Cost: Free for job seekers

How It Works: You create an account and upload your resume. CareerBuilder.com allows you to conduct a search for postings based on keywords, industry, job categories, location with a mileage range, posting date, education requirements, and salary range. They even allow you to exclude certain companies or job titles from your search. Of course, you can set up alerts so that you are notified when jobs meeting certain parameters get posted on their site.

CareerBuilder also provides access to the “Job Recommendations” tool, which scans your resume for certain terms and creates a list of opportunities that are relevant. There are settings that help you stay confidential, or you can set it up so employers know everything about you. CareerBuilder offers a ResumeUpgrade service in which they basically charge you a fee to move your information up in search rankings relative to other candidates when employers and recruiters conduct a search. There are different levels of the ResumeUpgrade…the more you spend, the better your ranking.

CareerBuilder has recently added an iPhone app and an Android app letting users go mobile with their job search and resume submittal activities.

Assessment: Overall, this is a good site with several caveats.

1. CareerBuilder is huge, so there can be a lot of stuff to weed through to find what you really want. Using proper parameters in your search is important.
2. Competition is strong. Because CareerBuilder is such a popular site, your resume is going to be posted there with thousands of candidates that have similar backgrounds.
3. CareerBuilder works well for candidates below the executive or director level. For executive positions or if you are targeting highly specialized industries, this may not be the best place to start.

Overall, I give CareerBuilder two thumbs up. But don’t let this be your only job search resource.

To check it out for yourself, go to www.CareerBuilder.com.

Site Name: ResumeBoomer.com
Cost: $49.95 up-front fee at time of account creation

How It Works: You create an account and upload your resume. Resume Boomer then posts your resume on up to 60 job sites, including major sites like Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, Job.com, and HotJobs.com, as well as specialty sites like Dice.com, MarketingJobs.com, SalesGravy.com, and BankingBoard.com depending on your area of specialty.

Like most quality resume posting sites, you can enter search parameters such as geography, position type, and salary to initiate automated alerts when employers post a new job that meets the criteria you entered.

Assessment: Overall, this can be a big time saver if you want to get your resume out on a lot of sites quickly, as they usually get your resume up on all 60+ job sites within a few business days. The bigger issue comes into play when you want to edit, revise, or update your resume. There is no mechanism for that to occur automatically. As such, they provide you with user name and login information for all the sites you are posted to. You would need to sign in to each site individually and update your resume one at a time on each site for the changes to be implemented. This could cost some serious time that might be spent doing more effective things for your job search.

One Thumb Up for helping you quickly introduce your resume to the market at large!
One Thumb Down for the excessive labor required to make any changes to your resume after the initial submission!

To check it out or sign up, go to ResumeBoomer.com.

Today’s review is of a not-so-well-known site for programmers and developers looking to do freelance work (either full time or off-hours from your day job).

Site Name: ScriptLance.com
Cost: Free Membership Signup and No Monthly Fees

How It Works: People post projects on ScriptLance that need programming or development work of all different types (SQL, C++, Perl, Visual Basic, Cold Fusion, .NET, HTML, XML, Joomla, JavaScript, Flash, WordPress, etc.). They describe what the requirements are and offer a budget range they are looking for. Members (programmers) then review available projects by searching on industry type, programming language, etc. to determine which projects they would like to bid on. They place their bid, competing against other members for the business.

Payment: When completed, the client pays you through ScriptLance, who takes a 5% cut of your bid price. You can withdrawal the funds from ScriptLance through Paypal, Moneybookers, bank wire, FedEx check, or have them send you a Mastercard debit card.

Assessment: Overall, this is a really great site. It provides a great avenue for those looking to earn some extra income or establish a base if you are looking to strike out on your own. It also can help those with less experience in certain technologies get the experience necessary so they can highlight it on their resume.

The Verdict: Two Thumbs Up!

To check it out or sign up, go to ScriptLance.com.

Don’t: Use a Fully Functional-Style Resume
More and more candidates today have some type of gap in employment. When preparing your resume, you must decide the best way to handle this gap. Unfortunately, many candidates elect to try to hide the gap by putting all of their information in a functional format. This is where the writer simply discusses functional skills gained over their career in an abstract sense. They may even have the functional skills as a header and list some relevant achievements that speak to each skill.

This strategy is successful in covering the gap in time on the resume, but it causes other, possibly more severe, issues in the mind of the reader. Most hiring managers and HR professionals know that candidates use a functional style to hide things like an employment gap or an absence from a particular position type or industry for a lengthy period of time. Often times, the gap the candidate is attempting to hide isn’t as bad as what the employer perceives they may be trying to hide.

Do: Provide a Chronological Listing of Employment
Bottom line is to use a chronological listing of the work history (if you want to create a profile section that details out some functional skills, that’s fine too) so that employers and recruiters can logically follow the sequence of your employment. Use years of employment only. If a gap exists (for example, if you finished position A in 2006 and started position B in 2008–2007 is the gap), create an entry to cover that time period using the same format as your other job entries. If the company name is in bold with all caps, then list “Family Sabbatical” or something like that in bold with all caps as well. Enter the location and dates just as you did for your other positions.

