Looking for a job is often difficult, and in this economy it can seem nearly impossible to get hired, even if you have the skills and experience you need. Here’s a look at two recent articles with content that might affect your ability to snap up a job in the coming months.

Sweating the Small Stuff

In a post from WalletPop.com, the author examines the importance of looking beyond yourself to maximize your chances at getting hired. In other words:

• Consider your potential employer’s needs and wants. You may feel like your best asset is an ability to speak two languages, but if a potential employer is primarily concerned with computer literacy, play up your skills in that area.
• Do some digging. In the era of Facebook, Twitter and now Buzz, it shouldn’t be too hard to track down some information about the company you’re applying to. Apply what you learn by asking questions in an interview that show you have some background knowledge and focusing on your qualities that best match the company’s needs.
• Listen. It may be tempting, in an interview, to gush about your skills and qualifications – but that can be counterproductive. That information is already on your résumé, so use the interview as an opportunity to demonstrate your people skills.

In this employment climate, paying attention to details like how you respond to an employer’s questions can make a big difference in your career future.

Congressional Progress on the Jobs Bill

Meanwhile, a report from the Wall Street Journal notes that progress on a jobs bill currently on the table in the Senate has been hampered by the massive snow storm in the Mid-Atlantic region, and may not resurface until after the upcoming Presidents’ Day holiday.

Here’s what the bill, if it passes, would do:

• Give businesses that hire unemployed workers a Social Security tax cut; and
• Give these businesses an additional tax credit if they retain their new employees for a year.

Some critics worry that, as it now stands, the bill won’t provide sufficient motivation to get companies hiring again. Its other provisions will be largely determined by Congressional debate when senators and representatives are able to get back to work. Don’t expect any progress soon. Every controversial bill considered by congress, from health care reform to bankruptcy overhaul, can take months or years of debate.

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