In the event you have a disability and are wondering how your job hunt will unfold, rest assured that there are federal, state and local laws in place to protect you and others from being discriminated against.

That being said, there are still countless disabled individuals who are struggling to find work, albeit the numbers show that problem has been lessening to a degree.

According to a recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for the 27 million U.S. residents 16 and older facing disabilities dropped to 13.5% in December of last year, a decrease from 14.3 percent in December of 2010.

While those numbers do show improvements, there are still challenges that can hinder disabled individuals as they look for a job.

One of the first issues a disabled person must make when job hunting is whether or not to let the prospective employer know about their disability.

Among the options:

• You can try and hide it if it is not readily noticeable;
• Inform the employer ahead of time that you have a disability;
• Show up for an interview with a noticeable disability and see what kind of reaction you get from the employer.

In breaking down those three options, let’s take a look at each:

• If you try to disguise the disability, is it something that you can mask for eight hours a day or whatever the amount of your shift is? Could it show up at some point during the work day, thereby leading you and your employer to have a discussion over it as to why you never mentioned it in the first place?
• If you let the employer know ahead of time that you have a disability, could it harm your chances of otherwise getting the position? While laws are in place to protect people with disabilities, some employers will look at person’s disability as an issue, finding some other reason to disqualify them from the position.
• If you are in a wheelchair, walk with a cane or have some other disability and go to the interview, are you setting yourself up for a potential letdown? You’ve done nothing wrong and are in many cases just as qualified as the next person for the job, but the employer may be taken aback by the disability.

While many businesses have had to make sure there are offices are handicap-friendly, not all have followed through on such directives.

If you are in a wheelchair, is there adequate entry to and from the building you would be working in? Can you easily access everything inside the office in order to meet the responsibilities of your job? If the employer does not meet such needs, will you contest that during your interview and/or make a complaint regarding local ordinances?

Another issue for those with disabilities is the matter of  insurance and benefits.

In the event you are receiving Social Security/SSI or some other form of assistance due to your disability, you could end up losing it in the event you make too much money by being employed. The flip side is you could be making money at work while not enough to meet your medical costs.

For those with disabilities, make sure your rights are enforced; you apply for any and all jobs you are qualified for, and take advantage of the opportunities presented you.
Dave Thomas, who covers among other items obtaining small business loans, writes extensively for Business.com, an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses.

I’m a contract administrator for a major nuclear power plant that’s under the U.S. Department of Energy, but I’m not a direct employee. I work for a staffing company that the power plant employs. The staffing company hired me for the plant’s expansion project. I’ve been a contract employee for various projects throughout the U.S. since 2003. From 1977 to 2003, I worked as a buyer, contract administrator and purchasing manager for large manufacturing companies.

Many people have the misconception that purchasing always means buying widgets. I’ve bought millions of widgets in my career, but in this job, I buy construction services. I negotiate with construction subcontractors to get the best price and terms. Then I write an ironclad contract and make sure that the subcontractors follow through as promised.

On a scale of one to 10, I would rate my job satisfaction as a six. There are three primary reasons that it’s not higher. First is my unique situation as a contract employee and the lack of job security that goes with it. Although I’ve had no serious employment gaps, at the end of each contract, I must shop for another job. Second, this assignment isn’t close to my wife and children. Since it’s a temporary position, it wouldn’t make sense for us to move here. Third, my present position doesn’t involve strategic sourcing. This job involves the tactical, operations side of supply management rather than strategic process improvement.

My current job doesn’t particularly move my heart, although I’m extremely proud of this plant’s strong focus on safety. A previous contract position involved negotiating contracts on the travel trailers that housed survivors of Hurricane Katrina, and that did move my heart. As far as a true calling, I’ve always wanted to start my own business, but there’s no way I could quit my day job with young children at home.

I got started in procurement a few years after I graduated from college with a business administration degree. After graduation, I had trouble finding a job in my field, so I worked as a machinist at a major aircraft manufacturer. When a position as a buyer opened up, I got the job. The main thing I would do differently is to start my own business when I was young and could live cheaply.

