Although the job market has changed for job seekers, some things are still the same. Workers want to find jobs that they’re qualified for, that align with their interests and that have a future. Job seekers don’t just want any job, they want options.

Luckily, many employers today are hiring aggressively. Below is a list of 22 companies that are hiring in large volume. Each company below is looking to hire at least 300 new employees, and some companies, such as Starbucks and Amazon, are looking to hire thousands.

These companies cover many industries and job titles, so job seekers of all backgrounds are in demand. Whether you’re in health care, manufacturing or finance, you might find your new job at one of these companies. (As one radio station points out, these are not only jobs available now but they’re also jobs with companies that treat their employees well. You can’t beat that.)

1. Starbucks
Number of jobs: 13,000 (retail) 400+ (professional services)
Sample job titles: Retail, information technology, supply chain operations and finance

2. Amazon.com
Number of jobs: 3,000+
Sample job titles: Software development engineers, product managers, operations managers, and communications and product marketing managers

3. The Boeing Company
Number of jobs: 500+
Sample job titles: Engineering, airplane manufacturing, cyber security and intelligence and business functions like finance

4. Citibank
Number of jobs: 2,500
Sample job titles: Customer service, personal banker, home lending specialist, business development officer – commercial banking

5. Adventist Health System
Number of jobs: 2,500+
Sample job titles: Allied health professionals, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, registered nurses

6. Time Warner Cable
Number of jobs: 500+
Sample job titles: Direct sales reps, customer service reps, technicians and IT and engineering

7. State Farm Insurance
Number of jobs: 2,600
Sample job titles: Actuarial, agency department, banking, claims, creative services, customer service,information technology/systems, legal/litigation, public relations/communications, underwriting

8. Deloitte
Number of jobs: 3,300
Sample job titles: Client service professionals in all business segments including accounting, assurance and advisory, risk, tax, strategy, financial, technology and human capital

9. URS
Number of jobs: 4,300
Sample job titles: Engineering, logistics/supply/procurement, business operations/admin/IT, construction, project/program management, aviation, environmental/sciences, health and safety/homeland security operations and maintenance

10. ADP
Number of jobs: 2,000+
Sample job titles: Sales, implementation, JAVA development, client services, HR

11. T-Mobile USA
Number of jobs: 1,000+
Sample job titles: Retail sales, business sales, corporate and technology

12. Humana Inc.
Number of jobs: 2,200
Sample job titles: Various, including sales, pharmacy, nurses, physicians, service operations, IT

13. Bridgestone Retail Operations
Number of jobs: 1,000+
Sample job titles: Retail sales managers, service managers, automotive technicians, master technicians

14. Universal Health Services
Number of jobs: 1,500+
Sample job titles: Accounting, allied health, education, executives (CEO, CFO, CNO, COO), food and nutritional services, healthcare—rehab, ICU, IT, L&D, nursing and office/clerical

15. Koch Industries
Number of jobs: 1,000
Sample job titles: Engineers, IT, operations

16. Black and Veatch
Number of jobs: 500
Sample job titles: Mechanical and electrical engineers, project managers

17. Advanced Technology Services
Number of jobs: 1,000+
Sample job titles: Manufacturing maintenance technicians – field service representatives

18. Burns & McDonnell
Number of jobs: 300
Sample job titles: Civil and environmental engineers, project managers

19. Gentiva Home Health and Hospice
Number of jobs: 1,800+
Sample job titles: Home health and hospice registered nurses, home health and hospice LPNs, nurse management, nurse practitioners, occupational therapists, occupational therapist assistants, single site and multi-site operation management, physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, sales executives

20. USA
Number of jobs: 320+
Sample job titles: Install technicians, customer service, IT tech

21. Certified Payment Processing
Number of jobs: 366
Sample job titles: Sales/account management

22. Bayada Home Health Care
Number of jobs: 300+
Sample job titles: Nursing, assistive care, therapies, medical social work, rehabilitation, hospice, non-clinical support and marketing/sales

By Anthony Balderrama on Feb 2, 2012 in Featured, Find the job, The right job

Bing: Best-paid part time jobs

Here, experts and job seekers weigh in on what they consider to be the best moonlighting gigs. The suggestions run the gamut from child care to cosmetic procedures but all provide a means for pulling in some extra income.

1. Second job: bartender
Details: “I am an attorney who moonlights as a bartender,” says Brianna Sadler, partner at a law firm in Minnesota. “It’s actually a great way to meet future clients without violating theModel Rules of Professional Conduct, as I am able to have a personal relationship with the guests/clients and help fulfill both their need for a drink and possibly legal advice. As I am a plaintiff’s attorney, it’s also a great way to pay my rent until I have my ‘one big case’ we all dream about.”
Potential pay: Bartenders earn a mean hourly wage of $10.25, according to the BLS.

2. Second job: freelancer
Details: “I recently started my own consulting business in August, and while I was getting that up and running, I was actively seeking freelance writing work,” says Sophia Habl Mitchell, principal at Sophia Mitchell & Associates, LLC. “Taking small gigs through freelance sites … can be a great way to supplement income. The best part is that this work can be done at home, before or after a ‘regular job.’”
Potential pay: While pay varies based on type of freelance assignment, Mitchell says she earned $3,000 in four months by doing a variety of freelance work, including writing for a travel website and ghostwriting blog content.

3. Second job: cosmetic laser technician
Details: “Cosmetic laser technician is a career some people do part time while holding down another full-time job,” says Louis Silberman, president of National Laser Institute. “Cosmetic laser technicians work mostly in med spas and doctors’ offices as independent contractors. They perform procedures like laser hair removal and laser skin resurfacing. Some RNs have received their laser certification to increase their earning potential by performing cosmetic procedures.”
Potential pay: According to the NLI, the most common scenario is a blend of an hourly rate plus commission. The hourly rates usually range from $15-25 per hour, in addition to a commission ranging from 3-20 percent. At med spas, technicians typically receive gratuity.

4. Second job: child-care provider
Details: My husband and I have two small children, and we juggle going back and forth to the office and staying home with the kids,” says Brina Bujkovsky, owner and CEO of The Younique Boutique, Inc. “We decided to start a home day care to take advantage of the tax deductions, earn extra income … and provide playmates for our kids. We are helping the community by providing affordable care for children six weeks and up, and we are earning a nice second income.”
Potential pay: Bujkovsky says she makes more than $2,500 a month through her home day-care gig.

5. Second job: Futures trader
Details: A recent survey conducted by TopStepTrader, an international scouting agency that recruits and trains futures traders, found that more than half of the workers surveyed conduct futures trading as a second job. “With the markets open 23-24 hours a day, there is a lot of flexibility and profitability in this career as a second alternative job,” says Michael Patak, president and CEO of TopStepTrader.
Potential pay: According to TopStepTrader, part-time traders that trade lightly can earn an estimated $2,000 a month, while active part-time traders can average up to an estimated $4,000 a month.

6. Second job: Container/organization sales consultant
Details: If you’re outgoing and like organization, consider being a sales consultant for a container company. In this role, you’ll help plan or host fun parties — often held at people’s homes — where guests will have the opportunity to try out and buy your products. Some companies now offer e-commerce options too.
Potential pay: Earning potential can vary based on company and role. According to Lee Padgett of Clever Container, their starting consultants make 20 percent on their retail sales, and after they reach $1,000 worth of product sales, they make 25 percent on their retail sales.

7. Second job: mystery shopper
Details: Bethany Mooradian, author of “The Mystery Shopper Training Program,” suggests mystery shopping as a great way to earn extra cash. “To be a successful mystery shopper, a person needs to be reliable [and] honest, have basic Internet skills, decent writing, spelling and observation skills and live in a fairly metropolitan area,” Mooradian says. “Any time I’ve needed money, I just jump right back into mystery shopping … It’s perfect for anyone who wants a flexible way of earning extra income, has basic skills and doesn’t want to stay trapped behind a desk.”
Potential pay: Mystery shoppers can make up to $38,520 in annual salary, according to CBSalary.com.

Debra Auerbach is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

“A vital component of your career management plan is your résumé, which must instantly position you as a well-qualified and highly competitive candidate,” the authors say. “The easiest way to accomplish that objective is by developing a powerful, performance-based résumé.”