Do: Check Your Online Presence
Companies can check you out online and get a feel for the type of person you before they even pay one cent as part of a formal background check. Common searches include Google and Facebook checks of your name. A more in-depth review might include a search on Twitter and LinkedIn. Be sure to check your own account and see what type of information is posted. For example, what are your friends putting up on your Facebook wall? Also, consider your name and who else may share it. Will an employer doing a Google search find information about them and think that it is really you? Use your formal name or middle initial to help differentiate yourself if need be.

Don’t: Write a Resume Longer Than Two or Three Pages
As a general rule of thumb, two pages are usually plenty to convey whatever is necessary for a professional position. Some candidates may require a third page if they are in a highly technical field. Only candidates seeking positions internationally or in academia should have a resume (actually called a CV) longer than three pages.

For less-experienced candidates, a one-page resume is just fine as well. Don’t try to stretch the resume to two pages just for the sake of having two pages. Employers do not want to waste their time reading fluff. Some one-page resumes are the hardest hitting, most impactful documents I have ever written or read. The key is in providing enough detail that it generates interest in the reader to know more about you, but doing so succinctly.

Economic Impact on Jobs
These two forces combined to stall business growth and job creation for the past two plus years, increasing the unemployment rate from about 5% to more than 10% today. For job seekers, the pool of available positions has shrunk even more. Consider that in a vibrant economy, there is much upward mobility. As new business launch or existing companies expand, they need good people to step in and run their operations. In addition, as businesses grow and profits soar, retirement and 401(k) account balances increase, prompting senior-level personnel to retire, or at least to go into some type of semi-retirement status, creating even more opportunity for upward advancement.

With housing values declining or, at best, flat-lining, and retirement accounts losing value, older workers have been forced to hold off retirement plans. Some people that had retired early jumped back into the workforce as well.

2011 Outlook
The big question now is what happens next. Many economists foresee only slight improvements to the job market in 2011. Some predict that unemployment will not fall below 10% until late in the year, if it all. However, much depends on the actions of the 112th United States Congress, which convenes in early January. Tax policy, particularly those policies that address corporate taxation rates, can have the quickest, most dramatic, and longest lasting impact to the job forecast. A reduction in the corporate tax structure signals to companies and investors alike that it is time to invest in and plan for business expansion and new start ups.

How Does This Impact My Job Search
When conducting a job search in this type of market, you need to plan for stiff competition. It is important to develop a good strategy for your search and begin your efforts by putting together a winning resume. Contact a resume professional to help you prepare a targeted resume document that will address the needs of both HR personnel and hiring managers.

-“Uh, yeah. Like unemployment is ‘such’ a gravy train. Wow, you can really live large on $500 a month.”

-“It’s easy to tell me I should just get off unemployment when you’ve got a job!”

-“Times are really tough. If Congress extends unemployment, that will be a good thing for all the people out of a job right now.”

I like the first comment, as it touches on a slew of topics in a few succinct statements. Let’s start with the payout. Unemployment benefits pay can vary widely by state, because unemployment benefit laws are made at the state level, as well as by the amount earned, the number of hours worked, and the amount of time of ongoing employment. The emergency unemployment acts that have passed through Congress only mandate the extension and federal funding of those benefits.

If we take someone in Boston who earned $150K and was laid off after more than 10 consecutive years on the job, they would be eligible for $600 per week in unemployment pay. While an annualized pay of $31,200 doesn’t compare with $150K, most would agree that it would help to pay for a car loan and reasonable mortgage. However, the comment is accurate in the sense that no one will be “living large” off this type of pay.

The Intention of Unemployment
This brings us to the next topic, which is the purpose for having unemployment benefits. The intention was to provide a safety net for employees who lost a job through “no fault of their own,” meaning they weren’t fired for theft or things like that. So anyone that was laid off, downsized, rightsized, outsourced, or a dozen other euphemisms could get a portion of their pay for up to 26 weeks while they looked for a new job. However, certain requirements had to be met. In most cases, those collecting unemployment were required to report to the unemployment office and prove that they were, indeed, actually conducting a job search. They needed to show how many resumes they sent out, to whom, and which companies they interviewed with.

Some readers may recall, way back when, if someone lost their job and couldn’t quickly find a new one, they would take a job or jobs in retail, doing “menial” work, or a position involving physical labor. Basically, they would do whatever was necessary to pay the bills and put food on the table. Those jobs are still out there. I see companies all over advertising for them every day.

Actions Versus Intentions
So, I would like to respond to the individual that wrote the first comment. Before I do, I am going to assume that he or she is currently not employed and is accepting unemployment benefits that pay in the vicinity of $500 per month. Without knowing anything else about your situation, I would ask you to consider your actions. Your intentions may be very good. For example, you intend to get a job and contribute productively. However, your actions may belie that intention.

I say that by simple observation. Consider that $500 per month breaks down to about $115 per week (each month has 4.333 weeks on average). That’s just $2.88 per hour based on a 40-hour “work” week. If it is so awful to have no, or very limited, requirements to receiving the $2.88 per hour, why not take a position at Wal-Mart, working in a warehouse, or in customer service. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, with some states mandating as high as $8.55 per hour as the minimum. That’s nearly 3 times more than what unemployment benefits will pay you! Am I missing something here?

