• Stay connected to industry associations; check your membership rights – you may be able to continue on a reduced or free basis while out of work
• Attend industry or professional conferences
• Join local interest groups like the chamber of commerce
• Take classes – in person
• Consider entry level courses in a different discipline
• Add advanced skills through a certification program
• Check out state training programs
• Start a blog about your industry and connect more online

Ashley Primis of phillymag.com offers these pointers from former opera singer and voice specialist, Rosemary Ostrowski.

• Slow down.
  People tend to speak too quickly so they don't give themselves room to breathe or pause. That’s why people use filler words such as “um” or “you know.” You almost have to consciously slow your brain down and relax.

• Scrap the fillers.
  It’s mostly about awareness. Try recording yourself – you will be surprised by what you hear.

• Complete the thought.
  Finish sentences and move to the next one. Give yourself time to think of an answer. Try not to use fillers, because they are signs of nervousness. Silence is a powerful thing as it lends an air of confidence.

• Stop being monotone.
  Focus on changing your volume and rate to keep things interesting. Slow down and enunciate. A strong voice can be a powerful, signature quality.

• Calm your nerves.
  Drink water. Keep your shoulders and arms relaxed. If standing, don’t lock your knees. Concentrate on breathing from your lower rib cage and stomach. When we are nervous, our breath tends to be shallow, which makes voices high-pitched.

• Creating profiles everywhere. You may want to establish your domain name everywhere, but you don’t want to set up shop on every social network on the Web. Instead, research the various sites and select the ones that will provide the most benefit. Find out where your audience is. This will help you focus your efforts rather than dilute them by trying to be active on too many sites.

• Not completing your profile. Once you decide which sites you’re going to join, you need to commit and genuinely become part of that network. That means completely filling out your user profile. Doing so helps you attract like-minded members, but it also shows people that you’re engaged. Gain easy trust points by customizing your profile – add a photo, provide links to your website, etc. Tell and show people who you are and give them a reason to connect with you.

• Fake friending. Don’t follow or connect with everyone you can find or with everyone who friends or follows you first. Think quality over quantity. Seek out people who will be most vocal about you, then, try to help them. Social media becomes powerful by building real relationships. Fake friends won’t do anything for you. It’s perfectly acceptable to be choosy when establishing online relationships.

• Using the same strategy on every site. LinkedIn is not Facebook. Twitter is not LinkedIn. Every social networking site is different and you need to create a different strategy for each site you decide to engage in — one that is customized to that site’s specific rules and code of conduct. Trying to run a one-size-fits-all approach will limit your ability to be successful anywhere.

There are several tactical ways that a person can separate themselves from the competition, but any effort must begin by defining one’s unique value. The key is to then take this value proposition and craft a proactive and continuous marketing plan to communicate it. It’s about knowing your target audience and their needs. Hiring organizations want problem solvers. The successful job seeker is able to demonstrate that they are the solution. Personal websites, elevator speeches, business cards, cover letters, and resumes must deliver a consistent and compelling message, one that grabs the audience’s attention and doesn’t let go.
Posted: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 - 11:30:50 AM by Chris Bilotta

1. Fake Company - a tactic used to hide employment gaps; legitimate companies can be verified by business licenses or DBA (doing business as) filings.

2. Dates of Employment – it is perfectly acceptable to list only years, but don’t exaggerate your tenure in a position or the length of stay at a company; a thorough reference check will turn up employment gaps

3. Job Title – inflated position titles or phantom promotions can be verified through reference checks

4. Education – listing false academic degrees and institutions or technical skills and certifications; background screening includes verifying credentials

5. Professional licenses – putting an unearned title next to your name can be a major problem since employers are legally liable and can incur financial penalties; background screening verifies licenses with accrediting agencies

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