In their book, Enelow and Kursmark provide numerous résumé samples, divided by career field, that are aimed at people at all levels of management, from front-line supervisors to top-level executives. They also offer nine strategies for writing effective résumés:

1.     Write for the job you want: “You cannot write an effective résumé without knowing, at least to some degree, what type or types of positions you will be seeking.”

2.     Sell it to me, don’t tell it to me: “If you ‘tell it,’ you simply state facts. If you ‘sell it,’ you promote it, advertise it, and draw attention to it.”

3.     Use keywords: “Keywords are … specific to a particular industry or profession. … When you use these words and phrases, you are communicating a specific message.”

4.     Use the “big” and save the “little”: “Try to focus on the ‘big’ things — revenue and profit growth, new initiatives and ventures, special projects, cost savings … then save the ‘little’ stuff — the details — for the interview.”

5.     Make your résumé “interviewable”: After “you are contacted for a telephone or in-person interview, your résumé becomes all-important in leading and prompting your interviewer during your conversation.”

6.     Eliminate confusion with structure and context: “Be consistent, make information easy to find and define the context in which you worked.”

7.     Use function to demonstrate achievement: “A résumé that focuses on your job functions can be dry and uninteresting and says little about your unique activities and contributions.”

8.     Remain in the realm of reality: “Do not push your skills and qualifications outside the bounds of what is truthful.”

9.     Be confident: “There is only one individual with the specific combination of employment experience, qualifications, achievements, education and technical skills that you have.”

“Your résumé can have tremendous power and a phenomenal impact on your job search. So don’t take it lightly,” Enelow and Kursmark say. “Rather, devote the time, energy and resources that are essential to developing a résumé that is well-written, visually attractive and effective in communicating who you are and how you want to be perceived.”

Lori Michelle Ryan is the marketing communications specialist at JIST Publishing, America’s Career Publisher. In this role, she helps job seekers, career changers, students and working professionals develop the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the job market and world of work.
Copyright 2012 CareerBuilder.com

1. Be trendy
Follow job market trends. Older workers must keep their finger on the pulse of the labor force by asking themselves, ‘What jobs are in demand today?’ and by keeping up with today’s technology, particularly computer technology says Deborah Russell, director of the issues agenda for economic security for AARP, a non-profit organization for people age 50 and over.

2. Get wired
Know your computer. Russell stresses that updating general office skills, especially computer skills, is crucial, “particularly since many employers assume that mature workers lack skills in this area. Having the basic computer skills that allow you to function in the workplace is essential.” That means being comfortable with:

3. Go back to school
Fill in the gaps with education. If you lack in any area of demand, especially computer skills, remember it’s never too late for more education. Many instructional courses are offered at your local community college, library or neighborhood association. “Lifelong learning is an important aspect of professional growth. Assessing your skills and determining whether there are any gaps will help identify potential areas for additional education,” Russell says.

4. Opportunity knocks
Take advantage of chances to learn all around you. Besides attending classes, a good way to gain new skills is to be on the lookout for learning opportunities right at work. Is someone going on vacation whose job is outside your normal realm of responsibilities? Perhaps you can volunteer to cover for them and learn a little about what they do. Or volunteer for temporary assignments that you wouldn’t normally handle.

5. Update your résumé
If you are looking to make a change to a new position, you need to get current on the latest résumé trends. Like anything else, résumé styles change over time. The résumé is a vital tool in helping any worker articulate the qualifications and experience they can bring to a potential position. Russell says often “employers are more interested in the skills you bring to a job versus how many years you worked for a particular employer. It gives them a snapshot of your capabilities and if you in fact possess the skills they’re looking for.” So make your résumé skill-driven and results-oriented, showcasing your management skills and sales accomplishments, instead of merely providing a litany of dates, titles and responsibilities from past positions.

6. Bond
Talk to others in your same situation. Don’t despair; there are organizations that offer support groups for older workers to discuss the challenges they’ve faced and learn new strategies to overcome them. The Operation ABLE Network is composed of agencies across the United States that focus on meeting the needs of mid-career workers and job seekers. Check your local phone book for the Operation ABLE chapter in your area.

Kate Lorenz is the article and advice editor for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

“What words come to mind when I say Gen Y?” Aaron Kesher asked the many attendees at 2011′s Society for Human Resources Management conference who were packed into the room. ”Entitled!” shouted one person. “Job hoppers,” chimed in another. Soon, many in the room (many of them non-Gen Yers, with some Gen Y members sprinkled in) were shouting things like “smart,” “résumé builders,” “technically savvy,” “stereotype,” “comfortable with change,” and “creative.”

Obviously, we all have specific words and phrases and ideas that match how we perceive Gen Y to think and behave in the workplace. Gen Y, made up of those born between 1980 and 2000, have their own notions of themselves, too. In Aaron Kesher’s, “Why Y? Plugging Into a Generational Powerhouse” session, Kesher encouraged all of us in the room to rethink our notions of what we think Gen Y is all about, to consider the strengths they bring to today’s dynamic workplace and to use this knowledge and understanding to more successfully recruit and retain Gen Y workers.

“Do not doubt that this generation will change the face of the American workplace as their parents did,” Kesher said. “In the next five to 10 years, the number of Gen Yers in the workforce will increase dramatically.”

As the number of Gen Y workers is only getting larger, it’s about time we as a collective workplace learn more about Gen Y so that we can understand them, appreciate their unique strengths, and more successfully integrate them with other generations in the workplace.

What is work from a Gen Y Perspective?

·         Work ethic: Job loyalty, for a long time, was shown by how long you stuck around and paid your dues — and older generations still think in line with this. Gen Y, on the other hand, says, “I show you love by how hard I work, not how long I stick around.”

·         Tech savvy: It’s not so much that Gen Yers are tech savvy, Kesher pointed out — they’re tech dependent. They’re the generation that’s come of age with the explosion of technology, so it’s natural that they would be comfortable with it.

·         Communication and teamwork: Gen Y is not necessarily entitled; they just feel comfortable asking for what they want. When it comes to communication, you can often count on Gen Yers to spread out the message fast and often. We need to realize, Kesher said, that throughout Gen Y’s public education, the majority of the work was done in groups, and that their role wasn’t usually as the leader of a group — instead, many were “equal” team members. Therefore, many Gen Y members function fairly well as a group and as “team players,” but some struggle in standing out as individual, assertive leaders.

·         Money: Employers, listen up: Gen Y is talking to each other about the money they are (or aren’t) making at your organization. They are comparing how competitive your salary is with your competitors — and they’re not afraid to share their findings. One audience member mentioned recently hearing Gen Yers discussing openly the job offers and bonuses they were getting — and she was shocked.  After all, discussing how much money you make is one of the last great American taboos — yet Gen Y seems more comfortable with discussing this sort of information.

·         Recognition: Gen Y is a generation of the “there are no losers — everyone’s a winner” mentality. “But they didn’t make that up (boomer parents),” Kesher pointed out, to a round of laughter. Gen Yers don’t care how it gets done –they just want to get it done. And they want to be told they did a good job once they do it; recognition is very important.

·         Diversity: “Why do only white people work here?” might be something a Gen Y worker thinks while viewing a company site or sitting in the lobby while waiting to be interviewed and noticing the lack of diverse employees. Gen Y doesn’t embrace diversity — they expect it — and if your company says you believe in diversity, but then a Gen Y worker shows up and all workers look the same — they will think you’re not living up to your diversity message. This generation has grown up with a greater awareness of and comfort with diversity of all kinds. From home lives, to school experiences, to messages absorbed from pop culture, they often don’t see what all the fuss is. This can manifest as difficulty in understanding why others struggle with issues around differences. A question of whether gay marriage should be legalized, for example, is a non-issue for many Gen Y individuals — and this shift ties into a larger cultural shift in general.

·         Work versus life: “I love my job, but I love my life more” — that’s something you may hear a lot of Gen Yers say. One of the critical issues that will need to be ironed out at work in the future, Kesher said, will revolve around workplace flexibility. We’re increasingly seeing workplace flexibility issues evolving in the workplace, and Gen Y workers in particular (though they’re not alone) want to know how they can maintain their relationship with work while still having the flexibility to live the life they envision. As mentioned above, Gen Y has no problem with work or with the idea of working hard — it’s just that their job will never be the whole of their identity. They were raised with the imperative to “follow your dreams!”, and their job and life may intersect in new ways than we’ve seen in past generations. “Gen Y,” Kesher stressed, “doesn’t want a job — they want a life that hopefully includes a job.”