I’ve learned quite a few things the hard way, but the main thing I’ve learned as a contract employee is to make sure I know my boundaries on each job because it varies from place to place. One of the main boundaries is the dollar amount that I can spend without getting authorization from my boss. In previous jobs, the amount has been in the millions, but that’s not the case here. One day, I was particularly stressed, thinking about something else, and I exceeded my limit. I found out the hard way that the manager has a zero-tolerance policy on this, so he fired me. Fortunately, one of the other managers had really liked my work, thought the firing was an overreaction and hired me to work for her. That episode also qualifies as the strangest thing that’s ever happened to me here. One day, I was in a panic over being fired, and a week later, I was walking back into the same building.

When thinking about what motivates me to get up every morning and go to work, two things come to mind. The most obvious is that my family couldn’t survive without my income. I also have an internal drive to the do the best job I can. On this job, my manager has said several things that have made me proud and backed them up with actions. In December, the majority of the contract employees on this project got laid off now that construction is almost complete. My boss selected me as one of the few to remain for the closeout process.

The main thing that makes me want to tear my hair out is when too many people are let go during a layoff. Since December, I’ve been doing the work of about three people. Even before December, my job was fairly stressful, and I was working at least 10 hours a day. It’s been fairly difficult on this job to maintain a good balance between work and leisure time.

My salary is $100,000 per year, but I’ve made as much as $140,000 per year as a contract employee. Since the nuclear plant is in the government sector, I’m reimbursed dollar-for-dollar for my living expenses. When I had a contract position with a large construction company in private industry, I was given a lump sum to spend however I saw fit. I got two roommates and a cheap apartment, so my income ended up being $140,000 during that project. Some singles who don’t maintain a separate household are able to save a fantastic amount of money. The tradeoff is that there’s no vacation.

A bachelor’s degree in business administration is usually required to work in this field, and now there are even degrees in supply chain management. I’ve recommended working as a contract employee to several of my friends who have been having trouble finding permanent employment. The hiring has been very strong, even through this recession.

A slowly improving economy is the perfect time to do some things that will make you stand out as a potential hire. First, consider volunteer work in a field close to the one you want to find a job in. While unpaid, these types of positions will provide you with a great set of skills and will look terrific on a resume. You can also search out internships in your field, which can often provide the exact type of experience your future employers will be looking for.

Of course, the best option may be to put off your job search and go back to school. An advanced degree, like an MBA, can make you a better candidate for many introductory jobs, and could even allow you to bypass entry-level opportunities and start off your career in management. These types of degrees are in high demand as more and more people are entering the workforce with bachelor’s degrees, and those who put in the extra effort to get an advanced degree should be rewarded by the little difficulty they have in getting a job. In fact, the only real drawback to an advanced degree is the amount of time it takes to earn one.

With the explosion of online learning over the past few years, the process of getting an advanced degree has been made easier than ever. There are numerous accredited schools offering online MBA programs that can provide you with the skills and experience needed in today’s business world.

Best of all, an online degree program like the online mba program can be completed while you volunteer or work as an intern. Since most online programs are available at odd hours to accommodate various schedules, you won’t have to turn away career advancing opportunities while you earn your advanced degree.

These days, there may be no way to ensure that you’ll be able to find a job right out of college. A bachelor’s degree doesn’t hold the luster it once did, and with so many qualified applicants out there, finding a job may take a bit of luck. However, with just a little ingenuity and a desire to better yourself, you can spend your time after college getting real-world experience while, at the same time, achieving an advanced education that is certain to pay dividends in the long run.

If the answer is little to none, then there is a good chance that you are still looking for a job. You see, appearance, including clothing and grooming, does make the man or woman in many cases when they step foot in someone’s office for a one-on-one interview.

The Suit Does Make the Man

When I first relocated to the West Coast some 16 years ago, my first interview at a weekly newspaper caught me a little off guard. I showed up for the meeting wearing a suit and tie, only to have the editor catch me off guard with an unusual comment when we met.

He asked me if I was originally from the East Coast, to which I answered yes. He then stated that most “locals” did not dress up with suits and ties; I guess in a way complimenting me on doing so.

