1. Network systems and data communications analysts. There were about 262,000 network systems and data communications analysts in 2006 and it is expected to reach 402,000 by 2016. The 53.4% growth rate makes this job the fastest growing job in the United States. This job requires a bachelor’s degree and salary range is $46,360 or more

2. Personal and home care aides. There were around 767,000 personal and home care aides in the country in 2006 and the figure is projected to reach 1,156,000 in the next 10 years. This is the second fastest growing job in the United States, with a growth rate of 50.6%. You have to undergo on-the-job training to be accepted in this job that offers a salary of less than $21,220.

3. Home health aides. The home health sector employed approximately 787,000 home health aides in 2006. The BLS expects this number to increase by 48.7% in the next 10 years (1,171,000 home health aides in 2016). This makes this job the third fastest growing job in the country. It offers a salary of not more than $21,220, similar to the amount personal and home care aides receive. This job also requires  on-the-job training.

4. Computer software engineers. Computer software engineering (applications) is the fourth fastest growing sector in the United States in terms of employment. Estimates show that there were about 507,000 computer software engineers in the country in 2006. The number is predicted to balloon to 733,000 in 2016. This means a percentage growth of 44.6%. Computer software engineers are paid $46,360 or more. You need to have a bachelor’s degree related to software engineering to get into the job.

5. Veterinary technicians and technologists. There were around 71,000 veterinary technicians and technologists in the United States 2006 and the figure is projected to reach 100,000 in the next 10 years. This is the fifth fastest growing job in the country, with a growth rate of 41%. You need to have an associate degree to be accepted in this job that offers a salary that ranges from $21,260 to $30,560.

6. Personal financial advisers. The personal finance consultancy industry employed approximately 176,000 personal financial advisers in 2006. The BLS expects this figure to increase by 41% in the next 10 years (or about 248,000 personal financial advisers in 2016). This job provides a salary of $46,360 or more. This job also requires a bachelor’s degree related to finance.

7. Makeup artists. There were about 2,000 makeup artists working in theatrical shows and other performances in the United States in 2006 and it is expected to reach 3,000 by 2016. The 39.8% growth rate makes this job the seventh fastest growing job in the country. This job, which pays between $30,630 and $46,300, requires at least postsecondary vocational award.

8. Medical assistants. Medical assistance is the eighth fastest growing sector in the United States in terms of employment. Estimates show that there were about 417,000 medical assistants in the country in 2006. The number is predicted to increase to 565,000 in 2016. This means a percentage growth of 35.4%. Computer software engineers are paid  $21,260 - $30,560. You need a moderate on-the-job training to get into the job.

9. Veterinarians. There were about 62,000 veterinarians in the country in 2006 and the number is projected to reach 84,000 in the next 10 years. This is the ninth fastest growing job in the United States, with a growth rate of 35%. You need to have a first professional degree to get into this job that offers a salary of $46,360 or more.

10. Behavioral disorder and substance abuse counselors. This sector employed approximately 83,000 counselors in 2006. The BLS expects this number to increase by 34.3% in the next 10 years (112,000 home health aides in 2016). This job rounds up the ten fastest growing jobs in the United States. It offers a salary of between $30,630 and $46,300 and requires applicants to have at least a bachelor’s degree.

Telephone operators. Nowadays, fewer and fewer people are using pay phones, collect calls, and directory assistance. Thanks to 411 call services and cell phones, the need for telephone operators has been reduced significantly. The salary is $$32,710, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Division of Occupational Employment Statistics. And it is predicted to  decline by 45% by 2016.  The alternatives: desk clerks at hotels, motels or resorts, and customer service representatives.

Photographic process workers. The emergence of digital photography has enabled people to download, view, edit, and print photos on their own PCs, reducing the need for photographic process workers. Salary is $26,710 and is predicted to decline by 45%. The alternatives: Use your  photo processing knowledge as a printing machine operator or as a photographer.

File and order clerks.  The need to hire file and order clerks is reduced as organizations now use automated systems in placing orders. Digital storage and electronic retrieval of files reduce the role of clerks. Salary for file clerks is $32,190 and $28,130 for order clerks. Decline rate is 41% and 24%, respectively. The alternatives: traffic, shipping, and receiving clerks.