·         Being green: This is the generation that’s leading the green movement — so give them the power to build, make changes, and become leaders in your organization’s (existing or non-existing) green movement.

Why worry about Gen Y?

Ensuring that the different generations working together under one roof actually work well together is a big concern for many employers. After all, if knowledge isn’t able to be sufficiently shared from generation to generation, older generations will eventually retire — taking with them decades of experience. In addition, workers who work well together are likely to be happier, more productive and better brand ambassadors for companies.

“Recruiters and companies are definitely less interested in hiring people – regardless of how strong their career has been — when they reach the age of 50,” says Tucker Mays, co-author of the book “Fired at 50: How to Overcome the Greatest Executive Job Search Challenge.” “Many are considered, by this age, to be inflexible in their management style — that they’re not going to be able to adjust to, say, smaller companies if they’re coming from a larger company. Or if they’ve been with a company for a long period of time and are now leaving, that they’re just going to be doing things the way that one company had trained them for all those years.”

If you’re over the age of 50, the key to a successful job search is not only to disprove the negative stereotypes that exist, but to show employers the benefits your extra years of experience can bring to the table.

Countering the age bias
There are a number of ways job seekers over 50 can mitigate employers’ subconscious, age-related stereotypes, says Bob Sloane, Mays’ “Fired at 50″ co-author.

Foremost, he says, it’s essential to make a good first impression. “It’s so important for [job seekers over 50] to keep in shape, both in order to make that really great first impression and to demonstrate that they have the energy, which is often unfairly expected that they won’t. They have to exude that energy.”

If you don’t already, Mays and Sloane suggest exercising regularly. “Walking, jogging and weekend athletic activities have been proven to increase metabolism, cognitive ability and physical appearance,” they write in “Fired at 50.”

Also important is emphasizing a flexible management style, technological proficiency, ability to learn new skills and the willingness to work for a younger boss. “Very often today it’s going to be likely that somebody over 50 will be interviewing with a prospective boss who is considerably younger,” Sloane notes.

Before going into an interview, come up with concrete examples of how you’ve mastered new technologies, how you’ve worked with and for younger generations and how your management style has developed through the years.

Proving your worth
After decades in the workforce, older workers possess life skills, talent and abilities that younger workers don’t have. Emphasizing these strengths can set experienced job seekers apart.

“We cite four great strengths that you develop over time that give 50+ job seekers a superior advantage over younger individuals,” Mays says. “They are problem-solving skills, people-management ability, good judgment and leadership. Experienced workers are usually able to solve problems faster by identifying them quicker and finding the right ways to solve them, for example. They can use their success stories in these four key areas to help prove their age is an asset.”

Conducting a successful job search
Many 50+ job seekers are finding themselves in a job search for the first time in years – even decades. If you fall into this category, and are unsure how to go about your job search, consider the following.

Expand your network
Job seekers over 50 often have well-developed professional networks. Leveraged correctly, your network can drastically reduce the time you spend looking for a job.

Sloane and Mays believe that your network is best used not to find connections to jobs, but to find connections to other people.

“[Finding a job] is really a matter of time management and how job seekers spend their time, and our advice is to spend the most time on productive job search methods while de-emphasizing less-productive channels,” Sloane says. “What that really means is they need to spend 80 percent of their time networking to individuals they did not already know, prior to their search. It is all a matter of getting referrals — you want to get through the people you already know to get their help to meet people you’ve never met before.”

Sloane suggests building up your networking efforts until you’re meeting or connecting with 100 new contacts per month and to continue at that level until they find a job. “I know that sounds like a very lofty level, but with the use of some social-networking tools, like LinkedIn in particular, it is easier nowadays to accelerate your networking, because you can get to new people on a broader basis faster,” he says.

Focus on small companies
The best place to look for jobs if you’re over 50? Small companies, Mays says.

“The reasons [to focus on smaller companies] are first,  that there are 20 times as many small companies – those with sales of under $100 million — in America as there are above $100 million, which means there are many more opportunities in that space. Secondly, those companies seem to be far less concerned about age, and in many cases they really prefer and like individuals with great experience who can help them with their business.”

Hang in there
In today’s economy, the job search is taking longer for people of all ages, so it’s important not to give up hope. As Sloane and Mays point out in their book, “There are over 13,000,000 companies in America. You only need one, and one always needs you.” Hang in there.

For more on job search after 50, see:

Proving your age is an asset in your job search

“Overqualified”: Should you leave things off your résumé to avoid the label?

6 career moves for older workers

Kaitlin Madden is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

There’s hopeful news for soon-to-be graduates, too. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ Job Outlook 2012 survey, employers plan to hire 9.5 percent more graduates from the Class of 2012 than they hired from the Class of 2011. While many of those job openings will be triggered by attrition, it’s still a good sign that the number is increasing.

What this all means is that things are starting to look up, but there will still be bumps in the road ahead. Yet some industries are seeing growth — so much so that some can’t fill their positions fast enough.

If you’re a job seeker, consider exploring a career in one of these nine occupations, all of which are expected to grow in 2012.

1. Biomedical engineer
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, biomedical engineers apply knowledge of engineering, biology, and biomechanical principles to the design, development and evaluation of biological and health systems and products. This is one of the fastest-growing occupations, with an expected 72 percent increase in employment from 2008-2018.
Average salary: $82,421*

2. Computer software engineer
The computer systems design and related services industry has seen continued growth throughout the second half of 2011, according to the BLS. In addition, the NACE Job Outlook 2012 survey found computer sciences to be one of the top bachelor’s degrees in demand by employers.
Average salary: $97,581

3. Customer service representative
This occupation is expected to experience faster than average growth, one reason being the high turnover rate in the field. This is also a good industry to consider if you are fluent in multiple languages, as opportunities for bilingual representatives are fruitful.
Average salary: $29,314

4. Home health aide
Home health aides provide in-home care, a service that will continue to be important as the elderly population continues to grow. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the number of Americans 65 and older is projected to be 88.5 million by 2050, more than double its estimated 2010 population.
Average salary: $28,173

5. Management analyst
Management analyst is an occupation in the management and technical consulting services field, a field that grew by 3.8 percent from September to October 2011 and has seen steady growth throughout the second half of the year. According to the BLS, management analysts study and analyze business-related issues and recommend solutions.
Average salary: $72,197

6. Medical assistant
The BLS predicts that the medical assistant field will grow by 33.9 percent from 2008-2018. Medical assistants often work at physicians’ offices and perform administrative and clinical duties. Proper training and skills can be acquired by attending a one- to two-year program at a vocational school.
Average salary: $37,571

7. Network systems and data communications analyst
The BLS notes that this occupational category, with sizable employment growth projections through 2018, includes network architects and engineers, as well as Web administrators and developers. According to the Labor Department, the type of degree required depends on the position level.
Average salary: $48,316

8. Registered nurse
The registered nurse profession is the largest health-care occupation and is expected to grow by 22.2 percent from 2008-2018, according to the BLS. While RNs can be employed by physicians’ offices, most work in hospitals.
Average salary: $71,692

9. Retail salesperson
The record-busting Black Friday and Cyber Monday retail sales show that consumers are starting to feel a little more confident about the economy. In fact, the retail trade has overall trended up since June 2011, with a slight dip from July to August. Due to this occupation’s high turnover rate, employment opportunities are expected to be good.
Average salary: $25,557

*All salary estimates are from CBSalary.com and are the U.S. national average salary.

Debra Auerbach is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

Moving in on two years of unemployment, Hadley is willing to try different tactics to see what might work. He has begun to leave off some of his education as well as the fact that he is a published author. “I don’t want to have to omit such things, but I feel as though I don’t even get considered if they are on my résumé,” he laments.

While only time will tell if this strategy works for him, plenty of other job seekers deliberate the same issue. Here, a few perspectives on leaving info off a résumé.