Granted, most job interviews do not start off that way, but needless to say, I did find it a tad bit interesting.

In today’s job search world, it is always best to fall on the side of caution and make yourself as presentable as possible.

Do You Appear to Know the Keys to Looking Your Best?

That being said, what are some keys to looking your best and enhancing your chances of getting that job you want? Among the things to remember are:

• Dress codes vary – There is not one “fit all” dress code that blankets the job world. Before you go in for your interview, take into account what the position entails and how you would best represent yourself. If you’re interviewing for a retail job, overdressing may come across as you being overqualified for the position. In the event you interview for an executive position, underdressing may show that you are not serious for the post and would not be a good representative of the company;
• Look the part – In the event you are interviewing for a sales position, keep in mind that if given the job, there is a very good chance you will be meeting with clients on a regular basis. Your potential employer will want to make sure that you dress the part, thereby doing a good job in representing the company when out in the field. If you come to the interview underdressed, hair a mess, not cleanly shaven, wearing too much makeup etc., you can be setting yourself up for not getting the job;
• Use that toothbrush and razor – Just as the clothes are important, it is also critical that you make sure the toothbrush, razor and any other needed accessories are put to use before going to your interview. While it may seem a no-brainer, you would be surprised how many candidates go to an interview and forget to brush those pearly whites or run that razor down their face. Improper grooming habits tell a potential employer that they are not a priority in your life, something that can lead to being passed over for the position;
• Don’t overdo the makeup – While this advice is primarily for the women, it holds true for some men too. Yes, you want to look appealing for your interview, but don’t show up with an extra pound of lip gloss, mascara, hair gel, toner and more. Remember, this is a job interview, not a precursor to the Miss America pageant;
• Make the interview interesting – It is safe to say that many people find job interviews to be a job in and of itself. Many people find the process to be taxing and at times very stressful. One of the ways to ease the tension is to go into the interview full of confidence, looking your best, and most importantly, being you. If you’re not comfortable in a three-piece suit or designer dress, then wear something comparable where you can look good, yet be yourself. Most importantly, demonstrate your interest in the job and why you want to work for this company.

For those who make a little extra effort in their appearances, the odds appear higher that this year will bring them more opportunities to snag their desired job.

Dave Thomas, who covers among other items background checks and home-based jobs, writes extensively for Business.com, an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses.

My job title is officially “field representative.” I have been doing this job now for about 20 years and I’m looking forward to retiring soon. I work for a school that teaches blind people to use guide dogs. My job is to deliver the puppies that will one day become guide dogs to foster families who raise them for about a year. During the year, I keep in touch with the families and make sure that things are going well. I arrange training and social events for the foster families. Then, I go back to pick up the dogs at the end of the year and deliver them to the school for intensive training. I also attend fundraisers and speak to different groups throughout the year in order to obtain money to keep the program going.

I love what I do! Knowing that I am helping blind people to become more independent is very rewarding. Of course, I’ve worked with a lot of families and children, too, over the years. Now, many of the children that raised puppies when I first started are in their 30′s! It is very rewarding to see how they have grown and changed. I guess you could say that this is why I get up and go to work each day. I really believe that the work I do is important and life changing!

I got started in this field by chance. My husband and I were raising foster kids and we heard about another foster mother who had enrolled her children in a puppy-raising program. She felt that it really helped the kids emotionally. We decided to do just that and enrolled our foster kids in the same program. We saw such great growth in them, and really enjoyed the whole experience. Several years after we had joined, a job opened up for a field representative. Since my husband had just lost his job and we needed the money, I applied. I got the job and here I am!

The strangest thing that happened to me at this job was that I literally bumped into a blind graduate with a guide dog that I had delivered to a foster family living near my own home. I think the dog recognized me because he led his owner right to me! The owner had no idea what was going on because the dog wasn’t obeying his commands!

For my job, I really didn’t need a specific type of education. Perhaps, that has changed now. However, I would say that in my particular organization, the staff was looking for someone that they knew was already committed to the cause, so to speak. I believe I probably got the job because I was already involved with the organization as a volunteer.