Bindery workers. The number of binding shops are dwindling since binding are now automated. What’s more, printing companies are now binding products in-house. Salary is $27,370 and the decline rate is 22%. The alternatives: While positions in production are decreasing, printing machine operators are declining the least.

Telemarketers. Due to the “don’t call” registry, the demand for telemarketers is dwindling. Salary is  $16.16/hour with a decline rate of 21%. The alternatives: data communications analysts or retail sales.

Pharmacy aides. Pharmacy aides will be eventually replaced by pharmacy technicians who will perform the tasks aides usually do, such as operating cash registers, stocking shelves, and answering phones, stocking shelves and operating cash registers. Salary is $20,950 and the decline rate is 11%. The alternative: Undergo training to become a pharmacy technician.

Floral designers. Limited opportunities for career growth and low starting pay cause many people to leave the job. In addition, traditional flower designers get a strong competition from Internet florists. Salary in this job is $23,040 with a decline rate of 9%. The alternatives: landscape architects (who also create designs with flowers) or try to work in a greenhouse or nursery.

TV and radio announcers. The advancement of technology and such media sources as syndicated TV programming and satellite radio mean less demand for TV and radio announcers. Salary is $36,120 with a decline rate of 8%. The alternatives: reporter, news analyst, interpreter or translator, correspondent.

Samplers and weighers, sorters, testers, inspectors. These jobs are evolving rapidly because many companies are now using self-monitoring production machines that alert inspectors and testers to defects they would usually detect mechanically. The salary is $27,148, and it is predicted to decline by 7% by 2016. The alternatives: agricultural, transportation, and construction and building inspectors.

Information processing workers and data entry keyers. The ubiquity of PCs enables people to contract out or perform their own word processing, reducing the need to hire full-time staff. Technologies such as voice recognition systems and bar-code scanners lessen the demandfor data entry workers. Salary is $29,430 with a decline rate of 7%. The alternatives: interpreters, translateros, and dispatchers.

High school grade point average (GPA) really matters when trying to attend higher education institutions. But how about when you’re fresh out of college and try to get into your first job? Just how much future employers value your hard-earned college grades? Are those sleepless nights reviewing for mind-blowing exams and those long hours spent at the library going straight to the garbage bin?

Yes, it matters

First, maintaining a high GPA can be crucial to your academic success. Performing poorly could result in academic probation, or worse, it could cost you your scholarship. Second, keeping an impressive GPA is vital to students whose dream is to attend top graduate schools such as Yale law school (3.9 average GPA), Harvard medical school (3.8 GPA), or Stanford business school (3.6).

Third, when you graduate from college, your GPA also matters to future employers to evaluate what you can contribute to the company. GPA is really important in case you have no work experience (even if it’s only a part-time job) while in college. Some fields also place high importance on GPA. If you’re into investment banking or a field requiring a Master’s or PhD degree, your academic performance in college will really matter.

No, it doesn’t count

GPA is only one of the many factors that employers consider in evaluating job application. A very high GPA alone doesn’t automatically translate into job success. Likewise, a low GPA doesn’t mean that you won’t be invited for an interview, given of course that you have relevant items on the resumé that interest the employer.

Your primary responsibility in college has been to go to class and complete all requirements. Theoretically, your GPA quantitatively measures your academic success and is likely a reflection of your future endeavors. However, there are many other factors aside from GPA that employers take into consideration before they hire you.

Work experience such as meaningful internships or on-the-job trainings in your field as well as part time jobs is also very important. This factor will make the playing field even. As a matter of fact, many companies would be more interested in hiring a candidate with a 3.0 average GPA with a summer or two spent in internship over a candidate with just a 3.9 GPA attached to his or her name.

Given that all other factors are equal, employers would be more inclined to choose the applicant with impressive GPA. This doesn’t mean, however, that an applicant with a so-so GPA can’t get a job with a reputable company. Many employers understand the different circumstances that college students have to go through. While they consider your GPA and your university’s reputation, they also take into account that working while studying and participating in extracurricular activities can affect academic grades.

