One of the most basic interview questions can often be one of the most difficult to answer: “Tell me about yourself.” Where do you begin and where do you end? According to career expert, Connie Thanasoulis-Cerrachio, people offer rambling, incoherent answers to this question all the time.  What’s the trick?  You must prepare and practice for this question in advance; you need to have a 15 to 30-second “elevator pitch” that you can pull it out at a moment’s notice.  Thanasoulis-Cerrachio recommends starting the creation process by writing down a full page of things you would want to say to an interviewer.  Then, cut down those notes by 50 percent, keeping only the most important points.  Then keep cutting until you are down to a quarter of a page.  From those points, pull out three bullets that offer a solid summary of your career.  

After that, it’s time to practice!  Experts suggest practicing in front of a mirror or a friend.  Make sure your presentation sounds enthusiastic, even if you’re bored from practicing it so much.  Delivery can be just as important as content.  Once you’ve mastered your pitch, you can use it in networking situations in addition to your interview…You never know when it may come in handy!

Looking to hire top talent from the graduating Class of 2012?  Learn where and how Millennials are searching for jobs!  Experience, Inc. and Achievers recently surveyed 8,000 students to learn more about their job search behavior.  The survey determined that 83 percent of Millennials currently use social media in some capacity, and an increasing percentage is turning to social media for job searching.  LinkedIn, in particular, is becoming far more popular in Millennials’ job search—35 percent claim to use LinkedIn as a primary source for their job hunt, compared to only five percent two years ago. 

However, the Class of 2012 is not overlooking more traditional methods.  About 88 percent of those surveyed said they plan to submit applications directly to employers, and 73 percent will be using their college career centers.  In addition, 72 percent want to attend networking or recruiting events.  When asked what they think is important when choosing a job, most Millennials said career advancement opportunities (54 percent) was the most important factor, followed by interesting, challenging work (51 percent), and salary (51 percent).  So if you’re looking to hire young talent, take this knowledge into account!  Hiring the best talent can be a challenge these days.

In a fluctuating economy where a person might considering taking any job that he or she can get, it makes you wonder…are people actually happy with their jobs?  According to CareerBliss, an online job site that recently conducted a survey evaluating career happiness, the answer is yes.  It was found that those people who are happiest with their jobs, often have the same type of jobs.  CareerBliss surveyed over 100,400 employees with varying careers (excluding executive level jobs) from February 2011 to January 2012.  Employees were questioned about factors such as their satisfaction with employee-boss-coworker relations, company culture, growth potential, wages, responsibilities, and control of their job tasks.  From this, the Happiest Jobs in the US were determined:

1.    Software Quality Assurance Engineer
A Software Quality Assurance Engineer evaluates and reviews a product prior to the final product being released.  They are often involved in software development from beginning to end.

2.    Executive Chef & Project Manager (Tie)
An Executive Chef performs tasks such as cooking, creating the menu, and training staff.  A Project Manager coordinates buying, selling, and the entire transaction involved in real estate.

3.    Bank Teller & Warehouse Manager (Tie)
A Bank Teller works with customers and handles the cash.  A warehouse manager coordinates supplies, distribution, and the overall supervision of a warehouse.

Although the top 5 jobs may seem surprising, many people cite their happiness as being a result of the people that they work with. Other jobs that made the happiest jobs list such as Accountant, Human Resource Manager, and Customer Services Representative can also be attributed to the people factor.  This finding is further emphasized upon discovering that people who hold jobs with regular people interaction, tend to be happier employees.  People spend the majority of their time at work so whether you are currently employed or looking for a new opportunity, this is definitely an important finding to consider.

This past Friday, the Bureau of Labor announced a new job growth record: the best six months for payroll job creation since 2006!  The U.S. is estimated to have added 227,000 jobs in February—and around 1.2 million over the past six months.  The unemployment rate remained at 8.3 percent, which remains the three-year-low.  Still, experts are concerned about the long-term unemployed—many of whom have been forced to take part-time jobs or have become so discouraged that they have stopped looking for a job entirely.   Hopefully we will see these figures improve in the coming months.  Which industries hired the most?  The industries that experienced the most growth in February were professional and business services, followed by education and health. 

With Spring Break just around the corner, many job seekers find themselves torn between a leisurely beachside vacation and a dedicated, focused job search week.  But is it possible to find a compromise?  Here are four relaxing ways to advance your job search while on vacation:

1.    Put business cards and a couple resumes in your suitcase.  You never know who you could run into on vacation, and you need to be prepared!  Powerful executives take vacations too, and they may be open to a friendly conversation.  It might be worth practicing your elevator pitch on your way to your destination as well.

2.    Build out your online profiles.  Grow your connections on LinkedIn, and complete online profiles to help you connect with relevant employers.

3.    Schedule some informational interviews.  Know anyone who works at a company you’re interested in?  Ask them to join you for coffee!  If you schedule it in advance, they’re more likely to oblige.

4.    Take some time to yourself.  Sometimes, a little relaxation can go a long way.  You may leave your vacation feeling clearheaded and ready to tackle your job search head on!