Crafting

Many experts will caution job seekers about even applying for positions for which they are overqualified because of decreased earning potential, boredom and a larger applicant pool (not to mention the bruised ego if one doesn’t land that “crummy” job). For applicants who still decide to give it a shot, “crafting” is often the route of choice.

A good application for any position should be created to match the employer’s needs as closely as possible. Thus, simple (yet truthful) changes can make you a better candidate.

Duncan Mathison, a career consultant and co-author of “Unlock the Hidden Job Market: 6 Steps to a Successful Job Search When Times are Tough,” recalls a client who felt his master’s degree in psychology might be hindering his chances for a business sales job. “We dropped the degree and replaced it with an ‘Additional Professional Training’ statement that said, ‘More than 500 hours in professional training on topics such as buyer motivation, persuasion and organizational behavior.’ This allowed him to position the value of his psychology training for a sales position without listing the degree. It was truthful, and it worked.”

Similarly, terminology changes such as “manager” becoming “project team leader” may be a better match to a particular job ad. Some job seekers tone down executive-sounding titles, especially if inflated (such as opting for a managerial title rather than showcasing that you were vice president in a company with only five employees).

“I often tell my more experienced and older clients to omit their dates of graduation (if they graduated on schedule rather than mid-career),” says Roy Cohen, a career coach and author of “The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide.” “This frees them up to leave off as many years of experience as necessary, so the application doesn’t feel burdened by the weight of their careers.”

Another option is creating a functional résumé instead of a chronological one. By sorting experiences into skill clusters, there becomes less of an emphasis on the length or extensiveness of past positions.

Beyond the résumé

Candidates are free to present themselves in the way they see most fit (outside of lying, of course). But what happens, say, if an employer asks about items like missing dates?

“First, that’s a good thing because the applicant was invited in for an interview with the company,” Cohen says. “He can always respond, ‘I left it off intentionally. I wanted the attention to be focused entirely on my relevant and very valuable experience. Let me tell you about what I’ve done … ‘”

Some job seekers, however, find it hard to sell themselves.

“I took my MBA off my résumé and tried to dumb myself down, but in the interviews, it got tricky,” says Tiffany Bradshaw of California. “They would ask about certain experience and if I had it, and I felt like I was telling stories/lies to try to cover up the items I had taken off.”

Likewise, employers may feel duped if the applicant who shows up is older than his résumé suggests or if the conversation feels disjointed.

“It’s dangerous to leave relevant experience off a résumé, especially in the legal field,” says Cheryl Heisler, president and founder of Lawternatives, a career-consulting firm for lawyers. “In much of the law, the devil is in the details. If you are perceived as loose or careless about those ‘unimportant little details,’ you can send the exact wrong message to a future employer. Better to ‘spin’ the parts of your background that might make you seem overqualified than to extract them.”

The decision

Like most career decisions, there isn’t an easy answer about what to keep or delete on a résumé. Perhaps reflecting on how to make the document appealing to a prospective employer while still painting a portrait you are comfortable with is key. For when a candidate feels confident about her presentation, it is bound to get noticed.

Beth Braccio Hering researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for CareerBuilder.com. Follow @CareerBuilder on Twitter.

Balancing career and family
During her 20s, Margaret Miller of El Paso, Texas taught English at private high schools in New England. But when she became a mom at 30, she decided to pursue a different path.

“In my 30s, I was a stay-at-home mom and wrote articles about parenting and education to help pay the bills,” Miller says. “This was ideal since I could work from my house and be there with my kids when they were young.”

Now that her kids have grown up and are out of the house, Miller has opted to blend her previous experiences. “I have gone back to teaching at a local community college. I still freelance and find that I like the flexibility of being able to write from home at night and on the weekends to make deadlines, and having part of my day free when I’m not teaching. If you don’t like sitting at a desk from 9 to 5, this is a great way to make a living.”

Discovering new talents
As a computer specialist back in his 20s, Dan Nainan would never have envisioned himself performing at the Democratic National Convention. All of that changed when a job in his 30s led him to take a comedy class.

“I was a senior engineer with Intel Corp.,” Nainan says. “My job was to travel the world with the chairman doing technical demonstrations onstage at events. I was incredibly nervous about speaking onstage, so I took a comedy class to get over the fear . . . It changed my life. My third show ever, I was asked to perform for 2,500 people at an Intel sales convention. Many employees who didn’t know me thought I had been hired as a professional comedian for the event.”

Nainan decided at age 40 to leave the company he loved to make comedy a career. A decade later, he says he doesn’t regret the decision and continues to perform at events all over the world.

Finding your passion
After dropping out of medical school in her 20s, Lisa Niver Rajna of Los Angeles traveled for almost seven years on the high seas. “In my 30s, I worked on a cruise ship like Julie McCoy [on the TV series "The Love Boat"] and also worked for two seasons at Club Med. My family said I ran away and joined the circus.”

While some people worried that she might be “wasting her potential,” Niver Rajna discovered that she really enjoyed both traveling and working with the kids’ programs on the cruises. These experiences, plus her educational background, led her to become a science teacher and travelblogger in her 40s.

“I have no regrets about taking this other path,” Niver Rajna says. “Once I decided that leaving medicine was the right choice for me, everything else fell into place. When I am teaching or traveling, I know I am in the right place doing what I am meant to be doing.”

Gaining experience
“In my 20s, I did the analyst program at a top investment bank on Wall Street, went back for my MBA and then went to corporate America to do brand management at Procter & Gamble,” says Paige Arnof-Fenn of Cambridge, Mass. “I see my 20s as my apprenticeship years, working for well-known companies that were known for training and developing their people.”

By contrast, she says her 30s were for “getting out of my comfort zone and exploring new opportunities.” An interest in dot-com businesses led her to marketing roles at several successful startups. She also took a three-year contract job with the Treasury Department. “I never thought I’d be working for the government, but it was an amazing experience and growth opportunity for me both personally and professionally.”

Now in her 40s, Arnof-Fenn is the owner of global marketing company Mavens & Moguls. She says that her life nowadays is “more about balance and personal growth, not just focused on career success.”

As these stories show, career paths in one’s 30s can be straight, curved, detoured or even rerouted in a direction never considered. And while these roads may change in the years ahead, it’s a good bet that the jobs held during this time of life will influence that journey.

Beth Braccio Hering researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for CareerBuilder.

Some things haven’t changed. It’s still tough out there. There are still many people competing for few opportunities. But with the right tools, you can improve your search, broaden your networking opportunities and align yourself with a career that fits your skills.

Here are 10 tips for a successful job search in 2012:

1. Create a job search strategy. Employers hate receiving applications from candidates who are not qualified for positions. So it’s time to stop using the shotgun approach to your job search. You’re wasting your time, and you’re wasting the recruiter’s time. Carefully read job postings and determine whether you could do a majority of the tasks required if you started tomorrow. A recent CareerBuilder job forecast reported that employers are not finding qualified candidates for their open positions, so learn how to tailor your existing skills to a job’s requirements and spend time preparing better résumés and cover letters instead of just blasting a generic one to every single posting.

2. Define your goals and your brand. It can be challenging to stop and ask yourself, “What do I really want out of a job?” Answers as simple as a paycheck or benefits may be a reality, but the fact is that you do want more out of your job than just cash. Your career needs to satisfy you in more ways than just your pocketbook. By defining what you want out of a job and what you offer up as a job seeker, you become better at applying for jobs that are aligned with your overall career goals. By taking the time to define your brand as a job seeker, you can figure out what your best selling points are and the most valuable skills you have to sell to an employer. Make sure your social media accounts are professional if used as part of your search. And if they aren’t, keep them under lock and key, since more and more employers are screening applicants via social profiles.

3. Diversify your search. While employers still utilize sites like CareerBuilder, many are branching out in multiple ways to connect with job seekers. You should be readily available in each of those channels. Whether it’s through social media or local networking events, utilize today’s technology to further spread the message about your brand. Today’s job search can be summed up in one word: hustle. The more you switch up your efforts, the more opportunities you’ll come across and the more you place yourself ahead of the pack. Also, know your industry and what trends are happening. Manufacturing companies may still have you apply in-person, whereas digital advertising agencies may expect a much more elaborate electronic portfolio available via the Internet.

