If a steady paycheck is all you’re after, it should be pretty straightforward to throw your line out into the water and secure one of those jobs.  If you’re after a bigger fish, the job you really want, the one you’ve been putting so much time and imagination into securing, you’re going to need a bigger boat.

Stacked in a pile with a bunch of other resumes, you want to make sure you do everything you can to make yours stand out. Here are three simple things you can do to catch the recruiter’s attention.

Whether your resume is being read by the HR manager, the head of a company, a hiring manager or a recruiter, you can bet it’s sitting in a big pile of other resumes. When your resume hits the top of the pile you have about six seconds to grab that person’s attention.

One of the most common questions a prospective employer will ask you is to describe your biggest weakness.

As with any question you get in a job interview, its important to understand what your interviewer is looking for in a response.

A generation ago landing that first job was pretty easy compared to the situation now. Job seekers simply didn’t have to contend with the fierce competition for every position the way they do now.

Strong cover letters are an opportunity to set yourself apart from all the other applicants by jumping to the front of the line of your prospective employers imagination and attention.

No matter how much you prepare for your interview, some things you  may not have foreseen can still mess you up. Here are a few things to be aware of.

During an interview, some questions are fairly easy to answer. Why do you think you’re qualified for this position? Easy you can list of your accomplishments and experiences.

Some questions are harder to answer, like, Where do you see yourself in five years?

Before you find yourself in an interview, trying desperately to get your foot out of your mouth, here are a few topics you should simply avoid talking about altogether.

We all use social media so much it’s become part of our everyday lives. Personal uses for social media aside, have you thought about how social media can help or hinder your career?

You worked like crazy to land that interview. So did all the other people who got called in! Your next job is to set yourself apart from the pack. Here are six things you can do to ensure you move up to the front of the line

When listing references, it can be very tempting to just put down a bunch of people you worked with briefly and hope the prospective employer doesn’t actually contact them.

It’s okay to be nervous during an interview. Everyone is. They key to getting past that nervousness so your best most competent self can shine through is setting the mental stage for it before hand.

You are half way to getting your new job! After getting the call for the first interview you ensured you found out everything you could about the company and the people interviewing you. You practiced what you were going to say and once you got face to face you aced it! They like you! They also like a few other people. A second interview is in order.

We all know the importance of a good first impression. What we may not consider is the lasting effect a solid final impression can have. That impression can be solidified and enhanced by the types of questions you choose to ask at the end of the interview.

The resume of someone just entering the workforce is a very different thing from the resume of someone with twenty years behind them. Each of those people bring different experiences and expectations to the job market and that’s reflected in their resume.

Maybe you’ve had so many interviews you don’t think there’s a question they could throw out that would surprise you. Or maybe you’re about to go into an interview for your first “real” job. If you have absolutely no idea what kinds of questions they might ask we’ve complied a few possibilities to give you something to think about.

The great news is you’ve got an interview coming up. The slightly less great news is there are also several other candidates interviewing for the same position. The best way to stand out from the other candidates and ensure you and all the excellent attributes you bring to the position leave a lasting impression on the interviewer is preparation.