Job Hunting or Looking for a New Career? Here are some resources that may help.

March 11, 2009 by Curt Siters

On Twitter one of my friends posted some links and info I thought I would pass along to you. These come from PCWorld.com

by Mark Sullivan

Quicken Online

If your job does go away, a smart first step is to declare martial law on your budget, paring down or eliminating all but the most essential expenses. I've never (seriously) maintained a personal budget, doing so will likely be one of the new experiences this downturn introduces me to. Since I'm unlikely to cut my broadband connection until I'm literally starving, I looked for a solid (and free) online budgeting tool--one that could pull information from elsewhere on the Web, and that was accessible from anywhere.

LinkedIn JobsInsider

One of the greatest comforts if you are unemployed (or if you're anticipating that you will be soon) is having a strong network of professional and social friends. Networking on sites such as LinkedIn, which focuses on career-related social networking, can be a powerful way to spread the word that you are looking for work, to advertise your expertise, to get difference-making recommendations from friends, and to find out about job opportunities.

SimplyHired

You've already heard about the large employment sites, such as CareerBuilder, HotJobs, and Monster. I'm not a big believer in such sites, and I don't often hear people talking about how wonderful any one of them is. Instead I recommend a relative newcomer called SimplyHired, a startup with financial backing from News Corporation, which owns Fox Networks.

DesperateDollars

DesperateDollars is filled with ideas for making money if you find yourself in really dire straits--things like getting tattoos for money, growing and selling your own food, doing for-pay surveys and secret-shopping assignments, volunteering for paid clinical tests, or donating sperm, blood, or hair. The site isn't the prettiest thing in the world to look at, but I found the assortment of money-making ideas entertaining, as well as somewhat of a comfort: It's a reminder that the world doesn't end if you lose your job. With a little creativity, in times of desperation you can still go out and bring home the bacon.

Free Napkin

FreeNapkin is like an eBay for free stuff. The site is a magnet for two types of people: folks looking for an easy way to recycle stuff they don't need by finding a new home for it, and those who are trying to cut costs by getting used stuff for free instead of going out and buying it. The "givers" post pictures and information about the items they want to dump, and the first FreeNapkin "claimer" to call dibs on the item wins it. The claimer pays the shipping on the item, or picks it up in person (the site filters the donations by city).

Uberi.com

If your income is threatened or interrupted, putting a tight grip on your outgoing cash is essential. Many deal sites have popped up on the Web in the last year, each with a slightly different product focus and approach. Uberi spends about half its time looking for consumer tech deals (TVs, printers, and the like), and the rest gathering listings for things important to families and small businesses, such as food, paper, and clothing. The deals appear in random order, not categorized, so you must scan through them; the link in each one leads out to the product page at the corresponding retailer's site.

Meetup

The Internet is a great place to start the process of finding a job, but getting hired happens as a result of direct, face-to-face contact with other people. Meetup provides a platform where anyone, regardless of where they live, can find or set up groups of local, like-minded people with specific shared interests or goals.

SmartyPig

With the economy on the wane, Americans are getting serious about saving money again--savings deposits were up 5 percent in January. It's a good time to consider SmartyPig, a savings Web site backed by a real FDIC-insured bank that attempts to make saving money more fun (and more successful) by adding social networking elements and Web widgets.

Recessionwire.com

Here's a cool new site that falls under the "moral support" heading. Recessionwire was founded by three journalists--a couple of Conde Naste Portfolio online editors and a freelancer--who found themselves, uh, underemployed. The three decided to vent their frustration by starting what they termed a "user's guide to the recession."

Wise Bread

Wise Bread is just one of a whole new wave of frugality sites. It's essentially a group of blogs with a discussion forum attached. The blogs cover ideas and advice on personal finance, career, frugal buying, green living, and ways to do everyday things more easily and cheaply ("lifehacks"). For instance, when I checked today I saw a blog about how the bailout package might affect your mortgage, a piece on cutting down your use of plastic bags, and a bit titled "Beware the Pretty Things: Four Reasons I'm Keeping My Ugly, Old Stuff". Every day the site features deals from around the Web, as well as advice from an expert on retirement planning and other money matters.

Read the full article at PCWorld.com.

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Curt Siters is an Independent Associate for Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. He is also aYoung Living Essential Oils Independent distributor and publishes articles on YourWebReference and at TheVeryEssence. He also does web work such as website design, website maintenance and SEO for websites.

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