Job Search Tips:       Tips to surviving your job search: Career consultants say that 90% of a job search is learning to manage your emotions. Everyone suffers some stress during their job search. The key is to never let it get the best of you! Searching for a job can evoke a range of emotions - but there are ways that you can control the twists and turns.

Try to look for value in your emotions. This will help put the situation in perspective, and you will be able to think clearly. Fear is another emotion that most job seekers face. Fear can often make you feel that the situation is out of control. To get out of this mind-trap, you can make and keep promises to yourself. Set goals that will empower your mind and get you into action mode. Start writing a journal or blog and register all your fears and the possible steps that you can take to overcome them.

Another very good way of beating job search stress is to participate in a support group. The most important thing to remember when facing the stress of looking for a job is to remain positive and active. By not letting your mind become idle, you can stop negative thoughts and fears from taking hold in the first place.

Passion essential to landing that dream job:   If one of your New Year's resolutions is to find a better job -- or just find a job -- you have lots of company right now. January is historically a peak hiring month. Many businesses operate on a calendar year budgeting cycle, so now they have money to fill vacancies or expand. Now could be the time to land your dream job. But first you have to know where to look and what to look for.

"Our parents were told that you went to school and then you made a career choice," he says, and that was it. And for generations, a Canadian worker could expect to be hired and retired by the same employer. But the economy -- not to mention individuals' attention spans and expectations -- has changed. Today, someone will go job hunting at least eight times in his or her life, writes Richard Bolles in his classic career-seekers guide, "What Color Is Your Parachute?"

How to discover a passion that pays? There's little mystery here, experts agree. You have to be honest with yourself -- about your skills, what you like to do and (most important) what you don't like to do. Susan W. Miller, founder of California Career Services, asks employed clients a seemingly simple question: When you're having a good day at work, what exactly are you doing? Among all the things that you do every day at work, what do you do best?

Three quick job search tips   First: Create your own momentum, "The Big Mo" -- you hear about it all the time in sports. Teams with momentum get on a roll, score-more often and win more games than teams without it. If your job search is stuck, you can create your own momentum and move toward the position you want by starting each day with a victory of some sort, no matter how small.

Second: Ask for help, listen -- and act! Question: How many people have you asked this month for advice about your job search? If you're absolutely honest in your answer, the number will be small. Too small. Why put all the pressure on yourself to find all the employment answers? Why not ask and discover what's worked for other people? Stop trying to figure it all out on your own. Instead, start multiplying your brainpower by asking others for advice.

Third: Know that change is your friend. According to the Bureau of Labor, voluntary employee turnover was 20.20% in 2004, the most recent year available. This means that on average about one in five employees quit their jobs every 12 months. What does that mean for you? In a company with 100 employees, approximately 20 of them will quit within the next year. So, don't despair. Keep in regular touch with the companies you want to work for, because it's only a matter of time until something opens up for you.

Are you a Job Hopper?     Changing jobs frequently is a reality of working today. Companies conduct layoffs with higher frequency than ever before. Most employees are not laid off for poor performance. Department consolidation, company relocation, merger and improved profit are just a few of the more common reasons for layoffs.

Changing jobs frequently is a common condition in the 21st century, but interviewers still question candidates about why they left jobs. Your response to this interviewer issue must provide information about why you left a previous position and assurances that you're seeking a long-term opportunity. Whether you changed by choice or layoff, you'll need to provide a reason for leaving each previous job. Candidates often include the reason for leaving a position in their resume so they do not get screened out prior to the interview. Your reason for leaving must be concise and reasonable.

Describe the reasons for your departure directly and succinctly. The longer you speak on the subject the more suspicious the interviewer will become. It is important to express that you've always sought and are still seeking a company where you can make a long-term commitment. Tell the interviewer that this opportunity appears to be a place where you can contribute in the short-term and long-term.

Don't use these out-of-date strategies in your resume Nowadays pumping up resumes with pictures and a full listing of hobbies, activities, and interests is out of date.

Hobbies rarely belong on resumes (and pictures, never). First, listing hobbies makes it look like you're trying to fill space. Maybe you do need to pad a sparse resume, but there are better ways. Second, your hobbies probably aren't relevant to an employer. Finally, the longer and more impressive the list of hobbies, the more you create an impression that your career isn't your priority. This isn't an impression you want to make.

There are exceptions. If your hobbies are relevant, they may be included. If you are applying for a sales job in an arts and crafts shop, an impressive list of hobbies may work in your favour. Also, recent students new to the working world get some leeway here: they may include a list of hobbies and extracurricular activities, as long as the activities listed are relevant and likely to be seen as positive (e.g., debate club - yes, poker shark - no).