If I knew that a friend of mine wanted to work for philanthropic organization, I’d tell them to get involved in that particular group first as a volunteer. That is important for several reasons: firstly, sometimes philanthropies don’t pay so well and you really need to love doing what you are doing to make it worthwhile. Also, if you do not support the cause, you probably won’t last long doing this sort of work.

I currently work as operations manager in a company that provides simultaneous interpretation and translation services. I have worked with this organization for the past four years. I am hardworking, resourceful and a fast learner.

I am an African female. My ethnicity and gender have posed some challenges in my work. I have had to work extra hard to prove myself as a leader because I am a woman. Yes, I have experienced some discrimination in my work place. When I received my current promotion, there were two men who were eyeing the same post. I became their boss and they decided to make my work very difficult. They hardly followed instructions and made intentional mistakes in a bid to make me look incompetent.

I am in charge of the entire operations of the organization. I oversee the human resources, administration, finance and marketing departments. All the departmental heads report directly to me. I ensure that the organization is running smoothly. I handle crisis management in a bid to ensure that the operations remain intact. There are some common misunderstandings that have arisen in my line of duty, which I would like to do differently. I would like to take my leadership skills to a higher level by providing more incentives and boosting the team spirit of those in various departments.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate my job satisfaction level as 6. There are certain changes I would like to witness in my job that will enable me unleash my full potential. The organization I work for has a bureaucratic system that does not work in my favor. The decision making process is slow and I have to seek advice for every small detail that arises. I would like a situation where I have been given full control to handle the different departments under my jurisdiction without constantly seeking consultations with the company directors who may not be readily available to respond to urgent issues.

My current job moves my heart. By simply assisting those below me to grow in their career and achieve their expected results, I am able to get a lot of satisfaction. There are times when I feel that I have found my sweet spot in life with the job I am currently engaged in.

The uniqueness of my situation in the current job I hold is the fact that I am a woman in a leadership role. I am constantly faced with challenges that require quick action which forces me to think out of the box. Being in a position to handle four departments is quite challenging, but I have been able to stand up to the challenge.

I got in to this line of work by gaining experience in marketing, finance, human resources and administration in other organizations. My collective experience has enabled me to run the organization in my capacity as the operations manager with ease. If I had to do things differently, I would change a few things, like the reporting structure, the organizational chart, and cut down on unnecessary tasks that can cost less by outsourcing.

I learned that you must be vocal enough in order to have your strategies and ideas listened to. The ability to have people listen to you is very crucial. When I obtained my current position, I had to implement certain changes in the organization. I faced many challenges with most of the staff preferring to do things the way they were accustomed to. I had to put my foot down, and in the process not gain resistance but rather have the staff embrace the changes.

I have learned that in school most of the concepts taught are theoretical, but the business world is more practical. Being able to find a balance between theory and practice is essential to succeed in business.

One strange thing happened to me in my line of duty. I received a telephone call telling me that my staff was working too slow while dealing with a big project. I panicked because I imagined the law suits that would be slapped on us. I had to think fast, however, and contain the situation before it got out of hand.

I get up and go to work because I have bills to pay, but also because I enjoy what I do. I was proud to witness one of the staff that I had mentored being awarded recognition as employee of the year.

I face some challenges in my line of duty. For instance, I have to deal with staff complaints that cannot be handled at the departmental level. The fact that everyone always expects a solution from me can also be very challenging.

My job is very stressful because of the short deadlines and late hours. I work so hard that I even forget to exercise and eat right which has negatively impacted my lifestyle.

I am paid a package of approximately $ 6,000 each month. I feel the pay is little as compared to the amount of time and effort that I put in to it.

I take my vacation once a year though I would not mind having it twice a year.

In order to be hired as an operations manager in the interpretation and translation industry, you are required to have a MBA, professional qualifications in management, and a first degree in Business Management or Administration. Knowledge of international languages would be a major plus.

I would advise a friend who is interested in my line of work to keep him or her self constantly updated on the new trends in management and administration. Attending short courses in this line would also be beneficial for career growth.

If I was to write my own ticket, in the next five years to come, I would like to be running my own business.

