10 quick steps to find a job fast

Here's a quick list to secure a job fast.

1. Job applications and interviews are NEVER the right places to be humorous. One man's meat is another man's offensive innuendo.

2. Build a network and reputation. Surveys have shown high percentage of job hunters find work through means other than responding to job advertisements. Let your network know you are looking.

3. Research any possible job to the point where you can accurately describe what you would be doing in the role hour by hour throughout a typical and an unusual day. Use newspapers, the web, your contacts, your contacts' contacts and contacts included in the ad.

4. Spend a week (yes a week) putting together a powerful CV. Ensure it includes a ratio of two achievements for each job responsibility listed. Include pithy/bullet point statements that explicitly tell a story of your achievements that increases the fit with the job requirements.

5. Write a series of stories "about a time when" that showcase your work-relevant achievements and aim to produce at least four such stories for each job requirement your research or the ad say are important. Include one or more on the CV and memorise the remainder for the interview.

6. Tailor each CV precisely to the job advertised. Follow my golden rules of fit: if it increases the fit between you and the job, include it on the CV and say it in the interview; if it decreases the fit, omit it from the CV and don't discuss it in the interview.

7. For the interview, dress one level smarter than the typical dress levels your research has shown is the norm in the workplace. Ensure hair, nails, odour, piercings and tattoos are under control/under wraps.

8. Ensure you know your CV inside out and have practised your stories. Listen carefully to questions asked in interviews and do not hesitate to ask for clarification. Make eye contact with all the people interviewing you. Always have a question to ask at the end of the interview. A real cheat is to ask, "You talked about X, can you tell me a little more about that please?"

9. Manage your referees by selecting only those who will support you. In turn, support them with an up-to-date CV and job description. Ask their permission and whether they'll be supportive before providing their details.

10. Be concerned about your reputation - it is your career. That means managing your public profile by limiting Facebook material to close friends or information you'd be happy for a boss to see. Get a LinkedIn profile. Put up a CV with MyCareer. Keep in touch and make yourself useful to people in your network. Continue to build your network.

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* Highest paying job in the United States 2010
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Top 5 Careers That Make The Most Money

Recent surveys show that a lot of people are itching to find new jobs and human resource managers are expecting a lot of movement - both signs that employers may need to sweeten the pot. The only problem is that there is a lot of skilled workers but less job openings. Blame it on the poor global economy.

Anyway, below is a list of in-demand workers in top five arenas.

Accounting

In the US, those who have a few years of corporate auditing experience working for a large public accounting firm can negotiate a sweet package for themselves when they change jobs.

That applies whether they're leaving the accounting firm to go work for a corporation or if they're seeking to return to the public accounting firm from an auditing job at an individual company.

College graduates with an accounting degree but not yet a CPA designation might make between $35,000 and $45,000 a year, or up to $50,000 in large cities like New York. After a couple of years they can command a substantial pay hike if they move to large company as an internal staff auditor or to a smaller company as controller. At that point, their salary can jump to anywhere from $50,000 to $75,000.

The expectation is that they will obtain their CPA designation.

If they choose to return to a public accounting firm as an audit manager after a couple of years at a corporation they can earn a salary of $70,000 to $85,000.

Sales and marketing

The healthcare and biomedical fields offer some handsome earnings opportunities for those on the business side.

Business development directors, product managers and associate product managers working for medical device makers, for instance, can do quite well for themselves if they develop a successful track record managing the concept, execution and sales strategy for a medical device before jumping ship.

Typically, they have an MBA in marketing plus at least two to three years' experience on the junior end to between five and eight years' experience at the more senior levels. That experience ideally will be in the industry where they're seeking work.

An associate product manager might make a base salary of $55,000 to $75,000. A product manager can make a base of $75,000 to $95,000, while a business development director may make $120,000 to $160,000. Those salaries don't include bonuses.

The business development director seeking a vice president position could boost his base to between $150,000 to $200,000 -- depending on whether the new company is a risky start-up or established device maker.

Legal

Intellectual property attorneys specializing in patent law and the legal secretaries who have experience helping to prepare patent applications are highly desirable these days.

The most in demand are those lawyers with not only a J.D. but also an advanced degree in electrical and mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, biotechnology, pharmacology or computer science.

Even those patent lawyers who just have an undergraduate degree in those fields have a leg up.

Patent lawyers working for a law firm might make $125,000 to $135,000 to start or about $90,000 if they work for a corporation that's trying to get a patent or to protect one they already have. With a couple of years' experience, they can expect a 10 percent jump or better when they get another job.

