As per our new format here are some great links, condensed into one post, to help you find a job and build your online brand.  Don’t forget you can always share your own advice and stories with us at our submission page!

1. Calling Bullsh!t – Stop Employer Facebook Spying Today - Nick Armstrong over at PsychoticResumes.com goes over a quick and easy way to stop companies from looking at your facebook profile by limiting access using a list.

“…we’re all going to post something stupid to Facebook sometime.  Don’t let the corporate fat cats catch you at it.  Put the lock-down on your Facebook this instant.”

2. How To Take A Hiring Authority Out For Dinner Or Golf - Zale Tabakman on how to wine and dine your way into a job in an ethical way.  Short answer - invite them to a charity dinner.

3. Lindsey Pollak’s radio show and podcast, 30/20 Vision, is airing live on Monday, July 27th, at 5pm EDT.  The show is a series for 20-something professionals who wish they had three big sisters to clue them in on the ins and outs of life after college.  You can join live or listen to it later.

4. Top 10 Job Search Tips - Sandy Flippo from the Detroit Job Search Examiner shares some advice for everyone looking for a job.

“A job search will be up and down. When you fall (get rejected or know you did not ace the interview) get back up. Go back to your search, network some more, and talk with fellow job seekers.”

5. Does Your Resume Help You or Hurt You? - Simon Meth, a professional recruiter, describes himself as someone who “reads resumes for a living”.  He offers some advice to fine tune your resume.

6. Give Your Resume the F.L.I.C.K. -  Thomas Shaw talks about resume basics and narrows it down to F.L.I.C.K. - format, layout, image, consistency, and keywords. Keywords being the most important for companies searching for specific skills.

1. Interviewing? Look for quick thinking, not ‘right answers’ from VentureBeat. Nice little read for both interviewers and interviewees.

“I’m not interviewing for the right answer to the questions I ask. Instead, I want to see how the candidate thinks on their feet, and whether they can engage in collaborative problem solving. So I always frame interview questions as if we were solving a real-life problem, even if the rules are a little far-fetched. I’ll then act as their “product manager” who can ask questions of imaginary customers to learn what they think. (I also act as their combined compiler, interactive debugger, and QA tester.)”

“My experience is that candidates who “know” the right answer do substantially worse than candidates who know nothing of the field. That’s because they spend time trying to remember the “correct” solution, instead of working on the problem together.”

2. 5 Ways to Fix a Tarnished Online Reputation - Alexandra Levit talks about managing an online brand.

• Listen and respond to online conversations before an issue reaches critical mass and damages your reputation. The best protection against negative comments and gripes is to build a positive reputation ahead of time.
• In the event of a crisis, you or your leader must take responsibility in order to recover corporate reputation.
• Explain your solution to the crisis/issue and then carry the solution into action.
• Set up specific online destinations to solicit negative comments and deal with them separately. Bank of America set up a Twitter rep to deal with customer complaints.
• To change how you appear on the Internet, push down the relevance of negative results and give the search engines positive new content.

3. Why LinkedIn Recommendations Really Are Valuable is a short read where Jacob Share (of JobMob) talks about why LinkedIn is important to use and get recommendations on. Here are his ideas on the topic condensed:

1. The job search process is a sales process
2. The relation between the recommend’er and the recommended is what matters most
3. LinkedIn is reliable

4. Does HR Read Resumes? Probably not but cover letters help you stand out:

“The one thing that will catch my eye and make me look at a candidate that does not have the experience I need, a cover letter addressed to me. Yeah, my own name catches my eye; I bet $10 you’re the same way.”

5. How to Behave: New Rules for Highly Evolved Humans is a new feature from Wired Magazine. Here’s one for you to sample:

Seek Out Your Coworkers on Facebook - So you finally scored a new job and you’re wondering if you should connect with your colleagues on Facebook? Go ahead. Yes, even with all those embarrassing photos linked to your profile. (No, don’t delete the ones from spring break ‘97, when you hooked up with a beer bong every night.) Friending your coworkers actually makes good business sense. According to London Business School professor Lynda Gratton, companies in which employees feel they know each other personally tend to be more innovative—it helps them jell as a team. In any case, not friending people won’t protect you from mortifying revelations. We’ve all been blogging and Flickring and tweeting for quite a while now; anything potentially compromising about you will eventually make the rounds. So own it. Revealing awkward photos and posts yourself is the best way to limit their impact. Show that you don’t take yourself too seriously and you’re less likely to invite ridicule.

