The first thing you have to do is to decide whether to make employment connections or not. Assuming that you can work until your eight month, and that you should work for your employer for at least two months before you go away on maternity leave, it is not advisable to make employment connections if you are past six months of pregnancy.

Assuming that you are less than six months pregnant, there are two distinct scenarios that can occur. One is that your pregnancy is obvious to your employment connections, the other is that it isn’t.

You are not bound by law to inform your employment connections about your pregnancy. If your pregnancy is not obvious, and the nature of the work is not harmful to your pregnancy, then there is no need to mention it. Mention it to your employer about a month before you have to go on leave.

If it is obvious to your employment connections that you are pregnant, there is a possibility that you would be at a disadvantage. In this case, it is better to bring up the subject of your pregnancy with your employment connections during conversations with them. Do this after you have talked about your skills and about how your potential employer will benefit from hiring you. Tell them exactly when the baby is due and discuss maternity benefits with them.

It would be a good idea to pursue employment connections in the nonprofit world, since maternity benefits in nonprofit firms are typically more generous than those in other firms.

You should also make employment connections leading to jobs involving task completion times of a few hours, days or weeks. Examples are web design, secretarial work, publication editing, graphic design and storekeeping.

Good luck with your pregnancy and making those connections!

With hundreds and thousands of people on the hunt for a job, it’s not going to be easy finding one fast. But if you remember a few key things, then the whole process of job hunting will be easier.

First of all, you need to be very, very clear on what you want. What kind of a job do you want? What are the reasons you are job hunting for?

If you’re changing jobs, think with great clarity about why you want to change jobs. Are you looking for a promotion? Have pay cuts in your old job been too much to handle? Are you looking to pursue further studies to help you get a better job on completion of the course?

Get your goals very clear. If you don’t have clarity of thought, get professional help. Even if it costs you dearly, it will be worth it as it’ll pay rich dividends in the long run. You need a good resume. And you need to begin targeting your resume to search openings on job boards, newspapers classifieds, consultants etc.

When you find the appropriate job or one which you feel is right for you on a job listing, your first task is to highlight the qualifications desired for the job. Then you need to find out exactly what your duties would ensure or what is expected of you, the potential job candidate.

Every match should be listed in your resume as a key-word. This is very important. The idea is to get your resume fine-tuned to match the requirements as closely as possible. The more closely your resume matches the job posting, the more chances of you getting the job or at least getting an interview call. So pay great attention to targeting the contents of your resume to the requirements of the job posting.

But many have gone wrong by blindly writing down or listing certain key-words in the resume even when they don’t concur with their experience or ability. Don’t do that. The idea is to show your capabilities and your understanding of the job. It’s to show the experience you have garnered and which has to hold you in good stead for the new job.

You must include some key-words in your resume which reflect the colloquial industry jargon or parlance. For e.g. triage for nurses, Initial Public Offering (IPO), etc. Also use some phrases that specify your area of expertise like, capacity planning for chefs or if you’re in the marketing field make sure you use words like product launch, presentations, quality assurance and control etc.

A lot depends on the person hunting for a job. The mind-set needs to be right. The goals need to be clearly etched out and the job hunting plan needs to be just right.

The mind-set needs to be positive and upbeat. Be aware of your capabilities and don’t downplay achievements but neither should you be over zealous in highlighting your capabilities. Maintain a balance.

Carefully think out your strategy. Word your resume accordingly. And be clear about what kind of a job you are looking for.

Make sure you are capable of doing what you have listed down in your resume. Never write anything or claim any achievement which you haven’t actually done. Word it in such a way as to make your prospective employer feel that you possess the required qualifications needed for the job.

Make sure that your resume is updated and make some changes or customize according to each job application. Be alert and go over your resume to check that you have not made any grammatical errors.

Including key words according to the industry type you’re joining is crucial. Make sure you’re up to date on current industry parlance. Also include phrases that indicate your knowledge of the job like for e.g. product launches and presentations if you are a marketing professional etc.

In fact some companies employ scanners that require certain keywords before the job applicants’ resume is considered. So it would be to your benefit to include as many key words as possible.

These days it’s a good idea to have a mentor while hunting for a job. He or she can advice you on your strategies and generally be a friend, philosopher and guide while you’re hunting for a job as frequently the job hunting process can be long drawn and demoralizing.

Networking is a very important factor part of job hunting in today’s cut throat world. In fact, it could be the most important factor. It’s crucial to be in the right place at the right time.

When called for a job interview, make sure you’re thoroughly prepared. No half-measures here.

Job hunting, like mentioned earlier, can sometimes be long-drawn out, disappointing and disheartening. It’s important to have strong mental reserves of positive thinking and confidence in your capabilities.

But with recent lay-offs, you probably need to or the threat of imminent closure of the company may make you go job hunting. You may have never visualized a scenario where you needed a job and that too urgently.

Every job needs some careful research. If you’ve been at the old job for years, you may have been getting a steady salary which matches your current skills and experience. But the daunting prospect of finding a new one at this age requires a new set of skills. You need to find a job which matches your qualifications exactly with that of the potential employer’s requirements.

