About a week ago I was checking news reports on the internet.  One article on The Wall Street Journal’s website caught my eye. The article was written by Charles Whelan and dealt with graduation speeches, aka commencement addresses.

It was almost 4 years ago when my daughter graduated high school.  It was a very stressful time in my life.  I had just survived a company layoff, only to discover that a complete facility closing was on the horizon. How were my wife and I going to pay tuition on only one income?  How were we going to pay our other bills and keep a roof over our heads?

In addition, my daughter did not know which college she wanted to attend.  We sent out several applications, and although she was accepted to almost every school she applied to, the big decision as to which college she would attend was yet to be made.

So it was quite ironic that Mr. Whelan’s Wall Street Journal article about graduation speeches was so pessimistic.  For those who are interested, the article can be found here.

I thought about my state of mind 4 years ago, when it seemed like my world was about to come crashing down.  I lost my job and collected unemployment for the first time in nearly three decades.  I might have agreed with Mr. Whelan’s pessimistic outlook at that time, however now I see things differently.  Like so many victims of the Great Recession, I was able to, with a lot of hard work, support from my wife and family, and a little luck, find a more optimistic future.  I found a new job, and my wife and I were able to pay the tuition on time (although a generous scholarship was very helpful).  I am hopeful that a brighter future for my daughter is on the horizon…

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Did you know that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) says it’s unlawful for employers to reject job candidates because of poor credit? So many jobseekers, caught in the web of long-term unemployment in these times, worry about losing good employment opportunities because they have fallen into debt and have amassed poor credit ratings.

Business is not supposed to inquire as to your bankruptcy, divorce or other financial issues, for the purpose of deciding whom to hire. So you don’t have to answer any prying questions. 

It violates Civil Rights Act of 1964. There are laws but we all know employers break them all the time and try to get away with it. It’s hard to prove in court.

While there are laws in place that try to protect people’s rights, sadly, there is little protection against human nature, so be informed, and know what tools you have that can put you in a better light, such as the capability of being bonded. Don’t let a poor credit history erode your confidence and hope that you will once again become financially solvent. 

Bonding, no-cost insurance provided by the government on the employer’s behalf as assurance against theft, has been associated with ex offenders who have criminal records but very few people know that it is also provided as assurance against theft in cases of bad credit.

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The Internet is a vast, endless treasure trove of goodies for your job search. Don’t just use the internet to answer job search ads or post your resume to a generic website. Rather, let it speak to you in rich tones.

There’s a lot of free learning available on many different sites. Instead of just being frustrated over the lack of response to job ads you toil over, enrich yourself with knowledge and skills that may help better prepare you for your next gig. The best part is that many online courses are free of charge to you!

While we can’t resist the urge to troll for jobs on the Internet, know that every job search site—monster, career builder, Americas job exchange, yahoo hot jobs, idealist and just about all of the infinite numbers of them—have career advice section chock-a-block full of articles on how to do everything, from resumes to cover letters, networking, interviews, salary negotiations, and just about every situation and scenario you can think of—or hadn’t thought about.

Each article has an angle unto itself and you will also find those that give similar advice. They are all helpful. Although each interaction between two or more human beings for the purpose of judgment and filling a role, is anecdotal and particular to the individuals, the Internet can help you navigate tricky waters in an interview and salary negotiation.

In fact, you can Google search any interview question that seems difficult to answer and get all sorts of ideas and different approaches. Just type the entire question—like, “Why Should We Hire You?”—right into the search box and voila! You will get more websites with answers than you dreamed of. Let the Internet be your guide. Let your fingers chase the mouse!

Read more to see the 10 sites you may be overlooking in your job search!

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One of the questions I have been asked many times is:  What led you to start writing for The 405 Club and how has this changed your life?

I have given this question some thought as I am fast approaching my third Canniversary.  For those of you who are new to reading 405 Club posts, I thought this would be a good time to look at this term and its meaning.  A Canniversary is best described as a defined time period (usually measured by year), since you were discharged by your previous employer.  Unlike an anniversary, a canniversary is not a happy event. 

Another question I have been asked is “why do you use the word discharged; why not call is as it is?”  Quite frankly, I have never liked the term “fired.” The first time I lost a job I was “let go.” (Come to think of it, I really don’t like that term either). I was 18 years old at the time, and I thought the employer meant that he was going to let my transgression go, and give me another chance to prove myself.  As I quickly found out, that was not the case.

The bottom line is that there are many ways to tell someone that they lost their job:  fired, let go, outsourced, laid off, downsized:  I can go on with this, however, for some reason, I find the term “discharged” to be the least painful.  Maybe I use it because I have never been told that I have been “discharged.” For whatever reason, that term seemed to work for me, so I have stuck with it.

I am getting away from the point here. Why did I start writing for the 405 Club?  Perhaps the reason goes back to the 1970’s when I began writing for The Metropolitan, my campus newspaper.  As I started writing, I began to use all those words I thought I would never see after finishing my SAT’s a few years earlier.  I enjoyed writing, and I enjoyed the positive feedback I received…

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