6. How to Write a Personal Bio is another nice little read from the brand yourself blog.

1. From Mr. Kottke comes Josh Kaufman offers a list of twelve skills that you should focus on developing to improve “the quality of your life and work”:

Information-Assimilation – how to find, consume, and comprehend information and identify what’s most important in the face of a problem or challenge. A person who is highly skilled in Information-Assimilation is able to process information quickly and apply it to the situation at hand, with consistently high levels of comprehension and retention.

Writing – how to communicate thoughts and ideas in written form clearly and concisely. A person who is highly skilled in Writing is able to convey information to others briefly and simply, as well as use writing to persuade and influence.

Speaking – how to communicate thoughts and ideas to others clearly, concisely, and with confidence. A person who is highly skilled in Speaking is able to communicate individually or in front of a group of people in an engaging manner, with little visible evidence of tension or stress.

Mathematics – how to accurately use concepts from arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, and statistics to analyze and solve common problems. A person who is highly skilled in Mathematics is able to use numbers, ratios, and equations to gain insight into present circumstances and potential future scenarios.

Decision-Making – how to identify critical issues, prioritize, focus energy/effort, recognize fallacies, avoid common errors, and handle ambiguity. A person who is highly skilled in Decision-Making is able to weigh available information and come to a supportable conclusion, without falling prey to common reasoning mistakes and cognitive bias.

Rapport – how to interact with other people in a way that encourages them to like, trust, and respect you. A person who is highly skilled in Rapport is able to build productive, mutually-beneficial relationships with a wide variety of people in a way that influences their perceptions and opinions.

Conflict-Resolution – how to anticipate potential sources of conflict and resolve disagreements when they occur. A person who is highly skilled in Conflict-Resolution is able to anticipate potential sources of conflict and counteract unproductive emotions, both individually and in groups.

Scenario-Generation – how to create, clarify, evaluate, and communicate a possible future scenario that assists in decision-making, either for yourself or another person. A person who is highly skilled in Scenario Generation is able to envision possible future events, identify likely tradeoffs, and suggest multiple options that will result in the achievement of an objective.

Planning – how to identify the necessary next steps to achieve an objective, account for dependencies, and prepare for the unknown and inevitable change via the use of contingencies. A person who is highly skilled in Planning is able to examine available resources, anticipate potential issues and risks, and propose new / better paths as more information becomes known.

Self-Awareness – how to accurately perceive and influence your own internal states and emotions, including effective management of limited energy, willpower, and focus. A person who is highly skilled in Self-Awareness is able to recognize what physical and emotional state they’re currently experiencing, utilize or compensate for their current state, and intentionally elicit / reinforce preferred states.

Interrelation – how to recognize, understand, and make use of key features of systems and relationships, including cause-and-effect, second and third-order effects, constraints, and feedback loops. A person who is highly skilled in Interrelation is able to identify the most important factors in a system, explore how they affect each other, and improve systems without provoking undesired consequences.

Skill Acquisition – how to go about learning a desired skill in a way that results in competence by finding and utilizing available resources, deconstructing complex processes, and actively experimenting with potential approaches. A person who is highly skilled in Skill Acquisition is able to continually improve their skills in any field through deliberate practice, observation, and intentional experimentation.

2. From fellow tumblr EmilyPosts comes a link to CNN and 5 jobs for facebook addicts. Just the list:

1. Recruiter
2. Strategist
3. Enterprise architect
4. User operations analyst
5. Director of social media

“Director of Social Media” sounds like a nice title thats described as:

Similar to a strategist, companies need someone to organize company blogging, viral marketing, podcasting, etc. This person has a background in building teams and who really gets the promise and the purpose of social media, Durbin says. These folks should be wary of new technologies and be all over blogs, RSS, have Facebook and Twitter accounts, and know the difference between his or her employees playing and researching on MySpace and YouTube.

3. JobRadio.fm posted another resume pet peeve with Ron Katz from Penguin HR Consulting in NY. He wants to make sure young job hunters keep their resume to a page. His other pet peeve is stupid job objectives that don’t answer the fundamental question of - “what’s in this for me?”

You can download it and listen to the rest of the series.

