So you’re looking for a job and you think you’ve got your references all lined up. Before you start passing their contact information along to potential employees, you’d better make sure you can truly rely on them.

Even if you left a job in good standing, that doesn’t mean your former boss, co-workers, or Human Resources department are going to give you a glowing recommendation. Don’t take it personally. In some instances, that’s because company policy does not allow them to do so. HR, in particular, may only be allowed to verify that you were indeed employed at the company from date X to date Y. They cannot make any statements with regard to performance, professionalism or the like.

Other times, a would-be reference may not respond to calls from a potential new employer because they themselves are no longer with the company in question. It could also be that the company switched phone systems and extensions have changed.

Finally, your listed references may simply be following the old adage of “if you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all.” As hard as it may be to come to grips with, you may not be remembered as fondly as you would like to believe.

Many job hunters have had their dreams dashed when the people they thought of as good references either gave them a less-than-stellar recommendation or proved to be completely unresponsive. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to ensure this unfortunate fate doesn’t befall you:

1) Obtain Their Permission: Before giving out someone’s contact information, call them yourself and politely ask if they would be willing to serve as a reference for you. If they decline or seem at all hesitant, thank them for their time but by all means, do not place them on your list. Move on to the next person.

2) Double-Check Contact Info: Nothing frustrates a hiring manager more than a list of references which leads them nowhere, thanks to countless disconnected phone numbers or no-longer-valid email addresses. Take the time to reach out to your references and verify that the contact information you have for them is still correct. Also be sure to ask if they prefer to be contacted at the office, at home, or via their cell. They may not want to raise suspicions about their own future with their employer by having a hiring manager call them at work.

3) Get Creative: If none of your former bosses or co-workers are willing or available to serve as a reference, think of other people who know you well enough to vouch for you both personally and professionally. Have you done volunteer work for any non-profit organizations? If so, ask the appropriate person there if they would serve as a reference for you. This can be especially helpful if you volunteered to perform the same kind of work you do professionally on a pro bono basis. By all means, avoid listing relatives or close friends, however.

It can be incredibly frustrating – and frankly, a little scary – when your references go MIA. By keeping your cool and following these steps, however, you can overcome this challenge.

When looking for a job, you may find it reassuring to come across a company that states it is “always looking” for talented people. Such notices are usually incredibly vague, however. There’s no job description and no indication of whether they actually have any openings at the moment. They usually only include an email address and phone number for inquiries. And they typically only include an email address and phone number for inquiries.

Understandably, many job seekers wonder if such ads are for real. More specifically, they wonder if it would be worth their time and effort to answer one. If they decide to pursue such a vague opportunity, should they call the listed phone number or take the liberty of emailing a full resume and cover letter, expressing their interest in any suitable openings?

The good news is that people do actually get jobs through these kinds of ads. However, such employers are typically looking for only the “best of the best.” In other words, the average candidate will never find a job this way. In fact, their inquiry is likely to be met with stony silence. To garner the interest of an employer placing this kind of ad, a candidate needs to really stand out from the rest of the pack. That means a stellar resume and compelling cover letter.

Typically, companies place “We’re always looking for talent people” ads for one of the following reasons: 

• They suspect a key player is going to be leaving soon and they want to identify some potential replacements ahead of time.
• They want to build a database of potential future employees.
• They are truly in need of people with key skills and are eager to hire.

If you see this kind of ad and are tempted to inquire of the company, you must first ask yourself if you are truly the kind of stand-out candidate they are probably looking for. If you honestly believe you are a solid candidate who possesses key, marketable skills, then go ahead and take a shot. Don’t waste your time cold-calling, however. Chances are you will prejudice the hiring manager against you simply because you unknowingly called at an inconvenient time. What’s more, they won’t know anything about you because they have not yet had the opportunity to review your credentials. Instead, send a resume and cover letter explaining what you have to offer. Even if they are not ready to hire anyone right now, if you make a good impression, they may remember you the next time a suitable opening arises.

When searching for a job, it becomes easy to view each hiring manager as the enemy. After all, they are the gatekeeper, the one who is keeping you from attaining your dream job (or in this economy, any job). Yet, it’s important to remember that they are in very much the same position as you – just in reverse. You have certain skills, training and expertise you wish to put to work for the benefit of a particular company. And they have been charged with finding someone who possesses the requisite skills, training an expertise that will drive the business and generate greater profits. Making the two come together in a mutually pleasing conclusion is simply a meeting of the minds.

