How to Perform a Job Search

by: Jimmy J. Davis

Going on a job search can often be a very harrowing experience for many people around the world. However, it doesn't have to be, especially if you are well organized and plan things out. If you know where and when to search, then finding work should come a little bit easier to you. But you need to realize that you will have to put some time and effort into the venture. It's not very often that jobs will just fall into your lap.

It's often been said to job seekers that "it's not what you know it's who you know." However, while this may certainly be the case for some people, it's definitely not the norm. So be prepared to show your skills and talents when being interviewed for a position. Make sure you can live up to your resume.

And speaking of resumes, it's essential that you have one and that it's up to date. It must also be well organized and error free. If you need help creating one, there are many types of agencies that can help you out. It's almost impossible to get a job these days without a good resume as well as an accompanying cover letter.

When going on a job search it certainly will help if you know exactly what type of employment it is you're looking for. There are some people who are desperate and will take anything, but if this isn't your case, then decide on the field of work that appeals to you. If you've just graduated from college or lost a previous job you probably have a good idea.

If you're one of those people who just can't seem to make up their mind about the type of job or career you'd like, then you may want to get some help. There are a lot of employment-related agencies around the world that will give you tests to see what field of work appeals to you and what you're qualified for. Most of these agencies charge a fee, but some countries offer government programs that are free.

Once you know the type of work you're looking for then it's a good time to start your job search. There are various places to look for work. You can start off with the classified ads of your local newspaper and the job board at the regional employment office. Job agencies are also a good place to look as are online classifieds.

In fact, there is usually a wealth of jobs available on the internet as there are many sites that are designed to help people in a job search. These websites usually have a listing of available employment opportunities in a variety of categories and fields. They're usually updated on a daily basis and some of them will even send you the job listings to your email address.

If your job search leads to an interview make sure you take it seriously and are well prepared for it. Be sure to dress appropriately and be on time for the interview. Having some knowledge of the company and their field of expertise will also go a long way in helping you land a job.

About The Author



Jimmy J. Davis is the article writer for three major Texas job sites. For more career advice visit http://www.thetexasjobsource.com, http://www.texasjobfaircalendar.com and http://www.houstonjobdepot.com.

So Much for the Bull Market

All week long this week, headlines bragging about the Bull Market.  So, I move stock around, buy-sell, pick the close for today....and bam.. the market falls!  Uh huh.  Bull Dookey is what it is!

Portfolio Revision Strategy and "Pick the Close"

Yeah, the market manipulators are messing with the stock market again.  I say bear, they say bull....no apparent reason for either.

I sold the DXD ETF and bought a range of about 12 stocks with growth prospects, still shorting the Asian market!  I'm down about $3000 in the last week.

With regards to the "Pick the Close"contest on CNBC, I started out in the low 300's, but my next 7 picks are in the mid 5,000 of number of contestants.....LOL.  Then I realized these guys have software that analyzes the market, etc to predict the close.  Uh huh.  I have yet to find one that works on my system or can work from my flash drive!   My "guessing" now has more of a mathematical bent!   Who says all that calculas and math I took in college was for nothing?

Double Dip Could Begin in This Sector: Distress Expert

Published: Monday, 1 Mar 2010 | 3:45 PM ET 

By: Reuters

U.S. manufacturers are still struggling with the economic downturn and there is substantial risk the U.S. economy could face a double-dip recession, a private equity investor who specializes in turning around struggling industrial companies said Monday.

"I think there is a very real possibility of a double dip out there," said Michael Psaros, co-founder and managing partner of KPS Capital Partners LP.

He cited the distress he continues to see among U.S. manufacturers.

"Washington cannot continue to spend money like it has. When that stimulus stops, I don't think there is sufficient private market consumer demand to run with," Psaros said at the Reuters Private Equity and Hedge Funds Summit in New York on Monday. 

Psaros oversees $2.6 billion in funds, specializing in turnaround, restructuring and bankruptcy situations. In the past year his firm has done deals that acquired the maker of Waterford and Wedgwood crystal, and owner of High Falls Brewing Company. It also owns HHI holdings, a U.S. auto parts maker that specializes in wheel bearings. 

He said that while the markets may be recovering, there is a "disconnect" between the market and what is happening on the ground at U.S. manufacturers, where the effects of a deep decline that started in 2008 are still being felt. 

"In June 2009 we hit bottom, and since that time the industrial manufacturing economy has continued to remain at the June 2009 levels," Psaros said.

"Until this country puts 25 million Americans back to work, we're in a recession."

Psaros said the risk of a double-dip recession was greater than 50 percent, partly because so many companies were only putting "Band-Aids" on their problems by extracting agreements from lenders and bondholders to cut or delay debt, without really fixing their companies.

"I think a lot of the professionals that are sitting in banks and financial institutions were prepared to kick the can down the road, once, maybe twice, but when you have a borrower who has essentially defaulted on its obligations on more than one occasion, it gets to a point where you are looking at a regulator in the eyes and you have to fess up and say you made a bad loan."

Psaros said he expects a "crescendo" of failures to appear over the next few years as lenders and companies struggle with these agreements.

But for companies that are focused on cost management and aligning their businesses to a new reality, Psaros said he sees a brighter future.

"If and when we have an economic recovery, for manufacturers like us that have cut costs so much to the bone, it's not going to take a lot of revenue growth for cash flow to turn into profits," Psaros said.

Debtor Nations

CNN’s web page had an interesting slideshow this past week. It was the top 20 debtor nations in the world. Most nations on the list were members of the European Common Market. In fact Greece one of the large debtors, has been in the news for possible default on its debt, shaking confidence in the stock market.