This is a true career story as told to DiversityJobs.com.

Expect Disillusionment

All teachers, whether first year or in the trenches for decades, start the school year optimistic and excited about what is to come. Experienced teachers know that there will be ebbs and flows, along with times when everything is going great and days when you feel like you just can’t get through to anyone.

First year teachers are usually unaware of these cycles and can get frustrated by this natural rhythm. Several studies have shown that new teachers should expect their first year in the classroom to be a lot like a rollercoaster ride – with the first major dip about six weeks into the school year. Whether it’s the realization that managing a classroom of unruly students is much more difficult than it seems or they have a hard time developing relationships with other teachers and administration, new teachers often question their career choice sometime around November.

It’s okay if this happens – everyone goes through it. Instead of focusing on what’s going wrong, take some time to reflect on what’s going right. Try some new strategies, seek advice from an experienced mentor and consider the reasons why teaching is something you feel is a good fit for you, and you’ll get over the inevitable disillusionment hump.

Remain Professional…and Set Boundaries

Imagine you’re in your first year. You’ve had an awful day in the classroom: your students wouldn’t focus, you couldn’t effectively communicate a concept, and that one troublemaker almost had you pulling your hair out. At the end of the day, it might be tempting to head to your blog, Facebook page or Twitter feed and vent, but avoid that temptation. As a teacher, you are expected to remain professional at all times, even in your private life. Anything you post online is public, and when you are in the early stages of building your reputation, you need to focus on staying positive and enthusiastic. In other words, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

Staying professional also means respecting the boundaries between your personal and professional lives. It’s easy to get caught up in everything you have to do as a new teacher and everything you want to do. Practice time management, as well as making time for family and friends and your own hobbies. Maintaining a full life outside of the classroom makes you a better teacher, and helps prevent burnout.

Make Sure you Offer Substance over Style
Once you finally have your own classroom, you’ll want to turn it into the perfect, homelike, beautiful environment that you’ve imagined since you first started dreaming of becoming a teacher. Before you spend all of your cash on decorations and supplies, though, remember that it can take years to collect all of the items that experienced teachers have in their rooms. You probably won’t have your dream classroom in your first year, which is absolutely ok.

At the same time, you want to make sure that whatever you do adorn the room with serves a purpose, and that the look of your room doesn’t detract from it’s purpose. If you aren’t prepared to teach, or have a less than effective teaching style or classroom management abilities, all the comfy reading nooks and beautiful bulletin boards in the world can’t hide it.

Classroom Management is Key

Chances are, you have yet to study classroom management principles and techniques, but until you’re actually running your own classroom, you’ll never really know what it’s like. However, learning and understanding all of the aspects of classroom management from the layout of desks to relationship building with students is the first step on the road to becoming a great teacher.

Understand that effective classroom management is not going to happen overnight. As you gain more classroom experience, you’ll learn what works and what doesn’t, and how to implement strategies to create the best possible learning environment. In the meantime, seek advice from experienced teachers, review the strategies you own teachers have used and give yourself a break if your time management idea turns out to be a colossal failure.
Scared of teaching, yet? Don’t be discouraged. There’s no denying that your first year as a classroom teacher is likely to be the most challenging. That would be true of any career, as the first year is the time to get comfortable and develop the strategies and skills you need for future success. Be confident that as you further your own education and receive your degree, you’ll develop the formal skills you need; everything else comes with experience. So, cut yourself some slack and don’t panic; you’ll learn.

This guest post article was written and provided by Lindsey Stinson who one day hopes to become a doctor of education and is currently a freelance writer and hopes to finish her online ed.d programs early next year.

If you’re considering a career as a Chief Security Officer, there are some things that you should know.

Job Description
Depending on the company, the Chief Security Officer (CSO) either is in charge of the IT security of the organization, or is in charge of the overall security plan. While some companies merge the two functions into one all-encompassing security department, many companies separate the two functions into two distinct departments.

Chief Security Officers are generally top-level executives within the organization, and report directly to the CEO, COO, or CFO. Their major responsibility is the coordinate the security efforts across all branches of the company, including physical security of the building and assets, communication and network security, and they work with all departments and segments to develop and implement security plans and policies.

