to someone else is constraining. You can’t just do anything you want. You must do it the manager’s way and in the manager’s time frame. Sometimes you are in synch with him or her but sometimes not. Often the pressure of producing it fast is unrealistic and stressful. Hence the relief!

That is not to say that there is no anger, disappointment and fear that comes with being laid off. It is natural to feel this too. People often need time to recover after the trauma of being laid off because they do feel so upset and discouraged. They must learn to deal with those emotions and that can take some time.

On the other hand finding a new job takes time too and so the faster you can adjust to your new situation and put your anger and fear aside the better off you will be.

Initially being accountable to only yourself does feel freeing. But eventually reality sets in and you will need to figure out how to motivate yourself to take some steps forward. How do you do it?

The first step is to set some goals. What is it you really want to do? Since you probably have fear around being out of work for a length of time as well as a desire to find a better job, a good place to start is to set some goals for making contacts and meeting people that can help you to find that better job.

While taking action and developing relationships will make you feel better, it still may be difficult to do. Days with no agenda may be welcome in the beginning. There is no boss to complain if you don’t reach out to your network in a reasonable amount of time and it is so easy to forgive yourself for not moving. (“I’m still upset.” “I need a rest.” “I can wait until Monday.”)

When you find you are procrastinating and finding a million other things to do instead of working on your goals, one way to move forward is to enlist the aid of a colleague or friend. Ask that person to become your accountability partner so that you can move forward. Share your goals and tell them your time line.

Making a commitment to that person and to yourself is a public promise to get moving. Your friend is acting as your manager. (There is a reason for managers!)

I’ve been talking about people out of work up to now but this is equally important if you are working long hours in a job. Whether you are love your work or are miserable in the position, I recommend that everyone work on his or her career a few hours a week.

Here again an accountability partner can be invaluable. Having your boss do this is not a good idea. Managers have agendas (They usually want you to stay where you are.) and their plans may or may not align with yours. Instead choose someone else with whom you are comfortable to help you and make this career work time a priority.

Where do you find an accountability partner? Ideally you’ll know someone who also needs an accountability partner so you can help each other. If you don’t know anyone like that, then a friend with whom you have shared your career frustration and/or highlights would work.

Finally of course people hire coaches to work with them for this purpose. Accountability coaches can help you to set realistic goals and then make you accountable for attaining them.

Coaches are trained to help clients to overcome the obstacles. They are unbiased partners who hold your vision of your next career move. So in addition to having an accountability partner who supports you and your goals you also have someone skilled in working with clients who want a partner who sees the vision and hears the obstacles to success. The coach will guide you through the challenges toward the dream.

Take Action

1. What are your current career goals? Write them down. Is there a time and date you plan to get them done? Would an accountability partner be helpful?

2. Make a list of possible accountability partners? (This could be helpful even if you don’t want to have one right now. You might listen for opportunities to help the people on your list with their goals so that when you need them they will be available to do the same for you.)

3. Read Getting Things Done by David Allen.

4. http://www.asparker.com/rts0907.html for other ideas about getting your career goals accomplished.

About Alvah Parker

Alvah Parker is a Practice Advisor (The Attorneys’ Coach) and a Career Changers’ Coach as well as publisher of Parker’s Points, an email tip list and Road to Success, an ezine. Subscribe now to these free monthly publications at her website http://www.asparker.com/samples.html Parker’s Value Program© enables her clients to find their own way to work that is more fulfilling and profitable. Her clients are attorneys and people in transition who want to find work that is in line with their own life purpose. Alvah is found on the web at http://www.asparker.com She may also be reached at 781-598-0388.



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Are you an executive in the job market? It’s been my experience that executive-level job changers seem to have the most difficult time out in the job market. They tell me things like “I have never had to look for a job before” or “I just don’t know where to start”.