4. Evaluate your skills and add more. Perhaps your skills aren’t up-to-date with most of the jobs you are seeing in the market, or perhaps they are a little rusty. Brush up on your underutilized skills with online courses or community classes. You could also consider going back to school. Government funding and other programs are available for out-of-work job seekers who want to enroll in training or continue their education to better position themselves in the current workforce.

5. Be unique. You already know that defining your brand can help set you apart from the competition. When an employer asks, “Why should I hire you?” you will already have a list of your best qualities. As you come across jobs that you feel confident about, do something that will help you stand out and be memorable to the recruiter or Human Resources manager. Dig around, and before applying, find out the name of the hiring manager or someone who heads up the department the position is in, and contact him directly. Utilize the information on LinkedIn to your benefit. Reach out with a brief introduction, and let him know you’ve applied for the position and you hope to be in touch. After applying, it never hurts to follow up with a company via social media to share your excitement about the position.

6. Proactively listen. Searching for a job can be tedious, and you can get so focused that sometimes it’s easy to forget to listen, research or monitor conversations. Pay attention to how employers are communicating about jobs via social media and through their websites and how you can speak to them in their own language. Connect with other job seekers or career experts, and see what methods you can adopt from their job search strategies. Join Twitter chats and online career fairs to connect with more employers and broaden your network. Just be sure that while you’re out selling your brand, you take the time to listen to how others are finding success in their search.

7. Set goals. The overall goal may be either get a job or get a new one, but when you break that big goal down into smaller goals, you set yourself up for more success and less frustration. When you only look toward that big goal, it can be disheartening when it takes a long time to achieve it. Choose monthly goals like joining professional organizations or volunteering at a nonprofit that will allow you to flex and utilize your skills. When you are able to create a to-do list and hold yourself accountable for achieving these goals, you’ll feel better about yourself. That self-initiation can be shown off in your job search and interviews as a great example of your character. By forcing yourself to focus on small goals, you continue networking with new individuals that can assist you in your job search.

8. Prepare for anything. You can’t always predict when you may get called for an in-person or phone interview, so you should always be ready. You should go into an interview with at least five examples that demonstrate your best qualities. When they want examples of real-life successes or things you’d do different, have them prepared. If you volunteered or taught yourself a new set of skills, be sure to mention this. Rehearse for interviews with mentors or friends so you won’t ‘wing it,’ which can diminish your chances of portraying yourself in the best way. Leave the interviewer with phone numbers of references who will back you up with recommendations.

9. Positive thinking can lead to positive results. Use your career search as a time to see every situation as a learning opportunity. Of course every job hunt will have moments of frustration and hopelessness. But don’t give up on yourself or on the belief that the right job is out there. Use the time to re-evaluate your career path, which could lead you to a more fulfilling career. A positive attitude is also contagious, and the more positive you are, the more likely others will be willing to go out of their way to help you.

10. Stay balanced. Job searching can take a lot out of you. Create a schedule or routine for yourself, so you don’t burn out. Make sure you get plenty of rest, talk to friends and family, stay active and allow yourself those moments to do things you enjoy. Take the time to play a video game, go for a jog or play with your pets — do whatever it takes to get you back to you.

Finding the perfect job is attainable, but you have to put in the work and effort and have faith that you’ll reach your destination. By being proactive, connecting with others and having a can-do attitude, you’ll be able to tackle some of the biggest job search hurdles in 2012.

Justin Thompson is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

Even if a certain job or interview doesn’t go your way, there’s no reason to be disappointed. In hindsight, everything can be a lesson, right? As Thanksgiving approaches, we asked career coaches, authors and entrepreneurs for the career lessons they are most thankful for. The results, based on both positive and negative experiences, may surprise you.

Here’s what they learned:

“In this tough economic environment, it’s natural to be competitive, and it’s hard to be happy for someone when they get a prize — a promotion, a raise, a bonus — and you don’t. When I have that feeling, I rely on the ‘pork chop theory.’ The pork chop theory is based on the premise that if you put one pork chop in the pan and turn the heat on high, the pork chop will burn. If you put two pork chops in the pan, however, and turn the heat on high, they will feed off the fat of one another. It’s the ultimate in giving, sharing and developing mutually beneficial partnerships and relationships. It’s not about competition; it’s about sharing the fat, sharing the love.”
– Virginia Willis, author of “Basic to Brilliant, Y’All: 150 Refined Southern Recipes and Ways to Dress Them Up for Company”

“The career lesson I am most thankful for was the realization that you must ‘fake it till you make it.’ I am not talking about misrepresenting your credentials or lying about your experience level. What I mean is that I learned that you must act like the person you want to become. You must treat a chosen goal as though it is a foregone conclusion. I learned that prospective clients will want to hire me only when they feel the confidence that I have in myself; only when I behave and speak with the authority and poise that a successful person exudes. I was not always the coach I am today, but I learned early that I had to act forward in order to get there.”
– Martha Newman, career coach and founder of Gain Your Goals Inc.

“I worried so much in college and the years after that I made the wrong decision with my major and the path I’d chosen. Fortunately, I realized that very little is set in stone, and while not easy, it is possible to transition into another job or career. Though I couldn’t have known it at the time, all the twists and turns I took along the way have helped me in my career today. I’m thankful that we have career options.”
– Charlotte Weeks, certified résumé writer

“I worked for several years at an organization where I consistently received high performance reviews and other accolades from the managers that I worked with who appreciated my low-key but effective work style. But when it came time for a promotional opportunity, it was given to another colleague. What’s worse is that I didn’t even know that there was such an opportunity available within the department. I learned a few valuable lessons from that experience: The first is that other people’s perceptions of you matter and it can sometimes play a role in who has access to promotional opportunities and who doesn’t. The second lesson was that it was important for me to take charge of my career and my own destiny and not assume that others will create opportunities for me.”
– Dianne Shaddock Austin, principal at Easy Small Business HR

“For a long time, I really thought that people said what they meant. In conversation with colleagues, I had no concept of what it meant to be two-faced. I learned the lesson the hard way when I trusted one of my managers who used to say all the right things, just to get me to work hard, to the point of putting my life and studies on hold in order to dedicate at least 16 hours a day at the office. Back then it never crossed my mind that a person, especially a senior manager, could be so manipulative. Then one day my boss was cornered, and he was forced to take a position and to provide an opinion, in my presence. I was shocked when I heard him say things that were completely the opposite of what he had promised me. That changed how I interacted with people. It taught me a valuable lesson: Do not depend on other people’s thoughts and opinions — work hard to build yourself, and don’t worry about what others might say. I believe that a healthy dose of suspicion is mandatory in the corporate jungle.”
– Jonar Nader, author of “How to Lose Friends and Infuriate People”

“I had a personal blog, which I was sure no one read nor knew about. Following a very stressful work situation, I wrote a blog post that complained about my boss. I didn’t mention him by name and I assumed that nearly no one knew about the blog. One day he innocently Googled the name of a photography business that one of my co-workers owned and found the blog post and the complaint. I was very nearly fired, and more than stunned that he had found my ‘private’ blog. My career lessons from this experience? Take issues up with your supervisor directly. Nothing you post online is private. Always use care in what you post via social media, on other people’s websites, online forums, etc.”
– Jenny Foss, career coach and founder of Ladder Recruiting Group

Alina Dizik researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for CareerBuilder. Follow @Careerbuilder on Twitter.

There are essentially three generations of job seekers vying for jobs today: Baby Boomers, Generation X or Gen X, and Generation Y or Millennials. Because of this, job seekers are finding themselves competing with people of all different ages for the same job; people that can bring different experiences and skill sets to the position.

I asked career coaches, advisers and recruiters if there are any patterns in how job seekers from different generations go about the job search. Here are some that they noted:

Baby Boomers: Often show a high level of professionalism and excel in face-to-face interviews. “Baby Boomers know that the job search is ultimately about relationships, and [they] tend to invest the time in the process of developing relationships,” says Lynne Sarikas, executive director of the MBA Career Center at Northeastern University. “They know the value of a handwritten thank-you note.”

