http://jobs.aol.com/articles AOL Jobs http://o.aolcdn.com/os/careers/images/AOL_jobs_logo.png http://jobs.aol.com/articles en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/05/31/using-facebook-at-work-tips/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/05/31/using-facebook-at-work-tips/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/05/31/using-facebook-at-work-tips/#commentsBy Aaron Guerrero

You may be a social media junkie, hopping from one site to another. But if your employer suspects you check your friend's Facebook wall more than your work emails, he may be entitled to make you hand over your passwords.

Lawmakers across the country have begun weighing social media privacy laws that bar employers from hiring or firing employees for not surrendering an account username or password. Social media privacy laws have been introduced or are pending in 35 states, according to the National Conference of State Legislators, an organization that tracks legislation at the state level. Since the beginning of this year, five states -- including Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Washington -- have enacted legislation that prohibits employers from accessing social media passwords of employees.]]>facebookfiredprivacy lawssocial mediatwitterwork ethicworkersU.S.News2013-05-31T08:51:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/05/22/survive-a-job-you-hate-tips/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/05/22/survive-a-job-you-hate-tips/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/05/22/survive-a-job-you-hate-tips/#commentsBy Robin Madell

That sick, sinking feeling you have when you have to get up and go to work means that something is wrong. Unfortunately, you're far from alone if you experience a case of the heebie-jeebies every time your weekday alarm clock goes off.

A 2012 study by Right Management showed that almost two-thirds of respondents from the United States and Canada expressed being unhappy at work. A wider-range 2011 study by Mercer of 30,000 workers worldwide found that close to 60 percent of workers wanted out of their current positions.]]>hate your jobjob satisfactionsurvive a bad jobunhappy at workU.S.News2013-05-22T08:00:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/05/10/what-your-boss-thinks-about-raise/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/05/10/what-your-boss-thinks-about-raise/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/05/10/what-your-boss-thinks-about-raise/#commentsBy Alison Green

You've researched the going rate for your work, documented your accomplishments from the last year and put together a case for a salary increase, and now you're sitting across from your boss, having just uttered the words, "I'd like a raise." And you might be getting a little panicky as you wonder what your boss is thinking.

Despite what you might fear, it's probably not, "The nerve of this guy!" Most commonly, when you ask a manager for a raise, your manager is thinking about the following five questions.]]>ask the bossasking for a raisenegotiating a raisesalary increasesalary negotiationU.S.News2013-05-10T08:21:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/04/12/dead-end-job-tips/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/04/12/dead-end-job-tips/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/04/12/dead-end-job-tips/#commentsBy Aaron Guerrero

You used to enjoy B.B. King's classic blues tune "The Thrill Is Gone," until you realized the title perfectly summed up your sentiments toward your job.

It wasn't always this way. Shortly after being hired, you had the impression that your then-new company was a promised land for higher pay and promotion. Months in, it's turned out to be a place of zero growth for both the former and the latter.

While a recently released Gallup poll reveals a small number of workers in the United States are completely satisfied with their jobs when it comes to pay and chances for promotion (30 percent and 33 percent, respectively), the roots of a deadbeat profession can be more nuanced, explains Teresa Amabile, professor at Harvard Business School and co-author of The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work.]]>Anna Ranierico-workersdead end jobsgetting a raisepromotionsTeresa AmabileThe Progress Principle:U.S.News2013-04-12T08:03:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/04/03/interview-questions-answers/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/04/03/interview-questions-answers/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/04/03/interview-questions-answers/#commentsBy Arnie Fertig

Any employer will want to understand how you meet his or her needs before taking yours into consideration. When you keep this in mind, you will understand that the fastest way to find a job is to find the employer who thinks you represent the answer to his or her problem. To paraphrase President Kennedy's famous inaugural dictum: Ask not what an employer can do for you ... ask what you can do for an employer.

