Resume Tips and Career Advice

The tradition of checking out early on Friday afternoons, especially in the summer months, is still going strong in many offices, but it's a habit that has started to annoy some bosses as layoffs and cut-backs have left companies running leaner even while the recession makes business so much more competitive.

But although early Fridays might not always be great for business they offer something valuable to staff: extra time off to recharge and the feeling that they're getting something back in exchange for all their hard work. But is the trade-off worth it? Some bosses are banning half-day Fridays in an effort to boost productivity while others are continuing to support the tradition for the very same reason. It's a conundrum with no easy answer.

How do Fridays work at your office? Has anything changed due to the recession?

Make sure your profile is 100% complete Krista Canfield, a LinkedIn spokesperson, says that members with complete profiles are 40 times more likely to get offered new opportunities.
Build your connections There are all kinds of opinions out there on how many connections are ideal but most seem to agree that 20-25 is the bare minimum. Why? It shows you use the service at least somewhat regularly and have moved beyond just your circle of close friends and immediate family.
Make sure you include a picture It makes your profile more personable, shows that you're comfortable and confident with who you are, and there's really no good excuse not to have one if you're honestly trying to build relationships and trust.
Don't treat your profile like a resume or CV but instead like an introduction of yourself, or even an advertisement. What do you do? How to do you help? What makes you special? Save your list of past positions and itemized experiences for your actual resume.

"Training doesn't create jobs," is what Ross Eisenbrey, a job training expert at the Economic Policy Institute, says in response to the overwhelming number of workers who are still finding themselves stuck in an unemployment rut even after going back and completing extra job training. Eisenbrey goes on to say "It's such an ugly problem that job training can't solve it."

All the training in the world can't land you a job that doesn't exist, but that doesn't mean job training is totally useless. The key is to do your research before enrolling in a program so you're directing your efforts to where the jobs are. Health care and technology are usually safe bets but you can find out exactly which industries are doing the most hiring in your area and what kind of training will yield the best results by checking with local workforce development and job training programs.

What experience have you had with job training, success or disappointment?

Goldman Sachs has issued a warning to its employees (all 34,000+ of them) that swearing and profane language in company emails is not okay and will no longer be tolerated. The crackdown was prompted in part by one infamous email written by Thomas Montag in 2007 that was used as evidence in a Senate hearing and contained the sentence "[B]oy, that timberwo[l]f was one s- deal." That's hardly the only example of profanity in company communication, though, as swear words and vulgar language are surprisingly commonplace among Wall Street execs.

I knew they were amoral and greedy but I had no idea they were so unprofessional. Letting a swear word slip during a casual conversation with a colleague is one thing, but typing one out in an email? That's just immature.

Goldman Sachs has installed screening software to enforce the new "sanitized communications policy" and even naughty words spelled out using asterisks and other symbols will be off-limits. What are your thoughts on this issue, should it be okay to swear at work or not?

What's more likely to cause a job-seeker to take a break from the search, a lack of progress or an encouraging interview? Apparently positive reinforcement doesn't serve to spur more action in the unemployed but less, as a study by the University of Minnesota found that people actively looking for work are more likely to "take a day off" from the hunt the day after a good interview than the day after a bad one.

Surprised? Maybe not, as it's not a new idea that after an interview goes well the instinct is to wait and see what happens. But surprising or not, letting up on your job search after every encouraging experience will surely slow your progress.

When it comes building a career the internet can be your best friend or your worst nightmare. Avoid these 5 mistakes and make sure it serves you for good, not evil.

• Venting, inappropriate comments, and questionable photos In one survey 79% of employers and job recruiters reported reviewing online information before hiring and of those 70% rejected applicants because of what they found. Before you post anything online consider that your boss or potential boss might read it.
• Spreading yourself too thin Although an active online presence can be a helpful tool, trying to be involved in everything everywhere will only water down your image and frustrate employers when they find nothing but stagnant, outdated, or incomplete profiles. Focus on a few choice sites and keep them up well.
• Failing to network Why bother building an online presence if you're not going to use it? If you're in the hunt for a new job let people know -- many high paying jobs are never posted but are filled instead via word of mouth and referrals.
• Adding anyone and everyone as a contact Quality beats quantity when it comes to who you associate with online and you never know how your contacts might be interpreted or utilized by others -- what if a potential employers reaches out to one of your contacts to inquire about you? Can you trust everyone on your list to give a positive and useful response?
• Doing too much online Online networking is great but when it comes to building relationships and finding a job don't neglect the real world or you could miss out .

