I hope you weren't one of those people. If you were, I hope you knew how important it was to stand out from the rest of the crowd. Ideally, you'll never be in a cattle call with hundreds of people to interview and fill out applications. That's just the worst way to try to get a job. I hope that you will know the techniques I teach in the "Five Finger Guide" and know there ways to connect with a company in a more effectively.

If you have done your research and know that showing up and standing in line is truly your only available option (this can be true in fields such as manufacturing), please make the most of the opportunity. Here are a few quick tips:

• Leaning up against a wall and trying to remember the dates where you worked in 2004 isn't an ideal scenario. Prepare for filling out the application by having all of the details you'll need about your past experiences written down in advance.

• Dress appropriately and be well-groomed. Nobody really expects you to show up at an interview for a loading job dressed in a suit and tie. But try to dress a couple of notches better than you would on a regular workday. If you are a forklift operator, be the one they want to put on their marketing materials -- one who looks shiny and happy to be working.

• Have a great attitude. This can be really hard if you have been looking for a long time or you are stressed out for any other reason. Try to leave that outside. Every opportunity to meet people who are hiring is just that -- an opportunity. Be upbeat. Listen, there is no guarantee that if you have a positive attitude, you will get the job. But I can guarantee that if you go in there seeming defeated or negative in any way, you won't get it. 

• Get talking before you go to the event, even if you are all alone. Practice talking about yourself in a constructive and clear way. If you have practice, you won't stammer and pause and miss an opportunity to say great things about yourself when asked in a quick interview where time is of the essence. Prepare a little summary about yourself. Also, know something about the company so you can tell them why you want to work there.

• Chequered past? Be honest. Look them in the eye and tell them if you were let go from a job and why. Explain what went wrong as quickly as possible and how you've moved on. Personality conflict with an old boss? Explain that you usually get on well with people. Mention your references who will be happy to tell them about how great you are. Don't dwell on the negative.

These are tough times. I wish you the best of luck with your job search. Please share your stories with us here on the Five Finger Guide website. Happy to give advice or comments to anyone who reaches out here.

Let's not leave the guys out. Here's a good overview from Glass Visage intended to help men who want to look sharp for a formal interview.

So, what do you do? You've been looking for some time now and there aren't any jobs. You are tired. You are frustrated. What do you do next?

Well, first, don't lose faith in your self or your ability to meet this challenge head-on.

Next, get organized. Make sure you have excellent supporting materials to show people how great you are.

Get honest. Find two people.

First, choose a straight-talking friend with whom you can have an awkward conversation. The topic? You.  Ask your friend if there is anything in your demeanor, attitude or physical presence that might be coming across badly in your interviews or interactions. Ask them to be honest and don't hold it against them if what they have to say is hard to hear. It is the only way you will be able to fix the problem and they will be doing you a great service.Don't end things without asking what that person percieves your strengths to be. Those are important for you to know also, and they may surprise you.

Next, approach a former colleague whom you respect and ask them essentially the same questions. Once you get your critique, don't hold back in asking for suggestions on how you might improve your skillset in order to be more marketable and hireable. Once again, don't take this criticism badly. Be dispassionate. You want to improve. You want to overcome any obstacle that might be standing between you and your next job. Don't be shy about being blunt. Do you project confidence? Do you seem arrogant? Do you dress professionally? Are you a team player? Remember, you also want to know what a colleague thinks your strengths are so that you can focus on those things during your interactions with contacts and potential Hiring Managers.

Why two people? Two people who know you in different ways can provide you with a more complete perspective of the situation and yourself. Don't be surprised if their observations are similar.

Get busy. Process the observations that have been provided to you and come up with ways to address those things that are within your control (which is just about everything). These changes will lift your spirits and renew your confidence in your self. Next, revisit your resume. Does it reflect your strengths?

If you feel like you don't have a plan for your job search, make one. Find a resource to help you do that. A book. A coarch. You may have been wasting time up until now because you didn't have your act together.

It's time to do things differently because the old ways didn't work. You can do this. Don't lose your new momentum. make new choices. Hate reaching out to people you don't know? Get past that. Talk to people. Tell them about yourself. Reconnect with your network with renewed energy. Listen. Communicate. 

Take care of yourself. Get rest so you can be sharp. Eat decent food so you have energy. Avoid getting depressed by staying engaged in life -- your family, your friends, your passions in life. These things always get us through hard times and this qualifies as one of those times.