Tell the truth

Many candidates who have low GPA leave this information off of their resumé. This is not a good decision at all as employers might wonder how mediocre your GPA really is. A career adviser said that if GPA is not stated on a resumé, he assumes the grade is under 3.0. Don’t lie about your grades. Instead, show the employer your academic strengths and skills the company is looking for.

A face-to-face interview with a hiring manager trying to prove that you’re what the company is looking for can be a very intimidating experience - especially if you’re to explain how you lost your previous job. Fired, displaced, canned, laid off, resigned. However you put it, it’s still a job loss and it’s one of the most nerve-wracking subjects to talk about during a job interview. So how are you going to handle   the situation if the interviewer asks you to explain a job loss? Here are some helpful tips to prepare you:

Be honest

Tackle the situation with all honesty. Failing to disclose the real cause of your job loss may put you in grave danger. When your employer checks references and finds out the truth, your dishonesty can cost you your job. And you don’t want to be asked again why you got fired in future interviews.

Make your explanation as brief as possible. Let the interviewer know what you’ve learned from the experience. Also tell him or her what actions you’re doing to change. And then talk about your accomplishments, qualifications, and how you can be an asset to the new organization.

While you have to be always honest when disclosing details, you don’t need to open the topic about why you lost the the job. You don’t have to reveal information voluntarily or focus the interviewer’s attention to this part of your resume unless he or she starts the conversation regarding the topic.

Changes in strategy

If your former company implemented radical changes in the organization that you didn’t fully approve of, briefly talk about the lessons you learned from this situation. It’s a no-no to say something bad anything about your previous company. You could say something like this instead: “Following the merger, our new boss wanted to change the strategy for the product group. I thought the status quo was much better than the proposed strategy. Now, I’m thinking, I should’ve tried to understand the reason for implementing the changes more and made amends to support the changes.” In this hypercompetitive business environment, every company needs to change. Tell the interviewer how willing you are to adapt to changes.

Monster boss

Difficult bosses are very common in many companies. Many times, you find yourself having a heated argument with your boss. If you lost your job because a new boss came along and you had difficulty getting along with him or her due to differences in opinion or just bad chemistry, tell the interviewer that some boss-subordinate relationships just don’t click. After this, talk about your good relationships with other bosses you worked for. Remember, never bad mouth your former boss as it will only make you look bad.

Dishonesty and other misdeeds

If you were terminated for very reprehensible reasons, such as substance abuse, sexual harassment,  falsifying company information, or misuse of company funds, don’t be surprised if the company you’re applying for is not eager to hire you. Be very honest and disclose only what must be disclosed. You also have to share to the interviewer what you learned as well as the actions you undertook to change.

If there is one quality that distinguishes good interviewees to the not-so good ones, it is the compulsion to announce to the whole world unnecessary and seemingly endless details of their private lives: an adventure with tribesmen in some exotic country in Africa, intolerance for snoring people, preoccupation with psychoanalyzing stupid people, obsession with the color black, dislike for Republicans, and many more. In typical interviews, many interviewees can’t just suppress the strong urge to say too much information (TMI). After all, while they have the interviewers’ attention, they feel that they must get everything out on the table.

To say or not to say?

When you declare during an interview you’re the chairperson of Britney Spears fan’s club or an admirer of the works of Karl Marx, don’t expect a second interview. Before you know it, your job application has already been fed to the paper shredder. According to career advancement expert Linda Lopeke, saying something that unwittingly pushed the hiring manager’s hot buttons only makes him or her see you as not suited for the job. She adds, “You always want to leave them wanting just a little bit more of you…Employers are looking to hire people who generate goodwill for the company and who make a good first impression on those they meet.”

Go ahead

So what information must be shared and which ones are better left unsaid? Information about your goals in life is a must. It is alright to say to the interviewer what you want in your life and how are you going to achieve it. You can also share your personal and professional development. Your greatest career highlights can be shared, but you must not exaggerate your achievements as this will turn the interviewer off. Interviewers want to know what motivates and excites you, what made you decide to become part of the industry, and why are you so enthusiastic about the job.

