It’s a valid frustration and one that we’re all familiar with. It’s understandable that employers are swamped with applications, especially because they’re getting up to 75 resumes for a single position. Job seekers get that they can’t always respond to every single applicant…but to never so much as e-mail or call someone back after an interview?

Our sister blog, The Hiring Site, decided to help us out with this question by asking their audience of employers to give us the low-down on why this might happen. Last week, we got an answer that was worthy of telling you, as it was filled with sound advice.

HRPro gave this response:

“Job searchers, please understand that hiring managers and HR professionals are receiving 10times the amount of resumes than they would have a year or two ago. Their time is spread thin and it is difficult to respond to each resume or application. Don’t expect to hear from every company that you’ve applied. The position may have filled and the manager has moved on.

If you interview for a job, though, a good hiring manager will always follow up. Additionally, be mindful of several things.

First, don’t apply for a job for which you clearly are not qualified.

Second, prepare for your interview. If you know nothing about the company you are interviewing with, it’s an immediate red flag to the hiring manager.

Finally, if a hiring manager indicates that she will contact you in two weeks and you have not heard from her, you should follow up with her. It may be that the process is taking longer than she expected. Remember, two years ago, job seekers were particular about the jobs they would accept. Today, managers are trying to find the “perfect” candidate rather than settling on a candidate.”

So there you have it. What do you think, job seekers?

Source:
http://www.theworkbuzz.com/employment/employers-dont-call-back/

While the importance of earning a college degree to secure a good job has been engrained in our brains for as long we can remember, it’s becoming more and more evident that a four-year degree is not the only path to a successful career.

Though education is a great way to develop skills and will no doubt enhance your credibility, a college education is no longer a requirement to securing a well-paying salary. Despite the fact that college graduates earn an average of $1 million more during their careers than high school graduates, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, it is possible to land a lucrative position otherwise.

Additionally, workers with a high school education or less have an abundance of positions open to them. In 2006, 66 million jobs — about 44 percent of the total — were available to workers with less than a high school education, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By 2016, there is expected to be 71 million jobs available these workers.

Just because these jobs don’t require a college education, however, doesn’t mean that they don’t require hard work or extensive training. Here are 20 of the highest-paying jobs that don’t require a degree, according to CBSalary.com.

1. Margin department supervisor

Salary: $83,579/year

Primary duties: Overseeing the credit department, which manages customer credit accounts and approves or denies credit to customers.

2. Air traffic controller

Salary: $74,922/year

Primary duties: Controlling air traffic around airports according to established procedures and policies to ensure flight safety.

3. Automobile service station manager

Salary: $72,246/year

Primary duties: Supervising gas stations and planning and implementing policy and procedure like hours of operation, workers’ duties and prices for products and services.

4. Real estate broker

Salary: $71,994/year

Primary duties: Securing real-estate transactions, selling real estate, renting properties and arranging loans.

5. Web surfer

Salary: $70,604/year

Primary duties: Scouring through multiple Web sites to analyze and compare information and user experiences to collect information to help companies understand online user behaviors.

6. Lead carpenter

Salary: $63,345/year

Primary duties: Leading the on-site completion of construction projects and performing all types of carpentry work and finishing.

7. Cable supervisor

Salary: $60,887/year

Primary duties: Supervising the activities of workers engaged in installation, maintenance and cable repair.

8. Chemical supervisor

Salary: $57,472/year

Primary duties: Overseeing workers who make chemical products, verifying that chemical processes are followed.

9. Home-care aide supervisor

Salary: $56,157/year

Primary duties: Directing aides who mind for elderly or disabled people in a home environment, and monitoring the quality and quantity of services provided.

10. Medical facility housekeeping manager

Salary: $55,368/year

Primary duties: Managing the workers and housekeeping program in medical facilities to uphold sanitary and orderly conditions.

11. Flight service manager

Salary: $54,350/year

Primary duties: Ensuring that flight attendants conform to personal appearance and preflight requirements; compiling flight reports.