Wondering why the jobs numbers have been looking so good lately?   A lot of it can be attributed to the technology industry!  Job postings on technology job board Dice.com have risen by 12 percent in the past year, and general online job postings for computer and mathematics positions increased by 2.1 percent in the past month!  Some of the most highly desired workers right now are those who have experience with mobile applications—positions needing these skill sets have increased by more than 100 percent in the past year.  While large technology companies haven’t all been successful—IBM recently let go of 1000 employees—many smaller tech companies are looking to expand.  With over 500,000 software programs for the iPhone alone, there are clearly a number of opportunities in technology.

How do you motivate your employees? Mangers have used many tactics over the years, from monetary incentives, to positive feedback, to employee competition, to general fear.  But some of these approaches may be more effective than others.  According to a recent study, “Rankings and Social Tournaments: Evidence from a Field Experiment,” by Iwan Barankay a management professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, ranking employees against each other might not generate the results that many managers believe it to.  While some managers are of the impression that publicly benchmarking employees will motivate them to work harder, Barankay found that in reality, it often reduces employee productivity. 

In the study, employees who were identified as top-ranking tended to become complacent as the result of their success—their productivity suffered considerably.  Meanwhile, those ranking at the bottom became tremendously discouraged and unable to perform to the best of their ability.  In an experiment involving 330 employees, Barankay determined that 66% of employees who were not ranked offered to do more assignments, while only 42% of employees who were ranked came back to do so.  

Of course, every work environment is different, so make sure management style is catered to your employees.  Know how your employees will respond to feedback; while some may thrive in a competitive environment, it’s important to remember not everyone does.  Great managers are able to take the individual into account.

According to a recent private survey, the job market will improve in 2012 more than economists estimated!  Economists predicted an increase in payrolls by 127,000 per month back in November, but now predictions are near 170,000 per month.  In addition, unemployment will average 8.3 percent, compared to the 8.9 percent forecast in fall 2011.  The improved outlook for the job market is linked to strides in business investment and homebuilding.  Consumer spending is also expected to rise by 2.4 percent.  Some recent economic predictions even suggest that the unemployment rate could drop to 7.8 percent by 2013!  Let’s hope we see more people find employment in the coming months. 

How much of an impact can a bad boss make?  According to recent findings, bad bosses can do a considerable amount of damage.  Not only can they completely diminish employee morale; they’ve been linked to poor employee health—especially increased risk of heart disease—an even employees’ family interactions!  When bosses are abusive, significant others report more family conflict and tension at home.  A direct correlation has been determined between bosses’ management styles and the happiness of their employees—when bosses are controlling, as opposed to encouraging, employee morale is far lower.  A study by the Employment Law Alliance found that 44% of U.S. employees report they have worked for an abusive boss.  So if you’re in a management role, make sure to treat your employees well.  They will perform better if you offer them a little autonomy and respect!    

In 2012, the economy is fluctuating, unemployment is high, and you have to compete against all of your peers for a limited amount of job openings.  Despite these hurdles, you have landed your first job as a recent college graduate!  Now what?  Alison Green at US News & World Report suggests that in order to create a solid foundation on which to build your career, you must be aware of your actions.  Below find a few tips to make sure you’re on the path to success.

1.    Listen
As a novice at your company, make sure to listen closely to the advice and knowledge that circulates around you.  You will not only be able to learn about how things work within the company, but you will also have the opportunity to pick up on new skill sets.

2.    Diversify Your Contacts
Although it may be tempting to only socialize with colleagues of similar age, it is important to expand your group to more experienced professionals.  With their multiple years of experience, you have the opportunity to gain insight on your current job and your future career path.

3.    Don’t Be Exclusive
Avoid forming cliques at work and be open to meeting different kinds of people.  Working with different types of people gives you the opportunity to expand your worldview and experiences.  Also, try to avoid cattiness and gossip which often can be harmful to your career.

4.    Take Responsibility
Be accountable for your mistakes and do not shy away from the responsibility.  By owning up to the mistake as well as seeing it through to a resolution, you not only learn from your mistakes but also convey a responsible and can-do attitude to your coworkers.

5.    Always Have Pen And Paper
Always have pen and paper easily accessible to you.  Whether your boss is giving you instructions or you have the opportunity to sit in on a meeting, you don’t want to miss out on important knowledge.  Often the most important or helpful details do not get repeated.

6.    Limit Your Personal Use of Social Media
Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, etc., you should try to avoid and in the very least limit your use of these social media platforms at work.  Overuse of these platforms can give the impression of being unprofessional.

7.    Create And Maintain a Timeline
Create a rough timeline of when you are going to complete your tasks.  Remain diligent and complete tasks when you say you will in order to build your credibility at the company.

8.    Be Aware of Company Culture
Take the time to observe and understand company culture.  You will become privy to important information such as dress code, if occasional chit chat is accepted, and if it customary to leave the office for lunch.  If your behavior goes against company culture, coworkers may become wary of you.

9.    Be Open-Minded
Your time at school gives you a solid foundation on which to begin your career.  However, once you enter the real world, your education does not end.  Remain open to learning new things and to considering varying viewpoints.

10.   Thank Others
If your boss or colleague helps you, always remember to thank them, whether verbally or a quick e-mail.  When people feel appreciated, they are more likely to help out again in the future.