Be very cautious

There are some information that you need to talk about with caution. Talking about your trip to New Delhi or Buenos Aires might be OK, just make sure that everything you say is related to the company. For instance, if you know that the potential employer supports World Vision and you went to the exact place where the organization had a major charity activity to help poor children, it could work in your advantage. You should refrain if you’re only going to brag about how much you enjoyed riding the Gondola.

You may also want to disclose that you have allergies if you know that the interviewer is allergic to some things, too. This could be a good bonding moment. However, don’t ever announce that you’re allergic to incompetent people as this will make you look arrogant. In addition, a chat about your dog or cat is not a problem, but talking about your boa constrictor or alligator may cause a serious issue.

Leave this out

Don’t delve into topics like religion, politics, lifestyle choices, or family plans. Talking about your stand in same-sex marriage, contraceptives, the war in Iraq, and racial discrimination is sure to turn the interviewer off. You should also refrain from endless name dropping. Sure, you can name drop for building rapport, but there is a danger. According to Lopeke, “While you may know certain people who work for the company already, you don’t always know how they are perceived by their employer…If they’re on the hit list for any reason, you could be painted with that ‘birds of a feather’ brush instead of being evaluated on your own merit.”

Furthermore, you must not talk about your health history. During your interview, you must position yourself as reliable and dependable. Also stay away from discussing melodramatic house problems or rehab trips since interviewers don’t care about your personal life unless it is related to the company and the job you’re applying for. Finally, don’t talk about how you detest your previous employer. Bear in mind that no potential boss wants to hear “my boss is evil” stories. They won’t like you for it.

Less is more

Overall, you have to learn to keep irrelevant information yourself. As we all know, response to the interviewer’s question should be straightforward, without the flavor and color of irrelevant details. Every word and every sentence that come out of your mouth should be related to what the hiring staff is asking. Remember this: LESS IS MORE.

What feelings do you have when you see a prospective employer going through your resume? Perhaps you’ll have thoughts like “I hope he sees my good points” or “She really should see the things I’ve accomplished in my previous work” or even “Why isn’t he checking my last page?” For many jobseekers, what’s in his or her resume plays a very large part in convincing the prospective employer to either hire or not hire him or her.One of the best ways to make your resume more appealing-and more convincing-to prospective employers is by using a Power Statement. Power Statements are taglines that are rich in words or phrases that make a very strong statement to the employer about an applicant’s suitability for the job. Like keyword results that spring up from an online search engine, a well-crafted Power Statement utilizes strong words that make an impact on the employer when read.

For instance, if you’re applying for a managerial position, which of the two statements do you think has more impact? This…

Did general managerial responsibilities such as making reports, helped improve sales and sales networking, and coordinating department matters

Or this?

In 6 months, increased department efficiency by 60% and product sales by 50%, resulting in additional US$2.5 million in profit and heightened consumer interest for nearly one calendar year

It’s pretty obvious that your attention would be riveted to the second statement, simply because not only does the statement show that the applicant accomplished much, but also how he or she accomplished that much. Notice also how simple figures such as “60%” and “$2.5 million” help make such an impact.

Here are more examples of great Power Statements:

Created an employeee retention strategy that decreased employee attrition rate from 70% to 38% and reducing costly training seminars from three times a month to just once a month.

Helped generate an additional $45,000 - 75,000 worth of sales every month for the first two quarters of the year through streamlined product networking and aggressive direct customer selling.

Implemented monthly team meetings that helped target emerging urban markets which made the company recruit 100 more direct sellers and 60 more commercial distributors.

Increased the company’s Web presence by updating the corporate website, which in turn generated as much as 1,200 visits daily in a three-month-period.

Reorganized the entire department to become more cost-efficient, resulting in a 50% decrease in company expenses and increasing the annual advertising budget by 40%.

Are you ready to make your own Power Statement? Here are some helpful tips to get you started:

Always put in figures and numbers - Figures and numbers are powerful ways to convey good impressions. They are more direct and straight-to-the-point, immediately quantifying your quality. Yes, in this case, quantity is a sign of quality!