12. Locomotive engineer

Salary: $54,084/year

Primary duties: Driving electric, diesel-electric, or gas-turbine-electric trains to transport passengers or freight.

13. Interior aircraft assembly supervisor

Salary: $53,606/year

Primary duties: Supervising the process of assembling everything on the inside of an aircraft from mechanics to furniture.

14. Painting supervisor

Salary: $51,977/year

Primary duties: Overseeing all painting activities such as mixing paint, preparing surfaces before painting and applying decorative or protective finishes to various structures.

15. Gas plant operator

Salary: $51,676/year

Primary duties: Maintaining certain pressures in pipelines to produce and/or transport natural gas.

16. Payroll supervisor

Salary: $51,410/year

Primary duties: Managing employees working on company payroll, ensuring that pay calculation is in accordance with company policy, government regulations and tax codes.

17. Assembly supervisor

Salary: $50,462/year

Primary duties: Overseeing workers who use power tools and other equipment to assemble products.

18.  Credit and collection supervisor

Salary: $50,330/year

Primary duties: Supervising employees engaged in the review of credit risks and collections; may also review client credit history to grant or deny extensions of credit.

19. Data control supervisor

Salary: $50,310/year

Primary duties: Managing data entry workers and assuming responsibility for those workers’ tasks to be complete and accurate; may sometimes assist with assignments.

20. Reimbursement recovery specialist

Salary: $49,246/year

Primary duties: Negotiating cases where third-party liability reimbursement exists by investigating and identifying responsible third parties, then paying out those parties.

Rachel Zupek is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

Every now and then, I come across an occupation that makes me wish I was in a different line of work. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job — but some professions really seem too good to be true. Recently, for example, I came across an article about a man named Julian Jones, whose job is essentially as a baby sitter — to all-star athletes.

“Part companion, part publicist, part chaperone and part guardian angel, Mr. Jones, who lives in Las Vegas and works for a pair of casino owners, specializes in setting up elaborately arranged outings for athletes where every detail from transportation and tickets to the members of the entourage is premeditated,” writes Hannah Karp of The Wall Street Journal, in an article about Jones.

He got the gig when he met Gavin Maloof, who with his brother Joe owns the Sacramento Kings and the Palms Casino Hotel in Las Vegas. Maloof first offered Jones a job as a personal assistant — entertaining athletes was not in the job description.

“Nowadays, armed with a complimentary suite at the casino, the keys to Mr. Maloof’s Sacramento home and an allowance for first-class travel, Jones is free to perform his wingman role almost exclusively,” Karp writes. “‘We pretty much let J.J. go on his own,’ says Mr. Maloof.”

While not everyone has the luck of meeting millionaires at Las Vegas parties, there are other (more realistic) cool jobs out there. Don’t believe me? Take a look at these 10 awesome jobs:

1. Cruise director
Cool factor: Aside from getting to travel the world on a cruise ship, these guys have the ability to make or break a cruising experience. They are essentially the face of the cruise line, planning and coordinating daily activities and excursions for passengers, on and off shore. If you love making plans and organizing activities but don’t have strong sea legs, have a go at event planning.
Average annual salary: $21,219*

2. Doll doctor
Cool factor: We all had a favorite doll or something similar when we were young — and we were devastated when something happened to it. Doll “doctors” can make that desolation go away for little ones. They examine dolls to determine the extent of damage and the repairs needed, and then restore them to the best condition possible. If you like to sew and/or fix things but aren’t into dolls, look into careers in textiles, apparel and furnishings.
Average annual salary: $24,413

3. Foley artist
Cool factor: Foley artists use whatever they can find to create and record the noises used to make the sound effects in films, like heavy footsteps, rolling thunder or creaking doors. If you’re more interested in mixing music than sound effects, look into a job as a sound engineering technician.
Average annual salary: $55,959 (sound technicians)

