You may have heard that when taking a multiple choice test, answer the answers—don’t answer the questions. In other words, look at each answer and rule out the ones that you are certain cannot be correct. Most of the time, you can narrow a list of five possible answers to only two.

When scouring multiple job postings (or multiple personal ads, for that matter), the strategy is pretty much the same. You don’t want to waste your time with an ad for a job you know would not be right for you.

For some ads, it’s easy. If you’re looking for a position in nursing, you should avoid the section for truck driving jobs. But what about ads within your field? The solution is for you to do just what the hiring managers do when they get your resume: look for an excuse to reject.

So, let’s say you’re looking at job postings in the marketing section of the classifieds. You’ve found an ad that notes the following requirements:

• Four-year degree in related field
• 3 years’ marketing experience
• Door-to-door selling required

Okay, let’s see…degree? Check. Three years’ experience? No prob. Door-to-door? Oh, drat. Next ad…

Unless you have nothing else to do but apply for jobs all day, such filtering is absolutely essential. Even if you had time to apply to every ad you see, it would not make sense to waste your effort trying for a position in which you know you wouldn’t be happy, or for a job you know you can’t do.

Remember: When looking through job postings, narrowing your search should be your first priority.

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Oh, gee—ever said that? Most of us have at some point. But we should be careful to put things into proper perspective. Here are some things to think about.

You are privileged to live in a free, capitalist country
If you think your job is bad here, try working in North Korea. Or go to any communist or oppressive regime where you work for the state and like it. Your salary may only be a dollar a day, but as long as you do your work and don’t have any enemies in the government, you get to live and work another day.

Your current job may not be your ultimate career
In other words, today you may be flipping hamburgers making $8/hour. Five years from now, you may be district manager of a restaurant chain making $35K. Ten years from now, perhaps after getting some additional schooling, you may be in a high-level position within the same (or other) organization making $70K.

Your career path depends largely on your attitude. Does flipping burgers make you a perpetual burger flipper, or is this one small step in your career path? If you see yourself as a burger flipper and nothing more, then that may be all you ever achieve in your career. If you’re okay with that, that’s fine. But if you’re saying, “I hate my job,” then you need to chart out a career plan with your current situation being only a stepping stone to better things.

You are fit enough to work
Hey, not everyone is. Never take for granted your ability to work. If you are blessed with eyes, ears, hands, and a mind that functions properly, you are more blessed than many others. Be grateful for these blessings and use them to the best of your ability, whatever your current employment circumstances.

In short, before you say “I hate my job,” first count your blessings. Then, if your career is not everything you want it to be, examine your skills, interests, training, and experience, and chart a career path that will get you to where you want to be.

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Sales jobs certainly are not for everyone. And there are differences, too, between the different types of sales jobs available. Before considering such a career course, it’s best to take an assessment of both yourself and the job you’re thinking about. Here are some things to look at.

Is the job commission-based, salaried, or a combination thereof?
If you need the certainty of a guaranteed paycheck, then a straight commission path is definitely not for you. Especially when starting out, the amount you’re making may vary wildly—or worse, be consistently meager. This may not be your fault, either; some things just sell better than others.

On the other hand, if you happen to be a highly ambitious, positive, well-organized self-starter, then you won’t want to be limited by a predetermined salary. Instead, you will want the opportunity to put in the long hours, footwork, and gabbing that translate to a good income.

Maybe you fall somewhere in between. In this case, you should look for a company that provides a starting salary until you really get established. Many companies do this, particularly in the insurance industry.

Consider a hybrid sales career
Some sales jobs involve a certain amount of selling, but this is only part of the job duties. A good example, again, is the insurance industry. While a certain amount of the day may be spent prospecting, quite a bit of time is necessary to tend to existing clients, as well as take care of routine record keeping. The actual sales portion of the insurance agent’s time, depending on the company and the agent’s defined role, may be a relatively small part of his or her day.

So, think carefully. Before looking into sales jobs, be sure that you have enough information about yourself and the job you’re considering.

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In the past few years, searching for jobs online has become increasingly popular. In terms of efficiency, it’s nearly unbeatable. You can search and browse through hundreds of ads in a day, upload your resume and cover letters, and skip the delay of snail mail. All in all, I would place it second only to having an inside contact (such as a friend or family member) within a company.

That said, it’s still a game. And to succeed at the game, you have to know the rules. Here are the most important things to remember when searching and applying to jobs online.

Only search reputable sites

There will always be imitators and wannabes. I remember searching for MBA jobs (since I’m an MBA), and I tried to find MBA-specific job sites. There are some, but I remember a couple of them that had something like 10 jobs available nationwide—not exactly a career smorgasbord.

Even worse than lame or not-ready-for-prime-time job search sites are scams and give-us-your-money sites. The rule of thumb is this: You should NEVER have to pay someone to help you find work (keeping this in mind can also help you avoid 99% of work-at-home scams). There are tons of free and effective operations such as monster.com, careerbuilder.com, et al.

Narrow your focus

If you are too vague in your search, you’re going to end up needlessly scanning through hundreds of jobs that are not what you really want. If you’re an RN, for example, you could do a search for nursing. Problem is, you would likely end up with many LPN postings (and maybe some CNA listings as well). Your search will produce better results if you include RN in the search terms.

Have current and relevant information

Must-haves include a targeted resume geared to the job you want to get; a new cover letter tailored to each different job; an up-to-date account of your skill set; and of course current contact information. You should also be prepared to provide work samples and references if needed.

So, by all means, search for jobs online—just remember to follow the rules.

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As a rule, most people don’t care much for part-time jobs. The attractions of full-time work—higher paychecks (due to more hours being worked), healthcare benefits, and a greater sense of belonging to one’s place of work—are notably missing from part-time jobs. But is that all there is to consider?

First, note that taking part-time jobs at a given time does not necessarily constitute a career path. In other words, such employment could be looked at as a stepping stone (or series of them) towards what most people really want: a full-time, salaried position, with a reasonable amount of job security. (more…)

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