Career Marketplace Blog

In her article for U.S. News and World Report’s On Careers, Ritika Trikha explains how to avoid, The Top 8 Internships Blunders.

Read an excerpt of Trikha’s article below. Read full article.

Internships are a learning experience, but that doesn’t mean you should expect a lot of hand-holding. The truth is, you will only get out of this experience as much as you put into it. Many interns learn this lesson the hard way—later regretting the downtime, which would have been better spent shadowing a colleague or learning a new skill.

If you make the most of your internship by going above and beyond your tasks, you will be infinitely better-equipped with a deeper resume, recommendations, and potential opportunities in the future.

Thank your lucky stars that you landed this opportunity, because this will be one of the most important assets to your career—right up there with credible LinkedIn endorsements.

But be wary of the following eight most common ways interns blow opportunities:

Read On

In her article for About.com, Pinterest Tips for Job Seekers, Alison Doyle explains to job seekers how this growing social media website can help their job search.

Read in excerpt of Doyle’s article below. Read full article.

Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social media sites and you can use it to enhance your job search as well as for personal pinning.

Well designed and pinned boards can provide a terrific visual to connections and prospective employers. Once you have set up Pinterest, you can add a link to your page from your LinkedIn and other online profiles, websites and blogs. You can also include a link to Pinterest in your email signature.

Why use Pinterest? If you are in a visual field, you can show examples of your work and Pinterest can become an online version of your resume. For other job seekers, your Pinterest boards will show that you’re current with what’s happening in your industry and career field.

For everyone, using Pinterest shows hiring managers that you are on top of and engaged with what’s happening online.

It doesn’t take much time to set up and maintain Pinterest. You can do it in a few minutes a day and the payback will be worth the time you spend.

Here’s more on how to use Pinterest effectively when you are job searching from Jacques Bouchard, Internet Marketing Manager, Onward Search.

Pinterest Tips for Job Seekers

Read On

In her article for ForbesWoman, Susannah Breslin shares her story, How I went from Downsized to Self-Employed in Four Months.

See an excerpt from Breslin’s article. Read Full Article

I was downsized in January.

Four months later, I was self-employed and earning almost as much as I had at my full-time salary.

Here’s how I did it.

Read On

In this Yahoo! Finance video, Farnoosh Torabi reports many baby boomers are planning a second career as they transition into retirement.

Financially Fit: The Shift in Retirement Plans

In his article for U.S. News and World Report, Tim Tyrell-Smith lists 10 Signs of a Healthy Job Search.

Some of those signs are:

• You enjoy networking
• People seem to remember you
• You are not relying on your resume

Read full article and view complete list

Mashable article, 5 Ways to Get a Job Through YouTube, Zachary Sniderman advises readers how they can achieve job search success using YouTube. Sniderman illustrates his tips using video success stories from teen sensation Justin Bieber, real estate training coach Tom Ferry, and many more.

Read on to read the full article and view success story videos.

Great news for veterans. LiveCareer News reports, Ashford University Helps Veterans Earn Degrees. The University has teamed up with Cox Communications to provide scholarships to veterans seeking higher education.

Read on to learn more about The Homefront Heros Scholarship and how it helps our veterans obtain a college education.

WSJ Video, Flexible Workplace Policies: What’s Next?, Ruth Mantell asks Cecilia Rouse, a member of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisors, how companies are looking to Flexible Workplace Policies and the many benefits to employee retention and increased productivity.

Learn more about Flexible Workplace Policies below.

About.com Guide, Alison Doyle shows you, Resignation Do’s and Don’ts. How (and How Not) to Resign From a Job.

Tips to look for in Doyle’s article are:

• Do Give Notice
• Don’t Be Negative
• Do Offer Help

Read On

Wall Street Journal Article, When Work Calls, Holidays Put on Hold,  Sue Shellenbarger speaks with jobs seekers who are finding new ways to celebrate the holiday season as they accept temporary or seasonal positions.

Below is an excerpt of Shellenbarger’s article. Read Full Article

Most years, Monshariea Gipson cooks and hosts a Thanksgiving turkey feast for about 20 relatives in her Florissant, Mo., home. This year, her entertaining will be downsized to baking a pumpkin cheesecake in her kitchen after work Wednesday night with her three kids, 13, 11 and 10.

After being laid off last year from her administrative job and applying without success for more than 100 positions, Ms. Gipson finally landed a temporary, seasonal position earlier this month, processing charity applications for a nonprofit organization. While she loves her new job, it has kept her so busy that she has had to redefine what it means to have a happy holiday. Still, “I would definitely much rather work” than host a celebration, Ms. Gipson says.

Holiday priorities are undergoing an overhaul as Americans who lost jobs in the recession slowly return to work. Since many have taken temp jobs with weekend hours or holiday shifts, families are finding new ways to celebrate the season—splitting family gatherings into mini-celebrations, rescheduling feasts, delegating shopping to relatives or even moving holiday festivities to the office.

Read On