4. Food critic
Cool factor: What could be cooler than getting paid to taste everything from gourmet dishes to bar food — for free — and then publishing your opinion for others to read? If you’re more interested in getting paid per word than per calorie, try your hand as a reporter.
Average annual salary: $58,704

5. Pet psychologist
Cool factor: When a veterinarian can’t diagnose an animal’s condition, a pet psychologist might be called to diagnose the issue. If, for example, if a dog has been acting differently since he came home from boarding, the psychologist works with the owner to resolve the issue. Not to be mistaken for a pet trainer, this occupation requires a high level of education and training. If you’d rather help animals through medical treatments than behavioral remedies, look into what it takes to be a veterinarian.
Average annual salary: $19,220 (animal behaviorist)

6. Route setter
Cool factor: These folks are like modern-day trailblazers; they change the routes in various settings, such as indoor climbing walls, foot trails and running races. Interested in running but not so much in setting the routes? Look for careers in nonprofits and fundraising, which often help put on races.
Average annual salary: Unknown

7. Shoe designer
Cool factor: Shoes are a fetish for millions of men and women around the world — to be the mastermind behind the look of the cutest/hippest/most unusual shoes on the market would be a pretty sweet gig. Not interested in design but love shoes? Try your hand in shoe manufacturing or repair.
Average annual salary: $67,247

8. Storm chaser
Cool factor: Remember the movie “Twister”? Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton tempt Mother Nature by chasing life-threatening storms through Oklahoma. While storm chasers aim to track tornadoes, they also study cloud formations and severe thunderstorms, too. Keep in mind that storm chasing can be very dangerous; if you’d like to pursue storms in a safe environment, check out careers in weather forecasting and meteorology.
Average annual salary: $60,968

9. Video game tester
Cool factor: For eight hours a day, five days a week, all these folks do is play video games. They repeat levels, games and characters, looking for any bugs and/or glitches in the software. If you’re not interested in playing the games, look into designing, developing or programming them instead.
Average annual salary: $44,600

10. Voice actor
Cool factor: Everyone knew the late Don LaFontaine, the famous voice behind thousands of movie trailers, TV advertisements and network promotions. Voice actors also loan their chops to movies and cartoons. Wouldn’t it be neat to have your voice be familiar to the whole world? If you’d like a less publicized career in television, look to work behind the scenes in advertising.
Average annual salary: $47,000. If you have a highly recognizable voice, you’ll probably get paid more.

*Salaries according to CBSalary.com

Rachel Zupek is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

20 most common part time job interview questions:

1.       Tell me a little about yourself?

2.       What was the reason you left your last job?

3.       What experience do you have working in this field?

4.       What do you know about our organization?

5.       Why do you want to work for this organization?

6.       Are you a team player?

7.       Have you ever been asked to leave a job?

8.       How you would be an asset to this organization

9.       Why should we hire you?

10.   What is your greatest strength?

11.   Why do you think you would do well at this job?

12.   What are you looking for in a job?

13.   Tell me about a problem you had at work.

14.   What has disappointed you about your last job?

15.   Describe your work ethic.

16.   Tell me about the most fun you have had at your last job.

17.   Do you have any questions for me?

18.   What do you like to do in your free time?

19.   What are your strengths?

20.   What are your weaknesses?

The new year is often brimming with resolutions, goals and hope for a good year, personally and professionally. One way to make those hopes a reality is to improve your financial situation.

But how can that happen when so many people are getting laid off and companies are cutting budgets, bonuses and salary increases?

One way to boost your bank account is to take on a part-time job, which is defined as a position that requires working fewer than 35 hours per week, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There are currently 25.5 million part-time workers, according to the BLS. In November 2008, the number of people who worked part time for economic reasons, meaning that they would like to work full time but couldn’t because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to, rose to 7.3 million.

As workers everywhere feel the effects of the slowing economy, more and more workers are turning to part-time work for help. The number of people looking for part-time work rose to 1.5 million in the third quarter of 2008, compared with 1.3 million in the first quarter.