Specific duties of a CSO include evaluating and overseeing the installation of security systems, including alarm systems and video surveillance; managing security staff; overseeing the investigation of security breaches and security-related incidents, and assisting with the disciplinary and legal matters that arise from those incidents; and handling employee training and education in security-related matters. The CSO also manages the budget and financial management of the security department, and develops and manages relationships with law enforcement.

In addition to protecting the company’s physical assets, CSO’s generally work closely with risk management and safety departments as well, to ensure that employees are safe and secure while working.

Education
Because the Chief Security Officer is an executive position, many companies require candidates to hold an advanced degree in business, and in the case of positions that handle IT or network security, an advanced degree in business with an emphasis on information technology (IT) or information systems (IS).

However, an advanced degree is not necessarily a requirement to enter this field, as some CSO’s work their way up the ladder from an entry level IT, IS or security position. In most cases, though, candidates need at least a bachelor’s degree in a related field plus at least ten years of experience managing security.  Once you land a position in a corporate security department, with several years of experience, you can move into an executive position.

When you’re considering training for a future CSO position, considering taking courses in computer science, business, human resources, communication, law and/or security.

Skills
While technical knowledge, especially in IT and IS security, is a must, Chief Security Officers need certain skills and personality attributes to be successful. CSOs need to be intelligent, perceptive, and able to make decisions quickly and confidently. A strong understanding of law enforcement and legal issues and guidelines surrounding corporate security is also a requirement; many CSO’s have training in human resources to provide background in handling employee-related security issues. Communication and problem solving skills are also important, and an understanding of finance, accounting and management principles is key for managing a security department. In some cases, the CSO must have specialized knowledge; for example, CSO’s in the healthcare field need an understanding of privacy laws, including HIPAA.

Some companies seek CSO’s with military or law enforcement experience, as they generally have a thorough understanding of security issues.

Salary Expectations
Depending on the company and the scope of responsibility, a CSO generally earns around $70,000 per year, although CSO’s for large corporations or those who handle especially complex or sensitive information can earn as much as $200,000 per year.
A career as a Chief Security Officer is a challenging one, but sure to satisfy and fulfill someone passionate about security issues and law enforcement. While it’s not an entry level position, a CSO position is a possible goal for those studying in security related fields.

This guest post was written and provided by Amanda Connelly who received her Information Assurance Degree last year.  Amanda is a major advocate of taking your education as far as possible.

My official title is Environmental Compliance Officer for a US-based fabric manufacturer and finisher. My responsibilities have changed over the five years that I have held the position, but the title has remained the same. Originally, I joined the company mostly as a “watchdog” for compliance with the ISO 14000 standards that applied to my company.

The program already was in place, but the International Organization for Standardization was expanding the 14000 family and my company wanted to place greater focus on ISO 14001, which is not a specific ISO performance standard, but rather provides the framework within which companies can develop environmental management systems that work best for their specific company, their internal processes and the laws of the countries in which they operate.

For my company, that means streamlining processes to gain the greatest positive outcome for the least amount of added cost. The company added another job position to focus solely on the compliance details of other ISO 14000 standards so that I could devote nearly 100 percent of my time to management system development within the ISO 14001 framework.

My current position developed after I joined the company, of course, but I found the original job through academic contacts. I was in a PhD program created specifically to address “industrial ecology.” The program was appealing to me because it stressed common-sense environmentalism, as opposed to the uninformed “save the earth” sentimentalism that essentially serves no good purpose. I could not complete the PhD program because of finances and family issues, but I was there long enough to develop relationships with the academic environmental experts.

It seems to me that my specific interest should be nearly universal among academic researchers and observers, but sadly, it is not. That interest is from the business perspective, and the basic concept that it is far less costly to avoid an environmental mess than it is to clean one up. Another point in which I have a keen interest lies in finding synergy between processes or even companies that takes the waste of one to use as a raw material for the other. So, essentially I found my original position primarily through networking. My own contacts were rather limited in number, but each knew of my business background and my interest in environmental protection from the business perspective.