Use action words - These include words like increased, resulted in, implemented, organized, supervised, developed, devised, directed, achieved, etc. These kinds of words create a particularly positive mood and are the familiar words one would expect from success-oriented people.

Keep it to one statement - Avoid using two or more sentences when describing one particular job or job accomplishment. As a rule: one sentence alone should encapsulate your statement. However, you can use different Power Statements in describing different jobs, though.

Position it in the first page - As much as possible, your Power Statement/s should be already on the first page of the resume. The general rule is, the more important information should be in the less page, with other information of lesser value on the succeeding pages. That’s because the potential interest level of an employer is at its highest when he or she is reading the first page.

Limit the number of statements - If you’ve been working for 20 years already and have had more than 8 jobs, you really don’t need to mention all those jobs you’ve had and make statements about each one. The rule is, the less the clutter, the better.

Avoid exaggerating - You’re point is to impress the employer, but try not to make a mountain out of a molehill when describing your past achievements. For instance, you can say that you helped your previous company by increasing employee efficiency, but don’t say that because of you alone, the company became more efficient.

There are many kinds of electronic resume. It is usually based on the storage device since this also determines the possible amount of data you could put in. There are floppy disk, flash drive, mini disk, and in cases where you need to, in compact disc or in DVD.

Other than that, there are resumes where you post online. Besides attaching your word processor resume in job bulletin boards and job websites, there are also interactive resumes like video resume, flash animation-based resume, website resume, and others. You could even use your social networking profile as your electronic resume.

An advantage of having a new media resume is that it is virtually portable. Your job hunting has become paperless and if you do everything online, saves you the hassle of travel. Another plus is that through technology, it helps you make your resume more appealing.

Just like your usual resume black ink on white paper, content should be organized and be in chronological order. Emphasize your strong points. Since you have the luxury of unlimited space, you could provide more information. You could also provide a variety of means of contacting you by giving out links to your social networking profiles, instant messenger usernames, and email address.

You could also integrate different forms of electronic resumes into one presentation. For example, you could embed a video of yourself, giving out a brief bio, some of your work experience, and your future needs and expectations.

For the artist in you, you could also put in flash games or include your portfolio as a slide show. This works well for programmers, graphics artists, and web developers.

Finally, the web helps out in distribution. Put the URL of your web resume in your email and forum signature, IM status, job websites, virtually everywhere where you could leave a mark.

Since I mentioned it, limit font styles to two at the most. Recommended fonts to use are the ‘basic’ fonts like Times New Roman, Arial, Courier, Verdana, or Georgia. Put variety by using bigger sizes in the headers and using bold and underlines. But do remember to not overdo it.

Font size should range from ten to 20. Adjust according to preference and readability.

In the header, your name should stand out by using a bigger font and not just making it bold. Make sure that your contact information is updated.

Next thing to remember is to emphasize your most recent achievements. If you are fresh out of school, put up your educational background. If you have had a considerable amount of actual work experience, it is better to highlight your employment history.

There is no need to put in all of your information. Create a specific resume for a particular job or field you want to go in to. For example, if you want to try out computer graphics and writing, produce a different resume for the former which stresses your related experience in computers and graphics and compose another one which accents your writing projects.

Make your resume easy to read. Unless it is a unique job title or job description, you only need bullet points or to enumerate your previous work. Again, put in front the most recent.

Awards and certifications should follow. This also includes seminars and symposiums related to the work you are applying to. Then mention extra-curricular work or other hobbies or activities that you do to show that you are a well-rounded person.

If there is still space, write miscellaneous information about yourself that you think would be needed by your employer. Limit your resume to three pages max. Better to limit yourself to two pages, if not, one.

To those who want to include a photo, attach the image by pasting it on the soft copy rather than stapling or gluing it manually. Use a recent photo. Size 1 x 1 inch is all right, although you may also use 2 x 2 inches or passport size.

A suggestion is to put the picture at the bottom right end at the last page of the document rather than at the top right in the first page. Besides not messing up the first page layout, it is a conversation piece on why you have your picture at the final page.