The first thing you absolutely must understand is that the hiring manager is under a great deal of pressure to deliver just the right person for the job. Unless you are interviewing with an extremely small company, chances are you won’t find yourself sitting down with the CEO. That means the person interviewing you has to answer to someone. They aren’t about to jeopardize their job by taking a chance on an under-qualified or otherwise questionable candidate. As a result, they are going to ask the tough questions, make you prove yourself, and then perform the proper due diligence to verify that you are just as great as you say you are.

In nearly every instance, you come into an interview as a complete unknown. Your job is to make the interview feel comfortable and confident about hiring you. They are not trying to be the bad guy – or gal – they are simply seeking to assure themselves that you will be able to perform in the job in question. At the same time, their hiring decision must be one that leaves them feels safe and secure in their own career. Again, that’s why they are not about to take a chance on an unproven individual.

That’s not to suggest you must be absolutely perfect and possess a flawless job record to boot. Hiring managers understand that no one is perfect. Everyone has weaknesses and shortcomings. For that reason, you will find yourself answering questions about weaknesses, shortcomings, and difficult situations you encountered. For you, the trick lies in turning a negative into a positive. Maybe you were once assigned to manage the account of a company whose industry was a complete mystery to you. That may have been a shortcoming, but you can still win the hiring manager over if you share a gripping account of how you dove in, thoroughly researched not only the company, but its industry and key competitors, and then helped them achieve great things.

Finally, remember that the hiring manager is looking for a solution to specific pain points the company is currently facing. Once you are in the interview environment, pay close attention to what they say and ask a few probing questions of your own. Seek to uncover those pain points and then convince the hiring manager that you are the remedy, the one person that can relieve all that ails them.

So you want to boost your career, climb the corporate ladder, and improve your earning power. In today’s economy, it’s all too easy to feel powerless and fall into the mindset that someone else occupies the driver’s seat when it comes to steering your career in the right direction. 

Fortunately, that’s not altogether true. While your job options may be limited at this time, you possess a great deal of power to transform your career over the long-term. The secret lies in thinking of yourself, your personal brand, like a start-up business and taking the same approach to building your career as you would to building that business.

It’s important to begin by facing the facts. You may be an extraordinarily talented individual, but the fact remains that a million different people could do your job. Attempting to be better than everyone else will get you nowhere. Instead, you must focus on carving out your own professional niche and becoming the best in that particular realm. 

In their new book “The Start-Up of YOU: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career,” authors Reid Hoffman, co-founder and chairman of LinkedIn, and Ben Casnocha lay out three dynamic pieces to help you position yourself in the market: 

• Assets – This basically refers to what you have going for yourself right now. It includes soft assets, like knowledge, skills, and connections, along with more traditional “hard” assets, like cash in the bank.
• Aspirations and Values – This piece entails where you would like to go career-wise in the future.
• Market Realities – This part focuses on what people will actually pay you for.

 The authors continue by laying out a number of tips for surviving and thriving in today’s competitive world. Adopting them will help you create the right job search mindset and marketing message. They include: 

• Developing a competitive advantage to win the best jobs and opportunities
• Adapting your career plans as you change, as the people around you change, and as industries change
• Strengthening your professional network by building powerful alliances and maintaining a diverse mix of relationships
• Identifying unique breakout opportunities that will accelerate your career growth
• Take proactive risks to become more resilient to industry tsunamis
• Tapping your network for information and intelligence that will help you make better decisions

Regardless of whether you take the initiative to read the book, the main lesson is this: If you want to build your career, you must adopt the mindset of a small business owner. Think of yourself as the business and your skills and knowledge as the product or service. Brainstorm about what steps you would take to build a business and adapt those same steps to your own personal brand. Invest in yourself, build your professional networks, take intelligent risks, and find ways to make uncertainty and volatility work to your advantage. As the recovery continues and you look to the future, you may just find yourself a couple of rungs up the ladder after all.

It’s that moment of a job interview that every applicant dreads. After chatting casually about your experience and qualifications, the hiring manager looks you in the eye and asks, “Do you have any questions for me?” 

Gulp. It’s here. What do I do? What do I say? I don’t want to appear stupid? Do I have to say anything? Is it alright to simply pass? 

