As unemployment continues to rise, job hunters are finding a highly competitive job market. These online reference tools will help you power to the top of any job applicant pool.

Job Search Planning

Think smarter: It helps to know the most efficient ways to find a job. While people spend most of their time searching jobs online or reading the papers, it is not the most efficient. Sources for jobs that have higher success rates include:

• Word-of-mouth referrals
• Direct contact with companies
• Employment agencies and recruiters

* Other includes referrals from schools, unions, trade journals, and government services.

Knowing this, your weekly job search model should include:

• Contact at least 10 people or resources per day; 5 days per week. You should try and make a total of 18 networking contacts per week, and contact at least 15 companies directly per week.
• Get 2 referrals from each contact. (At the end of each conversation, ask if they know anyone that may be hiring or is a good contact to reference).
• Try and setup at least two face-to-face meetings or interviews each day.

Making contacts online:

1) Facebook – not a direct business tool, but you can ask your friends or post updates on your job search (“I just got back from a Job interview”).
2) MySpace – again, not a direct business tool, but you can ask your friends for referrals.
3) LinkedIn – HOT – Many people reporting a lot of success with LinkedIn. It trumps the online competition for business networking. Join the site and import your contacts. In addition, their online job search is particularly unique and helpful. Tip: use the ‘answer’ section to broadcast a question to your entire network.

4) Sample Networking Letter – use this format to send to your friends on forums, social networks, or via email.
4) APsense.com – for home based businesses.
5) Plaxo – organize your online address book.
6) Vault.com – career discussions.
7) Jobster.com – Post your resume, join networks and get advice.
8) What Employers Can Find Out About You – if you use any social networking sites for job hunting, make sure you read this checklist so you can maintain a professional profile.
9) How to Use Social Networks for Job Hunting – in depth guide to using social networks for job hunting.

Preparing to Present Your Skills: Tools for Resumes and Other Interactions

10) Resume Power Words – Build a resume using the precise words to describe your accomplishments. Remember, hiring managers have 30-seconds to look over a resume, and if you add more detailed they will think you have more experience. However, do not just fluff your resume with words, be concise, simple and direct.
11) More Power Words – additional words to consider.
12) 10 Resume Mistakes – avoid these at all costs.
13) Resume Generator – website resume wizard.
14) How to Write a Masterpiece Resume – these two simple tips can really make you shine.
15) ResumeEdge – Resume writing service.
16) Thesaurus – A must when trying to find the perfect work.
17) Google Docs – Online word processor loaded with free templates for crafting your resume.
18) Free Resume Templates – a starting point to see how others’ present themselves.
19) Free Resume Review – get advice on your resume.
20) Cover Letter Basics – learn what to say to make a good impression.
21) Sample Cover Letter – just a sample.
22) Resume 101 – basic tips.
23) Thank you letter basics – put one off.
24) Six Tips for Following Up on Your Resume – Business Week gives great advice.

Networking

25) Join a Professional Association or Other Groups – how to go about joining a professional organization.
26) Yahoo’s Directory of Professional Associations – good old Yahoo has a comprehensive list.
27) Prominent organizations – check here for more groups to join.
28) Weddle’s Directory – Large database of organizations and societies you can join for networking.

Job Sites

29) BookALesson Online – job hunting for music instructors.
30) Care.com – babysitting, nanny, child care, tutoring, senior care.
31) Craigslist Jobs – browse jobs in any city.
32) Careerbuilder – large job search site.
33) Indeed.com – search jobs across multiple sites.

34) Simply Hired – millions of jobs from a variety of sources.
35) Hotjobs – Yahoo’s job board.
36) Monster.com – jobs, career advice and social network.
37) Government Jobs – USAJOBs

Job Fairs

38) Find a Job Fair – events near you.
39) Monster’s Job Fair Guide – what to bring, how to dress, what to expect.

Interviews

40) Job Interview Guide – make the best of your job interview.

