Tips for Job Hunting

Before you set out to apply for a new job, you're probably going to need an up-to-date resume. It's easy to let resume updating slide while you're employed because you have a job and it isn't the most fun thing to do. Fortunately there are some tools to make it easier to get started and make sure it's in top shape.

Privacy advocates say that, for now, it is legal for a prospective employer, during a job interview, to insist that you log into your Facebook page and then click through your “friends only” posts, photos and messages.

The ACLU put a stop to companies demanding that applicants turn over their login and password credentials, but “shoulder surfing,” as it’s been dubbed, is legal for the time being. Aleecia M. McDonald, a privacy researcher and resident Fellow at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society, says high unemployment makes it hard to stamp out this practice.

The amount of time a recruiter spends looking at your resume is roughly six seconds — the length of a Vine video.

For people who are unemployed or underemployed, figuring out how to stand out in the job search is crucial. Despite discovering job openings that fit your experience, you send your resume out to the ether — and feel you're continuously overlooked in favor of someone with equal qualifications.

"Visual design is a great way to differentiate yourself from other job candidates," says Dodd Caldwell, cofounder of Loft Resumes.

Recruiters spent 80% of their time looking at six data points:
Name
Current title and company
Previous title and company
Current start and end dates
Previous start and end dates
Education

The key is to keep these important data points clear.

If you think about it, we use negotiation in various ways almost every day. From conflict resolution and dealing with customers or vendors, to attempting to lower your cable bill and asking for a raise. The key to negotiation is to get what you need/want while—at the same time—not cheating or neglecting the other person’s needs/wants. And, that is the real challenge.

One of the better books I’ve read lately dealt with the subject of negotiation. Negotiation Boot Camp by Ed Brodow is a great resource if you are looking to improve your negotiating skills—and I don’t know many who aren’t.

Social media is becoming an increasingly viable hiring tool for major companies. LinkedIn may be the most obvious digital platform for job seekers, but Twitter is beginning to make a name for itself as a recruitment resource as well.

Earlier this year, Twitter and NPR hosted a live chat about using Twitter in a job search. They advised creating a Twitter bio and profile image that convey your personality and career goals, using hashtags appropriate to your desired profession, and networking with influencers and potential colleagues in your field.

Once you've perfected your Twesume and consulted the Mashable Job Board, take your search to the next level with these 20 Twitter resources.

It’s easy to feel like you're in the hot seat during a job interview — you really want the position, you're battling all sorts of jitters and it certainly doesn't help that the stern executive sitting in front of you looks like he could use another cup of coffee.

What often gets lost in the interview process, however, is a dialogue between job seekers and prospective employers, rather than a one-way Q&A. Instead of letting the interviewer ask all the questions, you should find the appropriate time to ask more about the position, the company and the industry.

Here are the most important questions job seekers should ask during an interview, according to career experts and human resource professionals.