10 Steps To Landing A Job On The Internet

Caroline Levchuck

While newspapers and networking still play an important role in looking for work, the Internet is now a vital component in any job search.

According to a Gad Levanon, economist at the Conference Board, "The Internet has become the most popular method of job searching." A recent survey by the Conference Board, the world's leading business membership and research organization, revealed that the Internet isn't only being used by more job seekers -- it's being used for a variety of job search functions.

Read on for some ideas as to how you can make the most of the Web's potential in your next job search.

1. Post your resume online at Yahoo! HotJobs so recruiters can find you -- even when you're not actively searching for work.

2. Join an online networking community, such as the new Yahoo! Kickstart or LinkedIn, and connect with fellow alumni, colleagues, and recruiters.

3. Search the names of old friends and coworkers to reach out and expand your network.

4. Research major employers, using news outlets or sites like Yahoo! Finance.

5. Tap the power of industry blogs to find folks who are doing what you'd like to do for a living and ask for advice. You'd be surprised at how many people are willing to share their wisdom with an up and comer.

6. Streamline your efforts by saving job searches and signing up for email job alerts so you'll know about new postings on Yahoo! HotJobs immediately.

7. Start an online job-search support group, perhaps using Yahoo! Groups or a social networking site. Open it up to members of your network who are looking for work and share encouragement and insights as you seek out new opportunities.

8. Visit company websites for additional job postings and to learn about each organization's corporate culture. This will help you determine if you'd be a good fit and provide you with insights for any interviews.

9. Browse trade associations and professional groups online for insights and new connections.

10. Patrol message boards and discussion groups to connect with like-minded and in-the-know professionals. Many times job openings are not posted immediately and these people may have hot inside leads on new opportunities.

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Five Keys To A Productive Unemployment

Katherine Tom
Hate your job? Unemployment might not seem like an attractive alternative, but it comes with one major upside: more time. With the right game plan, you can take advantage of a temporary pause between jobs to reevaluate and rejuvenate your entire career.

Dean LaTourette, co-author of "Time Off! The Upside to Downtime," observes, "While it can be a scary time, most people who allow themselves a break find that getting laid off or quitting their job ends up being one of the best career moves they ever made."

1. Work Your Network

Sure, you're browsing the job listings every day and applying to positions as they come up. But imagine if you could multiply your efforts a hundredfold. Today's online networking sites not only make it a breeze to let your friends know you're looking for work, they also give you access to your friends' networks. That's an exponential increase in potential employment connections.

Make sure all of your online info is up-to-date and typo-free, re-activate resumes that you may have hidden when you found your last job, and let your friends and colleagues know that you're actively seeking employment.

2. Get an Internship or Volunteer

If you're considering a complete career change, working for free may be your best bet for gaining experience in your desired field. Well-established volunteer and internship programs often include formal training, which is basically like a free education in your new vocation. If you have technical skills or a consulting background, doing pro bono work can be a great way to build your portfolio while contributing to a good cause.

3. Go Back to School

In addition to traditional graduate schools, there are dozens of options for getting job-relevant training year-round. Most major universities offer extension courses for a variety of professional fields including marketing, graphic design, and computer programming. Media Bistro, another valuable resource, offers writing and media courses both online and in six cities across the U.S.

4. Explore Your Hobbies

Ever spent a spare moment at work wishing you could spend more time fishing, painting, cooking, or whatever your passion is? Well consider your wish granted. Unemployment can be a perfect time to explore your personal passions. At worst, you'll get to enjoy yourself, and at best you may find a way to make money doing what you love.

Michelle Goodman, author of the "Anti 9 to 5 Guide," points out that "even if you're not going for investment money, it's helpful to write down the basics of your business plan: how much it will take to break even, the cost of supplies, analysis of your competitors. Putting it on paper makes it hard to be in denial about finances."

5. Travel

Recently the Center for Economic and Policy Research released a report entitled "No Vacation Nation" which revealed that 1 in 4 American workers receive no paid vacation or holidays. Even those lucky employees who get paid time off receive up to 30 days fewer than their European counterparts. So take advantage of your time off and take a well-deserved vacation. If you sublet your apartment or home and choose a cheap destination, you could even end up saving money while you're away.

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How to Successfully Move From One Career To Another

Not all career changers move fluidly from job to job. Many seasoned professionals take a respite, perhaps to travel, write a book, or just contemplate what they really want to do next.

But even though you're between jobs and treading into unfamiliar territory, you still want to make sure you're never really out of the market. Whatever you do to occupy yourself can become a selling point on your next resume if you manage your time wisely.

