BostonWorks Offers Important Tips for Finding a New Job in 2005; 2005 BostonWorks Big Help to Feature 20,000 Jobs From Area Employers.

BOSTON -- A recent poll on the BostonWorks.com Web site shows that 37% of job seekers who responded felt 2004 was an "abysmal" year career-wise. Another 27% rated it as "not so great."(1) But rest assured - 2005 is a new year.

Encouraged by an improving job market, employees are beginning to look for bigger and better opportunities. With more than 20,000 jobs currently posted on the BostonWorks.com site, it is clear that local employers are also looking to add employees to their roster. Employers now have new budgets and open positions, making January the best time of the year to look for a new job.

"We've seen strong growth in a number of industries over the past few months, including job creation in manufacturing, health services, hospitality, finance and professional services," said Tim Murphy, general manager of BostonWorks. "There are thousands of jobs in the BostonWorks January Big Help, with employers looking for a wide range of candidates, including diverse hires, temporary and hourly workers and college graduates."

What can you do to make sure you get one of these new jobs? BostonWorks offers the following tips to help you find that next great opportunity:

Start with Internet job boards and classified ads - but don't stop there. Look for jobs through networking, college career centers, and professional associations -- everywhere you go.

--Follow your passion. Think about what you care most about and how you can turn that into a job. Your enthusiasm for the subject is sure to impress in an interview.

--Update your resume. Even if you have a job, you never know when opportunity may knock. Keep your resume updated. It's much easier to detail your accomplishments as they happen, rather than going back to catalogue them. Provide quantifiable data and avoid industry terms familiar only to someone in your current field.

--Be persistent. Don't just send a resume and hope it leads to a position. Find a contact name where you want to work. Call. Follow-up. Send thank-you notes. There is truth to the old saying -- out of sight, out of mind. But a word of caution - persistence is not the same as stalking.

--Develop that elevator speech. It's a ten second statement about what you do and what type of position you are looking for. Keep it upbeat and brief. Then tell it to everyone you meet.

--Keep a positive attitude. It may take time but that next opportunity will present itself. Stay motivated and confident. A sense of humor is also helpful.

--Network, network, network. Put yourself in the position to meet people who can help you. Attend professional association meetings, conferences and networking events.

--Do your homework. In an interview, you can shine by knowing the company's business, their goals and how this position fits into the overall strategy.

--Choose your references carefully. Prior employers, college professors, industry associates who can speak positively to your experience, results and work ethic are all good choices. Ask for permission before listing someone as an reference and prepare him or her in advance with copies of your resume, the job descriptions, and samples of your work.

The Big Help - Sunday, January 9.

On Sunday, January 9, the BostonWorks section of The Boston Sunday Globe will feature The Big Help, the biggest recruitment event of the year. This twice-yearly careers super-section will feature thousands of area employers, including Antigenics, Axcelis, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Scientific, Broadcom, First Marblehead, Genzyme, Mercury Computer Systems, Novartis, Venturi Career Partners, and many more. The Big Help can be found in the January 9 issue of the Boston Sunday Globe and online at www.bostonworks.com

About BostonWorks

BostonWorks, a division of The Boston Globe, is the leading recruitment services provider in Greater Boston. Combining the power of The Boston Globe and Boston.com, BostonWorks reaches an audience of more than 2.4 million each week. In addition to the Sunday Globe's BostonWorks section, the division offers BostonWorks.com with more than 20,000 job listings and 630,000 resumes; industry-specific magazines such as "On Call" for nurses and allied health professionals; JobSource, a weekly career publication with distribution of over 100,000; and 12 career fairs held in Greater Boston throughout the year.

(1) The poll results are based on 1,192 votes cast by BostonWorks.com users from December 24 - 31, 2004. Only one vote per user was counted in the final results. The poll was not scientific and represents the opinion of only those Internet users who chose to participate.