6 Ways to Stand Out During Your Job Search in 2013

A new year is often seen as an opportunity for personal growth and rebuilding — establishing a list of resolutions to benefit yourself, and fighting against all odds to stick to it. The struggles from the past year begin to feel as if they were miles away, and you can finally move ahead toward greater things.

For those individuals in hot pursuit of employment, the new year is the perfect time to reinvent your job search. While the previous year may have left you exhausted and frustrated, the changing of the calendar can provide a chance to reflect, and ultimately develop new more powerful strategies.

With 47& of Indian businesses planning to hire new workers in the first three months of 2013, job seekers should be prepared to go the extra mile when it comes to standing out to potential employers. This means tossing out your generic resume, strengthening your networking and getting a little creative.

1. Go Niche 

If your previous job search relied solely on the general job market or big name job boards, it might be time to take advantage of your niche. This simply means placing a strong focus on searching for a job within your specialized industry while emphasizing your unique personal qualifications.

There are many ways to "go niche" — all of which will play a beneficial role in your attempt to stand out to hiring managers and recruiters. First, embark on a search to find niche job boards specifically dedicated to your industry and regional job boards for your area. These sites will give you access to a plethora of job listings that don't make it to larger job boards, smaller applicant pools (less competition!), and the potential to build direct connections with the people who will be hiring you. Then, begin completely immersing yourself in your niche to build resonance with those who matter most — attend industry networking events and get active on industry social forums.

2. Get Creative

The current job climate makes standing out a necessity. The monotony of the job search may have left you drained of your creativity, but it's important to place a high focus on looking for new ways to impress your potential employers in 2013. And this doesn't mean attaching your resume to a box of chocolate and having it hand-delivered to the hiring manager.

Being a creative job seeker has little to do with working in a creative field. So, even if you don't consider yourself to be "creative," you can start by getting inspired by the success stories of other job seekers who got hired by implementing creative methods.

There's certainly no set standard on how to go about this, but keep in mind that you want to go above and beyond to be noticed by your potential employer and showcase yourself as being the perfect candidate for the position. This may mean developing a video or multimedia resume or creating an infographic — do whatever it takes to give potential employers the unique opportunity to experience why you're better than the rest.

3. Upgrade Your Skills

Unemployment can often leave you feeling stagnant when it comes to your on-the-job skills. Your 2013 job search depends on a strong skill set to set you apart from other candidates.

Look for ways to keep your valuable skills in check while you seek employment. Many job seekers take on freelance opportunities, volunteer their skills to charities or work with causes they're passionate about. Your job search might even be the perfect time to focus on building new skills. Consider taking some online courses, participating in webinars, or attending conferences.

4. Match Your Culture to a Company

Exploring the cultures of the companies you're interested in should be at the top of your list when searching for a job. If you missed this key element in your 2012 job search, 2013 is the perfect time to implement it. Truly understanding your personal values and how those relate to the culture of the company you're applying for is an easy way to set yourself apart from other candidates. If you are certain one culture is the perfect match, express that and let it fuel you throughout the hiring process.

5. Utilize Your Networks

Online or off, strong networks are key to a successful job search. Use the new year as an excuse to get in touch with all of your connections. Send out handwritten notes, or email to check in with acquaintances and old coworkers to see how they're doing and what they're working on. Seek out new ways to utilize your network by putting effort into developing relationships with the connections you already have, as well as gaining new ones.

Turn over a new leaf in 2013 by pushing your job search in a direction that leaves hiring managers unable to move past you.

6. Do JObHONChOS
(CLICK to explore the Possibilities)

So....How do you plan to stand out during your job search in 2013?

Top 5 Computer Hackers Ever

1. Kevin Mitnick

Kevin Mitnick is a most famous hacker. He is the author of two books The Art of Deception & The Art of Intrusion. He damaged some Communication networks like Nokia, Motorola and Sun Microsystem etc. Kevin Mitnick has damaged DEC systems source code [Digital Equipment Corporation has spent around $160,000 in cleanup the DEC systems].  To to win a bet he occupied administration privileges to IBM Computers at the Computer Learning center in LA [Los Angeles] .


