If you’ve been struggling to find work this year, you’ve got company. The average job search lasts 33.9 weeks -- more than 8 months -- according to October 2010 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.Times continue to be tough.And times may stay tough for you, if you’re making one or both of the following mistakes, which plague most job seekers …Mistake #1: “Sure, that person got a job, but my situation is different....

Vince Wiskovitch, from Nassau County, New York, was just hired for a legal position after searching only 6 weeks for a job. By comparison, the average job search in America now lasts 33.3 weeks.Read on to learn the 4 things he did to get hired 27 weeks faster than average …1) Don’t send a cover letter. Send a sales letterThe best cover letters are really sales letters -- they use proven selling tactics to convince employers...

The following three job search tips have one thing in common.Can you guess what?First read, then guess …1) Time Management“Time isn’t money. Time is everything.” - Dr. Bernie SiegelWe each get 24 hours in a day. How you use this precious resource largely determines your success in finding a job ... and everything else you do. If you’re unhappy with how you manage your time, why not try a different approach and manage your e...

This may ruffle a few feathers, but your time is valuable, so I’ll be blunt: If you’ve been struggling to find a job for more than 6 months, you may be doing the wrong things to get hired.Worse, you may have been given bad information by well-meaning folks who have steered you wrong during your search.I am here to set things right. And to offer three Guerrilla Job Search “truths” to get you hired faster …Lie #1: You can’t a...

If you’re looking for a job, you know how bad the news is. Unemployment is now at 9.6%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It’s been stuck at 9.5% for 14 straight months -- the longest such stretch since The Great Depression.Yet, there are jobs out there.One Minnesota man just one. Steve Fox, from Edina, Minn. was hired by, an employer that had originally passed him over, about 70 days after seriously adoptin...

Here’s a Guerrilla Job Search maxim to live by: When in doubt, do the opposite.Think about it: If most job hunters are struggling to find work, why do what most job hunters are doing?Take email, for example. If most job seekers email their resumes to employers … and get no reply, why not try the opposite? The opposite of email could be in-person delivery, fax, or U.S. Mail, to name but three possibilities.Here’s another exa...

What separates successful job seekers from those who struggle to get hired?Two things: clarity and motivation.You must be clear about the job you seek, the results you’ve produced before, and the employers you want to work for.And you need motivation to persist through long hours of research, networking, false hopes, and follow-up that may lie between you and your next job.Want to know an easy, effective way to get more cla...

For some of you in today’s economy, your last job may have been your last job.Literally. You may have decided to chuck the idea of employment altogether and become your own boss.But what if you’re not clear on what, exactly, to do as a self-employed person?Good news: If you have a curious mind and like learning new things, you may find success working for yourself as a how-to expert.That’s the message in a new book from mar...

This week, I’ll address two common job-search frustrations found in the hundreds of emails I’ve received this year from people across America Do either of these apply to you?Frustration #1: There just aren’t enough jobs out there to apply for.Solution: Let’s analyze this one …When I speak to job hunters, in seminars, by phone, or via email, I ask the same question: “How are you looking for jobs?” Almost invariably, the answ...

If you’re looking for a job in this economy, consider adding social media to your tool kit. Specifically, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn -- used correctly -- can help you find work faster.To get the latest tips, I spoke with Dan Schawbel, author of “Me 2.0, Revised and Updated Edition: 4 Steps to Building Your Future,” published in October 2010.According to Schawbel, job hunting is now giving way to people hunting, with so...