Vance W. LaVelle, now 49, took a number of unexpected turns on her path toward switching from a career in banking to satellite radio. She chose to leave her job as chief marketing officer at PNC Bank in Pittsburgh after five years of commuting from her New York home. "I was feeling a pull, ready to do something new and different," she says.

LaVelle tried a number of different things in her 10 months of searching for a new gig. In the end, her pursuits during the transition "made her more attractive to employers than if she had just passed her resume around," says Hope Dlugozima, author of "Six Months Off: How to Plan, Negotiate, and Take the Break You Need Without Burning Bridges or Going Broke."

Using LaVelle's experience as a model, here's a playbook for how you might structure your own professional interregnum:

1. Imagine what you'd like to do if you had no constraints.

LaVelle started her transition period with a long to-do list of what she wanted to accomplish. But first, there were practical concerns. LaVelle launched her own marketing consulting firm to provide income and help her stay connected in her field while giving her the flexibility to branch out. Then she turned her attention to new opportunities she wanted to explore: As a dog lover, she thought it would be fun to try dog training. She was also interested in pursuing some board directorships and taking some classes. "It's O.K. to have that sophomore-in-college mindset," says Dlugozima, now vice-president of community and membership at WebMD.

2. Create an elevator pitch

What is this? It's a 30-second answer to the inevitable question, "What do you do?" It's how you describe your transition time to the world, and it gives potential business associates an easy way to remember you.

LaVelle didn't know whether she wanted to build a big consulting business, become a consultant with a larger firm, or go back into a corporate position. By telling people she was a marketing consultant, she had the elevator pitch she needed to network into new business situations. It's important to be honest. "If you intend to take some time off to do some exploration, don't be shy about telling people that," Dlugozima says.

3. Hit the phone and the email list.

An old boss of LaVelle's said to her: "Build relationships before you need them, and keep them strong because they are more important to you than what you know how to do." Such relationships launched LaVelle's consulting business. "With three phone calls to my professional network, I had more consulting work than I wanted," she recalls.

LaVelle also plugged into the conference circuit. After learning of a chief marketing officer summit taking place at Harvard University, she made a cold call to the sponsor and talked her way into a key speaking slot on the program. "Such visibility is invaluable," says Janice Reals Ellig, co-CEO of Chadick Ellig, a New York executive-search firm, and co-author of "Driving the Career Highway."

4. Just do it.

In between consulting assignments, LaVelle started checking things off her list. She attended OnBoard Bootcamp in New York, a program to help director candidates master the board selection process, took cooking and home-repair classes, and hosted a business-development event with the government of New Zealand for the America's Cup trials in Spain. "I tried to do all the things I couldn't do because I worked full-time," she says. One of her biggest fears was that she would lag behind on the technical side of her business. So she enrolled in a course to become proficient in new media trends, such as RSS feeds and blogging.

What intrigued her most was the chance to become a dog breeder and trainer. "Dogs are my passion," says LaVelle, who has room for one goldendoodle in her apartment. Through a contact she landed an informal apprenticeship with the chief of the canine unit of the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey, who allowed her to shadow him for the day. "He told me I'd fall in love with the dogs, and I'd never be able to let them go," says LaVelle. Realizing she would have serious separation issues convinced her she wasn't cut out for dog training.

LaVelle also pursued opportunities she didn't anticipate. In the fall of 2005 a fund-raising event she organized for her University of Alabama sorority along the Gulf Coast of Florida had to be evacuated when Hurricane Katrina hit. While the disaster unfolded, she had an idea. She knew the inner workings of filing insurance claims from her experience on an insurance company advisory board. Why not help homeowners navigate the insurance claim process, coordinate contractors, and negotiate with the local governments to get services? Within days, she had several homeowners willing to hire her. The only problem was that she was supposed to be living in New York with her husband, so she decided not to take the business. "It's O.K. to try new things, and then move in a different direction if things don't work out," advises Dlugozima.

5. Make a decision.

At some point, professionals in transition are apt to have all the information they need to move forward. Although she enjoyed consulting, LaVelle realized in the summer of 2006 that she wanted to go back to a corporate job. "I'm an operator," she says. "I like to get my hands dirty and do the work, vs. telling others how to do it," says LaVelle, who still might return to consulting some day.

Her robust network led her to two promising marketing positions based in New York. One, with General Electric, would have required a lot of travel. The other is the one she took, as senior vice-president for customer sales, service, and marketing at Sirius Satellite Radio. "I never thought I'd end up in the entertainment industry after nearly 20 years in financial services," says LaVelle. Coincidentally, Sirius is another name for the Dog Star. So on a psychic level, she says, her new job married her divergent interests.

