Your Interview Toolkit.

You've gotten the call you've been waiting for: your employer of choice wants an in-person interview. You've thoroughly studied the company and its people, the competition and the overall industry. You have answers to those tough interview questions at the ready. You know your resume like it's second nature. You've even memorized the questions (or types of questions) you intend to ask the interviewer. You are all set. 

Now, don't forget to remember the little things.

• Plan your travel so that you arrive for the interview 10 to 15 minutes in advance.
• Get enough sleep the night before. Turn off the television, turn off the computer, turn off your iPhone/Android/Blackberry (or at least, turn it on mute), turn off the lights, turn off your brain and get some rest.
• Select and lay out your clothes and shoes the day before your interview. Believe it or not, this little task will relieve a lot of stress as you get ready on the day of your interview.
• Make sure you take at least 2 copies of your resume and your references sheet. Also, remember to have a copy of the job description.
• Take some business cards. (On old cards, be sure to cross out and replace your contact information.)
• Have 2 pens (just in case), some cash (you never know what may come up in your travels), a small umbrella (even if there's not cloud in the sky), mints (fresh breath counts), tissues, and a comb or brush (last minute grooming is a plus).
• Remember to turn your mobile phone off before you go into the interview.

Finally, take energy, confidence, peace of mind and a smile into the room, and have a great interview.

Go get your job.

Go Get The Job You Love.

"Work is about a search for daily meaning as well as daily bread, for recognition as well as cash, for astonishment rather than torpor; in short, for a sort of life rather than a Monday through Friday sort of dying."
                                               --Studs Turkel

The Go Get Your Job crew really appreciates this quote. We think it's important to have a job, to do work that makes you feel valued. It's just as important to value the work you do--which is why we say go get YOUR job versus just getting any job. Take a few moments to consider what you love to do, what you are passionate about--consider the kind of work you would do for free, then find out if there is a way for you to get paid to do that work.

With just a little research, we came across some fun and quite unusual jobs. Forbes.com published an article listing five different jobs for which people are actually getting paid:

• Professional TV Watcher
• Professional Video Game Tester
• Professional Blogger (to be sure, our team will be looking into this one)
• Professional Taste Tester
• Island Caretaker 

An Internet search for unusual jobs revealed work such as, Barbie Dress Designer, Military Role Players, Truffle Hunter, Snake Milker, Furniture Tester, Golf Ball Diver, Greeting Card Writer, and other uncommon jobs. Sites like Coolworks.com and Funjobs.com can give you more ideas about the job possibilities.
Job-hunting is undoubtedly serious business, but it doesn't hurt to occasionally daydream a little and ponder the possibility of working at a job you love.

Our wish is that everyone finds that golden combination of work that provides "daily meaning as well as daily bread." Go Get YOUR Job.

Free Career Guides from the Federal Government

As you're plotting your course towards your next job, consider utilizing the free resources paid for with some of your hard-earned tax dollars. Today, we'll mention just two of the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publications, available for free online, that you might find helpful. 

The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) publishes data and information for hundreds of careers, e.g., nurses, engineers, bus drivers, advertising sales agents, logging workers, etc., etc. For each of these job areas, the OOH provides information about the nature of the work, training and qualifications needed, employment prospects, earnings and wages and other related information. To access this handbook, go to http://www.bls.gov/oco/.

The BLS also publishes the Career Guide to Industries (CGI) which provides information about careers available in different industries. As a companion to the OOH, the CGI tells readers about the nature of the industry, working conditions, job prospects, earnings, etc. The guide also links to information about the job market in each state. The CGI can be found at http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/. 

Green Career Information

The Green Jobs staff within the Employment Projections program produces career information on green jobs. The information available for occupations includes: wages, expected job prospects, what workers do on the job, working conditions, and necessary education, training, and credentials.
Remember to take advantage of useful free stuff, like these resources, to help you get your next job.

2012 Year in Review: U.S. Jobs By the Numbers.

Here are last year's (2012) monthly employment data as initially reported by ADP and by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from the Department of Labor.

ADP National                                                               Dept. of Labor
Employment Report                                                     Nonfarm Employment
(Private Sector)                                                   
Calendar Year 2012                                                     Calendar Year 2012
Jan--110,921                                                                Jan--243,000
Feb--111,215                                                                Feb--227,000
Mar--111,344                                                                Mar--120,000
Apr--111,496                                                                Apr--115,000
May--111,596                                                               May--69,000
Jun--111,683                                                                Jun--80,000
Jul--111,811                                                                 Jul--163,000
Aug--111,884                                                               Aug--96,000
Sep--111,989                                                               Sep--114,000
Oct--112,137                                                                Oct--171,000
Nov--112,413                                                               Nov--146,000
Dec--112,622                                                               Dec--155,000


While the ADP data shows a slow but steady rise in private sector employment during the course of 2012, the U.S. government's nonfarm labor reports showed a year of ups and downs, though there seemed to be some rebounding at the end of 2012. We're all hoping 2013 presents a steadily rising jobs picture.

Just the numbers this time around, from Go Get Your Job!