When it comes to getting a job your resume is your first (and usually only) chance to make a good first impression, plus many employers have so many qualified applicants they're ready to take any excuse to whittle the list. Make sure your resume isn't secretly making you look bad by proofreading it for these common spell check misses.

They're vs Their vs There
They're = A contraction between "they" and "are" "They're going out."
Their = Indicates possession (plural) "Their shoes are wet."
There = Refers to distance "Go over there."

It's vs Its
It's = A contraction between "it" and "is" "It's hot outside."
Its = Indicates possession "Floating across its surface."

Than vs Then
Than = Refers to a comparison "I'm taller than you."
Then = Used to indicate a subsequent event "I went then you went."

You're vs Your
You're = A contraction between "You" and "are" "You're forgetting something."
Your = Indicates possession "Your memory is poor."

Affect vs Effect
Affect = A verb "It affected everyone."
Effect = A noun "It had a serious effect."

Even if you already know what all these words mean and how they're different you could still easily use the wrong one in a sentence if you're distracted or trying to multitask (and when is that not the case?). It's more than worth your time to give your resume a second, third, or even a fourth read-through just to be sure.

When it comes to acing an interview dressing the part is no joke, especially in today's competitive job market.

Wardrobe Keep it classic and a little serious to convey that you mean business. Traditional colors like black, gray, and navy work well and always err on the conservative side when it comes to skirt length, neckline, etc. Also be sure to cover any tattoos or piercings.

Accessories Add personality to your look with a few well chosen accessories. A signature piece that's cute but not over-the-top, like a unique necklace or thin beaded headband, can help set you apart from the crowd -- but keep the rest of your accessories simple, flattering, and sparse.

Hair Choose a style that's flattering and simple. You want to look sleek and pulled together but not necessarily sexy. Also twirling, flipping, or otherwise fidgeting with your hair during an interview can make you look unprofessional and insecure, so if you tend to play with your hair when nervous consider pulling it into a stylish low ponytail.

Makeup Again, keep it simple. Avoid dark lipstick, eye liner, and mascara and opt instead for subtle neutrals that enhance your features and give you a healthy, energetic glow.

Despite stereotypes, making money doesn't have to mean dealing with loads of stress. If you're in the market for a new career path here are three that pay well while providing relatively low-stress environments.

Physical Therapy PTs are rarely out of work thanks to being part of the ever-busy medical field, enjoy flexible schedules, and aren't expected to work overnights like nurses and doctors. Plus they can make as much as $50,000-$105,000/year.

Computer Software Engineering Software engineers design and test various computer programs and games. Because their work can be done from anywhere there's a computer they often work from home and can make upwards of $100,000 per year.

Technical Writer As technology takes over the world the need for people who can translate all the high-tech mumbo jumbo into something understandable is growing faster than ever. Technology writers enjoy plenty of work and, like software engineers, the ability to work from their location of choice while earning up to $100,000 a year.

In February of this year the number of people who voluntarily quit their jobs outnumbered those who got fired or layed off for the first time in 15 months, marking the end of the longest streak since the Bureau of Labor Statistics started tracking ten years ago. So why the sudden switch? Experts cite two causes: first the turn-over that naturally happens when people move on to explore new opportunities and further their careers was put on hold due to the recession, and second the lay-offs and penny-pinching measures that many companies adopted during the recession has caused low morale and high job dissatisfaction. Basically the recession caused a backlog of dissatisfied, unhappy employees waiting for the even the slightest improvement in the market to signal it's okay to finally strike out and try something new.

It's a trend that will likely continue as confidence builds and people feel they have options -- in a strange twist of logic the more business improves the more people will be quitting their jobs.