When you winnow down all the possible jobs that you might apply for into the positions for which you're most suited for to attain success, you will have the time and energy necessary to make each application, interaction and interview count. Rather than taking an unfocused shotgun approach, you will be able to psych out what employers are looking for ... and give it to them with a customized cover letter, resume and phone-screening interview all leading up to the main event: the in-person job interview.]]>interview questions and answersinterview tipsjob candidatesskills to get hiredU.S.News2013-04-03T06:14:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/03/24/soft-skills-showcase-interview/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/03/24/soft-skills-showcase-interview/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/03/24/soft-skills-showcase-interview/#commentsBy Miriam Salpeter

If you are extremely qualified, have terrific application materials, a targeted resume and you're interviewing for jobs, but always coming up with a silver medal, it's possible that you're bumping up against an elusive category: likability. Also known in the industry as "cultural fit," likability is a reason that many candidates don't make the final cut -- the interviewers either didn't like them or didn't believe they would mesh well with current employees.]]>interview skillsskillssoft skillsU.S.News2013-03-24T08:17:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/03/22/dating-tips-job-search/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/03/22/dating-tips-job-search/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/03/22/dating-tips-job-search/#commentsBy Hannah Morgan

Dating can be very similar to finding a job. When you think about all the time and effort you invest in finding the right partner, wouldn't it make sense that finding the right job is just as time consuming?]]>datinggood interviewinterview tipsjob searchU.S.News2013-03-22T07:57:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/03/19/mistakes-bad-first-impression-interview/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/03/19/mistakes-bad-first-impression-interview/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/03/19/mistakes-bad-first-impression-interview/#commentsBy Miriam Salpeter

Finally, it's happened -- an invitation to interview for a job. Have you already blown your chance before you put one hand on their office's door? You may be surprised to learn that the way you respond to the initial inquiry sets the tone and influences employers' impressions before you've even met.

Are you sabotaging your interview before you start? If any of these points sound familiar, you may now know why you didn't get the job:]]>first impression job interviewjob interviewjob interview by phonejob interview strategiesU.S.News2013-03-19T08:39:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/03/15/best-jobs-construction/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/03/15/best-jobs-construction/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/03/15/best-jobs-construction/#commentsBy Jada A. Graves

As one of the hardest-hit industries during the Great Recession, construction saw its largest percentage decline in employment in the post-World War II era, 13.7 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And as the country began to claw its way out of the economic muck, the BLS had the highest recovery hopes for this goods-producing industry. In its last biennial employment projections report, released in February 2012, the BLS predicted numerous construction jobs among the fastest-growing from 2010 to 2020. It was one of the most off-the-mark predictions the government agency made, however.]]>brick masonconstruction jobselectricianjobs in constructionplumberU.S.News2013-03-15T08:17:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/03/09/signs-start-business-freelance/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/03/09/signs-start-business-freelance/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/03/09/signs-start-business-freelance/#commentsBy Miriam Salpeter

You've been having a tough time finding a job, and the longer it takes, the more obstacles you face. Your last job's end date has become more distant, and you aren't seeing any reason to be optimistic about landing something permanent anytime soon.

If this describes you, it could be time to shift gears and stop looking for a job in favor of starting your own consulting firm or business. Is the writing on the wall, but you aren't seeing it? Consider the following signs that you should re-focus your energies and start thinking about working for yourself.]]>entrepreneurentrepreneurshipexpert advicefreelance jobsfreelancingnew-careerstart your own businessU.S.News2013-03-09T05:28:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/02/27/special-skills-interview/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/02/27/special-skills-interview/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/02/27/special-skills-interview/#commentsBy Miriam Salpeter

Identifying what employers want and making the case to show why you're a fit is one of the most challenging things for job seekers. If you haven't looked for a job in a while, it may seem like what employers want changed a lot since the last time you looked for work.

Years ago, everyone seemed to prefer to hire Jacks-of-all trades-in other words, people who could do a little of everything. The goal was to cross-train, and people who were generalists could expect to be in demand.]]>job search tipslist special skillsspecial skillsspecialistspecializationU.S.News2013-02-27T08:35:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/02/25/key-skills-get-hired/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/02/25/key-skills-get-hired/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/02/25/key-skills-get-hired/#commentsBy Jada A. Graves

The days when employers hired generalists are gone. Today, employers seek hires who possess particular skills, be they technical -- computer skills, for instance -- or analytic, such as problem solving. In some cases, these skills are specialized and specific to particular types of jobs. Other skills are coveted across a variety of professions. According to career experts and various sources, these are the top seven skills employers are seeking in job candidates:]]>getting hiredgettinghiredhow to get hiredkey job skillskey skillsskills to get hiredU.S.News2013-02-25T07:58:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/02/22/toughest-interview-questions-answers/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/02/22/toughest-interview-questions-answers/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/02/22/toughest-interview-questions-answers/#commentsBy Ritika Trikha

