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The current news flash about Ted Williams, the homeless man with the great radio voice, should bring hope to everyone who is looking for work.  While Ted's situation is unique, especially since he's now been offered a possible movie role opposite Jack Nicholson, http://bit.ly/eC59et, the point is the visibility he got through the video made the difference.

Visibility is key to finding a job.  Posting resumes on job boards, various Internet job markets such as CareerBuilder.com, Monster.com, Sologig.com, and Craigslist, is only one part of the visibility need.  Network with your friends, tell people you know, join LinkedIn, create a video resume and post to YouTube for people to view.  You never know who's going to be looking in the most unlikely spot for a new hire.  

I've read blog posts where many job seekers seem to think using LinkedIn or some of these other social media resources isn't worth the effort.  I disagree.  The more places you post your resume the more visibility you gain, and that means you're out there for the world to see.  Ted Williams is proof that these social media systems work.  It's all about exposure.  And the jobs are there.

A client recently told me that she heard about a job at an afternoon tea where she was meeting friends.  The hostess's daughter heard that the woman was looking for work and told her of a job opening at a local bistro.  The woman checked it out even stopping by to see the place and talk to the employees.    A week later, this same woman was looking for boxes for a friend who was moving. She walked into a liquor store asking for boxes and the owner said if she wanted to empty the ones that had just arrived she could have them.  Having nothing better to do, she agreed and began placing the items on the shelves. The owner then offered her a job in his store as a clerk/cashier.  He interviewed her on the spot, including talking salary and schedules.  A third person saw a job advertised on Craigslist, submitted a resume with a cover letter via email and was interviewed and hired that afternoon.   

Perhaps these are unique situations, but they are real scenarios. December's national unemployment rate dropped to 9.4%, it's lowest since May 2009, according to the U.S. Labor Department. Industry Week reported on January 7, 2011, that "employment rose in leisure, hospitality and health care sectors" (http://bit.ly/h75LFL).  While other areas are still struggling, the positive twist is that people are beginning to hire.  So it's critical to get that exposure and continue the search.

It's also important to make sure your resume is updated and ready to present. Customizing it for the specific job is essential and presenting a cover letter that gives reasons why YOU'RE the best qualified is also recommended.  Make sure your resume shows how you added value to previous employers.  What projects did you do and what were your results?  How did you make a difference to the employer?  These are the questions to answer.  Sure, it may appear that you're answering interview questions on the resume, but if five people with the same background are looking for the same position, why should an employer pick YOU over everyone else?  How are you so different that they should interview you?

Be prepared.  Post your resume to get visibility.  Keep plugging at the job search.  As our economy slowly recovers from The Great Recession, be one of those who contributes to a lower unemployment rate by finding work in the most unique situation from a most unique opportunity.  Your life could change overnight like Ted Williams' did.  You never know when you'll be that one special person that stands out from the crowd because you gave yourself that extra visibility. 

Great article by Richard Branson about stepping out, your personal work fit, and how to determine whether you should take that stop to become an  entrepreneur.

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The celebrated entrepreneur shares his advice on following your dreams and why he always challenges conventional wisdom.

By Richard Branson

Note: Entrepreneur Richard Branson regularly shares his business experience
and advice with readers. What follows is the latest edited round of insightful responses.

Australians are a natural market for all things Virgin. They share the sense of fun and the entrepreneurial spirit that motivates my companies
. Maybe that's why I get a lot of questions from Down Under. Here are some recent ones.

Q: I don't have enough confidence to give up my career in banking and follow my dream of starting a business as a personal trainer. Should I continue with banking since I am still somewhat enjoying it? ~ Leon Belobrov, Australia

A: When you decide to pursue an entrepreneurial venture, you have to confront your doubts and fears; sometimes you just have to go for it. Many times I have hesitated before launching a new venture or investment, even after my team and I have vetted it and we're ready to go ahead. I'm lucky that I have a great network of friends and advisers to take soundings from.

