Every job seeker needs a friend like Jas.
            
She's the kind of person who reads dozens of newspapers every day, and scans through job boards in her spare time.
            
She has her ear to the ground -- and if a company in your town is hiring, she's usually the first to know.
            
Even better...

We've all heard the old saying:
            
"It's not what you know, it's who you know."
            
There's a lot of truth in these words, but a lot of folks have it wrong.
            
In reality, "what" you know counts for a lot -- especially when it comes to how you've applied this knowledge in order to achieve results in your past jobs.

Here's a simple way to stay sharp while you're looking for a job, increase your confidence, meet interesting people, and even create new opportunities.
            
(It's something I recommend every job seeker does.)
            
Volunteer -- i.e. donate your skills and experience to your community.
            
Here are some different ways you could do that:

Here's a question I receive quite often:
            
"What if I'm just the same as every other candidate? What if there's no genuine reason why a hiring manager should choose me over everyone else who's also applying for the same job? What if I don't stand out?"
            
Great question.
            
This is the most important part of applying to any job -- having a clearly defined Unique Selling Proposition that sets you apart from the competition.

This blog contains a simple strategy experienced job candidates can use to get an "unfair" advantage over younger candidates.
            
It's extremely effective, providing:
            
(a) you are talented at what you do; and
            
(b) you have at least two decades of experience getting results; and
            
(c) you know the job you're applying for like the back of your hand.

Stop me if you've heard this story before...
            
One day, the emperor's favorite steamship ground to a halt, so he sent his messengers across the land to search for talented engineers who could get it working again. "He who fixes it", he said, "shall name his own price."
            
Engineers came, tried their hardest, and left frustrated and confused.
            
The emperor grew more and more desperate.

As you know, I'm all about putting more irons in the fire, building bridges, opening new doors -- anything that can attract job opportunities your way.
            
It's about being proactive.
            
What always amazes me -- even though I've been helping folks land their dream job for a long time now -- is that some of the best job opportunities come from the strangest and most unexpected places.
            
Anyway...

A member of our community asks:
            
"I'm being boxed out of the office. Is there anything I can do?"
            
It can happen to the best of us.
            
One day, things are fine. You get along with everyone. Then a new boss takes over or a new employee joins the team, and, suddenly, the dynamic changes.

Today, I want to talk with you about a dilemma that a lot of folks find themselves in — especially after the kids have left home, and it's time to start thinking about the next chapter of their own life.
                                                                                                                    
I'm talking about the "grinding-away-until-retirement" dilemma.
                                                                                                                    
On one hand, retirement is still 10-15 years away. And although you might love to retire now, unless you want to spend your "golden years" in the poor house, you need to continue working and building up your nest egg.

Here's a phenomenon I've noticed.
            
It happens sometimes when you've been out of work for longer than you expected. It's one of those "head trash" issues that erodes your confidence.
            
You start out as unemployed.
            
You're looking for a job. You're back on the talent market.