Are you finding yourself in information overload? Need a way to clear the job search clutter?

Here are six new tools getting good marks for helping job seekers find their way:

1. Google Reader & Google Alerts: Clear the Clutter of Job Search Overwhelm

"JT & Dale Talk Jobs" is the largest nationally syndicated career advice column in the country and can be found at JTandDale.com.

Dear J.T. & Dale: A few months ago, I started a part-time job at a new nightclub, having been hired before it opened. Since then, my part-time job during the day has become full-time. I don't want to give up the nightclub entirely, but I'm afraid to ask them to cut the nights I work from four days to two. What's the best way to persuade them to keep me? — Rob

J.T.: Given the level of turnover in the hospitality industry, my guess is that your boss will be happy to hear that you still want to work a couple of nights. I suggest setting up a meeting with him as soon as possible and sharing with him the new status of your day job. I bet he'll jump at your offer.

"JT & Dale Talk Jobs" is the largest nationally syndicated career advice column in the country and can be found at JTandDale.com.

Dear J.T. & Dale: I applied for a job via a company website, and the day after, rang the company to check that they'd received my application. They told me the HR lady was busy and would call me back. The next day, after not receiving any contact, I phoned again. The receptionist told me the HR lady was busy and that the job was "on hold." A few days later, the same job showed up on a recruitment agency's website. Would it be annoying if I phoned the company again? — Adam

J.T.: In HR circles, this is actually a touchy subject. There's a rule of thumb that goes like this: Multiply a candidate's actions during the application process by 10, and that's what he or she will be like on the job. Your choice to call so frequently tells them you could be high-maintenance as an employee.

"JT & Dale Talk Jobs" is the largest nationally syndicated career advice column in the country and can be found at JTandDale.com.

Dear J.T. & Dale: I'm 29 years old and have had lots of jobs but no career. I think I may have a misguided outlook on life. What should I be doing? — Matt

Dale: You're up against one of the tyrannical zeros — about to turn 30, and thinking, no doubt, "I should've been BIG by now."

Name:
ZipRecruiter

Websites:
www.ziprecruiter.com [For Employers]
jobs.ziprecruiter.com [For Job Seekers]
blog.ziprecruiter.com [Blog]

Twitter:
@ZipRecruiter

Be honest: How is that New Year's resolution list working for you? Now that it's (already) the end of January, have you followed through, or did the resolutions become a thing of the past? If your new year's resolutions went the way of 2011, create a new one for February and, if you need inspiration, feel free to borrow one (or all) of my Top Six Resolutions for the Motivated Job Seeker in 2012:

1. I will create a strategy for my job search this year (and stop spinning my wheels). This strategy will include the following four items: a job target (making it easy for others to know exactly what job I want), a specific geographic region (and, no, east coast does not cut it), an industry of choice, and the names of 30-40 companies I plan to target. I promise to write these criteria down on paper and share them with my network, which will make it easier for others to help me.
2. I will get on LinkedIn today (and study it like it’s my job). I know there are two kinds of job seekers: those who are serious about their job search and those who are not. And, if I’m not on LinkedIn, whether I like it or not, I’m in the latter category. And, since there are tons of resources out there to learn LinkedIn, I will start by Googling “LinkedIn for Job Seeker,” and other related searches, until my profile is 100% complete. Dark ages, move over.
3. I will not spend more than 10% of my job search time responding to posted openings. Statistics show only 15% of jobs are ever posted, leaving 80% of jobs unadvertised or never posted. With all of my (now) free time, I will network strategically meet people at the right level, in the right companies, at which to hire me, in places like professional associations, alumni networks and via social media.
4. I will look for information, not openings (because I know people who seek information get a job much faster than those who are looking for jobs). By setting up informal discussions with decision-makers and/ or hiring managers, even if they are not hiring, I will be the “known” candidate when there is an opening. In fact, this is the best time to meet with hiring managers, since they may be hiring soon and, (if I’m doing my job correctly) I’ll get a seat at the table!
5. I will get support when I’m discouraged, and help when I need it. Sharing concerns with trusted friends who can offer encouragement, and mentors or career experts who can offer specific advice can only help me enhance my self-confidence, pull me out of a rut, and help propel me forward.
6. I will give before I expect to get. I will promise to look for things I can do each day to help someone out, such as mentoring a student, recommending a colleague or referring a person to a position for which I am not a fit. I will do one thing each day to support the goals of others, because I know generous job seekers land faster (and make more friends in the process).

Here's to a productive and successful job search in 2012!

Laura Labovich, founder of Aspire! Empower!, is a job search career coach & seasoned HR professional with over 15 years of experience in HR at Fortune 100 companies, including Flagship companies such as Walt Disney World and AOL Time Warner.

Remember the days of being in school wishing you could be anywhere else? The visions you had of being an adult when you wouldn’t have to do homework anymore and could just go to your job and then home, just like your parents?  Did it actually turn out like that for you now, as a professional? I would guess the answer to that is "no."

As we progressed through elementary school, junior high, and high school we only made it worse by going to college where pulling all nighters, juggling group projects, and stressing over finals week were commonplace. Finally, the day would come where you would graduate with your bachelor’s degree,  go off to a job, and never have to worry about homework and pointless exercises ever again. Or would you?

I’m going to make a big assumption here and assume when you started your first job, you realized college did not prepare you for the real world skills that were required of you. Sure, in an entry-level position all you really need to know is how to use things like Microsoft Office, calendar software, and that’s about it. But your first few weeks were probably pretty stressful because you had to quickly learn how to communicate professionally in e-mails and important documents, organize meetings, and manage a thousand tasks at once. Each of these responsibilities are very important to a team, and while you don’t get a grade for the activities, if you didn’t do them well, you could just simply be fired.

You will never make your resume as good as possible without including one critical piece of information on your resume: Your value to the company.

That’s the number one quality employers look for in a resume. What value will you bring to the company if you’re hired?

Your experience may be ideal, your education may be tops and your work history may be spotless, but it’s your value that determines whether or not you’ll land a job.

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics here is a list of the top 10 Fastest Growing Occupations in the United States today:

1. Biomedical Engineers
2. Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts
3. Home Health Aides
4. Personal and Home Care Aides
5. Financial Examiners
6. Medical Scientists
7. Physician Assistants
8. Skin Care Specialists
9. Biochemists and biophysicists
10. Athletic Trainers

This is where the jobs are. The question for anyone who is career oriented is how do you capitalize on this data?

Notice the list above falls roughly into two groups, the glamorous group consisting of biochemists, network systems analysts, and the ordinary group. What is surprising is only two groups on this list require a Doctoral degree (medical scientists and biochemists).

This is the candid career story of a professional counselor as told to LatPro. This site features real stories from Hispanic professionals in a myriad of professions. If you have considered a career in the mental health industry, read on to learn what the job is really like from this professional counselor. Visit LatPro for more interviews with mental health workers, including one from a Psychotherapist, an Addiction Therapist, and many others.

I am a professional counselor, working in a social services office that is overseen by the county government. I have 11 years experience in the field and I would describe myself as caring, driven and sympathetic.

I am a Caucasian female. I’m not sure it has either helped or hurt my career, but being a woman does sometimes make it easier for young women to talk privately with me. I have yet to experience discrimination.