Job Skills 1

By Robert Half International The prospects for soon-to-graduate accounting and finance professionals seem to be looking up. Hiring of new college graduates is expected to rise 13 percent this year, according to the "Job Outlook 2013" survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Moreover, the...

What's the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning, before you even brush your teeth? Is it checking the e-mail that's flooded your inbox overnight? Does the pull feel increasingly irresistible, even Pavlovian? Do you get so immersed in responding to other people's agendas that 30 minutes can go by...

WASHINGTON -- The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits dropped to its lowest level in nearly 5½ years last week, signaling labor market resilience in the face of fiscal austerity. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 323,000, the...

By Christopher S. Rugaber WASHINGTON -- U.S. employers added 165,000 jobs in April, and hiring was much stronger in the previous two months than the government first estimated. The job increases helped reduce the unemployment rate from 7.6 percent to a four-year low of 7.5 percent. The report Friday from the...

Getty Images By Jason Lange WASHINGTON -- The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits fell sharply last week to its lowest level since the early days of the 2007-09 recession, suggesting the job market is still healing despite weakness in the broader economy. Initial claims for state...

By Beth Braccio Hering Don't tarnish your reputation by making whiny, haughty or untrue statements. Remember, silence can be golden -- especially if it prevents you from uttering one of these potentially career-damaging phrases:

By Laura Roeder This probably isn't the first article you've read about taming the email beast. You know all about categorizing, filtering, batching your time, etc., etc. But no matter how savvy your email system is, managing your inbox is still attacking the symptom, not the problem. What if you just got less...

By Sarah Greesonbach You already know to avoid a second date with someone who doesn't laugh at your jokes or who was mean to the waiter. But what about staying with an employer as they slowly cut back on important perks? Turns out that treating your career like a relationship might be just what you need to kick...

Inspired by Kent State University professor Bill Sledzik's blog post, "Dear Millennials: Your Parents Lied to You," Todd Defren, an employer, wrote an open letter to college grads. Defren gave AOL Jobs permission to reprint his letter here. Share your thoughts in the comments section below. By Todd Defren

By Robert Half International Most likely you were drawn to your profession because it enables you to use your skills, knowledge and talents to their maximum potential. But if lately you feel as though you're standing still or stuck in a rut, it may be time to step back and evaluate your situation. This type of...

I lost out on a job last week because I was told I don't have the right experience, or enough of it. I probably don't have all of the right skills, either, but that's not the problem. You can learn new skills in a day, but being experienced at something takes time. There's nothing I can do about my lack of...

By 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...

The best thing you can do to help you get a new job is to make yourself indispensable at your current position. It doesn't matter if you have a full-time job now. Whether you're employed in a traditional position, serving as a temporary worker or even volunteering while seeking your next full-time gig, keep the...

By Stephanie Gaspary, director of social strategy and creative services, CareerBuilder According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' data book on women in the labor force, women have made significant progress in the areas of educational achievement and earnings over the past 40 years. Labor-force participation...

The country's current jobs crisis isn't a crisis for everyone. In February, college graduates had an unemployment rate of just 3.8 percent. But the unemployment rate for Americans over 25 with no college was over twice that, and for those without a high school diploma, a staggering 11.2 percent. Many of the jobs...

In Troy, Michigan, an affluent city just north of Detroit, there is a 14,000-square-foot warehouse full of hemorrhoid creams, vaginal tighteners, anal bleachers, home enema systems, lots of vibrators, and a special room, where those vibrators undergo what may be the most scientific testing in the world of sex...

By 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,"...

AlamyAdditive Manufacturing with the Maker Bot, a 3-D printer. By Daniel Burrus As technology continues to impact our lives, workers in today's ever-changing labor market need to be prepared with skills to adapt and succeed in the workplace. Job opportunities in technology are growing up to three times faster...

If you're thinking of a career change, you've probably considered the standards: teacher, nurse or maybe a new, digital-era profession, like social media director. But with just a wee bit of imagination, or a lot of time on the Internet, one can discover a whole array of jobs that your teachers likely never...

When it comes to finding that first new job out of college or a new career, many applicants are told that they don't have the right skills. The result: Millions of positions go unfilled even though there are many more millions eager to find work. It's known as the skills gap, and though there's been no...