If you’re looking for a way to boost your income, either by working part time in addition to your full-time job or as your only source of earnings, here are 10 part-time jobs that earn great wages, will experience job growth or have a large number of available job openings, according to the BLS.

Keep in mind, these jobs won’t come easy — you’ll still have to earn any necessary credentials or training to obtain these positions. But, we guarantee your work will be worth the extra money.

1. Massage therapist

Part-time projection facts*:

Almost 42 percent of all massage therapists worked part time in 2006.

Employment for massage therapists is expected to increase 20 percent from 2006 to 2016.

Job growth for massage therapists is expected to be faster than average with very good job prospects, particularly for those seeking part-time work.

Salary: $19.39/hour**

2.  Fitness worker

Part-time projection facts:

Many fitness jobs, such as trainers or exercise instructors, are part time.

Fitness workers should have good opportunities due to rapid job growth in health clubs, fitness facilities and other settings where fitness workers are concentrated.

Fitness worker employment is expected to increase 27 percent over the 2006-2016 decade.

Salary: $15.86/hour

3.  Bill and account collector

Part-time projection facts:

Many collectors work part time or on flexible work schedules.

Employment of these workers is expected to grow by 23 percent through 2016.

As cash flow becomes more important in business, companies are placing greater emphasis on collecting unpaid debts sooner, making job prospects favorable.

Salary: $15.21/hour

4. Librarian

Part-time projection facts:

More than 20 percent of librarians work part time.

Despite slow economic growth, many librarians are expected to retire in the next decade, creating a large number of job openings.

Salary: $25.41

5. Nursing aide

Part-time projection facts:

Nursing aides held approximately 1.4 million jobs in 2006.

Employment of nursing aides is expected to grow faster than average in the next decade.

In 2006, 23 percent of aides worked part time compared with 15 percent of all workers.

Salary: $11.50/hour

6. Receptionist and information clerk

Part-time projection facts:

More than three of every 10 receptionists and information clerks work part time.

More than 200,000 new jobs will arise for these workers over the 2006-16 period.

Receptionists and information clerks are expected to increase by 17 percent from 2006 to 2016.

Salary: $11.82

7. Dental assistant

About 35 percent of dental assistants worked part time in 2006.

Employment is expected to grow 29 percent from 2006 to 2016.

Dental assistants are estimated to be one of the fastest-growing occupations over the 2006-16 projection period.

Salary: $15.52/hour

8.Teacher assistant

Part-time projection facts:

Teacher assistant employment is expected to grow by 10 percent between 2006 and 2016.

Approximately four in 10 teacher assistants work part time.

Teacher assistants held 1.3 million jobs in 2006.

Salary: $21,580/year

9. Cashier

About 46 percent of all cashiers work part time.

Opportunities for full-time and part-time cashier jobs should be good because of the need to replace the many workers who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force.

Salary: $8.84/hour

10. Bank teller

Part-time projection facts:

One in four tellers worked part time in 2006.

Employment should grow by 13 percent between 2006 and 2016.

Salary: $11.36/hour

*Projections according to the BLS.

**Mean hourly wage, according to the BLS.

Rachel Zupek is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

Copyright 2008 CareerBuilder.com. All rights reserved. The information contained in this article may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without prior written authority.

But those jobs and opportunities are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many part-time opportunities for workers of all ages and skill sets. Depending on your experience and expertise, you may even be able to create a part-time career track.

There are several reasons why a traditional adult worker might choose to work part time. Among those reasons:

Family: In a family where both parents are working, one spouse may decide to scale back his or her hours or change career tracks or industries in order to have more flexibility and more time to spend with their children. Those spouses may also have aging parents to care for and may also appreciate the flexibility of part-time work.
Education: In a challenging job market, more people are deciding to return to school to get an advanced degree or enhance their skills.
Delaying retirement: Some older workers are enhancing their nest egg or retirement benefits by working part time.
Career change: Workers who are dissatisfied with their full-time gig may choose to work part time while they consider what to do next. And unfortunately, some workers are forced to consider a career change and work part time when their job or their company is eliminated.
Many employers also see part-time employees as a valuable asset to their companies. With the economy in slowdown mode, employers are often open to hiring new part-time employees to fill roles. They may also be more willing to discuss allowing existing employees to switch to a part-time career track. Many employers may offer some level of benefits to part-time employees.