A good job interview should be a two-way street. In other words, there should be a conversation, a dialogue, not an interrogation. Sure, the interviewer is seeking to determine whether you are the right person for the job, but at the same time, your goal should be determining whether the job is right for you.

To a certain extent, you can ascertain a job’s appropriateness through the types of questions the hiring manager is asking. Chances are, however, there will be a number of vital questions which remain unasked at the end of a typical interview, however. It falls to you, therefore, to ensure such questions are posed.

Here are some sample questions you may wish to ask when given the opportunity: 

• What is your definition of the ideal candidate?
• What happened to the last person who held this job?
• What are the most important skills and attributes for this position?
• How often will I be evaluated if I am hired for this job?
• How will you be defining success in this position?
• What opportunities exist for growth and advancement?
• What do you envision for the company in five years?
• Tell me about the structure and hierarchy of the company?
• What are the next steps in the hiring process?

 Conversely, here are some questions you should never ask: 

• What does the company do? (You should already know this going in.)
• How much does the job pay? (The hiring manager should be the one to broach this subject.)
• How soon do I get vacation? (Wait until the job has been offered to begin discussions of time-off.)
• Are you going to hire me? (Don’t seem too eager. If they decide to hire you, they will let you know.)

Whenever possible, keep the questions open-ended. Avoid questions which can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” And be sure to avoid questions which could be easily be answered by visiting the company’s website.

What questions you ultimately ask is up to you. To a certain extent, the job and company in question will help dictate what questions are appropriate to ask. The important thing is not to let this valuable opportunity pass you by. Remember, the only stupid questions are the ones you never ask.

It’s no secret companies have taken to the Net when conducting due diligence on a potential new employee. From LinkedIn to Facebook to simple Google searches encompassing every single appearance on the Web, nothing is sacred. That includes every embarrassing photo, as well as every Tweet and message board comment you’ve ever posted. Some hiring managers have even been known to review candidates’ Amazon.com wish lists. If that doesn’t concern you, either you’ve lived the life of Mother Teresa or you are completely oblivious to the potential damage you’ve done to your career.

If you’re getting a little hot around the collar, relax. I’m not trying to pass judgment on your Internet activities. The goal here is to help you overcome any online transgressions or ill-advised postings so that potential employers won’t get a negative impression of you based on what they find on the Web. The goal is to craft an online identity that reflects positively upon you as a professional.

A good starting point is to ask yourself what a potential employer would find if they were to Google your name. If you have a common name, this question may be complicated by the fact that they are likely to uncover the digital trail of many individuals in addition to you. However, they can narrow their search by filtering by location, previous jobs, etc. If you honestly don’t know how you come across on the Web, try Googling yourself. Chances are you’ve done it already, but it’s always a good idea to keep close tabs on your online presence.

If you find “digital dirt” – that is, information, comments, or images you would rather a potential employee not see – there is often nothing you can do to scrub your online reputation. In some instances, you can delete content, but for the most part, the best approach to seek to smother the dirt with positive, professional content. You should immediately start creating new and content presenting yourself as a capable professional. If you have published journal articles, add links to those sites to your LinkedIn and Facebook pages. Tweet your insights into trends and news stories that are relevant to your industry. You must be patient, however, because it can take time to achieve the desired balance.

You can further enhance your online reputation by posting a professional photo of yourself on every one of your profiles. That means a headshot taken by an actual professional photographer, not a snapshot taken by your cousin during that wild weekend in Miami. Seek to feature anything that points to involvement in community activities or that demonstrates stellar communication skills. By all means, seek to delete any previous comments that could be interpreted as critical of a former employer. Nothing turns off a potential employer faster than the possibility of hiring someone who is likely to damage their reputation.

For decades, job seekers have been instructed to focus on the same things: drafting a professional cover letter, listening closely and giving satisfactory responses to interviewers’ questions, and then following up appropriately. However, the new realities of the job market are requiring applicants to take a different approach to their job search.

These days, it’s all about knowing your value, identifying the employer’s pain points, telling a story, and showing relevance. As a result, there is an all-new list of must-have skills for job seekers:

1. Identify Pain Points – In the past, applicants could get by simply focusing on the requirements listed in the “help wanted” ad. That approach won’t cut the mustard these days. You need to dig deep and discover what kind of business pain is behind the job opening. This can be accomplished by reading the job posting and researching the employer. Their pain could be growth-related or consolidation-related. They could be losing customers to competitors who provide cheaper prices. Their industry could simply be experiencing a shortage of talent. Whatever the cause of the pain, it’s up to you to identify it and use that information to make your case for why they should hire you.