Not making the headlines are several other European countries that are even worse off financially than Greece: Spain, Portugal, and Ireland, the worst of the lot.

In my minimal background of economics, when your debt equals 500X to 1000X times your GDP…your bankrupt! This is the sad state of most of the European Union. Theirs is not a mere recession; it is a state of disaster. One has to pause and wonder if all those social programs like universal healthcare, subsidized housing, etc. are not to blame.

The debt is so high, that other than default, recovery not only is impossible; their current level of living seems unsustainable.

The United States, by the way, is also on the debtor list at #20. Our own level of “lifestyle” is also unsustainable.

OK, new direction in stocks and ETFs is working...up $4,000 on Friday!   I still think the market will be down for the year.  Why you ask?  As Iran gets closer to a nuclear weapon, Israel will attack and the region will erupt into limited nuclear war...I see this happening by the end of 2010.......Oil will rise to $200 to $300 + per barrel, world economy will fall 25% to 50% of current levels.

Of course eternal, warm fuzzy optimists will dismiss this negative thinking.  Meanwhile those with money and forsight have stockpiles of food and bunkers in remote areas!  At least a plan and a 72 hr Kit.

Short Chinese Market, Invest in Berkshire Hathaway "B"

OK, I moved $100,000+ out of DXD, a market shorting ETF and bought BRK'B stock for a change of direction.  Still going to short the Chinese market for a month or so!

I see no long term reasons for optimisim that the market will hit 11,000+.

Check out the new contest on CNBC.com.......you get to pick the market close of the DOW and the S & P.  It's fun and they post the top 25 closest.  You have to pick before 12:00 noon EST.

Selling Short is Good

OK, one week after going 100% short, I am up $10,000.  No wonder brokers are rich bastards...they make money on a up market and a down market by the bushel basket full.

My next experiment......shorting the dollar.

100% Short.........an Experiment in Doom!

OK, last Friday, I dumped all my stocks, gold, etc. and went 100% into shorting the market with DXD.  Monday and Tuesday I lost a total of $6,000.  Today I am up $600.

Since a variety of market forcasters are predicting a "Correction" of between 15% to as much as 50% by May, I think, I'll stick to shorting the market for a week or so and see the results.

My portfolio after the last MSNBC Stock contest was $50,000 in January 2008.......today it is $123,000!  Must be doing something right.

"Yikes....I am shorting the Market"

OK, I dumped what was left of my MasterCard stock and shorted the market another $6000.

My "short" postion is now $95,000................I am betting on negative reaction to Obama's State of the Union Speech.......a 5% to 10% drop? Hey, it worked for me last week!

"Short the Market"

OK, I sold $70,000 worth of commodities & stocks......then shorted the market with DXD shares!  We'll see how that works.

I dumped all bank stocks back in November.  Folks we are facing yet another crisis brought on by the same people who helped cause the first one....greedy bankers and traders!  Why would they want to destroy the very system that makes their huge profits for some short term gains?

What would Jesus do?

Down Market as Dems Bail!

The market is down today as much as 200 points as Democratic investors bail from their inside trading healthcare stocks, knowing that their cash cow will never pass!  Oh no, a conservative wins!  Polosi and Reed are running in fear for the November election.  It's the conservative backlash , baby!

Foreign Markets Show Gains

A nice gain today on european markets, both in stocks and commodities.  Up about 1%
Don't whine about the cost of gasoline...buy oil stocks instead!

Gold is up!

Top Percentage Gainers:

ETF CE TRADE Financial 5.2%
S Sprint Nextel Corp 3.5%
VLO Valero Energy Corp 2.7%

Portfolio is down 5%..........did Obama speak?  I maintain that commodities will continue to be strong, particularly agriculture.

Market Vectors Agribusiness:  MOO +82.44%

PowerShares DB Commodity Index Tracking Fund:  DBC +12.9%

Market is almost back to normal !

OK, one day of positive growth in the market and I have almost all my losses for December back!  No real postive signs the economy is booming, if anything most signs are negative.  Ten years for jobs to recover?  What are people to do?

2010 A New year for Investment?

A week ago I started "shorting the market" with $8000 worth of DXD,  PowerShares DB Commodity Index Tracking Fund, an ETF.  So far, so good......except for today of course, no big deal.

I have maintained a strong presence in commodities...agriculture futures, gold, oil, and natural gas!  With the terrorism increase (real or imagined) I have a fairly strong stock level in various defense stocks and funds.  I believe that 2010 will be the year that premptive strikes against Iranian nuke sites will take place, by israel or in partnership with the United States.

I'll continue to believe that gold and oil will be strong, the dollar weak, and war is looming on the horizon.

Stock Market Has a Small Gain!

Twenty odd point increase may not seem like much, but I gained back all I lost yesterday! I traded about 40% of GOLD postion for Natural Gas!

I love commodities.

Finally got a commision for some Web work, designing some web marketing materials for a "Sports Bar".

I am working on a "Twitter" page, Web page, slogans, advertising, etc. My creative juices are flowing again.

It is fun to get "back in the saddle"! It' almost feels like a "job"...........LOL

Obama Speaks, Market Falls!

The best thing that could happen for the stock market is for President Obama to never give another speech!

Every speech causes negative reaction on the stock market. Since Wednesday 10/2/09, my portfolio has fallen 10% on his "Job's Speech". Thanks Mr Obama!

Jobs data released today appears in error and subject to retraction. I think it should have been 140,000, not 14,000.

President Obama, pick and issue and complete it, move on to the next one........don't do a half-ass job on multiple issues at once!