Gen X: Tend to utilize both in-person and online communication effectively. “When it comes to overall communication skills and working knowledge of technology, members of Generation X fall squarely between their 20-year-old and 50- to 60-year-old counterparts,” says Maribeth Kuzmeski, author of

“The Connectors: How the World’s Most Successful Businesspeople Build Relationships and Win Clients for Life.” “They are used to online job searches, emailing résumés and following up via both email and

handwritten notes.”

Millennials: Often adept at using all forms of social media in their job search. They tend to embrace all kinds of technology and use that technology to their advantage, including applying via their smartphone or tablet or following up via creative ways online.

“[Job seekers] over 50 years old may be used to looking for work in a newspaper, attending job fairs, dropping by a company to inquire about job leads and speaking to those in their network regarding job opportunities,” says Lavie Margolin, career coach, speaker and author of “Lion Cub Job Search: Practical Job Search Assistance for Practical Job Seekers.” “A younger generation would be more apt to look for jobs online and use social networks to reach out to people for help as opposed to speaking to people face-to-face or giving someone a call.”

So how do job seekers compete with those from other generations? Perhaps it’s by learning from each other and applying a combination of new and tried-and-true job-search tactics. Here are some tips on how job seekers of all generations can be successful in their job hunt.

Embrace both offline and online communication

To get the most out of a job search, try using both online and offline resources. Search for jobs on career websites as well as social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Consider building an online portfolio that houses your résumé along with examples of your work or previous successes, but don’t forget to bring hard copies to an interview, too. Also try meeting with a headhunter or recruiter who specializes in finding jobs in the field for which you’re applying.

Networking works

“Regardless of generation, the single most important thing you can do to support your job search is networking,” Sarikas says. “Identify alumni, former colleagues, friends of friends or family who work in the companies you are interested in as employers. Conduct informational interviews to learn about the company, the culture and the types of roles in your area of interest. Meet as many people as possible who can help support your efforts, and identify how you can help them as well. While you can use the Internet and other tools to identify resources, do your networking in person whenever possible. Have a real conversation.”

Execution matters

“Execution matters – cover letters and résumés must be flawless; no spelling or grammatical errors,” Sarikas says. “You should be well prepared for your interview. Research the company and the people you are meeting. Have questions prepared. Information is easily accessible, so there is no excuse for not being well prepared.”

The power of thank you

Follow up with both an email and a snail mail thank-you note. “Write a handwritten thank-you note to each interviewer and show your enthusiasm for the job as well as your appreciation for their time. It makes them remember you in a positive way,” Sarikas recommends.

1. Santa
For savvy Santas, Christmastime is more than just child’s play. According to Susen Mesco, president of American Events and Promotions, a hardworking Santa with sound business skills can potentially take home $10,000-$20,000 during the holiday season.Marketing and negotiating are among the topics covered by her company’s annual Professional Santa Claus School, an intense five-day seminar for aspiring Kris Kringles. Training also covers such areas as child psychology, makeup application, sign language and acting.

Playing Santa may look easy, but the position can be both physically and emotionally challenging as it requires constant interaction with a large number of children. Mesco has helped everyone from truck drivers to college professors prepare for the role. She says that the best Santas are ones who truly want to do a good job and are willing to go the extra mile, from using curling irons to enhance their beards to scouting toy stores to become more knowledgeable.

Santa rates vary by experience, location and duties. Mall Santas generally earn in the $10-$40 per hour range, while those hired for parties or to model for print work often command considerably more.

2. Santa’s helpers
“A good elf is worth his weight in gold,” says Mesco. While they might not garner the same attention as the man in the red suit, these costumed characters are instrumental to greeting families, keeping lines moving, taking pictures, coordinating activities and handing out gifts. As with Santa, there are variables influencing the going rate, but an experienced Mrs. Clausor other character capable of ensuring a smooth flow can make upward of $25 per hour at private events.

3. Hand packagers
Santa needs plenty of help getting presents Christmas-morning perfect, so manydepartment stores and mall customer service stations hire gift wrappers. Online and mail order companies also beef up their staff this time of year to manually package and wrap items, label cartons, inspect items for defects, attach shipping information and keep records. The mean hourly wage for a hand packer is $10.63.*

4. Delivery-service workers
Delivery-service workers are vital to the transportation of holiday packages. While some seasonal workers drive trucks, many load and unload, handle paperwork or serve as helpers to veteran drivers. The mean hourly wage for this delivery job is $15.45*.

5. Retail salesperson
In addition to established chains needing assistance, niche businesses selling items such as calendars, candy and ornaments spring up in shopping centers during the last few months of the year. The mean hourly wage for a retail salesperson is $12.02*, and many seasonal hires can save big bucks on their own holiday purchases by using their employee discount.

6. Food-service workers
Extra shoppers mean increased traffic at food courts and restaurants. Likewise banquet halls, hotels and catering companies need additional staff to handle holiday parties. Mean hourly wages are $9.99* for waiters and waitresses, $9.93* for food-preparation workers and $8.95* for fast- food workers.

7. Snow removers
As any 12-year-old with a shovel will attest, there is money to be made if you’re willing to brave the after-storm elements. Local and state governments add manpower, some on an on-call basis, to keep roads plowed. The mean hourly wage for highway maintenanceworkers is $17.23*. Shopping centers and other businesses often contract with snow removal companies to keep parking lots and sidewalks clean for holiday customers. Thesegroundskeeping workers bring in a mean hourly wage of $12.23*. And while official statistics don’t exist on enterprising kids (or adults, for that matter) looking to capitalize on Mother Nature, $10-$25 per driveway seems to be the going rate for digging out individual residences.

*According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Beth Braccio Hering researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for CareerBuilder.

Whether or not working part time is by choice, it does have its advantages. Part-time work allows for flexibility, can help determine whether a certain profession is the right fit and may lead to full-time work within the same company. What’s more, many companies offer stellar benefits to part-time employees.

While some companies provide the standard health benefits — medical, dental, vision — others provide some less-traditional perks like pet insurance, tuition reimbursement and health and wellness programs. Here are nine companies offering benefits to their part-time employees:

1. AAA

Part-time employees are eligible for medical and dental insurance, health care flexible spending accounts, and retirement savings accounts. Part-timers can also invest a portion of their pre-tax paycheck to a 401(k) plan.

Part-time jobs include associate I – AAA sales, member relations specialist and retail agent.

2. Container Store

Along with medical, dental and vision plans, part-time workers can receive pet insurance, paid vacation and a 40 percent merchandise discount. Coverage options are also available for domestic partners and common law spouses.

Part-time jobs include sales and visual merchandising and opportunities in the customer solutions department.

3. Lowe’s

Starting on their day of hire, regular part-time employees are eligible for limited benefit health plans, term life insurance, vision and dental care and short-term disability. After working at the company for 180 days, employees are entitled to 40 hours of vacation.

Part-time opportunities include cashier, telephone operator and unload associate.

4. Macy’s

Love fashion and good at sales? Macy’s just might be the place for you. Both salaried and hourly employees are offered comprehensive benefits packages. Benefits for eligible part-timers include medical, dental and disability income protection. Employees can also participate in healthy living events, which include blood pressure checks and cholesterol screenings.

Part-time jobs include retail commission sales associate, flex team loss prevention/security associate and visual merchandising associate.

5. Staples

Workers at this office products company need to work a minimum of only 20 hours per week to gain access to most benefits. Health benefits such as medical, dental, life, vision and disability insurance are offered to workers and their families, including same-sex spouses and domestic partners. Perks at Staples abound, with team members receiving discounts on theater tickets, wireless products and services and online retailers.

Part-time positions include fulfillment center associate and material handler/driver helper.

6. UPS

Along with a variety of health benefits, part-timers can enjoy tuition assistance via the company’s UPS Tuition Assistance Program and company stock through the Discounted Employee Stock Purchase Program.

Part-time opportunities include driver helpers, warehouse workers and dockworkers.

7. Walgreens

Part-time employees have access to employee discounts, flexible spending accounts and the company’s employee stock purchase program. Walgreens also offers opportunities for team members to apply for internal roles at the district and corporate levels.

Medical assistant, nurse and pharmacy technician are examples of part-time opportunities.