If you believe that your personal training business can succeed, draw up a short plan describing how it would be different from other such businesses, how you would build it up and attract customers. Discuss this plan with trusted friends or advisers (make sure you ask people individually, and not as a group). Collecting and acting on this feedback is a crucial step before launching any business.

I can't help you make this decision without knowing more about your situation. However, I can tell you that when I have to decide whether or not to go ahead with a new venture, I have often found that intuition is my best guide. What does your intuition tell you? If you decide to go ahead, be prepared for a bumpy ride. Most entrepreneurs fail the first time they enter a market – or at the very least have to recover from a tricky scrape.

Q. Do you believe a company's purpose – why employees do what they do – is more or less important than the way they do it? ~ Bec Kennedy, Australia

A: I have long felt that a business cannot simply work if no care and attention is paid to its staff, customers and environment. It may bring in money for a short while, but I doubt it will be sustainable. Being efficient, effective and profitable are important goals for any company. But doing business in a responsible and fair way is just as important, if not more so, in the long run. This is what will engage and motivate your employees to be more effective and deliver better service, which in turn will encourage customers to come back and spend money with you. This virtuous circle will continuously improve your business.

Q: What one piece of invaluable, golden advice could you offer a 27-year-old aspiring businessman? ~ Drue Schofield, Brisbane, Australia

A: Follow your heart; do something you are really passionate about. The Virgin businesses that have done well over the years have always been the ones where we came up with an idea that everyone in the company really cared about and was committed to. The sales figures usually proved our point later.

Q: Virgin Atlantic provides a great example of how technical operations staff in their behind-the-scenes role can work with employees on the front lines serving customers. What's the best way to ensure alignment of such diverse roles and responsibilities? ~ Anne Wilson, Australia

A: I have always challenged the accepted wisdoms of any industry we have gone into, and we try to encourage our CEOs and staff to do so as well – especially, to see things from the customer's perspective. You can see this in the touches that differentiate our airline – the limos to the airport, the lounge at the airport, even the ice cream we offer customers when they are watching movies. A lot of these ideas bubble up from within because we ask our senior team, marketing people, engineers and, most importantly, the cabin crew to contribute ideas and help keep our service fresh and innovative.

Reference:  http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/217789

This is an excellent blog post and I wanted to share it.  I agree with her.  When interviewing, be aware of what you do and how you act.  It's a time for first impressions that will forever remain in the mind of the prospective employer.  Too often clients tell me they get the interview but not the job.  Perhaps these are reasons why?   -- Linda, Hamilton Writing Services

Blog By Kate Lorenz

In her new book "What Your Body Says," Sharon Saylor writes, "The most influential part of communication is your nonverbal. Your nonverbal can actually destroy or produce the results you want, such as inspiring employees to do better work, calming angry customers, creating fans in the marketplace and closing sales."

And according to a new CareerBuilder survey, your body language can also hurt your chances of landing a job … especially a lack of eye contact.

In the survey of more than 2,500 hiring managers, 67 percent said that failure to make eye contact would make them less likely to hire a job candidate. Other nonverbals that hiring managers cited as negative included these seven things:

    * Lack of smile – 38 percent
    * Fidgeting too much – 33 percent
    * Bad posture – 33 percent
    * Handshake that is too weak – 26 percent
    * Crossing arms over their chest – 21 percent
    * Playing with their hair or touching their face – 21 percent
    * Using too many hand gestures – 9 percent 

"In a highly competitive job market, job seekers need to set themselves apart in the interview stage," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder. "All that pressure, though, may have some job seekers making body language mistakes that don't convey a confident message. To avoid these faux pas, and ensure you're remembered for the right reasons, try practicing ahead of time in front of a mirror or family and friends."

Haefner offers the following tips to avoid body language missteps during an interview:

    * Keep calm. To make the best impression and avoid nervous body language, take measures to        stay as calm as possible before the interview. Leave the house with plenty of time to get to        the interview, avoid caffeine if possible and take deep, calming breaths.
  