Even if your interest in part-time work is temporary or short term, there are ways to get creative in your job search and at work. Here are a few ideas on how to challenge yourself:

If you are working at a large retail store, think about your education and your prior work experience. If your degree was in, say, art design or marketing, see if your manager will allow you to spend a few hours or your week to contribute to the display and merchandising of the store. In addition to keeping your skills sharp, you will have plenty of chances for networking.
If your departure from your last full-time job was out of dissatisfaction or boredom, part-time work can be a great opportunity to “test drive” a new job or new career track. It can also be a great way to gauge what your current skills are, and what you need to learn.
If you are juggling a return to school with part-time work, search for opportunities in a field that will reinforce what you are learning in class. There are many options and opportunities in retail far beyond the “front end” processing jobs. You can check out our website WorkInRetail.com to get a fuller picture of all of the opportunities that companies near you have available.

How would you like to work from home? No hustling out the door 10 minutes late, no fighting your road rage or battling for the last seat on train, no fast food lunch and no noisy co-workers. Sounds like heaven doesn’t it?

More than ever, workers are attracted to the 30-second commute, thanks to social and economic trends. Technologies necessary for setting up a home office are widely available, relatively inexpensive and getting easier for people to use. In addition, more workers are seeking flexible schedules to care for children and aging parents.

The number of Americans whose employer allows them to work remotely at least one day per month increased 63 percent, from 7.6 million in 2004 to 12.4 million in 2006, according to a 2007 report issued by WorldatWork. In total, the sum of teleworkers (both employed and self-employed) working remotely at least one day per month has risen 10 percent from 26.1 million in 2005 to 28.7 million in 2006.

Many people associate working from home with starting a home-based business and becoming an entrepreneur, but more and more employers are offering this option to workers in order to attract and retain top employees.

Don’t fret; there are jobs that you can find with established employers. Search using terms including “work from home,” “home office” and “telecommute.” In addition, even if the job is advertised as office-based, here are 10 positions are telework-friendly and could be in your future.

Administrative assistant
Administrative assistants and secretaries comprised 4.2 million U.S. jobs in 2006 (according to the latest data from the BLS), one of the country’s largest occupations. Also known as virtual assistants, home-based administrative assistants use office experience and computer skills as support personnel. Many skills easily transition into this position, which offers many part-time and temporary opportunities.

Advertising sales agent
According to eMarketer, the number of dollars spent on advertising is expected to exceed $295 billion in 2008. Advertising sales representatives sell or solicit advertising space in print and online publications, custom-made signs, or TV and radio advertising spots with online advertising is growing rapidly.
Computer software engineer
The BLS projects computer software engineer to be one of the fastest-growing occupations between now and 2016. Duties include design, development, testing and evaluation of computer software, and continual training is suggested for the quickly evolving industry.

Corporate event planner
Employed by a private company rather than a hotel or convention facility, a corporate event planner coordinates staff activities including group meetings, client presentations, special events, conventions and travel. The BLS projects this occupation will add 10,000 new jobs by 2016.

Copy editor
Copy editors mostly review and edit a writer’s copy for accuracy, content, grammar and style. This is a competitive field; however, the growth of online publications and services is spurring the demand for writers and editors, especially those with Web experience.

Desktop publisher
Desktop publishers use computer software to format and combine text, images, charts and other visual elements to produce publication-ready material. Duties of this fast-growing profession include writing and editing text, creating graphics, converting photos and drawings into digital images, designing page layouts and developing presentations.