8. Whole Foods Market

Whole Foods Market is known for being a great place to work; in fact, FORTUNE magazine has recognized it as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America for more than a decade. Employees are eligible for benefits after they work 400 service hours, including medical, dental, vision and health care reimbursement accounts. Perks include 20 percent off all purchases made at any Whole Foods Market location as soon as they start; spouses can get in on the discount too.

Sample part-time job titles include produce team member, cook and meat cutter.

*According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Debra Auerbach is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

Job seekers, get out your seasonal cookie cutters and hunt down some eggnog, it’s time to prepare for the holidays.

OK, so maybe it’s a little early for the festive cookies and cocktails, but if you plan on looking for work during the holiday season, it’s high time you started preparing.

Although full-time hiring tends to dip in the final quarter of the year, many companies add temporary positions during the holidays, positions which they start hiring for now. Yes, it’s true that many seasonal jobs fall into the retail category, but the holidays are also a busy time for businesses in shipping and warehousing, accounting, travel and hospitality, and the nonprofit sector so job openings in a variety of functions within these industries aren’t uncommon, either.

If you don’t work in an industry that typically needs extra hands during the holidays, consider taking a job outside of your field — it can still be beneficial to your job search.

“A large number of the unemployed have been unemployed for six months or longer,” says Raina Fuentes, office manager at Momentum Specialized Staffing, a recruiting firm in Phoenix, Ariz. “Taking a seasonal position can help lessen the noticeable gap in employment on your résumé. It will also allow you to take a break from the monotony job seekers face these days and help you go into your 2012 job search with a freshened state of mind and outlook on the future.” Plus, seasonal hiring can provide job seekers with valuable networking opportunities and the chance to learn transferable skills.

To help you jumpstart your holiday job search, here’s a look at 15 employers that currently have seasonal openings.

1. Aeropostale
Industry: Retail, fashion
Holiday job openings: 2,000+
Sample job titles: District managers, store managers, assistant managers, retail associates / role models
Location: Nationwide and Canada

2. A.M. Castle & Co.
Industry: Metals distribution/industrial/manufacturing
Holiday job openings: 50+
Sample job titles: Territory manager, inside sales representative, director of strategic sourcing, warehouse operator
Location: Nationwide

3. ANN INC. (Ann Taylor/LOFT)
Industry: Retail
Holiday job openings: 3,000-5,000
Sample job titles: Sales associates
Location: Nationwide

4. APAC Customer Services
Industry: Customer service, telecom
Number of openings: 250
Sample job titles: Customer service representative
Location: Ariz., Iowa, Fla., N.Y., Texas, Wisc.

5. DialAmerica
Industry: Telemarketing
Holiday job openings: 1,000
Sample job titles: Customer service agents, contact center sales agents for health care, financial services and Sirius satellite radio programs, team leaders trainers
Location: Calif., Fla., Ga., Ill., Neb., N.J., N.Y., Ohio, Penn., S.C., Tenn., Texas

6. Diamond National Adjusting, LLC
Industry: Adjusting/appraising
Holiday job openings 50
Sample job titles: Insurance adjuster/ appraiser
Location: Ala., Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Fla., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kan., Ky., La., Mich., Mo., Neb., Nev., N.M., Ohio, Okla., Texas

7. Helzberg Diamonds
Industry: Retail
Holiday job openings: 100+
Sample job titles: Retail sales associate, part time kiosk sales
Location: Nationwide

8. Headway Workforce Solutions
Industry: Workforce Solutions
Holiday job openings: 11,000+
Sample job titles: Store sales associates, store managers, assistant store managers, warehouse (distribution), loss prevention, call center, regional area supervisors, and retail corporate level positions.
Location: Nationwide

9. Massage Envy
Industry: Health and wellness
Holiday job openings: 2,500
Sample job titles: Sales associate, massage therapist, esthetician, clinic manager
Location: Nationwide

10. Medcor, Inc.
Industry: Occupational health care, health care
Holiday job openings: 50
Sample job titles: Registered nurse, paramedic, licensed practical nurse, IT developer
Location: Ill., Texas, N.M.

11. The Men’s Wearhouse
Industry: Retail
Holiday job openings: 70+
Sample job titles: Sales consultant, sales manager
Location: Nationwide

12. Rue 21
Industry: Retail
Holiday job openings: 100+
Sample job titles: Retail: District manager, store manager, retail sales associate; Corporate: merchandising, marketing, finance, HR, recruiting
Location: Retail positions nationwide; Corporate positions in Pittsburgh

13. The Salvation Army
Industry: Non-profit
Holiday job openings: 80+
Sample job titles: Store manager, assistant store manager, production associate, retail clerk, cashier, associate counselor, resource development manager, intake coordinator
Locations: Nationwide

14. Sleepy’s, LLC
Industry: Retail, mattresses
Holiday job openings: 100+
Sample job titles: Sales professionals, sales assistants, call center representatives
Location: Conn., Del., Md., Mass., N.C., N.J., N.Y., Penn., R.I., Va.

15. Spencer Gifts/Spirit Halloween Stores
Industry: Retail
A specific number of openings they expect to fill for the holidays: 20,000
Sample job titles: Costume designer, planning manager, assistant buyer, seasonal store manager, seasonal district sales manager, seasonal sales associates, seasonal assistant manager
Location: Nationwide

Once your resume has made it past the basic screening for requisite skills and qualifications, you’re on to the next round in the screening process. Here are some tips to help you nail the virtual interview.

1. Be yourself

“My number one piece of advice is just be yourself,” says Frank Steele, director of recruiting for FirstGroup America. He says that if you try to fake it, you’ll eventually be found out. “I fully appreciate the pressures of looking for a job. But you’ve got to be yourself and be genuine. I would approach a phone interview like a first date or a speed date. It’s the start of the relationship. During the course of the conversation, I ask myself, do I want to work with this person, do I like them?” Steel conducts a dozen or more phone screens every week with candidates seeking jobs with North America’s largest provider of transportation services.

2. Communicate clearly & concisely

“During the initial phone screen, we’re listening for the communication aspect. For contact center positions, what’s most important is the candidate’s competency on the phone,” says Tyson Bragg, group HR manager for Enterprise Holdings. He oversees the hiring process for the company’s two customer contact centers in St. Louis, Mo., and Eugene, Ore., and for its virtual workforce, who handle customer calls from home. “We are listening to their verbal communication skills, how well they manage their responses to questions and if their answers are succinct and well thought through,” adds Bragg.

3. Have an elevator speech

With an initial phone screen, Steele says you’ve got about three minutes to make an impression. He says many recruiters start with, “Tell me about yourself.” A phone screen is no different from the face-to-face interview when it comes to this question. You need to be prepared. Steel suggests, “Start with the understanding that individuals get hired to either save a company money or make them money. Think about what the company needs and plug in your competencies. You’ve got to talk to the company need, not your need.”

4. Avoid distractions

Bragg says that because they hire a number of team members who will be working virtually from a home office, “You’ve got to be able to manage your surroundings in a phone interview.” He says distractions are commonplace on phone interviews. “Surprisingly, some candidates don’t realize the importance of being able to manage distractions like a barking dog or having the TV on.”

5. Conduct a background check

If you are using a webcam, look behind you. “You need to see what is in the background when you’re using Skype. Test the camera view to make sure the interviewer won’t see your refrigerator full of magnets and school papers or a messy bookshelf,” says executive human resources consultant Mary Pierce, SPHR.

6. Pause before speaking

“Skype is wonderful technology, but there can be a slight delay in the voice transmission. It’s so easy to talk over the interviewer,” warns Pierce. She urges candidates to be patient and careful to pause before responding to a question.

7. Test the technology

Pierce and Trotter both suggest doing a test run to ensure you understand how the web cam and microphone work on your computer. “Test it out with a friend, your career coach or a trusted business associate in a mock interview to get comfortable with how you look and sound,” advises Pierce.

8. Remember: This is not a dress rehearsal

Pierce offers this final piece of advice, “Job candidates need to understand that this is just like a face-to-face interview. You must dress and act as professionally as if you were sitting in the interviewer’s office.”

With Enterprise, there are no dress rehearsals. In the past year, Bragg says Enterprise started doing everything over the phone and ceased doing face-to-face interviews for customer contact positions. When choosing the winning candidate, it comes down to “phone etiquette, communication skills …and resiliency,” concludes Bragg.

