Soldiers don't need the big job boards (neither do you)

Veterans have federal right to old jobs

Veterans have a right to their old jobs back if they're returning from more than180 days of active duty.

They must notify their former employers within 90 days of returning to the states.

Big job boards aren't helpful

"Skip Monster.com and other broad job boards. They’re full of spammy, irrelevant recruiters," one writer counsels. (Hmmm, where have I heard that before?) He also recommends signing up for Google+, filling it out and forgetting it.

Con people are using the big job boards (glad somebody's getting use out of them) to contact victims. Clues the email is illegitimate:

* They ask for money for any reason.

* They say you're hired without an interview.

* The only contact method offered is email.

* No physical address is given.

* Words are spelled or used incorrectly.

* They want to mail you a check.

Online Presence

One study says 87% of companies check LinkedIn in recruiting. Good suggestions for using the site are here.

70% of companies who ran an online check didn't hire someone because of what they found.

Noted

Keep up to date on your job and industry. Set up Google or Yahoo news alerts. See if industry blogs or publications have an email or other alert service.

Not researching the company before the interview is a mistake, this article says. That's way too late to be looking them up. How can you write a résumé without knowing the company--and people inside?

Keep a record of where you've applied. When the phone rings, you want to be familiar with the company he's calling from. You need to know what contacts you've had with them previously.

Agriculture jobs are available, particularly rural Michigan.

To be deductible, job hunting expenses have to be related to a search within your current field.


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