Job hunting has become a highly specialized field of activity today. With jobs being retrenched and salaries slashed by nearly half to tide over the current economic crisis, millions of workers all over the world are on the lookout for new openings. An estimated 38 million jobs would be lost globally before 2009 wraps up, and this alarming figure is all set to change the face of the already sputtering global economy.   

Getting a prospective employer to look at your resume or have the HR person follow up your application has become one of the most insurmountable things in the world today. Now, that’s not surprising at all, is it?! Why would they want to rush? It’s after all an employer-driven market. By the law of supply versus demand, there is a vast talent pool out there and no real rush to grab them given the continuing meltdown from Silicon Valley to Shangai. Even companies that have managed to keep their heads above water are closely monitoring their requisition-count and are exercising extreme caution while extending job offers. The prevailing conditions have made it pretty tough for job seekers, albeit belonging to the highly qualified, highly experienced strata. 

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If you are well prepared for an interview, it helps you show your talents and qualifications in better way to the interviewer. This article offers some helpful tips for a successful job interview.

• Research well about the company. Learn about the products or services it offers and the industry it caters to.
• Have a clear explanation of your expertise and experience with handling a particular job and how this will be beneficial to the company.
• You should be ready to face the most common questions such as “Why have you applied for this job?”, “Why the company should hire you” and “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
• Practice well for the interview and have a mock interview with a friend or a family member.
• Be neat and clean and dress properly.
• Always be on time, or even a few minutes early and show the interviewer that you value time and would be punctual if you get the job.

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For any working professional, the skill of negotiating salary and other perks is an important one to be successful in earning the best compensation package. In order to negotiate the best package you must have a basic understanding of your requirements and priorities and how you can link your priorities to your employer’s benefits. It is important that you negotiate well in order the get the best possible compensation. Here are some tips to guide you through the negotiation process:

• It is important that you have an idea of the basic salary that you are entitled to get before you start the negotiation. You should evaluate your salary depending upon your position in the organizational hierarchy, experience, location where you would be serving, cost of living and market standards.
• Salary alone is not important; sometimes it is important to think about the other benefits offered by the company while negotiating the package. You need to decide what is more important to you – higher salary, more holidays, health care and insurance benefits or stock options. It is very important to decide your own priorities before you start negotiating your compensation package.

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Do you need a job just for making a living or you want a job that lets you fulfill all your secret wishes? When it comes to job offer each and every aspect of it is negotiable. With successful negotiations, you would be able to earn the best possible salary. This article gives you the most successful salary negotiation tips that can help you take home a big fat paycheck.

• Never ask about salary on your own, let the hiring officer make an offer to you. It would be better to start negotiating the salary from a figure the employer has offered.
• It is very important to state your past experience and let the employer evaluate how important you would be for the company. Experience is your key to negotiating for the best salary. Also you need to put your accomplishments on table at the time of negotiation.
• You need to show the employer that you are very excited about the job offer and only thing that is stopping you from making the decision is the salary package.

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In the present times of recession blues more and more companies are considering layoffs as an only option to stay in business. So even if you are a valued employee and the best at your job, the ax may fall on you. In the case of company laying you off, they may offer you a severance package. The important point here is that it is possible for you to negotiate your severance package.

By negotiating the severance package that has been offered to you, you get a chance to ask for something that you are entitled to. You need to look at the offer more closely and also compare it with the offers that have been given to others. For example, if you are a senior member with more than 5 years with the same company, then you should get a better offer than someone who has been with the company for less than a year. You should actually negotiate for two to three months of pay or even more if you feel that the position of your expertise is unlikely to open up elsewhere. You need to put up all your points professionally and have a clear idea of what you are asking for. In order to negotiate well, it would be beneficial if you know what the severance package actually contains.

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Phone interviews are generally used to shortlist candidates for a personal interview from the pool of applicants. They also provide a way to minimize the expenses. Go through the following phone interview tips to give the best performance:

• The most important tip is - practice and practice a lot for your phone interview. You can even conduct a mock interview with a friend.
• Try to rehearse answers to the most common questions that are likely to be asked.
• Keep your resume in front of you on the desk so it is easier for you to refer to it.
• Turn off the call waiting on your phone line so that there is no interruption during the interview.
• Have a pen and paper nearby for taking notes.
• Turn off TV and clear the room. There should not be any kids or pets in the room.
• It helps you if you put a mirror in front of you while giving phone interview. This will increase your focus and by monitoring your own facial expressions you would be able to communicate well with the interviewer.

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