 * Practice makes perfect. The old adage proves true in this case, as you'll feel more    comfortable the more you prepare for the interview, and in turn, it will help decrease your       anxiety. Rehearse ahead of time with friends or family, do your homework on the company    and be prepared for common interview questions.
  
 * See for yourself. Viewing yourself while speaking can help you notice what body language    mistakes you might be making without realizing. Look in a mirror while practicing interview    responses or videotape yourself to figure out your typical physical movements, and whether or    not you need to change them.

Saylor, who is a certified group dynamics and behavioral coach, says it is possible to change your behavior and be conscious of what messages you're sending with your own body. Her book gives the reader tips on overcoming many communication roadblocks including how to project confidence, how to look intelligent, how to eliminate verbal pauses, and how to use your posture to show confidence.

Lately, I've been rather surprised at the resumes I'm seeing and the complaints people are giving me regarding the work market.  It seems that some resume writers are telling people that it's not necessary to list accomplishments on resumes and to simply state job descriptions and basic information.  I'm sorry, but as a professional who has been in this business for a very long time, I have to disagree.

Employers I've talked to want to know how the prospective employee can add value to their team.  They can say they are great at sales and marketing, but show me results of your efforts?  How did you contribute to the previous employer?  Give me an idea of why I should invest in you over someone with identical work traits and background?  In other words, show me some accomplishments that convince me you are worth my investment dollars to hire you and help me build my business.

I recall a mechanical engineer client who was frustrated because he couldn't get an interview.  His resume showed his lengthy background of successful projects, but regardless of what tried nothing worked.  In review, I noticed that his resume said nothing about how he contributed to his company's success, only the basics of his job duties. Sure he'd lead a few multi-million dollar projects, but it didn't say anything about what HE did.  When I told him this, he got mad and said I didn't know what I was talking about; his resume showed everything he'd done.  So, he sent it to a headhunter in Oregon for additional review (and at a cost whereas I gave him a free review).  The person in Oregon wrote back with the same comments--his resume was general and didn't reflect his specific contributions.  His wife approached me and said to redo it. I talked to him, got more information, and rewrote the profile with details specific to him.  Within a week after receiving the revised copy, he's landed a position for a new federal project valued at over $10 million.  He worked consistently after that until he retired. 

When writing your resume, don't just focus on the job description of things you did.  Think -- how did I contribute to my position to make it better?  How did I add value to my employer?  How do I differ from someone with the same background; what is exclusively me in this position?

Most often, when people begin thinking that way they suddenly realize a lot of things they'd forgotten.  It may have seemed like it was 'just doing the job,' but in performing they gave an added something that nobody else can do.  I do admit that for some positions finding a differentiator is difficult, but in most, when you put some thought to it, you'll find you stand out in a way that nobody can touch. 

Marketing your completed profile is another aspect of successfully finding work, but the first issue is making sure your presentation is strong, effective, and gives an exceptional view of what you offer.  Once you get on the same thought patterns as managers and rewrite the resume with those thoughts in mind, you'll have a stronger tool to leverage your skills against the competition.  And in today's job market that is one of the biggest keys to unlocking the job market and finding work.

Thought I would share this post by Os Hillman today.  It says a lot of what we recall from nine years back and thought it was worth repeating.

"So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you" (2 Cor 4:12).

On 9/11/01, New York City firefighter Stephen Siller had just completed his shift when he heard on his truck's scanner that a plane had hit one of the World Trade Center towers. Siller quickly turned his truck around and attempted to drive back to Manhattan via the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel but found the entrance blocked by abandoned vehicles. Desperate to join his elite Squad One brothers, Siller donned 75 pounds of fire gear and ran a mile-and-a-half through the tunnel, before an emergency vehicle picked him up and dropped him off at Tower Two.

Siller had been orphaned at the age of 10 and raised by his much older brothers and sisters. Siller died that day trying to save others. He left behind a wife and five children.