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The Secret To Successful Non-Traditional Job Interviews

Doug White

The employment interview isn't what it used to be. While the vast majority of interviews are the standard face-to-face variety, technological advancements have made it possible for employers and applicants to connect quickly in other ways.

Some hiring managers conduct phone interviews during the early phases of candidate searches; others may request you meet via videoconference if you live far away. And, yes, certain companies even hold virtual job fairs.

Following are tips for success when participating in non-traditional job interviews.

The Phone Interview

Minimize distractions. Conduct the call from a quiet, private setting. You won't impress hiring managers if they hear loud pets, honking horns, or your clicking keyboard in the background. If possible, use a landline (which is often more reliable than cellular phones), and disable the call-waiting function.

Speak up. Because the interviewer can't read your facial reactions or body language, verbalize your thoughts. After the hiring manager completes a thought, say something like, "Yes, that aspect of the job sounds appealing" to keep the discussion moving. Speak with confidence and enthusiasm.

Have supplies handy. Keep your resume and cover letter at arm's length, as well as any company research you've collected. You also might prepare a bulleted list of speaking points or questions. Make sure a pen and pad are nearby for taking notes.

The Videoconference Interview

Mock it up. It's intimidating to be interviewed on camera. Calm jittery nerves by doing a trial run with a friend or family member. Record the mock interview and study areas where you can improve. Did you look at the camera, or did your eyes dart nervously around the room? Did you exhibit good posture or slouch? Rehearsing will help ensure you're polished at showtime.

Beware of busy backgrounds. Most video interviews are conducted at a videoconference site, your recruiter's workplace or an employer's satellite office. Wherever you are, remain the focal point by clearing the table of clutter. If you do the interview from home, choose a professional-looking, well-lit setting. In addition, make sure your computer's webcam and microphone are working properly a day in advance.

Dress to impress. Dress as nicely as you would for an on-site visit. And don't assume you'll only be visible from the shoulders up. More than a few jacket-clad candidates have unexpectedly been seated at see-through glass tables or stood up to reveal fashion faux pas such as jeans or shorts.

The Virtual Interview

Wear appropriate avatar apparel. An avatar is a computer-generated icon you create to represent yourself online. If you attend a virtual job fair on Second Life, a popular online community, for instance, your avatar should look professional. You don't necessarily need to don a virtual suit for an "in-world" corporate recruiting event, but don't show up as a flashy nightclub-goer, space alien, or vampire.

Message with care. When communicating via instant message on Second Life, focus on accuracy, not speed. Hiring managers will likely forgive a typo or two, but making a series of grammatical goofs will cause them to question your writing skills and attention to detail. Take a moment to proofread your message and steer clear of emoticons and cyber slang.

No matter what the meeting format, always send a thank-you note to those with whom you interview. Even when communicating with a hiring manager using high-tech tools, a traditional handwritten letter of appreciation will be well received.

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The Central Bank of Nigeria Issues New Global Depository Receipts' Guidelines

Moses Obajemu

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued new guidelines to regulate the issuance of Global Depository Receipts (GDRs) by banks selling their shares to international investors.

The new regulatory framework mandates banks selling GDRs to furnish the apex bank with the details of the beneficial investors on a copy of the Certificate of Capital Importation issued in favour of such banks. This is contained in a December 3, 2007 CBN circular sent to banks entitled: "Global Depository Receipts (GDRs) and Certificate of Capital Importation (CCI) Issuance", signed by the Director of Trade and Exchange, Mrs Omolara Akanji.

A Global Depository Receipt is typically a dollar-denominated instrument issued in international financial markets through a registered depository bank. They are negotiable bank certificates, issued by the depository bank which represent ownership of certain equity securities (the underlying shares) that are issued and tradeable in the local market. The GDRs are exchanged with the underlying shares at a pre-determined ratio (for example, 50 shares to 1 GDR), and are mostly used for capital raising by companies from emerging markets to access investors in international markets.

The banking watchdog explained that the release of the guidelines became necessary in view of the resort of banks to GDRs with the principal aim of raising capital and selling shares, and the need to align the new development with the requirements of CCI issuance to foreign investors as well as build their confidence in the GDRs. "Certificate of capital importation shall continue to be issued in respect of foreign exchange inflow for loans, investment purposes and or capital, subject to existing guidelines as specified in the Foreign Exchange Manual.

"Where the foreign exchange inflow is in respect of GDR, a master CCI should be issued in favour of the Depository Bank (DB) to the tune of the foreign exchange inflow," the CBN directed. Upon issuance of the master CCI, the CBN said the receiving bank/Authorised Dealer should furnish it with a copy with the details of the beneficial investors to the GDR endorsed at the back of the master CCI. The apex bank directed that where any portion of the GDR is cancelled offshore by the investor, the depository bank shall inform the custodian/sub-custodian of the cancellation and provide the latter with the necessary documentary evidence of same.

