The only real good worker news recently has come out of Google. The company announced it was giving its entire global workforce of 23,000 a 10 percent pay raise starting in January.

Even though the search engine giant has had some layoffs during the recession, they are nothing like other large companies, and Google’s been hiring consistently through the bad times.

Clearly, lots of folks want to work for Google and companies like them. But how do you get on the Google job track?

With so many college kids graduating and finding no work, it makes sense for high school students and their parents, who are now scouting colleges, to wonder whether the school they pick will lead to a solid job for a solid employer.

But how do you find out whether the school you’re in is more likely to be a recruiting favorite of companies like Google? Social networking sites! There’s a wealth of information on these sites, particularly LinkedIn, that can shed light on this and I’m going to show you how to find it. (more…)

By Julia Nollen

At just 3.5 x 2 inches in size, a proper business card functions as a pint-sized professional billboard for showcasing your skills.

But in this digital age do college kids need them, or are they just relics from our parents’ generation? (more…)

There’s an endless amount of advice out there about networking for a job in this digital age, and I think that’s a good thing.

But so many job seekers are so focused on figuring out how to use Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, that they’re forgetting some networking basics like being thoughtful.

Social media and the Internet at large allows us to find people we believe can help us further our careers, but when you reach out do it with some sense. A tweet saying “hi” is nice but hitting someone up for networking help that way is a dicey undertaking. (more…)

When this recession is behind us I’m going to blow the lid off my dismal daily grind.

I’ve been hearing a lot of this lately. Many of you are frustrated with your bosses, your lack of raises, your extra work loads for no glory or extra cash, your lack of training or development opportunities, your shrinking retirement savings, and your fatter healthcare co pays and deductibles.

So what’s your plan of action? I know, things are still not great in the job market, but waiting until the economy turns around may be too late if you want to ride the wave to a great new job. (more…)

We all need a reality check. And this coming for a gal who admits she needs one as well.

All you hear lately is Twitter this, Facebook that. Social networking sites are popping up everyday and the media, so-called social media gurus, and marketing folks want you to believe that if you’re not tweeting, blogging, or developing your cyber brand you’ll be doomed to die alone, unemployed, and uninformed.

Well, that’s bull. In fact, only 1 percentage of hires made in this country right now have anything to do with cyber social networking. And that’s from the horse’s mouth — hiring managers.

I know Ashton Kutcher uses Twitter all the time, but you’re not Ashton Kutcher. (more…)

I’m asked often about whether maintaining a blog can help or hinder a career, or job search.

The answer: I don’t know. No one knows for sure, I don’t care what the social media gurus say.

There are so many factors that can go into your decision to blog. That means you have to do your own personal pro-and-con blogging inventory.

Take Eric Zinn. (more…)

I was at the Society of American Business Editors and Writers Conference in Phoenix this past weekend listening to Amit Singhal, a Google fellow, talk about “The Future of Web Search” and during the question and answer segment a journalist in the audience, a mom, stood up to ask a question.

The reporter, who I had met earlier, was worried about whether her kid would find a job out of college. She took this opportunity to ask Singhal about job opportunities for her son at Google.

Many of us in attendance laughed, but it got me thinking about how much our parents should be doing to help us land a gig.

Does it help or hurt to have mommy go to bat for you? Did the mom in question undermine herself and her kid in the process? (more…)

Tom McAlister started looking for a job in marketing and communications at the end of 2008, about the same time the economy really started falling apart.

He sent out resumes, just like everyone else. He monitored the jobs boards, just like everyone else. And he always tried to write snappy cover letters, just like everyone else.

That’s when he decided he had to do something to set himself apart. He came up with the idea to create a comic book strip with himself as the superhero, Brandman.

The strip was funny, innovative, but it wasn’t necessarily for hiring managers. It’s main use was to reenergize the key people that could help him land a job — his network of friends and former colleagues. (more…)

I keep talking about how important it is to network in order to land a job, but are you really listening?

I see you glaze over when I mention how you have to go out there and meet people. You think I’m nuts when I suggest that a possible job lead can come from some guy or gal you meet at a boring cocktail party you really don’t want to go to. And you really roll your eyes when I suggest you tell the old friend you meet by chance on a line in the supermarket that you’re looking for a new gig.

“Networking doesn’t really work,” I sense you thinking.

Or maybe you’re just afraid to go out on a limb like that. Meeting new people, or asking for help might make your palms sweat just thinking about it.

Such networking fears and misconceptions can doom your job prospects (more…)

With an unemployment rate still hovering near 10 percent, there about 6 applicants for every job you apply for lately. And it seems that lots of you are getting desperate.

But how far would you go to get a job in this economy? One guy decided shaving his head while all the world watched was a good job-landing strategy. (more…)