When it comes to your job interview, "hope for the best and prepare for the worst" is the best possible mantra. Walking into your interview feeling positive and well-rehearsed is a surefire way to knock the interview out of the park. But preparation can be daunting. You have no idea what sort of interview style this hiring manager will prefer --behavioral? Situational? A mix?]]>common interview questions and answerscommoninterviewquestionsandanswersgood interview questionsinterview questionsinterview questions and how to answer theminterviewquestionsandhowtoanswerthemjob interview questionstough job interview questionstoughest interview questionstoughjobinterviewquestionsU.S.News2013-02-22T08:15:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/02/19/didnt-get-promotion-raise/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/02/19/didnt-get-promotion-raise/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/02/19/didnt-get-promotion-raise/#commentsBy Rebecca Thorman

If you're stumped on why you didn't get the big promotion you've been pining for, read these seven reasons to adjust your expectations and attitude:]]>get a promotionget promotedjob promotionpay raiseU.S.News2013-02-19T08:19:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/02/05/job-rejection-response/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/02/05/job-rejection-response/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/02/05/job-rejection-response/#comments

By Alison Green


Getting rejected for a job you really wanted is one of the worst parts of job searching. But if you handle the rejection well, you can get something useful out of the disappointment. Here's how.]]>job offer rejectionjob rejection emailjob searchrejected for jobrejection letterrejection letter jobU.S.News2013-02-05T07:53:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/01/22/quit-job-signs/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/01/22/quit-job-signs/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/01/22/quit-job-signs/#comments

By Lindsay Olson


If you're considering quitting your job, you may be indecisive about whether it's the right decision or not. On the one hand, you're pretty miserable. On the other hand, if you wait it out, you might make that promotion next year. While quitting or staying at your job is a personal decision, let's look at a few key situations and what you should consider.]]>career changechange careerschanging jobstime to change jobswhy change jobsU.S.News2013-01-22T08:23:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/01/21/life-lessons-advance-career/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/01/21/life-lessons-advance-career/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/01/21/life-lessons-advance-career/#comments

By Marty Nemko


Many people end up having to learn the hard way. Here are some ideas that help make your career road more rewarding and less painful.]]>best career advicecareer life lessonscareer tipsjob advicejob tipsU.S.News2013-01-21T08:11:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/01/19/how-to-cold-call-when-youre-job-hunting/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/01/19/how-to-cold-call-when-youre-job-hunting/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/01/19/how-to-cold-call-when-youre-job-hunting/#comments

By Miriam Salpeter


Job seekers have a lot of networking resources at their disposal. Theoretically, it should be possible to either a) find connections that will introduce you to people to help with your job search, or b) introduce yourself to those contacts via social media. Despite this access, sometimes a cold call is the only way to speak to important job search resources. Most people hate the thought of calling someone they don't know, but there are ways to prepare so you will be successful.]]>cold call scriptscold callingjob search networkingmeet new contactsnetworkingnever cold callU.S.News2013-01-19T07:39:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/01/17/lazy-job-search-tips/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/01/17/lazy-job-search-tips/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/01/17/lazy-job-search-tips/#comments

By Alison Green


If you're searching for jobs and not getting interviews, or getting interviews but no offers, you might be tempted to blame it on the bad job market. And the market is often the culprit-but in many cases, the problem is the way you're approaching your search. These days, a job search can take a lot of work, and if you're not putting in the sweat, you might not see the payoff.]]>find a jobjob referencesjob search lazyjob search tipsjobs searchU.S.News2013-01-17T08:30:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/01/15/networking-job-search/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/01/15/networking-job-search/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/01/15/networking-job-search/#comments

By Miriam Salpeter


One of the most important factors you probably aren't considering in your job search is how important it is to network and influence what people you do not know think of you. What? You need to worry about people you don't know? Absolutely -- it's probably the most overlooked job-search step you aren't doing anything about.

Of course, there is a catch: Your goal is to increase the number of people who know, like, and trust you. You should identify people who do not know you and make a concerted effort to change that.]]>how to meet peoplehow to networkjob networking sitesjob search networkingnetworkingU.S.News2013-01-15T08:43:00+00:00