"The depository's nominee custodian shall have valid CCI covering the number of shares withdrawn from the GDR and also effect a "markdown" of the CCI from the master CCI. "With the valid CCI covering the number of shares withdrawn from the GDR, the direct non-resident equity investor can trade with the underlying shares in the local market. The investor shall also be entitled to repatriate funds outside Nigeria," the circular said.

The CBN directed all authorised dealers to ensure compliance with the provisions of the circular, while those with subsisting approvals should also be guided accordingly. On the repatriation of funds outside Nigeria by the foreign investors, the circular on the guidelines on utilisation of CCI in the Forex Manual and/or relevant circulars on same shall apply. In addition, a duly completed form A, letter or evidence of conversion from GDRs to shares and confirmed by the depository and the nominee custodian; documentary evidence of cancellation of the GDR from the depository; letter from the direct non-resident equity investor, stating relevant details to the Authorised Dealer via his broker, requesting for repatriation of sales proceeds, shall also apply.

The CBN also directed that photocopy of the original CCI, and sale contract note or evidence of sale of shares from a Nigerian broker, be included for repatriation of funds processing.

Among Nigerian banks that have successfully raised dollar denominated capital via GDR issue ate Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc, and FCMB Plc. Those currently exploring the method include Fidelity Bank Plc, and Afribank Plc.

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Gaitame.Com Co Opts For Imperva's SecureSphere® Web Application Firewall

Imperva, the leader in application data security and compliance, today announced that Gaitame.Com Co., Ltd., a leading Japanese online foreign exchange (FX) trading company has deployed the SecureSphere® Web Application Firewall (WAF) to protect its web-based service delivery platform from application attacks including cross-site scripting and SQL injection. Gaitame.Com selected SecureSphere over competing products based on its 10X performance advantage, ability to be deployed with zero network changes, and Dynamic Profiling which automates policy management and enforcement.

Gaitame.Com specializes in on-line services for individual investors. Its online trading platform deals with twelve currency pairs and provides users with real-time information on the world's exchange markets as well as transaction services. Most web services offered at Gaitame.Com require data input by users and communicate directly with databases, which make them a potential target for cross-site scripting and SQL injection attacks.

Although Gaitame.Com regularly conducts third-party vulnerability assessments of its web applications, correcting problems is a time consuming process that requires code-level rewrites. SecureSphere provides continuous protection and maintains business continuity for Gaitame.Com applications, until any discovered vulnerabilities can be eliminated.

“In Foreign Exchange transactions, slow application response times translate into financial losses for users. As a result, performance was a key selection criteria for choosing a Web Application Firewall,” said Kazuyoshi Hirose, IT infrastructure manager for Gaitame.Com Co., Ltd. “SecureSphere met our performance requirements, was easy to deploy, and did not impose any changes to our existing network configuration. We are very impressed with its Dynamic Profiling capability, which operates without human intervention and eliminates management and maintenance burdens associated with competing products we evaluated.”

“Foreign Exchange trading is one of the most demanding application environments for any technology, and especially for an in-line attack protection device like a Web Application Firewall,” said Michael Lyu, vice president of Asia Pacific sales for Imperva. “Gaitame.Com’s selection of Imperva reinforces what over 350 leading global organizations have found – that SecureSphere delivers unmatched scalability, performance and ease of use required to support the most demanding business applications on the Internet.”

About SecureSphere

The award-winning Imperva SecureSphere® products deliver practical solutions to protect sensitive data in the databases, Web applications, and Web services that support business critical systems. SecureSphere assesses, monitors, and audits all access to an organization’s databases, and tracks and controls user activity through Web applications and Web services. With SecureSphere, organizations have an automated, proven means to achieve and document regulatory compliance. SecureSphere uniquely saves time and IT resources by operating transparently with no changes to existing infrastructure and dynamically, requiring no manual tuning.

About Gaitame.Com

Established in 2002, Gaitame.Com Co. LTD is the leading retail online foreign exchange marginal trading company in Japan. The Company specializes in on-line services for individual investors. Gaitame.Com deals with twelve currency pairs and provides users with real-time information on the world's exchange markets as well as transaction services. For more information, visit: http://www.gaitame.com/

About Imperva

Imperva is the leader in application data security and compliance. Leading enterprise and government organizations worldwide rely on Imperva to prevent data theft and abuse, and ensure data integrity. The company’s SecureSphere products provide data governance and protection solutions that monitor, audit and secure business applications and databases. For more information, visit www.imperva.com.

Imperva and SecureSphere are trademarks of Imperva, Inc. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

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