I was just quoted in Paul Bomberger's new article on "5 Tips for a Quick Transition to a New Job" for Bankrate.com.  Some advice for the long-term unemployed includes getting back into the physical habits of a work routine, learning the company culture, and identifying the employer's needs.  

Science magazine reports that a new study published in the Journal of Cultural Economics found that "On a scale of 1 to 10, artists—those whose principal occupation involves performance or visual art—ranked their job satisfaction at 7.32 to 7.67 on average, while nonartists averaged 7.06." 

If you're like most job seekers, at some point during your search you'll really start wondering just what prospective employers are looking for in their hiring process.  For an established company with a large HR department or a small upstart where one or two people are the key decision makers, there are a lot of different considerations, needs, and goals, to say nothing of the company's actual resources.  In this video that appears on Forbes.com, three C-level executives from thriving companies (Smashburger, e-Cycle, and CampusBookRentals) discuss knowing when it's the right time to hire, investing in HR, and candidate screening.  

What are some of the questions you'd like to ask hiring managers?  

I'm excited to introduce a new semi-regular blog series of introductory informational interviews with people at all levels in a wide range of careers.  This series is designed to present job seekers with a snapshot of different professions and the paths that lead to them.  Our first mini-interview is with Adam, who is a manager at a background investigations company.

An Informational Interview with Adam, Manager at a Background Investigations Company

1. What's your current job title?

Coordinator of the Proofing Department

2. What jobs did you hold before this?

Validator (general staff of the proofing dept.)

3. How did you get hired into your current position?

I earned a promotion after 5 years working in my department.

4. Did you need any special training for your job?

I came to the company with a Bachelor's degree, and then completed on-the-job training on the system.

5. What do you think makes someone successful in your role? Are there certain traits or skills a

person needs to have?

Attention to detail, good writing skills, and a high level of focus.

6. What is something you didn't know about this job before you were hired?

Federal guidelines.

7. What are some of the challenges your industry is currently facing?

The general state of economy, also trying to achieve a balance of speed and accuracy.

8. How do you see the industry changing over the next 10 years?

Faster results, easier access with clearance, and possible tightening of security of information.

9. Do you belong to any professional organizations?

The company is ISO 9000 certified, so I make sure we follow the organization's standards.

10. If somebody was considering making a career change or starting a career in your industry,

what advice would you have? What's a good place to start?

I would recommend finishing college and suggest job seekers try to enter at a high level in areas such as sales or IT.

Debra Auerbach included some of my tips in her great article for MSN Careers / CareerBuilder on how to negotiate non-salary benefits.  She gives a nice overview of the different steps to make the negotiation process as smooth as possible, and includes a list of some of the benefits candidates can successfully negotiate.  

Some of the negotiables mentioned in the article include the job title itself, vacation time, profit sharing, advance degree / training sponsorship, severance / outplacement packages, housing subsidies, wardrobe allowances, child care subsidies, and transportation benefits.  Another major area for negotiation can be the work hours / flexibility to work from home.

Tips for negotiating: do your research, know what you want and what you are really willing to take, and plan ahead!  You can negotiate to ensure you'll have another opportunity to negotiate again soon - whether that's a 6-month performance review or a guaranteed salary bump/bonus  when you meet a certain productivity goal. 

Yesterday the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its Employment Situation Summary for July 2012, and the results aren't bad!  The BLS reports  "Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 163,000 in July....  Employment rose in professional and business services, food services and drinking places, and manufacturing."   The unemployment rate is "essentially unchanged" with a slight increase from 8.217% in June to 8.254% in July.

I just set up a facebook page so now you can follow me there, as well as on my LinkedIn page.