If you have suggestions for renewal during a lengthy job search, please share your comments. Everyone can benefit from each others' experience and wisdom.

Best wishes and good luck to you on your job search!

The video addresses the challenging job market and features a number of unemployed individuals who hold signs telling us their vocations. At the end of the video there is a link to a website that features the video again and a way to contact the featured players for job inquiries. It shows that at least one person has been hired (but we don't know if it was through their appearance in the video or their own steam). 

Disruptive and attention-getting ideas makes some sense. If your old methods aren't working, you need to shake things up. You need to stand out. But the chance to be in a video doesn't happen to everyone. That's why we teach creative differentiation in the Five-Finger Guide to Getting the Job You Want.  They aren't crazy ideas. Just ones that can help make you be the star at the job interview...not just one of the featured players.  If you've been conducting your job search in much the same fashion for a couple of months now with little result, it's time to shake things up.  This week, try to think of some ways to disrupt and get attention in your own job search. If you would like some ideas, let us know in the comments section or contact us at info@fivefingerguide.com. Good luck with your job search!

The term "elevator pitch" developed in the business world to describe a short speech that entrepreneurs use to succintly communicate a great idea to a potential investor in the amount it might take to ride an elevator.  You need an elevator pitch too, because you are your own business venture, your own great idea, the solution to your next employer's problem.

If you are in the market for a job, it's vital that you be able to effectively (and confidently) tell other people who you are, what you've done, what kind of value you can offer and what you want to do next in a succinct way. Time and attention are at a premium these days, so your statement needs to be deliberate, confident and memorable. It should take about a minute to say out loud.

It can take a little work to organize your thoughts into a great elevator pitch, but it's well worth your effort. After all, how is anyone going to be able to help you find a great job if they don't know what that is? How are they going to know you are the absolute best person to do that job if you seem scattered and stumble through the act of telling them about it?

One quick point. If you aren't sure what kind of job you want, now is the time to figure that out. This task might help you refine your understanding of your own goals, or it may lead you to do more research to help you figure out where your skills, talents and experience should lead you. 

So, how to begin - here's where you are in luck. There are all kinds of tools to help you in this process right here on the web.

First, there is a thorough article on WikiHow called "How to Develop Your Personal Elevator Pitch."
Next, there's a solid piece called "Developing Your Job Search Elevator Pitch" by Scott Brown.
Finally, check out this cool Elevator Pitch Builder from the smart folks at the Harvard Business School, which can help you brainstorm.

Some final tips.

• Make sure you practice your elevator pitch out loud, in the presence of another person, preferably someone who will be honest and give you good advice on how to make your pitch better. The idea is to master your speech so it doesn't sound awkward or rehearsed.
• Don't be modest. This is your chance to tell people why you are the best, smartest and most valuable person for the job. But just saying you are great won't work in this case. Instead, make a few specific statements about your actual knowledge, experience and accomplishments. These things, all in one package are unique to you and will help you stand out from other candidates.
• When you have a job interview, you go in to meet the Hiring Manager and the first thing they'll typically ask is "tell me about yourself." Guess what? A strong elevator pitch is great way to break the ice and begin talking about yourself. Of course, in an interview you will have the time to elaborate on details, share anecdotes about your work experiences, talk more deeply about your goals and flesh out who you are as a person and an employee.

We hope that you will begin the process of crafting your elevator pitch. It's a very important component of your job search and worth as much time as you can spare to refine it to be the best it can be.  Please share comments below about your experiences or questions you may have regarding elevator pitches!

First, congratulations for passing the first cut. That's great. Approaching the second interview, you'll need to do all of the basics you did the first time - dress appropriately, show up on time, be a great listener, bring copies of resumes and other collateral materials -- you need to bring your A-game to every interview, not just the second and third ones.

Hopefully, right after your first interview, you took some time to reflect on how things went and made some final notes with observations and follow-up questions. Now you can consult those notes to do some research -- on the company, on subject matter that you might have been soft on in the first interview. Determine what questions are still left unanswered about the position and the company. 