Tech marketers bring these two pursuits together, and the more seamlessly the better. So how do you convince a prospective employer that you have both the technical aptitude and the communication savvy to make their cell phones, computers, tablets or other gadgets irresistible to target audiences?

How you approach your prospective employer will vary depending on how far up the corporate ladder you’re aiming. But the tips below are useful for a broad spectrum of tech marketing jobs.

1. Know the technology … or convince them you can learn it.

This is fundamental. As a marketer, you’ll often be introducing new products and services. If you don’t really understand the technology, you’ll be forced to stick with generic pitches — always less convincing than a well-tailored argument. And you’re more prone to make an embarrassing flub.

If you don’t have a tech background, you may still be a strong candidate. Show that you’ve learned as much as you reasonably could about the relevant technology before stepping into the interview. Technology changes fast, so demonstrating that you can catch on quickly is a good idea, since it’s pretty much guaranteed that you’ll be constantly learning on the job.

2. Know the company.

You don’t need encyclopedic knowledge of every product the company has ever released, but it’s a good idea to be familiar with its major product lines, as well as its market space and biggest competitors.

3. Show that you can translate technical ideas into language anyone can understand.

Part of the genius behind Apple’s marketing is its willingness to forgo tech jargon for simple human appeal (hence the “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” commercials, or the iPad ad that simply showed someone using one while lounging on a couch). That underscores the point that you don’t have to be a technical wizard to market technology, but you do have to be a deft communicator, both in writing and verbally. You’ll have ample opportunity to showcase the latter skill in a job interview. If you can talk about the company and its products in a compelling, succinct and persuasive way, you’ll go a long way toward convincing your interviewer that you’re right for the job.

4. Give examples of marketing plans you executed successfully.

(Even more importantly, show the strategy you used to get there.) Perhaps you’re thinking, “I’m pretty new to this business, and I haven’t had the chance to conceive a marketing plan yet.” Don’t let that stop you from sharing your ideas. Strategic thinking is critical in marketing, and if you’ve got it, (politely) flaunt it.

5. Look beyond cool to the bottom line.

New technology is often exciting — Look, I can make a movie on my phone! — but more sophisticated marketers know that cool isn’t always enough. Show that you understand the wow factor, but then describe how you would market the product to the company’s business advantage.

For the uninitiated, here’s a brief definition of a video resume. It’s a short video that gives you an opportunity to introduce yourself to potential employers, point out skills and experience and generate face-to-face interviews. The video can be professionally produced or produced at home; it can be posted on some job sites for a charge or the ever-popular YouTube at no cost.
Consider the following, then make a decision on whether a video resume should be part of your job search tactics.
The Benefits of a Video Resume
Set Yourself Apart. Perhaps the most obvious reason to add a video resume to your job search is that it’s a way to distinguish you from the competition. Not many applicants today go through the effort, so having this online resource demonstrates initiative and resourcefulness. This distinction is especially important for professionals in marketing, advertising and sales – industries that demand outstanding communication skills.
Relatively Easy and Cheap to Produce. Got access to a FlipCam or another easy-to-use video digital recording device? Then you can create a video resume quickly and with virtually no out-of-pocket costs. Just remember to dress in professional business attire, prepare your thoughts well in advance, speak clearly, look into the camera, make sure there are no background noises or distractions and above all – keep it short, three minutes maximum. A great rule of thumb is to only communicate information that you would deliver in person. If you’ve got the funds, professionally-produced video resumes could cost $3,000 or more.
Some Employers Want to Click “Play” First. Screening candidates for open positions is time consuming for companies. That’s why a video resume gives the hiring authority the flexibility to view the candidate online, make some judgments on that person’s personality and presence, and determine whether a formal interview is merited.
And, the Potential Pitfalls
You May Bomb as a Video Star. A rambling, poorly-produced video delivered by a sloppily-attired candidate certainly will cause much more harm than good. This is especially true if the message mixes personal information with accomplishments, lacks substance and times out beyond 180 seconds. Like your online digital footprint, a bad video resume may follow you for a long time and be a job search stumbling block.
An Opening for Discrimination. This is especially true for experienced workers. Of course, by law an employer can’t discriminate candidates because of age, as well as gender, ethnicity and physical disability. But realistically, an employer might decide to pass you by just based on the perception that the person in video that he or she viewed is “too old” for the job.
Legal Ramifications. As noted above, your age and other personal characteristics are deemed “protected classes” – factors that cannot be targeted for discrimination and harassment in employment, housing and other areas. Employers may not want to even view a video resume because of the potential for discrimination lawsuits.

But, just because 2011 is quickly winding down doesn’t mean your job search has to.

In fact, the next couple of months can actually be one of the best times to look for work. By October, most companies have regained speed after the summer lull, and many will be trying to make hiring decisions before the holiday vacation season begins in late November.

“Beginning the week of Thanksgiving, many companies’ hiring processes start coming to a slow grind, due in a large part to many people using the holidays as vacation time, adding extra days off to the holiday schedule,” says Dorothy Tannahill Moran, owner of Next Chapter, New Life, a career coaching firm. “For a job seeker … this means they need to be networking, conducting informational interviews and sending applications immediately so they can be focused on by the hiring company while a full staff is still available.”Looking for a job? It’s time to kick your search into high gear. To give you a jump start, here’s a list of 15 companies that are hiring new employees this month.

1. Addison Search

Industry: Recruiting

Sample job titles: Coder, customer service, escrow, credit analyst

Location: Texas, N.Y., Ill. , N.J., Mass.

2. Bethesda Lutheran Communities

Industry: Nonprofit/Healthcare

Sample job titles: Registered nurse, behavior support specialist, caregiver/ direct support professional, area director

Location: Calif., Colo., Ill., Ind., Kan., Mich., Mo., N.J., Ohio, Ore., Texas, Wash., Wis.

3. CapTech

Industry: Professional consulting

Sample job titles: Java developer, Java architect, SharePoint developer, and SharePoint architect

Location: Richmond, Va.; Charlotte, N.C.; Philadelphia

4. Carfax

Industry: Consumer services

Sample job titles: Marketing manager, business analyst / operations analyst, customer support specialist, field sales consultant, production support specialist, Java developer, senior web designer, project manager, national accounts manager

Location: Nationwide

5. Dollar General

Industry: Retail

Sample job titles: District managers, store managers, store manager candidates

Location: Nationwide

6. Family Home Health Services

Industry: Healthcare

Sample job titles: Business development manager, occupational therapist, physical therapist, nurse

Location: Fla., Mich., Ind., Mo., Ohio

7. Farmers Insurance

Industry: Insurance

Sample job titles: Insurance sales agent

Location: (cities or states): Ill., Ind., Minn., N.J., Ohio, Penn., Va., Wis.

8. John Knox Village

Industry: Health care

Sample job titles: Food service, CNA, LPN, RN, EMT

Location: Mo., Kan.

9. Men’s Wearhouse

Industry: Retail

Sample job titles: Sales consultant, sales manager

Location: Nationwide

10. Modern Woodmen of America

Industry: Insurance and banking

Sample job titles: Managing partner, financial representative

Location: Nationwide

11. PricewaterhouseCoopers

Industry: Professional services

Sample job titles: Accountant, auditor, tax accountant, consultant

Location: Nationwide

12. The Prudential Insurance Company of America
Industry: Financial services
Sample job titles: Financial professional associate (entry level and experienced)
Location: Nationwide

13. Titlemax

Industry: Consumer services

Sample job titles: Store manager, district manager, bilingual customer service representative, commercial construction field estimator, customer service representative, general manager trainee, store manager trainee, regional manager

Location: Nationwide

14. TMG Health

Industry: Business process outsourcing/professional services

Sample job titles: Analyst, senior market research; supervisor, operations compliance; supervisor, workforce management, analyst II, systems, account executive

Location: Dunmore, Penn.; King of Prussia, Penn.; Dallas; Little Rock, Ark.

15. Warner Chilcott

Industry: Pharmaceutical

Sample job titles: Pharmaceutical sales rep, women’s healthcare pharmaceutical rep, osteoporosis pharmaceutical sales rep

Location: Multiple states