His story proved so inspirational that it became a legend in the newsrooms and firehouses of New York City. His six siblings - who in many ways viewed Siller as a son, as well as a brother - found themselves grappling with a dilemma: should they allow the tragic circumstances of their brother's death to paralyze and embitter them or use it as a catalyst to help others and preserve his memory?

The Siller family chose the latter.

Once they made that decision, and armed with no extraordinary wealth or political clout, the siblings combined forces to convince New York officials to close down the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel the last Sunday morning of each September and stage the "Tunnel to Towers Run" to commemorate their brother's heroic last run.

Each year since 9/11 tens of thousands of runners have retraced the steps of a hero. As part of the event 343 New York City firefighters, each representing a fallen comrade and holding an American flag, stand throughout the length of the tunnel. They are joined by firefighters from across the United States, each holding a poster-size picture of a firefighter who perished on 9/11.

The Siller family has raised more than $1 million and donated the money to charities that benefit families of those affected by the 9/11 attacks.

This is a tribute to one heartbroken family who opted to channel its energy into triumph out of tragedy.

Contact Os Hillman at www.marketplaceleaders.org.

You can be one of the Top 15 selected by the Recruiter or Employer looking for that perfect job!  Out of 1,000 candidates, you CAN find yourself talking face-to-face with an Interviewer interested in how you'll add value to the company.  Given the right tools and an attitude of self-confidence, you can find yourself with a new job, a steady paycheck and out of the line of the unemployed awaiting benefits every two weeks.

Differentiate yourself by making sure your resume stands out by listing the right information.   Make sure it contains the information an employer or recruiter wants to see.  With thousands of resumes to review, if a recruiter finds 15 within the first 40 resumes, chances are s/he won't wade through the remaining 980.  If you're not in that top 15, your resume won't even be considered despite your excellent qualities.  

So how do you know you'll make the top 15?  Make sure your resume WOWs the employer with great skills and value-added qualities.  The feedback I get from both employers and clients who haven't gotten an interview is that the resume didn't tell anything about how they could make a difference.  They were no different than the other 980 candidates.  While these tips may be repetitive, they will make the difference.

• Review the Job Description for the position you seek
  Make sure you are qualified for the position you seek.   If you know you can do it and have background, list those qualities and pinpoint them.
• Use Keywords found within the Job Description.
  The #1 complaint I hear from employers is that a resume doesn't contain keywords that they seek in a candidate.  Regardless of their talents, if these keywords are included in the resume context, chances are their scanner doesn't pick them up and the candidate is lost in the shuffle. 
• Tell employers how you add value to your job.
  You have a great job description, but it says nothing about what specifically you did or how your results impacted company growth or customer satisfaction.  Were you recognized as Employee of the Month--for what reason?  Did you save the company thousands of dollars--what did you do specifically that contributed to this?  Did you create new programs that improved efficiency and productivity--why did you create them and what did they do?   If 50 people have the same background as you do, why should the employer choose you above all others?
• Include your Job Titles, Company Names and Locations and Dates you worked
  Employers want to see dates you worked.  If there's a gap, what are you hiding?  Where did you gain your experience?  Even if you worked for companies that failed, listing the dates and for whom you worked are key factors employers want to see.  You don't need to include why you left, leave that for the interview, but do include this information on your resume.
• List only the past 8-10 years of experience.
  What worked 12 years ago, may be obsolete now.  In fact, what worked 5 years ago may be defunct now.  Today's technology changes our work force so dramatically, staying abreast of the newest systems is imperative to success.  And despite common belief, age discrimination does occur;  listing anything beyond 10 years could hurt you more than help you.
• Include Education and Training.
  You don't need to list high school, but any technical or junior colleges are important.  If you are pursuing a degree, list this and the school at which you study.  Education is becoming a key factor in all jobs these days; if you have it list it, if you don't look into ways you can take advantage of school programs to expand your education.