The single most important thing I have learned about the professional job search process is that it is absolutely crucial that the individual develop – and then maintain – appropriate networks and network contacts. The academic advisers that alerted me to my first opportunity with my company knew high-level individuals within the company. They worked together professionally, typically with the academic providing outside consulting services to the company.

My first job with the company, ISO 14000 compliance, never reached Human Resources until the concept was firm and senior management had devised a list of duties and minimum qualifications. Human resources then receives that developed concept and shopping list of objectives and qualifications, using the list as the core of the job description that human resources devises to use in the search for qualified candidates and in the selection process.

That is the typical path, but it was not the one that I was required to travel because of my academic contacts network. Human resources was in total charge of searching for, recruiting and selecting the individual who took over my initial responsibilities, and used the position requirements that it had developed for what was my initial position with the company. My replacement was hired after finding the position advertised and with the human resources department as his first point of contact with the company, even though I was not.

My point in telling that story is to stress the importance of using a multifaceted approach to the job search, not relying on only one pathway. It is unlikely that I ever would have heard of the new position with my company through any approach other than networking, simply because it was being developed and conceptualized in conversations with a member of senior management and an outside academic consultant with whom I was acquainted. The individual that my company hired to take on my original responsibilities may or may not have benefited from any networking efforts. In the case of that individual, it was an electronic job search and registration with sites that send job postings matching basic qualifications and interests. The human resources department may or may not have sought candidates through other means such as job fairs, but the human resources department at my company favors the job fair setting and may have acquired job candidates in that venue.

If I were to give three pieces of advice for being successful in a search for an environmental management job, the first would be as above. That is, to make use of ALL available routes. Networking alone may or may not work, and online searches alone may or may not work. Since you cannot know which approach is going to work for you at any specific point. Use all available routes to maximize your chances of success.

A second piece of advice is to cultivate and maintain networking relationships. Many people approach networking as a means of getting something. True networking involves give and take, however. Those who are willing to assist others in their own job searches also are the ones that come to mind first when those others hear of something that may be of interest.

The third piece of advice that I have is to speak. Those who are uncomfortable speaking may need to put extra effort into this area. Teaching a community college class, speaking to local civic groups and even just speaking to individuals at networking events lets people know who you are and what you do.

Setting yourself apart from the competition won’t be easy, but it’s essential in today’s job market. But building a professional network while you’re still in school, advancing your education by enrolling in a graduate degree program, and crafting your personal brand are just a few of the ways you can increase your chances of landing an interview. Use these five tips to help pave your way to an opportunity you’ve always wanted.

Make a name for yourself

Creating a personal brand has gotten a lot of press lately, but that’s because it works: your personal brand can provide potential employers with a quick, well-cultivated image. It can also illustrate how you and your experience might fit into the organization. Do a little soul-searching and make a list of your best qualities, then find a way to shape those qualities into a brand that best represents you and your skills. Next, work on creating a brand that will translate well in face-to-face meetings and social and professional networks.

Build your social network

Social networking has become the new normal: from Facebook to LinkedIn, working professionals and job seekers can use social networks to make connections in their fields. But employers are beginning to use social networks to find job candidates, and that means your social media profiles should be as inviting—and as tidy—as possible. Creating an online portfolio can also give you an online presence and can serve as an online resume for potential employers.

Go to school again

Maybe you just graduated and you aren’t finding the kind of work you want, or maybe you’ve been out of school for a while and you’re ready to improve your skills or change careers. Whatever your reason, returning to school to finish a bachelor’s degree or start a graduate degree can be a great way to make yourself more marketable in the job market. If you’re currently working, earning an online degree can give you the flexibility you need to keep your current job while attending classes.

Volunteering works

Whether you’re currently working or not, volunteering can give you the opportunity to make connections with people in the business community. By helping a non-profit maintain or redesign a website, creating marketing materials, or coordinating events, you can get face time with companies looking for someone with your skills. Another benefit of volunteering is doing something to improve the wellbeing of your community, which can have a positive effect on you and the people around you.

Lately, it seems like earning a degree isn’t enough to land a job; today’s job seekers need to bring more to the table in order to secure a career.