AOL Jobs

Internships Clouded by Increasing Controversy

Barbara Safani — 2011-06-07T06:56:00+00:00

These days, going to college and getting that coveted degree may not be enough to land your dream career. The job market is so saturated with competition that internships can be a critical step toward getting an entry-level job.

Find Your Chakra, Find Your Career

Barbara Safani — 2011-06-06T02:06:00+00:00

The concept of chakras originates from ancient Hindu texts. The chakra model describes seven reference points in the body, organized around the nervous system, says Teresa Palmer, owner of Wellness Without Boundaries. Each chakra corresponds to a vital organ in the body and has associated emotional characteristics.

The chakras are believed to be energy-generating, working to help keep our body in balance and thereby promoting physical and emotional well-being.

Ten Top Resume Writing Books

Barbara Safani — 2011-06-02T15:12:00+00:00

Need help writing your resume? If you consider yourself a "do-it-yourself-er" there are a lot of great books on the market that can help you craft a compelling and visually distinct document. Here are a few of my favorites.

1. Resume Magic

Filled with "before and after" resume examples that not only teach the author's special method, but also show why they work. "Resume Magic" divulges the secrets of better resume writing from an expert with more than a decade of experience producing powerful, effective resumes.

How to Make Up to $19/Hour Before You Get Your College Degree

Barbara Safani — 2011-05-31T13:01:00+00:00

Want to earn close to $19 per hour while you are still a college student? Some students are doing just that. According to a recently released survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), college juniors pursuing a bachelor's degree in engineering can receive $18.90 per hour as an intern. Other students with technical, quantitative, and scientific majors can also expect to earn at the higher end of the internship wage spectrum with hourly salaries between $17.85 and $18.90.

Get in Shape for Summer Without Ever Leaving Your Desk [Video]

Barbara Safani — 2011-05-24T04:04:00+00:00

Does your work keep you chained to your desk most of the day? Is it hard to find the time or energy to exercise before or after work, or on your lunch hour? AOL Jobs recently spoke to Stephanie Mansour, CEO of Step It Up With Steph. She is the creator of the Cubicle Crunch -- a series of stretches and exercises that you can do at your desk to get in shape.

Here are the top 10 exercises:

Ask an Expert: Top 5 Questions About Thank-You Letters

Barbara Safani — 2011-05-23T21:15:00+00:00

AOL Jobs readers frequently send in questions about thank you letters. Here are answers to our readers' top 5 questions.

Is the Grass Greener at Green Companies?

Barbara Safani — 2011-05-20T02:02:00+00:00

Many companies are making efforts to "go green" to promote sustainability and potentially help their bottom line. But according to a recently released study by the Society for Human Resource Managers (SHRM), called Advancing Sustainability, HR's Role, going green might also help companies retain employees.

Eight Commonly Asked Questions

Barbara Safani — 2011-05-19T10:11:00+00:00

Many of the questions from our AOL Jobs readers focus on resume writing. Here's a roundup of some of the most commonly asked.

1. What's the best style: chronological or functional?

Most recruiters and hiring managers prefer a chronological format. Omitting your work history and just showcasing functional skills will raise a red flag for many. If your career history has gaps or shows employment in different, unrelated fields, it makes more sense to stress functional skills over chronology, but never omit the chronology entirely.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Other Famous Affairs With the Boss

Barbara Safani — 2011-05-17T12:59:00+00:00

According to a 2011 CareerBuilder Office Romance Survey, close to 40 percent of workers say that they have dated someone they have worked with over the course of their career and 10 percent have done so over the past year.

While 65 percent of those surveyed said they aren't keeping their workplace romance a secret, many others (particularly those whose office romance is also an extramarital affair) try to keep things on the QT but are frequently found out.

Here are 10 celebrities and famous politicians who were outed for an affair with a subordinate or co-worker.

20 Jobs of the Future

Barbara Safani — 2011-05-17T08:33:00+00:00

What will jobs and employment look like in 2020, 2030 and beyond? What are the mega-trends shaping tomorrow's careers and what new opportunities can we and our children look forward to?

Although vitally important to position yourself for a great job today, it's just as important to consider tomorrow and all that it will have to offer. AOL Jobs spoke to Wendy Enelow, Founder of the Career Thought Leaders Consortium, a global career industry think tank for some insights. Here's just a sampling of both current emerging professions and those which may exist in the not-to-distant future.