By this I mean how much would you put in to emphasize some points in your resume. As a disclaimer, this is neither about stretching the truth nor exaggerating a task you did as part of your work experience. This is merely about accentuating the good parts in order to highlight them.

This is the nifty trick of using clever euphemisms to pad your resume. This somehow involves clever wit and creative wordplay. Again, let me remind you that no lies were used in creating this resume.

The very obvious area of the resume where a little figure of speech could be put into play is at the job description. Being bland and narrative does not work to some. Besides, how well you put it could give you some brownie points come interview time.

An example of this would be to depict one of your tasks as “ensuring quality customer service” when you actually mean that you add “Would you like fries with that?” as an auto response after getting the order or handing out a free apple pie to an irate customer because your companion fouled up his order.

Another place in the resume where you could play around are your job titles. It helps if you officially had that title, then it would not be hard for you to justify why you were a content analyst in your last job when what you did was check the layout, design, and actual content of webpages before they get uploaded. Since being an editor usually invokes thoughts of correcting spelling and grammatical errors, it would be better for your standing if you also have a more all-encompassing job title that connotes the diversity of the work that you did.

Fancifying your resume might also mean breaking the monotony of what is written. Sure, the last five jobs you had were all copywriting, headwriting, and freelance writing. Then why not put in something similar yet something different? What are synonyms for anyway? Put your writing skills into good use, especially if you are an one professionally.

From there, you could coin something new and hip like content provider. If you are doing it on the web, adding something like conceptualizer and composer of online digital content would have that futuristic techie feel although technically, you are still a writer deep inside.

Another idea and also another concept of resume composition is to itemize your tasks instead of position. This works well for the renaissance man. Instead of writing down plain old production assistant, you can enumerate the different things you did as PA like researcher, analyst, copy editor, and what have you.

For those who are trying to scrape the bottom of the barrel for any skill where they were not academically trained to specialize in, one could state instead the number of units related to the field you want to get in to. It is a plus if you have had additional training or employment somewhat close to the job you are currently applying for.

Turning one small skill set into something that you want to be perceived as have been doing for so long is quite a challenge. Just be sure to deliver if you are asked to. For example, dealing with people from different countries because of circumstance might make you an incidental diplomat. If you feel you could hack it fulltime, then give it a try.

In essence, it is about making things sound better than they usually do and bringing out every drop of goodness from an experience. Or maybe I am just stretching it. But, at least, you get the drift.

That being said, I am a Verdana person. Still, I did not put much notice into it. I just like using Verdana. It must have been its slender lines when it is in its normal font face and how it fattens up when in bold that appealed to me. It is not as formal looking as a serif font like Times New Roman and it is not as irregular as Comic Sans. Where am I getting these descriptions from?

On to the topic, the font that you use could give the HR person perusing your resume an idea of your personality and if you are a right fit for the job.

Standard practice in the corporate setting is to go for the formal fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, and Verdana. There is no actual research yet with regards to people’s perception of fonts used in resumes, but the closest would be is the Washington State University study of people’s reaction to fonts used as marketing tools. According to the research, it is a safe bet to go for Grade Six fonts, like the ones mentioned above since they evoke a feeling of comfort.

The study also shows that there are certain fonts that can be appropriate in certain fields. Grade One fonts are feminine, and thus can be utilized in women-dominated jobs. Grade Two fonts, on the other hand, are what are called the ‘edgy’ fonts, thus they can be put in by job-seekers whose professions are more right-brain inclined. Grade Four fonts are more masculine and more apt for stereotypically manly jobs.

Another point to consider is whether the resume would be submitted online or needs to be a hardcopy. Sans serif fonts are perceived to be easier on the eyes when viewed from a PC monitor and are also more contemporary.

It also helps if the font you use is appropriate to the field you are trying to get into. It would seem odd if you would be submitting a resume in good old TNR if you are applying for a design position. Now that is called out of place.

Font size and layout also matter in the resume, but these are better reserved for another topic. As with the content, how your resume is presented is as important a factor whether you will get that job you are aspiring for or if you have to try your luck somewhere. Or if you have to construct a new resume altogether.