2. Tell a Story – Rambling off characteristics like “strong work ethic” doesn’t mean much in today’s overcrowded job market. Hundreds of well-qualified individuals are likely to apply for any opening. Chances are they will all claim to possess the same desirable characteristics. Rather than building your responses around catch phrases, tell a story. Seek to explain what kind of results you produce on the job. Keep it brief, but make it powerful.

3. Be Personable — Not long ago, applicants were taught to talk in business speak, using phrases like “bottom-line orientation” and “results-oriented professional.” Unfortunately, such phrases mean little to today’s hiring managers. Aim to use a human voice instead of tired, worn-out corporate speak. Don’t be afraid to begin sentences with “I.” Be proud to speak in the first person as you take credit where credit is due.

4. Nix the One-Size-Fits-All Resume – Most job seekers make the mistake of using one resume for every position. This approach does nothing to help the hiring manager envision how you will fit into their organization. Take steps to highlight accomplishments that are relevant to the position in question. Don’t be afraid to revise your resume as often as necessary.

5. Know Your Value – Earlier this year, television news personality Mika Brzezinski published a book titled “Knowing Your Value.” While her tome was geared towards the historically underpaid female sex, there’s much to be said for the concept of knowing your value, no matter what gender, race, or orientation you may be. Before you begin a job search, undertake some research to discover your fair market value. Go in with a specific salary range in your head. Even in a tough economy, your skills and experiences have a specific value, so don’t allow yourself to get low-balled. If a potential employer isn’t willing to pay what you are worth, take your talents elsewhere.

There’s simply not enough time in the day for hiring managers to conduct face-to-face interviews with each and every applicant. Consequently, companies are increasingly making use of phone interviews as a means of thinning the herd – that is, weeding out candidates that simply wouldn’t work out. The goal is to end up with a more manageable number of applicants.

While the prospect of a phone interview can be somewhat daunting, it’s important to view it as an opportunity for you to earn an in-person interview. Fortunately, most phone interviews are relatively short. The focus is on questions that will enable the employer to evaluate you quickly. In keeping with that goal, aim for short but concise answers, ideally less than two minutes each. If the interviewer wants to know more, they will ask.

 Here are some questions you should expect to be asked in a phone interview:

 Tell me about yourself? – Typically the first question to be asked, this one is best answered by simply giving a brief work history, along with an explanation of how your skills relate to the job for which you are applying. Whatever you do, don’t look at this question as an opportunity to tell your life story.

What experience do you have? – Your goal should be to highlight your skills and experiences as they pertain to the job in question. Endeavor to steer the discussion to specific skills which give you the ability to execute your duties well.

What are your strengths? – Again, gear your response toward the specific skill requirements of the job for which you are applying. If you find it difficult to make that connection, you should highlight transferable skills, such as multitasking, critical thinking, and the ability to communicate well, instead.

What are your weaknesses? – The question that applicants always dread, this one can easily be answered simply by responding that it’s always a challenge to stay current on technology requirements. After all, that is a challenge everyone faces. Be sure to turn your answer into something positive by explaining how you have endeavored to develop such knowledge.

What are your salary requirements? – Another tricky question, this one can take you out of the running if you aim too high right off the bat. When you are participating in a phone interview, it’s best to avoid giving a straight answer. You may state that you simply don’t know enough about the position yet to make a salary request. This answer opens the door to requesting an in-person meeting, which should be your bottom line goal anyway.

While it may seem that a phone interview does not allow for much opportunity to impress a potential employer, it’s actually a great chance to introduce yourself without all the stress of a face-to-face interview. After all, you don’t have to worry about your appearance or your body language over the phone.

That said, it’s still helpful to smile during the interview. The interviewer may not be able to see your face, but they will hear the smile in your voice. You will be perceived as more open, friendly, and enthusiastic about the job. Also, stand up and walk around while you are on the phone with the interviewer. Not only will it help you relax, walking around actually makes your voice clearer and louder. The interviewer will better understand your answers and you will come across as more confident.

