Eli Amdur, who is also a nationally syndicated columnist, recently spoke to a group of current students and past graduates from the CDM Institute in Wayne enlightening them on how to "get the job."

"Don’t be reactive but proactive in your job search. Envision yourself in the job you want, find your target, aim, and fire," Amdur said.

With job market woes continuing, it’s almost imperative for job seekers to find creative ways of selling themselves to perspective employers… effectively making them stand out in a crowd of applicants.

Amdur reminded students to keep it short claiming that a cover letter should be no more than 120 words. Catching the reader’s eye he insisted is of the utmost importance - leave lots of white space by using shorter sentences and utilize bullet points.

"The average person reads six words per second. If the employer isn’t interested after the first few lines chances are they won’t even finish reading the letter," Admur said.

Employers review resumes, he said, with one question on their mind, "Why I want to pay attention to the rest of this resume?" The objective portion of a resume is where candidates are given a 15-second window of opportunity to introduce themselves and gain the reader’s attention.

"You need to use the three C’s…. clear, concise, and compelling," said Amdur. "Words like accomplished and certified always stand out."

Candidates should arrive at interviews no more than 10 minutes before the scheduled appointment time. Women a note of advice wear a nice dress suit with minimum jewelry and either none or a small dose of perfume. For men a blue suit and tie always works best.

And do your homework beforehand research the company or organization and be prepared to ask questions - it’s an interview not an interrogation.

Candidates, Amdur said, should also make a list of the assets they can bring to the position, for instance solid communication skills and the ability to be a team player.

"You should run yourself like a business and make an inventory list," Amdur stated.

When asked why you left your last job, Amdur stressed that candidates should not answer "no growth" since that will come off as being selfish.

"When approached with this question you should always reply that that you left your job involuntarily. In 2008 about 432,000 jobs were lost involuntarily," Amdur added.

More advice from Amdur is never go for a job that is beyond your means and leaves you coming home every night frustrated.

Over-qualified or under-qualified, either way, nobody likes to hear these words. If an employer says you are over-qualified, according to Amdur, it means the company is afraid you will leave for a better job so they don’t want to take a chance on you.

"What you should say is I may be over-qualified but I’m not under-motivated. If a better position opens within the company I’m right there," Amdur offered.

As for age discrimination within the workforce, according to Amdur, it does exist starting with candidates in their 40s.

"I always say 50 is better than two 25-year-olds together," Amdur said smiling.

He was quick to point out that AARP.org is a good web site for the older generation looking for jobs. Hospitals especially, Amdur stated, are known for hiring older people.

Questions about salary history and requirement can always prove to be stressful.

It’s none of an employer’s business, according to Amdur. A good rule of thumb, he says, is to state that you are currently interviewing in the range of, and list those amounts. Pet peeves for some of the students is when salary is not listed in a job ad.

Amdur agreed, "A good employer always states what the salary is. If they’re not ready to offer the amount you are looking for ask if they would be prepared to review your status in six months instead of waiting one year."

The reality is that people are working for a lot less today. It’s sad but it is what it is, Amdur related.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor 8.8 million people unemployed. As of July 2008 the unemployment rate rose 5.7 percent. Within the last 12 months the number of unemployed has increased by 1.6 million.

Dan Shortway, 55, a former resident of Wayne, who now resides in Blairstown, became eligible for what’s known as the "trade act" when the company he worked at for the past 32 years moved to Mexico. This unique government-based opportunity gives educational opportunities to employees whose jobs are lost out of the country.

For Shortway, who was a tool and dye maker, this is his first full-time school status.

"I may have lost my job but something good came out of it," Shortway said.

Now he attends the CDM Institute where he is learning computer-assisted drawing, or CAD. He started two months ago and will finish this October.

As far as a job search, he says he is a little intimidated but feels somewhat confident and is hoping for the best.

Shortway commutes 50-miles now to school, and despite rising gas prices he is willing to travel a similar distance to work if need be.

"It’s not the greatest now but it’s not horrible," he added. "You gotta do what you gotta do."

Having been out of the job search for 10 years, Shortway hopes the years he put into the dye shop will assist him.

"It’s tougher for older people but I hope companies are smart enough to know older people have something to offer that younger people can’t," said Shortway.