2. Adrian Lamo

Adrian Lamo is a Grey Hat Hacker. Using his hacking skill he hacked many computer networks like The New York Time, Yahoo, Microsoft .


3. Gary Mckinnon

Gary Mckinnon is a Biggest Military Computer Hacker of all time. In one interview Gary Mckinnon said "Hacked into US military computer systems looking for information about UFO's". He Broken security systems of NASA and Pentagon And using his hacking skill he hacked 97 Computer systems [It damaged around $700,000 to the society].
Source: BBC News

4. Robert Tappan Morris

Robert Tappan Morris is Created the first Computer worm on the Internet in 1988 and named it as Morris Worm. Robert Tappan Morris now working as Professor at MIT CS and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.

5. Jonathan James

Jonathan James is an American hacker. He damaged NASA Systems, It costed $41,000 to fix the systems. 
Jonathan stealed software from NASA It was worth $1.7 Million..

BOOK REVIEW “The Art of Intrusion” written by the BEST HACKER in the world.

Introduction
On my trip through the United States I bought the mentioned book as a relaxed reading during the flight back home. This book review shall giv you a short insight into the contents and what you can get out of it.

Contents
The book mainly collects stories told by former hackers. Most of them wanted to be anonymous, because their doings would be a crime even these days.

The book starts with a story called “Hacking the Casinos for a Million Bucks”. This story is about some guys reverse engineering a slot machine in the old casino-days – very entertaining. They explain how they've reverse engineered the firmware of one of the slot machines. The story reminds you on several movies shown in cinemas during the past few years. Very interesting.

Kevin Mitnick

Kevin Mitnick is a most famous hacker. He is the author of two books The Art of Deception & The Art of Intrusion. He damaged some Communication networks like Nokia, Motorola and Sun Microsystem etc. Kevin Mitnick has damaged DEC systems source code [Digital Equipment Corporation has spent around $160,000 in cleanup the DEC systems].  To to win a bet he occupied administration privileges to IBM Computers at the Computer Learning center in LA [Los Angeles] .

Another really good story you’ll find in chapter eight: “Your Intellectual Property Isn't Safe”. The story is about a hacker trying to steal intellectual property from a company. At the end, it took the guy two years to reach his goal. One lesson I've learned from this story is: Hackers will find it – always. Hackers have all the time of the world. If there is a weakness in your IT environment, they’ll find it for sure. It is only a matter of time. So beware and secure your environment. It is by far harder to protect an IT environment against all possible vulnerabilities, than attacking an environment and find just one vulnerability or weakness to get in. The hacker clearly has an advantage. You’ll never be sure.

Chapter ten also covers a very good story about “Social Engineering”. A hacker methodology used very often these days. Social Engineering is always about the weakest part of IT Security – the human being. You can learn a lot about Social Engineering for sure.

Recommendation
This book helps you understand the way hackers think. If you want to protect an IT environment against hackers, you’ll have to understand how they work, how they behave. Hackers are really creative people. Kevin, as a former hacker, did a very good job in collecting stories all around his network and created a book that is very enlightening.. 

The Employment Situation in December 2012 (in USA)

While more work remains to be done, today’s employment report provides further evidence that the U.S. economy is continuing to heal from the wounds inflicted by the worst downturn since the Great Depression. It is critical that we continue the policies that are building an economy that works for the middle class as we dig our way out of the deep hole that was caused by the severe recession that began in December 2007.

With the passage of the American Taxpayer Relief Act earlier this week, more than 98 percent of Americans and 97 percent of small businesses now have certainty that their income taxes will not rise. Additionally, unemployment insurance was extended for two million Americans who are searching for a job, and companies will continue to receive tax credits for the research that they do and continue to have tax incentives to accelerate investment in their businesses. By allowing income tax cuts for the top two percent of earners to expire, this legislation further reduces the deficit by $737 billion over the next decade. It is important that we continue to move toward a sustainable federal budget in a responsible way that balances revenue and spending while protecting critical investments in the economy and essential support for our most vulnerable citizens.

Today’s report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that private sector businesses added 168,000 jobs in December. Total non-farm payroll employment rose by 155,000 jobs last month. The economy has now added private sector jobs for 34 straight months, and a total of 5.8 million jobs have been added over that period, taking account of the preliminary benchmark revision. In 2012, private businesses added two million payroll jobs, taking account of the preliminary benchmark revision.