Getting called for an interview is an exciting experience, particularly in today’s shaky economy. You may have been unemployed for months, even years. Understandably, the prospect of an interview fills you with a sense of hope. Perhaps your day has come. You are just one final step away from being gainfully employed.

But then suddenly, the interview’s over. Days go by and you don’t hear anything from your potential new employer. Those days turn into weeks. Maybe you receive a rejection letter, maybe not. Either way, the truth becomes painfully clear: you have not been chosen for the job. 

In many instances, this same chain of events repeats itself over and over again, leaving the job seeker completely dejected, wondering if they will ever have a job again. The secret to finding a job lies in capitalizing on identifying what the company needs and then convincing the hiring manager that YOU are the one who can meet that need. 

Begin by making a list of 10 to 25 companies you would like to work for. Many job seekers skip this step and merely hop online to visit their favorite jobs site without first taking a good long look at exactly what they want from their job search. By compiling this list first, that gives you the opportunity to study these potential employers and identify what exactly they need from their employees in order to meet their business goals.

Learn more about potential employers through LinkedIn and Zoominfo. Also, remember to Google the company in question. You may even wish to sign up for Google Alerts on the companies you have targeted. Doing so will ensure you are notified every time that company makes the news. Perhaps the most effective tactic, however, is to simply visit the company’s website. You can learn a great deal about their goals and activities by reviewing their press releases, annual report, and other key sections of the corporate website. Don’t forget to tap your personal and professional contacts for information, too.

Once you know what potential employers need, it’s your job to demonstrate that you are the one to deliver on what they want. First, do a little introspection by defining your most marketable skills. This is a key point, so spend some time really considering what you have to bring to a potential employer.

 Next, compare your list of qualifications to a potential employer’s list of needs. Find a way to weave any potential matches into your cover letter. A note of caution: Do not write, “I understand you need people with strong marketing skills. I have lots of experience in marketing.” Subtly mention your qualifications, but do NOT make the connection in your letter. Leave that to the employer. Trust me. They will.

Take advantage of similar opportunities during the interview to mention the myriad ways you are a good match for the employer. Again, don’t be too blatant about the fact that your skills and experience perfectly answer their needs. If you do, they may begin to suspect that you are merely claiming to have certain characteristics because you have read about their business. Instead, casually talk about your past jobs and experiences as a means of demonstrating the fact that YOU are the one person to meet their needs.

Addressing a group of graduating students in the spring of 2001, George W. Bush uttered the now infamous comment, “To all the C students, I say, ‘You, too, can be President of the United States.’” Bush supporters got a big chuckle out of the remark, as they felt it demonstrated the man’s sense of humor. For those detractors already convinced the former Texas Governor was a few brain cells short, the comment served as further evidence that the wrong presidential candidate was occupying the White House.

Regardless of which side of the political fence you reside, Bush’s comment opens the door to an important conversation: Should a person’s GPA really matter when they are applying for a job? Is it truly an accurate predictor of what kind of employee they will be?

Naturally, it depends who you ask. According to a CareerBuilder survey, just half of employers have a specific GPA requirement. Of those that do, 25 percent received a GPA of 3.0 or higher, while 12 percent required higher than a 3.5. Just 1 percent was looking for a perfect 4.0.

Some fields prize a high GPA more than others. These include accounting, nursing, and highly technical fields like engineering and computer science, where a mastery of the body of knowledge is necessary. Large companies which are likely to receive thousands of applications for each opening may look to GPAs to help them weed out less-desirable candidates.

Where you are in your career also matters. A recent graduate may be judged by their GPA simply because they don’t have much else for the employer to review. However, an experienced professional is far more likely to be judged on their experiences and accomplishments than a two- or three-decade-old GPA.

Increasingly, employers are looking to factors other than GPA when reviewing applicants. They are more interested in a potential employee’s relevant professional experience (including internships), portfolio, presentation skills, and writing skills. Time management is also a key indicator, as is how the employee learns, their ability to give and receive feedback, and their ability to apply theory to real-life situations.

Regardless of whether your GPA was stellar or lackluster, don’t leave it off an application if an employer asks for it. Such an omission will only lead them to assume the worst and you may find yourself eliminated from the running unnecessarily. Never inflate your GPA, although you can fudge things a bit by listing your Major GPA, rather than your overall GPA, as long as you designate it as such.