1. Leading Economic Indicator Supports Recent Rally: less lying on resumes may mean the economy is getting better:

With unemployment flirting with 10%, the degree of lying about academic credentials on resumes has remained in line with prior years according to an executive search firm run by Jude Werra that produces a Liars Index twice a year. According to the index, approximately 16% of job seekers gave themselves an academic upgrade during the first half of 2009 which is right in line with the four year average of 15.8%. The 4th of July appears to be the inflection point for telling the truth as the level of academic fiction drops to 11.8% in the second half of the year.

2. “Use August Wisely” is the advice from Julie Ann Erickson, a writer and online “transformation coach”. We’re not entirely sure what that title means but we like the advice: “Remember the old saying that “luck favors the prepared” August is the perfect time to prepare to land your “right fit” job!”.  You can read to get details on how to prepare yourself.

3. Woman fired for racism on Facebook (personal branding gone wrong) is just another reminder that facebook can ruin you.

4. 7 Telephone Interview Tips from CollegeRecruiter.com and Brand-Yourself.com:

1. Use a land line.
2. Keep your materials handy.
3. Steer clear of distractions.
4. Speak slowly and clearly.
5. Remember - you can’t be seen.
6. No eating, drinking or chewing gum!
7. Prepare questions ahead of time

1. What you shouldn’t (and should) worry about with Social Media: the brand-yourself.com blog helps define what is (and isn’t) acceptable on facebook:

There’s a strange chilling effect with social media users these days. With so many people looking for work, no one wants to write or post anything that might hurt their chances at their next interview. Not posting pictures of your last sushi night out with your friends, where you did all those sake bombers and wound up in the street in your underwear pretending to be a bullfighter and swinging your pants at oncoming traffic… that’s definitely something no hiring manager wants to see.

What about something more innocent? Should you write about your political beliefs? Music you hate? Post pictures of your last hunting trip, or a vacation video taken of you in a bathing suit?

2. Should I ‘Dumb Down’ My Resume? from careerealism.com answers a question sent in about dumbing down a resume for jobs you might be over-qualified for.

3. How Do I Find Legit Work-at-Home Jobs? is another careerealism.com that answers a very common question these days:

I have a full-time job, but I also work a part-time bartending job that’s not what I want to do, and it’s 40 minutes away. I would like to do something from home. I see ads saying you can make millions from home, but I don’t believe them. Can you point me in the right direction?

4. 3 Networking Myths from DrivenLeaders.com:

• Networking is for self-promoting schmoozers.
• Network is only for salespeople or outgoing personalities.
• Networking, by nature, is uncomfortable, forced, and contrived.

5. Heather Huhman posts another “Ask Heather” column about application submission, vacation, and quarter systems.

6. David Wright called into JobRadio.fm with his resume pet peeve.

1. Colleges Need to Teach Personal Branding from the personal branding blog. This should probably be included in a short 8 week course every college should have about resume skills and interviewing techniques.

2. From Michael VanDervort comes 15 Job Search Ideas for Uemployed Workers

1. Utilize non-traditional search tools. I recommended a number of job aggregators and local boards outside the big 3 - Indeed, SimplyHired, workforce50, Linkup, jobshouts, etc.
2. Network in non-traditional groups (tech, social media) to break challenge age perceptions
3. Consider other opportunities – contract, consulting, – look for work places like elance,Guru, Sologig, odesk, and others. Consider teaching at colleges or on-line at schools like Webster or the University of PHX.
4. Get over the idea that you have to work in a certain business sector. Stretch boundaries. Consider non-profit, etc
5. Increase your geographic reach. Consider New Orleans, for example. Relocate if necessary, and if possible. You can always move back where you left down the road if you want to
6. Increase your voice wherever possible, with relevance. People will see it. It might help, and certainly can’t hurt!
7. Spend time on new things just for you. Be assertive about your job search, but don’t let it consume you.
8. Be sure to post your job search on locations like LinkedIn and Facebook so your extended network is aware, but don’t be annoying or appear desperate.
9. Open your mind. Be receptive to any opportunity, and don’t let preconcieved notions turn you off to any potential opportunity.
10. Consider reading HR blogs for job advice. You can find over numerous bloggers and contacts by visiting just two sites, HR Alltop and HRM Today.
11. Join (or start) an “accountability” group—3 or 4 people who meet once a week and hold each other accountable for job-search commitments.
12. Volunteer. The United Way, for example, can place you in a position that requires your skills. Broadens your network.
13. Seek a “hold-me-over” job before you need to dip into your savings. It can be a one-day-a- week job in retail. An evening job bartendering.
14. Seek opportunities to get out of your comfort zone.
15. Build a personal brand. See the slideshare presentation Me 2.0 by Maurene Grey.