The household survey showed that the unemployment rate was unchanged at 7.8 percent in December. The unemployment rate in November was revised from 7.7 percent to 7.8 percent as a result of BLS’s annual update of seasonal factors. The labor force participation rate was also unchanged at 63.6 percent in December. Over the last 12 months, the unemployment rate has decreased by 0.7 percentage point as a result of growing employment, and the labor force participation rate has been essentially unchanged.

According to the establishment survey, in December employment rose notably in the health care and social assistance industry (+55,000), restaurants and bars (+38,000), construction (+30,000), and manufacturing (+25,000).  The manufacturing sector has added jobs in 30 of the last 35 months, gaining half a million jobs over that period, the most for any such period since the late-1980s.  Payrolls rose in both residential and non-residential construction jobs.  Retail trade lost 11,300 jobs, following gains totaling 161,300 over the previous four months. Government lost 13,000 jobs in December, mostly in local government education, which lost 11,500 jobs.  The local government education sector has now lost 294,400 jobs since its recent peak in November 2009.

As the Administration stresses every month, the monthly employment and unemployment figures can be volatile, and payroll employment estimates can be subject to substantial revision. Therefore, it is important not to read too much into any one monthly report and it is informative to consider each report in the context of other data that are becoming available..

Alan B. Krueger is Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers

3 Tips to Always win the salary negotiation game

'X' was about to step in the industry and had been a dreamer for most of her life. Her plan was simple: state an amount and if the company did not agree, take up the first job that comes across. She was never given a decent paycheck but she produced a miracle nonethless. 

And her 'real' name was Cindrella! 

Sorry, just wanted to nudge you a little, before we discuss the serious subject!

1) Rule no 1: Candidate should never mention a number.Most companies usually ask for previous salaries, just write, "Competitive" in the box. In the desired salary category, write "negotiable". Yes some hard hitting applications, come with all caps mentioning that the candidate must provide full details. However, it is really important not to mention a number.

If you like many do not have a inside connection to put your resume in the hands of the hiring manager, memorise the few small answers from the next paragraphs.

2) The dreadful interview

During an interview, candidates are under pressure again, to discuss their previous salaries. So when the ball is in your court, you will be expected to answer the desired salary question again. Say, "Through my research, I have realised that industry average seems to fluctuate a lot depending on the job requirement ....once I am aware of the full picture, I can give a better answer to this question"

"I am currently employed at XYZ and it would be a breach of my contract to mention details about my employment." As we all know, most company policies usually prohibit employee from discussing their salaries.

And follow it with the Hmmm...

This may sound silly but would become priceless in during the negotiation process. So if you are told, the position is budgeted at $35000, just repeat the number followed by hmmmm..Go ahead and try a serious face in front of your mirror, say the number without converting it into any currency and follow it with hmmm...

So your next interview answer might be, "$35000,hmmm." 

It is really important to try to raise the given number but may do so with and only with your achievements and raising the number also means negotiating benefits, title, periodic salary reviews and of cource, vacation if you are interested!.

 3) Research the larger picture 

Candidates should collect data from various websites such as salary, payscale and from personal networking. I think it is must that you have concrete documentation of your research which would graph the salary range for a position from low to high and add details to the about achievements, the nature of proposed work (manage a team of) and finally information sources. 

This third tip is usally mentioned in the beginning, but I mentioned it at the end so hopefully we can have a discussion about good research techniques and methods. Dear experienced ones, please share your wisdom for the benefit of all!

Indian internet boom will create 22 million jobs

Lots of good news coming India's way! 

According to a report by McKinsey & Company, Internet services and devices would contribute 3.3% to Indian GDP by 2015. This is an increase of almost $30 billion dollars. In addition, It is also expected to create 22 million jobs by 2015.

This is a good news for the country which seems plagued by the news of corruption, slowing of the manufacturing industy and GDP. 

The good news is a prediction based on the fact that India currently has 120 million Internet users. This population is set to grow to 370 million by 2015. 

India is still way behind its giant neighbour, China. It currently has 480 million users followed by the US with 245 million users as of 2011. 