To receive multiple, high quality interviews for key executive positions you must have a clear plan, followed by a significant level of market exposure. Here are several highly effective techniques and resources to get your phone ringing in no time:

Directly Contacting Companies

Did you know approximately 80% of key positions are filled before they are ever advertised? Contacting companies and their respective decision makers is a great way to gain in roads and initiate discussions that lead to interviews. Better yet, contact companies who are in a growth mode. Want to add some rocket fuel to that? Introduce a value proposition to help them in their growth mode. Are you a turnaround or start up expert? Send your resume to venture capital firms.

Recruiters

Recruiters can be very helpful if you plan to remain in the same industry and/or function. And since recruiters are generally driven by industry vs. geography, don’t forget to connect with those recruiters that match your industry, but may be out of State.

Online

There ARE benefits to searching on line as long as you aren’t spending hours and hours each week surfing for that lone executive job! Save yourself a whole lot of time and use a combination of job aggregators and niche executive job boards to locate senior level jobs quickly and easily.

Career marketing expert and nationally certified professional resume writer, Mary Elizabeth Bradford is “The Career Artisan”. Mary Elizabeth delivers simple ways for career seekers to focus on, find and land the job they want. For free articles and to sign up for her free tele-seminar “5 simple steps to focus on, find and land your dream job – starting today” visit http://www.maryelizabethbradford.com



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Why are you looking for job hunting info? Because you want to be successful in getting a job. Not any job, no. You want to get the job that you have chosen; the job that you consider to offer you the things you want in life. Because you want to capitalise on the years spent educating yourself, or the years spent improving your knowledge and experience in a particular branch of business.

The fact that you are looking proves you are on the right track. Investing time and maybe money, however little, means you are still willing to learn and you want to achieve something.

During the last thirty years I must have read thousands of job applications, carried out thousands of job interviews and in the course of doing so, I have given many an applicant advice to help them with future applications. And of course there are the experiences during my own job interviews, some of which have cost me dearly, thank goodness those are not too many.

Ultimately you are the only one who can decide what you want to do and whether you are qualified to do what you want to do, or at least, whether you are on your way towards qualification.

Questions

While you are thinking about the job you’d like, there are some questions you must ask yourself. These questions and the answers point you in the direction you think to go to get that job.

So, rule 1 is ask the questions; “Where am I?”, “What do I want?” And there are more than two answers to those two questions. Life is not easy.

What job do you want?

Ultimately you are the only one who can decide what you want to do and whether you are qualified to do what you want to do, or at least, whether you are on your way towards qualification.

More Questions

While you are thinking about the job, there are some questions you must ask yourself.

A couple of examples: What is my level of experience? Do I need new expertise? Do I want to be, a manager or a doer?

Where are the best jobs?

The best jobs for you should be at the best location for you. The location where you want to work. The description “Best Job” covers of course more than the actual work and pay; it describes the total situation which is going to affect your life in a positive way.

In large countries many people are in the luxurious position of having a wide range of work locations to choose from. And in Europe things are wide open these days; the only threshold will be the language.

If you like to ski then you can see if there are any suitable companies close to ski resorts. Do you like scuba-diving then go for the coast. Remember, it is your life and your future!

In fact you are matching your own situation to the place you would most like to be. There can be many more personal reasons to take into account, so when you are ready to start, get some paper and brainstorm your own list. Like how many theatres, cinemas, schools. How is public transport? Are there sporting facilities? And the climate? These are just a couple of the things you need to know.

The decision you have to make, before you start even thinking about applying for a job, is whether you, and your family, really want to move.

I have interviewed people who have said they would rather be unemployed in their hometown than start a career elsewhere! Don’t waste people’s time.

If you are not willing to relocate then do not apply for jobs which are located where you do not want to live!

Pay a visit if you are in a position to do so, spend a few days in the area you would like to work. This will give you the chance to get a feel for the place and its inhabitants. Spend a few hours, or even days wandering round having a look at what they have to offer. And talk to the local taxi-drivers. They know a lot!

Future articles will discuss things like application letters, interviews, c.v.’s and more, thanks for reading.

