Ron Campbell

I receive numerous emails and phone calls each week asking for job search or career counsel. This week, I received an email that I would like to share, along with my reply.

“I read your 11 January, 2013 piece for the Standard-Examiner with interest. I can see why one should be wary of for-profit job search services. I’m not sure, however, that social networking on Facebook or LinkedIn constitutes the best path for me, so I thought I’d send you this query.

Hopefully, everyone has a career goal for this year; whether it is to keep your current job, find that dream job, get a promotion or, if currently unemployed, get any job. Often your goal may be larger than your realistic chances to achieve it in the near future, especially if your goal is to find that near-perfect dream job. Here are three realities regarding career jobs.

When the job market is more competitive, little things in job search become big things. If you can imagine a hiring manager sorting through a few hundred résumés, something as simple as a single typo can send yours directly to the wastebasket beside their desk or into the recycle bin on their computer desktop.

While networking will always produce the best results, taking time to ensure your collateral materials are error-free is a must. Résumés and cover letters, in particular, must be well written and pristine.

I have had numerous phone calls regarding my column on job loss two weeks ago and the stages of grief that come with it.

One woman in particular reported that she was fired a week earlier, after 27 years of employment with the same company. It came as a shock, and, she was dealing with feelings of grief exactly as the column indicated.

With Hostess shutting its doors, jobs in the Top of Utah may drop significantly very quickly. This adds even more pressure on the job market for those still looking for work.

While Utah has been fortunate to enjoy better-than-average employment compared to other states, if you are unemployed, or soon to be unemployed, the emotional toll is still very high. Here are a few things to consider if you fall into either of these groups:

As you evaluate starting a small business, there are several things to consider. First on the list is to ensure you understand why you want to own your own business.

Whether your potential business provides services or products, it will be important to recognize your motivations. Is it for freedom, money, to use your creativity, or as we discussed last week, is it because of your desire to use your past experiences for your own future and/or the future of your family, especially for older adults?

For the first time in our nation’s history, older adults are now the fastest-growing segment of our population. Every day, 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65.

Unfortunately, one in every five people 65 and older lives on an average of $7,500 a year. Social Security recipients will only see a very slight cost-of-living adjustment in those benefits in 2013.