Tuesday--It is Still the Economy and Jobs--another continuing saga.

Chained to the Desk: How Workaholism Can Kill You Chris Wright, The Fix Many people view "workaholism" as a virtue, or even a joke. But a spate of recent studies suggests the condition should be taken much more seriously. READ MORE!!! I have been here. Yes, there was a time when I worked so many hours that I was a 'workaholic', but not by choice. It was because I worked at a Cleaning Service, which hired me for part-time, but as my hours increased my benefits did not, so to try to keep my finances together, I ended up working more and more hours, until I finally quit. This is why posting on the economy and jobs are so important to me, If I can save someone from what I went through working for the cleaning service, then I hope it will make amends for all the co-workers over the years who were used and abused, but I was too tired and too pre-occupied with my bills and my family to see what was happening around me. With any luck and a Wing and a Prayer, I can keep people from making the same mistake that I did when I continued to work for Lora Campe and her sister Ethel 'Jane', even after they closed her (Lora's) cleaning service down.   Article: 8 Commandments for Every Job Hunter By Arnie Fertig, Head Coach of JobHunterCoach.com Successful job hunters have, over the years, shared with me their "secrets for success." Here are eight of my favorite rules to organize your search while maintaining your sanity: 1. Remember: Your job hunt is a job. Treat it with the same professionalism that you would a job that gives you a paycheck. It's easy to continually procrastinate and say, "I've got all this personal stuff to do, I'll get around to job hunting next week." At the other extreme you can become compulsive and spend every waking hour obsessing about the job hunt. Instead, set up work hours, an agenda, and goals for yourself every day. When your workday is over, leave the job hunt behind. Spend your off hours with those you love, pursuing your hobbies and interests, exercising, and living a balanced life. 2. Keep your knowledge and skills up to date. Maintain all your professional credentials, licenses, and certificates. Enroll in continuing education classes. Keep up to date with the "latest" in your field of expertise, and thereby you will demonstrate your commitment to excellence. Even if you are used to having your employer pay for these things and now have to pay for them yourself, it will be money well spent. 3. Stand out from your competition. Title your resume "{FIRS NAME(I DID MIDDLE NAME TOO) LASTNAME} Resume." Then, whenever you send it out to a company, do a "save as" and rename it: "{FIRST NAME(MIDDLE NAME) LASTNAME} Resume for XXX Company." It will become easier to retrieve if you keep all your resume files in a single folder on your computer. 4. Find a way to make yourself findable. Make certain that you have a complete and compelling LinkedIn profile, and include in it a PDF version of your resume (without your phone or physical address). Contribute in a meaningful way to relevant LinkedIn Group Discussions. Attend local meetups and professional association gatherings. Present yourself as a peer who just happens not to have a paying job at the moment, rather than as a desperate person seeking to become a peer. 5. Interact with three new people every day. Reach out to leaders in your field for informational interviews. Exchange business cards with people at networking events. Respond to authors who write thought provoking articles in your field. Remember that networking is about building relationships, not asking for help. It takes time and patience, but is well worth the effort. 6. Don't take for granted that other people know what is second nature to you. In the hiring process, you build your reputation from the ground up, so you must explain with detail what you do, and how you do it. Don't say, "I've been responsible for" Instead say, "In my job I did" 7. Guard your good name and reputation. Never do anything, write anything, or say anything that it would embarrass you for your spouse, parent or clergy person to see or hear. Presenting what you have done in the most positive light is your responsibility. Lying about anything will get you disqualified and ruin your reputation. 8. Treat your next job as a temp job with benefits.No job in today's economy is "forever." Always strive for excellence in the workplace, and when you attain success make certain to update your resume and LinkedIn profile. Maintain your networking habit. Happy hunting!  AGREED!!! After all, I am also looking for a second job, since my current job is only part-time. Don't get me wrong, I do like my job. I do respect the management. Now, I cannot complain about how I am treated. The only problem is I do not work enough hours to cover all my living expenses. And Agreed, Business Cards Are A Good Idea. I have some temporary cards until I get around to the real deal. Show Customers Why They Should Trust You entrepreneur.com - In their book No B.S. Trust-Based Marketing, authors Dan S. Kennedy and Matt Zagula detail strategies to build and maintain trust in your business, and in turn attract both customers and profits. I... After all, as the old saying goes--Actions Speak Louder Than Words--and as any writer or wanna be writer, such as myself can attest to--Show, don't tell, creates a more interesting story and works best in real life too. 5 Fundamentals of a Social-Media Action Plan entrepreneur.com - As I get more involved in social media for business -- I'm doing a lot of that lately -- I can see more each day that the new business landscape social media creates is a significant change, a good... I know I am the low-tech person of the family, which is why I am doing my best to learn my way around this Information Highway. I know I have learned somethings, but there is still much to be learned and that complete mastery is impossible, but that is no excuse not to try.