Data entry clerk
Like administrative assistants, job prospects should be best for those with expertise in computer software applications. By typing text, entering data into a computer, and performing other clerical duties, these workers ensure companies keep up with information and technology.

Insurance underwriter
Insurance underwriters serve as the main link between the insurance carrier and the insurance agent. Underwriters analyze insurance applications, calculate the risk of loss from policyholders, decide whether to issue the policy and establish appropriate premium rates.

Market research analyst
Market research analysts, whose job numbers are expected to grow 20 percent by 2016, gather data on competitors and analyze prices, sales, and methods of marketing and distribution. They often design surveys, compile and evaluate the data and make recommendations to their client or employer based upon their findings.

Paralegal
While lawyers assume ultimate responsibility for legal work, they delegate much of their work to paralegals. Paralegals not only assist in preparation for closings, hearings, trials, and corporate meetings, they also perform a number of other vital functions including draft contracts, mortgages, separation agreements, trust instruments and may assist in preparing tax returns and planning estates. With employers reducing costs by replacing duties once tended to by lawyers with paralegals, growth of this profession is expected.

If you want to make the case to a potential employer or your boss to let you work from home, keep a few things in mind. If possible, provide concrete examples of how this arrangement was successful in the past or how it will succeed. Suggest that you ease into it — spending a few days to a few weeks in the office at the outset, meeting people and getting to know procedures. Then, during the first three to six months on the new job, make frequent visits.

Kate Lorenz is the article and advice editor for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

If you have traditionally worked in an office, the option to work at home sounds like paradise. A recent CareerBuilder.com survey indicated that 27 percent of employees telecommute at some point throughout the year.

But this perk has its benefits as well as its pitfalls, affecting both performance and career advancement. We talked to several people who work from home to get a sense of the best and worst aspects of their work arrangements.

The comforts of home

The flexibility gained from working at home is the biggest bonus. “This is truly the best aspect, as my husband travels quite a bit,” shares Sandra Diaz, a publicist for TCI-Smith Publicity in New Jersey. “I have two children; I am here to spend time with them before school and when they get on the bus and off the bus.”

With gas prices at a record high, avoiding a commute is another big plus. Tom Stanton is an employee of Jaffe Associates, a business development agency in Chicago. He likes the 10-step commute to his office. “With gas prices and Chicago winters, that’s really valuable to me. Plus, it saves so much time that I’m able to get work done.”

Some workers who find office environments are filled with distractions enjoy working from home to bypass those interruptions. David Wegner, director of communications, marketing and public affairs for McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas, is one of these people. “I realized how much time is used up in the office by conversations about what a co-worker did the night before, a retelling of a TV episode or whatever; 20 or 30 minutes could go by with idle chatter.”

The flexibility of working at home also appeals to workers in creative industries. “I find the organic movement in and out of the home space very good for creative businesses,” reports Dr. Linda Seger, an author, screenwriter and script consultant. “From a creative standpoint, it allows the mind the variety it needs to think creative thoughts.”

The downside of distance

Working at home may not be an ideal scenario for everyone. “It requires greater time-management skills and boundaries between work and family,” declares Janet Scarborough Citivelli, a career development expert with Bridgeway Career Development. “Most professionals find themselves working more when they work from home if they don’t take charge of their schedules.”

Many workers feel that perceptions about their work — and the value of that work — are inaccurate. As writer Heather Corley notes, “Working from home doesn’t seem as official to many people.”

Wellness expert Beverly Beuermann-King agrees. “Others may not value that you are working just as hard. In a time where telework is becoming more and more valued by employees, company structures and attitudes have not adjusted to value output as much as face time.”

These perceptions can have an impact on the career path of a home-based worker, who may miss out on job advancement opportunities as a result. A recent Workplace Index Survey, commissioned by office furniture manufacturer Steelcase, indicates that 64 percent of workers believe their lack of daily contact with their employers hinders their chances for a promotion.