Job Search of the Future: 10 Trends to Watch

Barbara Safani — 2011-05-16T08:28:00+00:00

What will the world of job search and work will be like when the next generation of workers (sometimes called Generation Z) ventures out in search of their first job in the next decade? I've been observing how integral technology is to a teen's everyday life and trying to make predictions for how technology will affect the job search process and the way employers market themselves to candidates.

Here are my observations on 10 electronic influencers and my predictions for how they will continue to change job search as we know it.

Could Being a Work-at-Home Mom Work for You?

Barbara Safani — 2011-05-11T07:52:00+00:00

All moms know that being a mom is a full-time job in itself. But since it doesn't pay the bills, many continue to work a traditional job while raising their children. Others are finding creative ways to morph the stay-at-home-mom role to a hybrid stay-at-home/work-at-home role. Sara Haley is just one of the many moms raising a family while working from home.

Ask an Expert: Is Summertime a Good Time to Look for a Job?

Barbara Safani — 2011-05-09T10:35:00+00:00

As we approach the hot days of summer, my clients sometimes tell me they plan to put their job search on hold during the summer months because they think that everyone is out of town and no one is hiring during this season.

Actually, the summer months can be the best time to step up your search campaign and diligently network, precisely because so many applicants believe this misconception about the job market.

15 Words You Should Replace on Your Resume

Barbara Safani — 2011-05-05T09:52:00+00:00

The list of personal attributes that job seekers place on their resume to convey their value proposition is endless. Almost every resume I read is full of words that suggest the person is someone worthy of a spot on the team, yet few of them explain what they have actually done in their place of work to prove that they really possess these attributes. Some of the biggest "offenders" I see repeated over and over again on resumes include:

How to Avoid the Resume Black Hole

Barbara Safani — 2011-05-04T04:28:00+00:00

Have you ever encountered a situation where you post for an open job position online and never hear back from the hiring manager? Do you often feel like your resume has landed in a black hole of applications? Most people do. But Chris Forman, founder & CEO of StartWire, has created a novel approach to tracking where your resume goes once you hit send. Startwire closes the application black hole by providing job seekers with free, automatic status updates on job applications from thousands of employers. AOL Jobs recently interviewed Forman to learn more about StartWire.

How to Use Social Networking for Career Success

Barbara Safani — 2011-05-03T06:54:00+00:00

You've all heard that networking is the key to managing your career. And you've probably heard that social media sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter can help on this front. But do you really understand exactly how to leverage these networks to improve your chances of landing a job and building career visibility?

In her new book, 'Social Networking for Career Success,' job search and social media expert Miriam Salpeter teaches readers how to use social media efficiently to demonstrate their expertise and illustrates how to get the word out about a job search without specifically asking for help.

Ask an Expert: How to Address a Cover Letter When You Don't Know the Hiring Manager's Name

Barbara Safani — 2011-05-02T12:22:00+00:00

An AOL Jobs reader asks, "if you don't know the person's name/title, what is the best way to address a cover letter?"

Frequently jobs are posted without disclosing the name of the hiring manager or recruiter. Addressing the cover letter to "Whom it May Concern" is so impersonal and certainly makes it harder to build rapport with the hiring authority. But what can a job seeker do when they don't know the hiring manager's name? Here are some suggestions.

Five Characteristics of an Outdated Resume

Barbara Safani — 2011-04-28T14:37:00+00:00

I constantly come across the same five outdated resume-writing methods, which keep getting passed down from generation to generation of job seekers. It's time to break the cycle and dispel some common resume-writing myths once and for all.

How to Find Jobs Before They're Posted

Barbara Safani — 2011-04-28T11:16:00+00:00

Wouldn't it be great if you could find out about job opportunities before they were posted on the job boards? You can, thanks to Jim Stroud, author and editor of The Hidden Job Report, a free weekly newsletter that gives advanced notification of employment opportunities before a job description can be written. The report shares major hiring announcements that take place predominantly in the United States, but also all over the world.

Ask an Expert: Should I Change Careers?

Barbara Safani — 2011-04-25T14:34:00+00:00

I frequently talk to people who want to change careers. They often tell me one of these four things:

1. I hate my job.

2. I don't think my job is a good fit.

3. I want to do something more meaningful.

4. My friends tell me I would make a great (fill in the blank).