Job seekers should embrace competition

In a tight job market, competition is fierce. Most positions attract a swarm of resumes.

Still, many job seekers are oblivious to the job seekers around them.

A good dose of competition, however, can be your best job-search tool. It can be the extra push you need to get to the interview early, practice answers to tough questions and send thank-you notes.

Tactics such as checking out online job boards to locate current opportunities and research companies are essential. At sites like HotJobs, www.hotjobs.com, you can even find resume and interview preparation tips and read the latest news developments from a variety of industries. In short, you figure out what the competition typically does in a job search and go a step further.

The competition, however, isn’t always "the enemy." You can learn a lot from other job seekers, so don’t avoid chances to trade tips with them at places like online discussion boards. It’s just another way to gain a competitive edge when searching for a job.

The above provided courtesy of the North American Precis Syndicate.