Some employees feel that they miss out on the benefits of interacting with co-workers. Rob Graham, vice president of training at The Laredo Group, misses the feedback he gets from those interactions. “Without office mates to use as a sounding board for ideas, you have the tendency to become a focus group of one and start to believe that every idea you have is brilliant,” Graham remarks. “It’s not a bad thing to have dissenting opinions from time to time.”

Home-based employees can also run into communication issues, making it very easy to feel out of the loop. “Phone, e-mail and instant messaging do an OK job of communicating business needs, but sometimes nothing beats the value of an office hallway chat to help pull things together,” Graham says.

Avoiding the pitfalls

Employees who work from home should take some steps to avoid drawbacks and capitalize on the benefits that this arrangement provides.

- Keep the lines of communication with your managers and co-workers open, and use them frequently. Schedule a check-in time every day (or several times a day). Keeping everyone in the loop will help dispel any negative perceptions about your performance.

- Avoid isolation, which can have professional and personal repercussions. If you are feeling constrained by the four walls of your house, vary your surroundings and hit the coffeehouse, park or zoo with your laptop.

- When there are complicated projects or staffing shortages, consider heading to the office for at least part of your workweek. Striking the right work/life balance is a constant, ongoing process, and you may need to make adjustments to address demands in your professional and personal life from time to time.

Patrick Erwin is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

Copyright 2008 CareerBuilder.com. All rights reserved. The information contained in this article may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without prior written authority.

It really doesn’t matter if you are a company or individual, everyday it is becoming more and more critical to have a Facebook presence. When it comes to social networking / marketing (they have become almost one in the same) what happened in the past or what could happen in the future is not as important as what is happening “right now”. When dealing with social networking / marketing “right now”, is the ideal concept to keep in mind.

Keep in mind, Twitter and Facebook keeps people engaged and re-engaged in their networks because of our need to know what is happening “right now” with our friends and favorite companies. Companies have been seeing success with exclusive time sensitive sales and

offers they only make available on Facebook and/or Twitter. This keeps theirs fans engaged and watching for the “right now” opportunities these companies are having. I suppose you could compare this to the “blue light specials” that large retailers would have in their stores in the past.  Retailers would offer a deep discount on a product for a very exclusive time (usually for less than 15 minutes) and the shopper would only know about the deep discount if you were in the store at the time it was happening. Similar is happening “right now” in the social networking world. When a company updates their “Status” or “has a poll on the NewsFeed Page of Facebook, they are engaging their customer fans to react to a message the company is targeting to them exclusively.

In the past month I personally have purchased movie tickets, concert tickets, frozen yogurt from my favorite “fro yo” chain, free iTunes samplers, coffee specials, and even an entire dinner from specials I saw exclusively offered through Facebook and / or Twitter. More importantly, I shared this information with my Friends and Fans on Facebook. This offered these companies a personal endorsement from me to all my friends and Fans. All of these offers appealed to me because they were presented to me because the company presenting the offer took the time “right now” to engage me as a customer. I may have not been even thinking of the company prior to seeing their offer on the social network, but when I did, the appeal engaged me to react and take advantage of the offer that was “right now”. When  these companies offer exclusively to their Facebook and/or Twitter fans, the fan is made part of the inside team at that company and the reward of being on that inside team – is  the “right now” special.

It really doesn’t matter if either of these highly successful social networks are a possible fads.

• What does matter is what are you missing out on “right now”, when you are not actively engaging your company or you as an individual on these networks?
• How much money could you be saving with your active presence on Facebook and/or Twitter?
• Do you really know what, how & why your customers purchase from you?
• Do you understand how CB Media (a media solutions division of Careerbuilder) can make your company stand out to your customer fans?

Do you have these and other questions about Facebook for your company? I would love to talk with you about your company and introduce you to your fans and how CB Media through our unique relationship with Facebook  will build and engage your fan base “right now”.

Take a look at what The Chicago Tribune recently said about the possibility of Facebook being a fad.

Email me at Jerimie.monahan@careerbuilder.com

Join me on  Facebook.