So your intentions may be good, but the reality is that you are earning less than you could be and costing us both more. In addition, you are not expanding your skill set and you are creating an employment gap on your resume that becomes more difficult to remedy each day that passes.

Some of you may recall that just 2 years ago, the unemployment benefit was maxed out at 26 weeks. However, in November 2008, Congress extended that to 39 weeks and it has since grown to 99 weeks as part of the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) and Extended Benefits (EB) programs.

What’s the Problem?
The gravy train may actually be ending, as the extended benefits are set to expire in December 2010. However, a consortium of unemployment advocacy groups have banded together to form an entity called The American 99ers Union, who is aggressively lobbying Congress to extend unemployment benefits through 2011—yes, another full year!

Despite the fact that joining together, forming organizations, and lobbying Congress takes away from time actually searching for a job, a deeper issue is present here. How do you address this time frame on your resume?

To give you an example, I worked with an executive-level candidate who had been with a major corporation for more than 20 years before getting laid off. She had a great severance package that provided her with about 2 years of salary. Once the severance ran out, she went onto unemployment, first for 26 weeks, then for the additional 13 weeks, and finally for all 99 weeks.

How Does This Impact My Resume?
Now, she wants to have a resume prepared that positions her as a high-caliber business executive even though she had done absolutely nothing for nearly 4 years! In an economic climate where employers have the opportunity to hold out for the very best candidates, who in their right mind would give her a second glance, much less an interview or job offer?

So What Do I Do?
How should you handle an unemployment situation? My recommendation is to not take the bait. Forego the unemployment benefits if possible and assume your job search as a full-time position. Aggressively network, cold call, and send out resumes. If you must go on unemployment, consider whether you are getting lazy in your responsibility as a full-time job seeker. If you do get lazy, call the unemployment office and ask them to take you off the rolls. You will be much better off in the long-term as well as in the short-term by making yourself a much more marketable candidate.

This can be a scary proposition, particularly if you are not currently employed. You may be willing to take almost anything that’s even close to what you are looking for. How do you go about making yourself marketable to a company in another region?

Things to Keep in Mind

Let’s take a step back and consider the position the company will take when beginning the recruiting and hiring process for a particular job. If the economic situation has impacted them adversely, they may be less willing to pay the initial costs of flying their top-tier candidates in from around the country to interview for the slot. More importantly, they may not be willing to cover relocation costs either. As such, companies can use the state on your address as a filter to weed out candidates that do not reside in the area. This helps them streamline the whole recruiting and interviewing process.

How Do I Overcome It?

It’s not possible to overcome an obstacle like this, is it? Sure it is! You just need to consider the technology being used and how it can benefit you. What database search criteria would a company use? The most obvious one is the state. In certain markets, however, companies are located close to state lines, meaning that they would consider candidates from neighboring states as well. For example, in New York City, it is reasonable to have candidates apply that are willing to commute daily from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware!

In these situations, the recruiter may not search by state but by phone number area code. A viable strategy in applying for these positions would be to remove the physical address, city, state, and zip code from the resume. This just leaves your generic email account (gmail, yahoo, Hotmail, etc.) and your phone number. If you have a specific market you are committed to moving to, you can simply get your mobile number changed early so that you have a local area code. The other option is to sign up for a Google Voice account, enabling you to select an area code and exchange wherever you like. You can then have that Google Voice number forwarded to any other phone line you want, thus not requiring you to change your existing home number or mobile number. This approach then helps you to appear as a local candidate, even when you are not.

For the past several weeks, my job search has been put on hold because it looked like the light was finally making an appearance at the end of the long, frustrating tunnel. After all the aggravation of weird interviews and ignored cover letters, I essentially was being guaranteed a position with one of the only growing organizations in my area. This was it; it was my time to move up in the world.

I guess the moral of the story is that, when it comes to a job search, a “sure thing” doesn’t exist. No matter what an employer tells you, until that job offer has been handed over, don’t stop looking for more options. Keep pounding the pavement and applying for jobs. If I had done that, I’m sure that losing out on this particular job would not have been such a blow.

So who am I anyway? Why do I think my advice is so valuable?

My name is Stephen Van Vreede. My company is called No Stone Unturned, and I have spent 15 years on both sides of the corporate hiring experience.
The short story is that I have an MBA in Marketing from Villanova University and a dual B.S. degree in Finance & Logistics from the University of Maryland. I am a certified professional résumé writer (CPRW) and a member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARW/CC). I am also an Academy-Certified Resume Writer (ACRW) through the Resume Writing Academy. As I mentioned, I paid my dues in the corporate world eventually running a large-scale call center for a major truck rental company, and I have spent the past 7 years with No Stone Unturned, assisting job seekers in achieving their goals.
In February 2009, I launched a new group job hunting networking site: NoddlePlace.com. It is absolutely FREE to join, and you have access to everything on the site. Come check it out at NoddlePlace. You can also follow me on Twitter.