Legal secretaries, meanwhile, might make $65,000 at a law firm or $55,000 at a corporation. Should they choose to move to a new employer, they can command close to a 10 percent bump in pay.

Technology

Two tech jobs in high demand these days are .NET (dot net) developers and quality assurance analysts.

Developers who are expert users of Microsoft's software programming language .NET can make between $75,000 and $85,000 a year in major cities. If they pursue a job at a company that seeks someone with a background in a given field (say, a firm looking for a .NET developer experienced in using software related to derivatives) they might snag a salary hike of 15 percent or more when they switch jobs.

Those who work in software quality management, meanwhile, might make $65,000 to $75,000 a year and be able to negotiate a 10 percent to 15 percent jump in pay if they switch jobs.

Manufacturing and engineering

Despite all the announced job cuts in the automotive industry, quality and process engineers, as well as plant managers certified in what's known as "Lean Manufacturing" techniques, are hot commodities.

The same applies to professionals in similar positions at other types of manufacturers.

One Lean Manufacturing technique is to use video cameras to capture the manufacturing process. A quality engineer will analyze the tapes to identify areas in the process that create inefficiencies or excess waste, both in terms of materials and workers' time.

Process and manufacturing engineers might make between $65,000 and $75,000. With a certification in lean manufacturing and a few years' experience, they can command pay hikes of between 15 percent and 20 percent if they choose to switch jobs.

Recommended reading:
* Top 10 Jobs That Make The Most Money


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Top 10 Fastest-Growing Jobs For Women

With the US unemployment rate stuck at a disturbing 9.5%, millions of Americans are contemplating a career change, especially the ladies.

For the women who are looking for jobs in fields that are growing, here's a helping hand. Researcher Laurence Shatkin, author of Best Jobs for the 21st Century, analyzed Bureau of Labor Statistics data to determine the fastest-growing jobs for women. Using job-growth projections from 2008 to 2018, and factoring in fields that are comprised of 70% or more women, he came up with a list of the top 20 jobs that will be in demand over the next 10 years, and are particularly attractive to women interested in job flexibility.

Below is the top 10 Fastest-Growing Jobs For Women for 2010

1. Home Health Aides

Projected Growth by 2018: 50.0%
Women in this Position: 88.0%
Median Annual Wage: $20,500

2. Skin Care Specialists

Projected Growth by 2018: 37.8%
Women in this Position: 78.6%
Median Annual Wage: $28,500

3. Athletic Trainers

Projected Growth by 2018: 36.9%
Women in this Position: 88.9%
Median Annual Wage: $41,500

4. Physical Therapist Aides

Projected Growth by 2018: 36.3%
Women in this Position: 78.6%
Median Annual Wage: $24,000

5. Dental Hygienists

Projected Growth by 2018: 36.1%
Women in this Position: 96.1%
Median Annual Wage: $67,500

6. Veterinary Technologists and Technicians

Projected Growth by 2018: 35.8%
Women in this Position: 77.6%
Median Annual Wage: $29,500

7. Dental Assistants

Projected Growth by 2018: 35.7%
Women in this Position: 96.7%
Median Annual Wage: $33,000

8. Medical Assistants

Projected Growth by 2018: 33.9%
Women in this Position: 90.4%
Median Annual Wage: $28,500

9. Physical Therapist Assistants

Projected Growth by 2018: 33.3%
Women in this Position: 78.6%
Median Annual Wage: $48,500

10. Occupational Therapist Aides

Projected Growth by 2018: 30.6%
Women in this Position: 77.8%
Median Annual Wage: $25,500

Recommended reading:
* Highest paying job in the United States 2010
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* Top 10 Best Jobs for 2010



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Highest paying job in the United States 2010

Now you know why your parents always wanted you to be a doctor. Medical professions, including oral surgeons and orthodontists, dominated the government's latest list of the top-paying jobs in America. The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released its summary of American jobs and salaries in 2009. Overall, the average annual salary across all professions in the U.S. was $43,460 -- an median hourly rate of just $15.95. Which jobs were the most lucrative last year? Check out the top-paying jobs in 2010.

10. Psychiatrists: $163,660
9. CEO: $167,280
8. Family & General Practitioners: $168,500
7. Physicians & Surgeons: $173,860
6. Internists: $183,990
5. Obstetricians and Gynecologists: $204,470
4. Orthodontists: $206,190
3. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons: $210,700
2. Anesthesiologists: $211,750
1. Surgeons: $219,770

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