The Career Beat

I've heard some recruiters say they usually scan a resume in seconds. That boast could challenge job seekers to stand out as much as possible, but it also feeds the impression among candidates that their resumes end up in a black hole.

But that dominant view -- "you have to capture a recruiter's attention within seconds or else" -- ignores others who might assess your resume.

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A majority of job seekers this year have changed something about their physical appearance in order to impress employers, according to an online poll.

The respondents in the Yahoo! HotJobs poll made changes in several areas:

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When I began my career in journalism, I secretly hoped to find a newsroom that resembled the one on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."

The camaraderie with coworkers, the breaking-news excitement, and the pleasant communal atmosphere seemed so attractive. And though I knew nothing about the show was real, I still longed for a similar sense of fun and purpose.

Today I wonder how many budding police detectives feel the same about "The Closer" or magazine editors about "Ugly Betty."

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More than half of job seekers have been asked an illegal question during a job interview.

That eye-opener comes from a Yahoo! HotJobs online poll, in which 62% of respondents reported being on the receiving end of a question about a verboten topic, such as one's religion or marital status. Almost a third (32%) had not been asked such a question, and 7% said they didn't know.

The numbers surprised me and several of my colleagues, so it's worth reviewing what's permissible and not.  Interviewers are not allowed to ask about: Read More »

I recently wrote an article about the most annoying and overused terms in the workplace, and readers have been commenting with new words to add to the list.

The basis for the article was a survey by Accountemps, in which 150 senior executives identified the problem words and phrases (e.g. "leverage," "circle back"). But here's 10 more they missed, according to Yahoo! HotJobs readers:

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A hullabaloo arose this week over news that Elle magazine has hired a homeless blogger as an intern, paying her less than minimum wage.

Brianna Karp was hired this week by Elle to blog about being homeless and her future, reportedly making $150 a month for 24 hours of work. The amount is less than California 's minimum wage, which made some people accuse Elle of getting good publicity on the cheap. (Karp lives in Orange County.)

But, in email comments to columnist Tommy Christopher, Karp said she doesn't feel exploited.

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Many people feel stuck in their current jobs.  They may be grateful to have a job in this economy, but the job isn't satisfying them. If you're in that situation, some information below might help.

Begin by doing some self-reflection on the sources of misery on your job. Once you know the main cause, you can take steps to combat the misery. Here are some common problem sources: Read More »