Mike Hayes

More info about job position analysis here Opens in a new window.

My home site Opens in a new window.



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At A Glance
Traditional Indian medicine has a 5000-year-old history and has been used by millions, while modern medicine is merely 150 years old.

Although traditional medicine cannot replace modern medicine as far as diagnosis, investigation and emergency care are concerned, certain ‘alternative’ systems which focus on overall health, have shown remarkable and swift results even in chronic illnesses like diabetes, leucoderma, cancer as well as hard to cure diseases like arthritis, asthma and even AIDS.

Until recently, traditional medical systems were considered obscure, esoteric and shrouded in mysticism. But now the healing methods of the East are not only gaining acceptance not just as an alternative line of treatment, but are also being integrated into mainstream healthcare as complementary systems.

Ayurveda
Ayurveda, literally meaning the science of life, aims at healing the individual as a whole, instead of merely at the molecular level. This ancient healing system is based on the theory that everything is composed of panchamahabhutas, or the five basic elements (akaash, jal, vayu, agni, dharti). The main source of our knowledge of Ayurveda is the Atharva Veda, which dates back to around 1200 BC.

Siddha
The basic principles and doctrines of Siddha are similar to those of Ayurveda. The human body is considered a conglomeration of three humors, seven body tissues and waste products. Proper consistency of these constituents in the body ensures good health.

Unani
The Unani system of medicine originated in Greece during 460-377 BC, and was brought to India by the Arabs and Persians. Unani medicine is based on the ‘humoral theory’ (relating to four bodily fluids) with each humor leading to a specific temperament in a human being. The Unani system makes use of plants, minerals and animal products as curative agents to re-establish the person’s original humoral constitution.

Naturopathy
Popularly referred to as the drug-less treatment of diseases, Naturopathy is based on the practice of applying the simple laws of nature to cure diseases. It pays particular attention to balanced dietary and living habits, adopting purificatory measures, and using natural techniques such as hydrotherapy, cold packs, mud packs, baths (water, oil & sun), massage, etc.

Yoga
Elements of yoga have been used in traditional Indian medicine for thousands of years, though yoga therapy in its present form is a mere 80 years old – created by the marriage of traditional yoga with modern medicine. Yogic therapy comprises a wide range of mind/body practices, ranging from postural and breathing exercises to deep relaxation and meditation for promoting positive health and well-being as well as helping particular medical conditions.

Homeopathy
Homeopathy lays emphasis on strengthening the immune system and curing like with like. Homeopathy today enjoys wide acceptability, both here and abroad, because of its holistic and intrinsic values, the low cost of medication coupled with ease of administration and absence of toxic side effects. An indication of its popularity lies in the fact that the best homeopathic medicines are manufactured by German and American companies. In India there are over 1.5 lakh qualified homeopaths.

Tibetan Medicine
This ancient system of medicine recognises three forms of energy in the body — flame, wind and bile. An imbalance of these energies in any organ leads to illness. Inherent in the medicinal tradition is the use of precious pills made of herbs and other natural substances and prescribed according to the calendar.

Reiki
Reiki practitioners believe that we are born with a certain level of energy, which gets depleted through our daily activities. If the energy is depleted at a rate faster than it can be replenished, it leads to ill health. Reiki attempts to increase the overall energy stores of the body by activating the seven chakras.

Chiropracty
Chiropracty is a 5000-year-old non-invasive, non-surgical approach for managing ortho-neuro-skeletal disorders, problems of the spine and other chronic disorders by restoring normal body function. Circumventing surgery (in most cases) cuts down recovery time and cost of treatment virtually by half. Chiropracty is quite popular in countries like USA, UK, Australia and Germany.

S.C. Mishra is a well-known Career Counsellor. His areas of expertise include such things as counseling in Careers in Medicine, Careers in IT, Careers in Beauty Therapy and much more. A professional all-rounder, he has written a book on Jobs in India and a Blog – on India Job Site.



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