Getting a job is not that easy nowadays... especially when times are bad....Sometimes you need skills to make you employable... so.. listen out pple.. before looking for a job: read this :

Ten In-Demand Job Skillsby James C. Gonyea

As everyone who has held a job eventually learns, your future career prospects depend on the skills you have to offer an employer. And those workers with skills that are in demand are the ones who get the job.

The skills you should develop depend upon your interests, abilities and aptitudes, resources and career goals. But, with uncertain economic times ahead, it's important to look at the skills that will be useful in advancing your career. Here are 10 skills that the US Department of Labor says are on employers' wish lists.


Problem-Solving Skills
Many of the tasks we face each day in our personal and business lives are complex in nature. People who can identify problems, research solutions and make effective decisions are increasingly desired in such fields as business administration, management consulting, public administration, science, medicine and engineering.

Vocational-Technical Skills
Today, technology is advanced in all areas of human endeavor. Installation, testing and repair of most electrical, electronic and mechanical equipment in fields such as engineering, telecommunications, automotive, transportation and aerospace requires people with advanced vocational-technical skills.


Human Relations Skills
All companies with more than one employee face inevitable problems dealing with how people interact with each other. Often, the success of a company depends upon how well people can work together. It is the job of human resource managers, personnel officers, department managers and administrators to understand the needs of workers and how best to meet those needs within the confines of the employment environment.


Computer Programming Skills
Understanding how to harness a computer's power and program it to meet the specific needs of a particular company can dramatically increase your employment opportunities. Specific languages most in demand today include C++, Java, HTML, Visual Basic, Unix and SQL Server.


Teaching-Training Skill
Our modern society develops and collects more new data in a day than our ancestors did in a year. As a result, there will continue to be a demand for people with teaching and training skills in the fields of education, social services, management consulting and commerce.


Science and Math Skills
Great advances are being made daily in the fields of science, medicine and engineering. Bright minds skilled in the sciences and math are needed to meet the challenges of these fields.


Money Management Skills
With Americans enjoying a longer life span, it's essential today to carefully plan one's finances to ensure a comfortable life and retirement. Investment brokers and security officers, retirement planners, accountants and CPAs are in continual demand to meet this need.


Information Management Skills
In the Age of Information, America now produces information as the basis of its economic system, and individuals who possess the ability to manage information are critical to most businesses. Systems analysts, information technologists, database administrators and telecommunication engineers are examples of people with highly developed information management skills.


Foreign Language Skills
America depends upon many nations for raw materials and goods, as well as for global markets for our own goods and services. The ability to speak a foreign language -- today's hot ones include Russian, Japanese, Chinese, and German -- can enhance your employment opportunities and compensation.


Business Management Skills
The business of America is business! Understanding of how to run a successful company is highly in demand. At the core of these skills is the ability to manage people, systems, resources and finances; to understand the needs of consumers and how to translate those needs into business opportunities.




Hey pple.. you know the grass is always greener on the other side... and then you're thinking to go overseas to work and everything.. sometimes you have to compete with the locals. dun fret. because here are some tips to get that job.

Five Strategies for Finding Work Abroad
by Allan Hoffman

One quality often characterizes people who work abroad: Determination, in this case, to make it to another country. If you're going to move to France, Thailand or some other far-off land, this quality is often a prerequisite. Searching for work in the US alone can be a challenge, and now you're dealing with the additional hurdles of a foreign language and unfamiliar customs.

But determination is not enough. Typically, those who succeed in finding work abroad have a strategy to make it happen. How do you turn your determination into results? Here are five strategies for finding international jobs.

Just Go
This isn't the strategy for everyone, given the risks, but it's one time-tested, adventurous way to jump-start an international career. The idea is simple: Choose your country, move there and hope for the best. Actually, those who subscribe to the "just do it" mentality often incorporate an extensive amount of planning into the process. They research the job market in a particular region, make contacts and assess how long they'll be able to make it on their allocated funds. If all goes well, they reason, they'll find a job. If not, they've had an adventurous experience.

Move up the Ladder

A more conservative approach is to find a company known for sending its employees abroad. There's no guarantee you'll be among those chosen for an international stint, but setting this as a goal, and letting your managers know of you interest, is one way to work an overseas job into your long-term career plan. If your employer knows you're interested in an international assignment, you'll be able to use periodic reviews as a way to discuss the possibility of achieving this goal. Companies need to match the right people for overseas assignments, but they also want those with a strong desire to work abroad.

Make Connections

In these days of global communications, it's often possible to make contacts in other countries. To get started, join online discussion groups related to your profession. Whether you're a Java coder or a marketing guru, you will be able to find email lists and other forums devoted to your profession, often with members from other countries. Get to know them, seek advice and offer some to learn about opportunities in other countries. Online forums unrelated to work may be valuable meeting spots, too, but those connected with a specific field or area of expertise are often best for making the sort of contacts helpful in finding international work.

Go to School
You may think you've had enough of education, but learning opportunities abound in other countries, from immersion language courses to archaeology programs connected with ongoing digs. Once you're in a country, you'll be in a much better position to make the local connections needed to find paid work. Of course, you should be aware of the rules for work permits. Taking a full-time job may be prohibited under the terms of a student visa.

Start a Business or Freelance

Again, this isn't for everyone, but it is one way to make it to another country. Gain experience abroad, learn the language and start making local contacts. Those able to freelance from another country, such as technical writers or graphic artists, may be able to support themselves on US work as they establish themselves elsewhere. Starting a business abroad, whether it's as a bed-and-breakfast in Mexico or a tour operation in Russia, is another route. Ambitious, yes, but it can be done.

so people.. want to pack up and say au revior et A BIENTOT?