Difficulty landing a job

For over a year and a half now, my place of employment has been laying people off on a fairly steady basis. It has finally caught up to me; last Friday was my last day there. That is why this article caught my attention when I was looking for blog ideas. The article gives 10 reasons you may not be chosen for a job. The most valuable characteristics an employer looks for in a person is the ability to multitask, showing initiative, and creative problem solving. The 1st reason they list is lying. Everything you put on your resume can be checked, 57% of employers will automatically trash that resume. That sounds about right to me, what is the point in hiring a person who is going to lie? If you have an area of concern, the article says to use a cover letter to tell your story. The second reason a potential employee can be dismissed is having a potty mouth. An employee should refrain from saying negative things about a previous employer. Next is long term potential. When an employer asks where you see yourself in 5 years, he wants to hear that you have thought of your future in that company. Digital dirt comes in as number four. Be sure the employer can't find incriminating photos or content via the internet, which has become a common way to look up potential employees. Not knowing the company is fifth item on this list. Just as the company can check up on you; you should do your own homework on the company. Acting cocky or plain uninterested can also cost you a job at number seven. Number eight says that you should not bring up salary before the employer does. Ninth on the list says you need to be able to give examples of your accomplishments as proof of your ability to help the company in some way. The final reason a person may loose a job is lack of experience, or lack of proof of experience. A manager wants a person who isn't going to need as much training.

If you have sent dozens of resumes to no avail, or have had dozens of interviews, and still have no job, here's what you can do. This sight gives an overview of the interviewers position, selecting jobs right for you, going back over your resume, how to dress, and information about interviews. There is even a part that, seems to me, encourages stalking employers on Twitter.

A clip from The Washington Post, says that the economy is still too weak and fragile to be hiring on any large scale. Even though the layoff rate has decreased, 85,000 net jobs were lost in December 2009. Economists believe that the unchanging unemployment rate is due to the "hundreds of thousands of frustrated workers" who have given up looking for a new job. The Democrats, in fear of citizens turning back to the Republicans, are working hard on creating jobs. A 2.3 billion dollar tax credit for renewable energy, which should create 17,000 jobs, and 154 billion dollar jobs bill are a couple of their plans for renewal.

With about 8 million Americans without a job, there is a lot of competition out there. No wonder finding a job is so difficult, unless of course you want to ask "Would you like to super size that?" Good luck paying bills with that money!