Since it’s your first job hunt in years, you may have counted on the advantage of “first-impressions”. But now that everything is online, you will be required to fill out applications and send resumes online which needs a different set of skills like using certain key words which are keeping in with the industry’s jargon and show your knowledge of the required areas.

Your resume definitely needs to be impressive. It should stand out as potential employers can have their pick of the pack.

You’ll need to brush up on your net-working skills.

And if you’re still in the old job and looking for a job, you’ll wonder about the ethics of hunting for a job while on a job. But there’s no need to feel guilty as it’s the most common thing to be happening in today’s scenario. Your prospective employer probably did the same thing. Research shows that the age group of 20 to 35 change jobs every one to two years. And they’re all hunting for a job while on a job.

This is where the internet can come in handy. It’s a handy tool to research the fields and industries where your skills can be used and to locate companies which you are interested in right from your work place. And it can be used at any time of the day, from anywhere where there is Internet connectivity.

Make sure you don’t agree to a telephonic interview. You have the risk of being overheard by the rest of the people working in the office and that will definitely mar your chances of sounding good.

Schedule your new job interviews for the end of the day as it calls less attention to your self. You can cry off from work early sighting some personal work. Only you need to make sure the way you are dressed doesn’t call attention to you. Don’t be “dressed up” for the interview or schedule a different, mutually convenient time. Most interviewers are quite accommodating that way.

Since job postings are also online, it’s vital that you train yourself in the finer points of online job hunting. It’s all web-based and if you’re not tuned in to the nitty-gritty of job hunting online, then you’d probably find yourself in deep waters.

Once you’re online, start with the biggest job search engine. You’ll find the most number of job listings and jobs of every kind and from all the major reputed and smaller industries. Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the big job site, turn your eyes towards the smaller ones too.

Register your name and resume with as many job consultancy firms as possible. This way, the firm or the recruiting firm will be doing your job for you. Once you’ve placed your resume with them, they will be on the lookout for a job that exactly fits your requirements. But that does not mean that you leave it wholly to them. You have to do your own search too.

While you’re looking around or surfing for a job, you may come across several where your qualifications may be slightly more than what the recruiting firm is asking for. But you can still apply as you now know that that firm is hiring. Or your qualifications may be slightly different (though the core experience they require may be the same) or your area of expertise may be slightly different.

You should go ahead and apply because they may hire you based on your core experience and overall qualifications.

Don’t send every job listing the same resume. Make changes wherever necessary and dress up what the prospective hiring firm is asking for. Customize your job resume to meet the requirements of each company according to their needs. Dress up your skills in such a way (but of course, you should definitely have the required basic qualification in the first place) that it shows up in your resume as your biggest strength.

And to make the necessary first impression you must read and re-read your resume carefully to make sure you haven’t made any grammatical errors or, the end product, your resume, will end up looking very shabby.

Use key words related to your job type or industry as some firms will only look at those job applications that have specific key words and they’ll run it through a scanner to see if there is the specified number of key words.

Follow up diligently to see if your application has been received by the firm or company you have applied to and send an email again to say you’re still interested in the job.

While job hunting online is the way things are done now, don’t leave it there. Network, meet people and get friendly with them. Don’t leave anything to chance. Get going with your online research.

Your resume should be tailor made to meet the requirements of the job. It’ll be time consuming and it’s often a thankless job. That’s why you need to have a plan and follow it up sincerely. Your resume should do your talking. It’s that first impression which is going to carry you forward. Your resume should say that you’re exactly the person they were looking for.

Make changes in your resume for every job you apply. Don’t send a copy of the same one to all the different postings. Customize it and make it read well. Stick to facts.

If you’re already working, then fix up a time to browse the Internet. And do this diligently. Network and put the word out that you’re job hunting.

Make up your mind at the very onset that you will not allow yourself to become discouraged when most of your applications don’t even elicit a reply. Keep on at it. Don’t get your hopes up too high when called for an interview. It may stop at the interview stage. Don’t worry about it. You just do your best. Something will come up soon.

Do some clear thinking and keep your goals in mind. Think long and hard about the specifics. About what kind of a job you want, the type of industry you want to work in etc.

Check for jobs not only on the Internet but scout around in the newspaper classifieds too. Get in touch with job consultants and follow their tips.

While on the Internet job scouting sites, don’t apply only to the new ones. Apply even to the old ones which says there’s an opening. You might just possess the exact “difficult to get skills” that they have advertised for.

If you are not familiar with the job hunting scene, there’s no harm in getting professional help.

Pay attention to your personal appearance if called for an interview. If you make favourable first impression, that’ll give you a measure of much needed confidence.

Find out as much as possible about the company whose interview you have to attend. Be on time for the interview.

Be vigilant and apply to all the job openings you come across. You’ll need a lot of time to hunt for jobs. Work on your resume till it sounds great and tweak it every time you need to.