Thanks to the Internet service and device industry, India will also have a unique feature -- three out of four new users from the country will be mobile-only users.

Mobile-based internet users will form 55 per cent of the total user base in 2015 in India, compared to just 15 per cent in other aspiring countries, it said.

By 2015 China is expected to have 583 million users, while the US is expected to have 279 million users. 

For a while, India's growth story seemed entangled with corruption, thanks to common wealth game organisers like Suresh Kalmadi and Co but there were a few inspirational examples like Ashok Khema in between...

The challenge for Indian government is to pave a way for better infrastructure and integrate rural India in the growth story. The report touched on these some dark realities too.

"While India scores well on availability of human and financial capital. It rates poorly on internet infrastructure, internet engagement, e-commerce platform, ease of Internet Entrepreneurship and the impact of e-governance," the report said.

India may take solace from the fact few initiative have been made to address this issue. One notable including its Aakash Tablet, priced at Rs.  3,499 or around US $ 63.45 according to today's dollar value.  

According to Kapil Sibal, the Telecom and IT minister, the price will come down to $35 very soon. The reduction in cost is due to the manufacturing order of 5 million new tablets waiting for approval in the cabinet. 

Although Aakash 2 has a long way to go before 3 million current orders are delivered, hopefully it will come with better educational resources than currently on offer.

10 Lies you must tell recruiters

Lies are not an uncommon route for a job interview but for some people, it is a necessity!

It becomes essential because too many candidates simply shoot themselves in the foot with very blunt mistakes.Like telling the interviewer your real emotion about your previous boss when what he really cares about is your future relationship with him.

Nobody here is telling you to get a fake certificate or build a fake resume but I am just holding out a warning sign like many unemployed people, Truth is Bitter... 

 

So here are 10 Must Lies!

 1. My past work experiences were great!

What you mean to convey is that you are a positive person. We have all had jobs that we disliked, but talking about it will reflect negatively on your attitude. Say one thing related to work that you have learned and are really proud of. Keep the truth in your bag!

2. Success followed my everywhere!

Of course, noone will get selected if they say this directly. Tone this line of thought to suit your resume and present it cleverly.Hiring managers would love to hear about your failure, if you could twist it to sound like you ran a marathon but if you cant, remember; success has many fathers...

3. Have done this type of work before.

Quick learners still come at a higher expense as opposed to being a professional. Try to relate to the skills from your previous job experience. Some long stretches and you will land a job but of course, expect the worst when you come to work!

4. I was never out of work

A recent survey suggests that people out of work have a harder time getting back in the workforce as compared to former criminals! Join an NGO or talk about self-employment which assures recruiters that the “force” is still with you! Sorry...just loved star wars!

5. My last boss was brilliant!

Your current boss will be hoping to build a great relationship with you. He wants to see if he can count on you and if you are willing to earn his valuable trust? Do you really want to waste the time talking about your lousy former boss and make a dent on your reputation. Time to tell him how much did you value the bond....

6. I learned a lot in college!

Tell the recruiter about how your college has prepared you specifically for this job. This lie like all the others may be unethical, but the system should take more responsibility for this one. Colleges, ranking and their reputations can overshadow the individuality of the candidate. If one must, they should definitely inform the recruiter about the innovative and off the block initiatives at your institute.

7.You love to work late!

Companies value candidates who are willing to go the extra mile. Many people in your future company will have family commitments and can not give their extra attention to work. If you are young, time to commit early and for better!

8. I was never sick!

Put your bad habits of smoking and drinking in your imaginary present! “Sir, my dad highly valued a healthy lifestyle and I try to stick to my schedule”. And Good luck quitting smoking or just planning a new year resolution around it!

9. I have no personal problems!

Everyone has some personal problems! But how to define a problem is upto you! Is not being able to celebrate new years due to financial constraints, a real problem? Well even then, the solution always remains the same: Get a good job!

10. Never had a fight with a colleague!                                

Most have a shaky relationships with a particular colleague but When you discuss your problems from the past, it reflects your attitude in the eyes of the recruiters and is usually taken as a sign of things to expect from a candidate in future!

Hope you never have to lie and find an awesome Job but if you are an honest fool like most of us...Hopefully this will help!

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