Research the position online. See if the responsibilities that have been discussed match up with the title of the job. Check out salary calculators to find out what is typical for the level, geographical location and experience. Salary may not end up being discussed in the second interview, but if it is, you will want to be knowledgeable about comps. By the way, it's still good form to wait for the interviewer/hiring manager to bring up the subject of compensation. Basically, use your interview opportunities to explain your experience and  value for an employer. Later, when compensation inevitably comes up, you can then be sure that your potential has been represented strongly and your negotiation position will be stronger.

Find out who will be in your second interview. Same person as last time? New faces? Find out names, titles and then Google away. It's a little like a blind date, right? Even a little insight into the person you will be meeting could help you hit it off better. 

In your second interview, be sure to acknowledge elements from your first interview -- people you met, information you learned, etc. By doing this, you will demonstrate that you were "present" in the previous interview, that you cared about it and processed what happened. In the second interview, be sure to mention the things about the job that interest you, acknowledge challenges that may be apparent, bring up ideas you may have had to contribute to the business.  Make sure to address any concerns or questions you still have about the position.

Obviously, when you get to the second interview, the stakes are higher. Don't be nervous. Remember to be the person that other people would want on their team. In the end, it won't matter how impressive you may be -- folks want to work with effective, pleasant people.

We discuss interviewing strategy in depth in the "Five-Finger Guide," including how to negotiate a great job offer.  It's important to find out everything you need to know about the compensation package being offered to determine if it's right for you.

Good luck on your second interview.  Make the most out of this opportunity to "wow" them again with your energy and smarts. Enjoy the momentum a second interview brings to your job search. Keep up the hard work to land a great job!

Do you have any thoughts on interviewing? Any questions?  Please post them in the comments below so we can address them.

We all appreciate reviews on products before we buy them and movies before we see them. So it’s not so surprising that strong recommendations can also play a significant role in convincing an employer that the person they are interviewing offers exceptional value.

For many people, references are an afterthought in the job search process. Are you one of those who doesn’t think about them until the day before a big interview? What are you waiting for? Ringing up an old colleague the night before your interview almost guarantees disaster. What if the individual has moved on and you don’t have their recent information? What if they are not-so-inclined to sing your praises and you need to find someone else? That’s not something you want to deal with at the last minute.

Whether you are in the midst of a job search or comfortably installed in your dream job, it’s important that you have a short list of solid go-to people who are happy to tell the world about your dedication, professionalism, teamwork, intellect, resourcefulness, attitude, and passion.

Pick people who can help tell your story to a future meployer. Who might you approach?

• A supervisorat your current or a previous job (depending on your circumstance)
• A high-level executive who directly knows your work - this is important. Don't approach someone who can't really comment on your accomplishments. It might backfire on you.
• A co-worker you have worked closely with on key projects
• A professional from another company you may have teamed with on work
• A colleague in your industry whom you have known for a long time
• An academic advisor or college professor
• An individual who has worked with you on volunteer projects
• A coach (from the softball team, the chess club or some other pursuit that complements your work life).

Don’t be timid or lazy about references. Reach out now. If you are shy, you might need to go out of your comfort zone. Ask people if they would be willing to support you. Tell folks you would be honored by this--because it's true. If you don’t have direct dealings with your references currently, make an effort to stay in touch by checking in quarterly or at least twice a year with an email, phone call or a handwritten note. Connect with them via social media. Make a point to let them know how you are doing and find out what they are working on (you never know if they may have a good contact for your job search). Be interesting. Be interested. These relationships are important and need to be cultivated in a deliberate and thoughtful way or they will no longer be relevant.

Finally, are you a good reference for someone else? There isn’t a greater professional compliment you can pay a colleague than to offer to be a reference for them. It’s something that can truly make an impact on someone else’s career path.  Share your support and see that positive act come back to you in other ways. 

Recently, there have been some useful articles that address tax issues for unemployed folks.  Hope they will point you in the right direction in advance of April 15th.

How Unemployment Affects Your Income Taxes from SFGate

Tax Tips for the Unemployed and Financially Distressed from the New York Times

Jobless Taxpayers May Be Missing Key Tax Breaks, Costing Themselves Money  from CNN Money

Last but not least, this is right from the horse's mouth -- the horse being the IRS:

Miscellaneous Deductions 2009 Form 529 (Note: this is an Adobe Acrobat document)

If you are currently unemployed, keep in mind that this is a new tax year.  Tax rules are constantly evolving and you never know what may be relevant in the future. Start your record keeping now, related to your job search activity, so that next year’s filing will be as painless and financially beneficial as possible!