TLC announced on Sept. 29, 2009 that Jon Gosselin is out of the “Jon & Kate Plus Eight” equation. Battling falling ratings and the very public divorce between the Gosselins, TLC will relaunch the show on Nov. 2 as “Kate Plus Eight.”

1) The Gosselin 10: Official Homepage

2) Gossip: TMZ’s Jon and Kate Page – Their official homepage is the only place to hear their side of the story. However, if you want the perspective of Hollywood onlookers, read the TMZ page devote to this couple and their kids.

3) TLC’s Video Archive of Jon and Kate Plus 8 – If you have a fast internet connection, make sure you check out videos of the couple at the TLC video site.

4) IMDb Jon & Kate Plus 8 – Find out the popularity of the show, view summaries.

5) Good Parenting? Jon & Kate – Discuss if Jon & Kate are good parents… why or why not.

6) Jon & Kate Puppy Photos – The largest collection of puppy photos from Jon & Kate Plus 8.

7) Jon & Kate Prayers – While negative news and gossip swirls around the web about Jon & Kate Gosselin and their family, the purpose of this blog is to refocus attention on praying for this couple and their family’s healing while going through divorce.

8) Kate Gosselin on People – The latest news and updates about Kate.

9) Wikipedia: Jon & Kate Plus 8 – Facts about the show and the people.

10) TV Guide: Jon & Kate Plus 8 – News about the TV show.

SPYWARE is normally installed through either one of two common methods. The first is to hide a spyware component within an otherwise apparently useful program. Often, the program containing spyware is made available for download free of charge, so as to encourage wide uptake of the spyware component. The second common method is to take advantage of security flaws in Internet Explorer.

This guide will help you get rid of all the spyware and adware on your computer.  Bookmark this page — some of the recommended software programs require you to reboot your computer.  By adding this page to your favorites, you can revisit this page with ease.  Also, please tell your friends about this free guide by coping and pasting the following web address in e-mails, instant messages, blogs, live journals, profiles, or your website!

• Never download free smile icon programs, screen savers, fun cursors, graphical skins for Internet Explorer, search toolbars, or peer-to-peer file sharing programs (such as Kazaa or Morpheus).
• Think before you click.  Do not always click ‘yes’ to web alerts while browsing the Internet.  You could be agreeing to install unwanted programs.
• If you have previously installed any of the previously mentioned software programs, consider uninstalling them.
• [To Uninstall: Click the Start Button > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs.  Find the program you want to delete, and click 'remove.']
• Browse the list of applications in the ‘Add or Remove Programs’ control panel.  If any programs look suspect, consider removing them.  Below you will find a link to all spyware programs.  If you are unsure a program is spyware, use the list to correctly identify any spyware programs.
• After you remove potential spyware programs from the Window’s Add and Remove control panel you may still encounter problems.  Try to identify the program, by name, that is causing excessive pop-ups.  Perform a web search for: “how to remove blank” (fill blank with the name of the program).  In many instances you will find easy instructions for removing the program from the Google search.  Please remember that free downloadable ’search toolbars,’ ’smiles,’ ’screen savers,’ and ‘internet explorer skins’ are almost always spyware programs in disguise.  Remove these kind of programs.

If you still encounter problems…

• Download and install free Windows Defender Anti-Spyware.  If you suspect your computer is infected with spyware (excessive pop-ups, weird hyperlinks, excessive ads on every web page, etc..).
• In addition, you should also download the Microsoft® Windows® Malicious Software Removal Tool and follow the instructions for installation.