3. Would I Hire Me if I Were You? From careerealism.com comes a short piece on looking inward when job hunting:

Introspection is a critical part of your job search. Before you send your résumé to every opening you find, you should sit quietly and ask yourself whether YOU would hire YOU if YOU were the hiring manager.

4. Making An Entry Level Salary Work from gradversity.com talks about what you should do after you land your job.

5. Nick Armstrong discusses creating a cover letter from scratch and talks about:

• How to analyze a job posting
• How to figure out if the job is a sham/the company is cheap
• How to know if you’re qualified
• How to properly research the company
• How to begin your cover letter
• What to say in your cover letter
• How to end your cover letter
• What to do after you’ve sent your cover letter

6. Overqualified and Underpaid Workers states the obvious:

Because of the tough job market, most job seekers are willing to accept positions they’re overqualified for even if it means taking a paycut and a demotion.

Sixty-four percent of workers who were laid off over the last 12 months said they have applied for positions that were below the job level they had held previously, according to a survey by Career Builder.

1. 7 Quick Rules for Networking To Your Next Job from JobMob:

• Become familiar with the social networking tools like LinkedIn, FaceBook, and Twitter
• Don’t wait until you need something
• Seek to help and support others
• Be personal and genuine
• Have a confident attitude
• Thank those who help you
• Pay it forward

2. Another JobMob article on Job Interviews: How You Can Benefit By Asking Questions.  The post has a nice video but the real meat is in the list of questions candidates should ask during the interview:

• Tell me a little bit about what you are looking for in your candidate or new hire, tell me about the last one you hired, or why is the position open?
• What was it that you think held the other person back from being successful?
• What are the tasks in this job that are really going to define success for this person?
• What are the next steps?
• When will I hear from you?
• Do you have any reason why you would not consider moving me forward during the (hiring) process?
• Are there any other folks who will be interviewing me later?
• Will it be a panel interview?
• In the typical day, how many hours do you work on the road?
• How does the travel program work?
• With your clients, what do you think is the #1 obstacle to success?
• What do you see in the field with sales representatives that stops them from being successful?
• Which product line of yours is your lead line? (i.e. the one that everyone should buy)
• Which product line should they probably not buy?
• What do you like about working here?
• Among the other candidates, how do I rank?
• Are there any questions that you have for me?
• Do you see how my experience at XYZ (past company) translates well into this position?
• Do you agree with me that a Bachelor’s degree in Biology is not necessary for this position, that it seems like it’s a sales process that really requires someone that can understand the product well enough, but can also understand the customer and their business process?

3. America’s Fastest Growing List of Private Companies via ResumeBear

Today the focus is on why people get hired (or not) after employers see their online profile:

1. Potential employers are looking at your social networking habits says Heather Huhman - with some pretty interesting stats on why candidates get cut or hired:

Why Employers Disregarded Candidates After Screening Online

Job seekers are cautioned to be mindful of the information they post online and how they communicate directly with employers. Thirty-five percent of employers reported they have found content on social networking sites that caused them not to hire the candidate. The top examples cited include:

• Candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information – 53 percent
• Candidate posted content about them drinking or using drugs – 44 percent
• Candidate bad-mouthed their previous employer, co-workers or clients – 35 percent
• Candidate showed poor communication skills – 29 percent
• Candidate made discriminatory comments – 26 percent
• Candidate lied about qualifications – 24 percent
• Candidate shared confidential information from previous employer – 20 percent

Fourteen percent of employers have disregarded a candidate because the candidate sent a message using an emoticon such as a smiley face while 16 percent dismissed a candidate for using text language such as GR8 (great) in an e-mail or job application.

Why Employers Hired Candidates After Screening Online

Job seekers are also encouraged to leverage social media when advertising their skills and experience. Eighteen percent of employers reported they have found content on social networking sites that caused them to hire the candidate. The top examples include:

• Profile provided a good feel for the candidate’s personality and fit within the organization – 50 percent
• Profile supported candidate’s professional qualifications – 39 percent
• Candidate was creative – 38 percent
• Candidate showed solid communication skills – 35 percent
• Candidate was well-rounded – 33 percent
• Other people posted good references about the candidate – 19 percent
• Candidate received awards and accolades – 15 percent

2. Glassdoor.com examines the age old question - Offices vs. Cubicles: What’s the Better Workplace Environment?