It might be time to put your recipe books in the garage sale. Why deal with volumes of space-consuming, grease-stained, dog-eared books when you can go online and find  recipes for anything your stomach desires? Aside from being incredibly easy to do, finding recipes on the Internet offers a bonus that cookbooks just can’t: user reviews. Written by ordinary cooks, the reviews are entertaining and informative. Sometimes, just reading the reviews is enough of a tantalizing reason to run to the grocery store and cook up something delicious. The reviewers also add valuable suggestions for improving on a recipe, or altering it to make it low fat, etc. Between the reviews and the color photos, you get to see how your dish will look and taste before ever lifting a spoon! In addition to recipes for every imaginable dish, these sites include lots of cooking tips, ideas for special occasion dishes, and even recipes from your favorite restaurant. On some sites, when you select a recipe, an ingredient shopping list is created, ready for you to print.

1. AllRecipes.com (http://www.allrecipes.com/)
2. MyRecipes.com (http://www.myrecipes.com)
3. RecipeGoldmine.com (http:www.recipegoldmine.com)
4. RecipeZaar (http://www.recipezaar.com)
5. RecipeSource (http://www.recipesource.com)
6. FoodNetwork  (http://www.foodnetwork.com)

Tips

• There’s may be no such thing as a free lunch, but there are plenty of free recipes. Some sites do charge a fee to access their recipes, but why pay if you don’t have to?
• Many food product packages (soups, for example) list websites where you can find lots of creative recipes using that product.  Read the labels.

For some, reading horoscopes is pure entertainment; for others, it’s a guide to their daily activity. No matter where you fall in this range, getting your daily horoscope reading is quite simple on the Internet. And, with so many sites to choose from, if you don’t like one reading, check another site for one that suits you better. Horoscope readings are usually free, because searching on horoscope sites will lead you to many temptations to delve further into related areas such as psychic predictions, numerology, Tarot, Chinese astrology … for a fee, of course. Offers of love readings, soul mate readings, or compatibility readings are rampant on these sites. Who, after all, doesn’t wonder when that tall, dark, handsome stranger will walk into their life?

Top Horoscope Searches

1. Horoscope.com (http://www.horoscope.com)
2. Astrology.Yahoo.com (http://astrology.yahoo.com/astrology/)
3. DailyHoroscopes.com (http://www.dailyhoroscopes.com/)
4. Astrology.com (http://www.astrology.com)
5. Astrocenter.Astrology.msn.com (http://astrocenter.astrology.msn.com/)
6. Horoscopes.Astrology.com (http://horoscopes.astrology.com/)

Tips

• Be careful how much information you put on a site. You may find your email box flooded with astrology-related mail, much of it junk.
• Read any Terms of Service before you commit money to the astrological world.

Finding a job used to be a job in itself. The resources on the Internet make finding a job less like work, and more like child’s play. Millions of jobs are posted on these job search sites. It’s just a matter of spending some quality click time to find the job of your dreams.

There are many ways to search: by job title, by location, by keyword, by company. The job postings provide lengthy job descriptions, wage and benefits information, skill requirements and other details that help you decide if that’s the job for you. Once you have zeroed in on some possibilities, you can apply right online.

Also included are helpful hints and tips for everything from preparing a first-class resume to dazzling them at the interview. (The last site below is full of valuable job tips.)

You will also find other information, such as salary calculators and job trends. Whether you want to get a job down the street, or build a career on the other side of the globe, the opportunities are endless when you search online.

1. Job.com (http://www.job.com)
2. Indeed.com (http://www.indeed.com)
3. Monster.com (http://www.monster.com)
4. HotJob.Yahoo.com (http://www.hotjob.yahoo.com)
5. CareerBuilders.com (http://www.CareerBuilders.com)
6. Usajobs.gov/ (http://www.usajobs.gov/)
7. JobTips (http://hr.dop.wa.gov/jobtips)

Tips:

1. When you secure that interview, make sure you are prepared. Be ready to answers such questions as what are your major strengths, weaknesses, and where you see yourself in five years.
2. Dress appropriately for the interview. First impressions are crucial.
3. When you’re in the job searching mood, apply for more than one job at a time. The more people who know about you, the better your chances of getting hired.