Recently, this post went up on my personal blog: Four People You Should Not Take Entertainment Career Advice From.

It’s about not taking entertainment career advice from people who are personally invested, such as friends who don’t want to lose you or those around you with their own unfulfilled entertainment career dreams. But a couple of readers contacted me about my inclusion of concerned parents in the list. Here’s one response I got via LinkedIn:

“You mention in the post that there are instances when people, mainly your parents, question you about your choice to pursue an entertainment career because they know how unstable it can be. This is a fear that I have developed over the past year, mainly because I don’t want to rely on my parents for financial needs for too long. Could you give me a few examples of jobs in the entertainment industry that tend to be more stable than others? Also, because this fear has lingered with me for a while, do you think it might be worth me considering a different, more stable career?”

Are you struggling to stay on top of your job search? Do you need help in prioritizing your time?

It can be a challenge whether you are doing a search while working a job or in between jobs, juggling the time and tools it takes to get your next gig is an art form. I have discovered there are six key areas in effective job searches.

1. Target
2. Tools
3. Timeline
4. Tackle daily
5. Talk your story
6. Take the job

Today let’s discuss timeline – planning your job search from beginning to end.

Men and women have different faux pas when it comes to wardrobe, but they make a lot of the same mistakes when it comes to personal hygiene and grooming. And while most of my clients apply to work in conservative environments like law firms, investment banks, and corporations, the hygiene and grooming faux pas discussed here are important to avoid in any work environment.

They are the distracting and annoying mistakes that could put an end to all the hard work you’ve done in writing your resume, targeting employers, and scheduling and preparing for interviews. That’s pretty bad. But the good news these mistakes are all avoidable.

Those who’ve read my other blogs and How to Get a Legal Job: A Guide for New Attorneys and Law School Students know I don’t just rely on my own opinions for these tips. I spend a great deal of time talking to hiring decision-markers, including hiring directors, interviewers, personnel managers, and recruiters—in other words, the people who will be interviewing you.

Recently, I did a webinar on the unique benefits women have right now in the financial industry. In it, I shared the three realities all female professionals must embrace today if they want to find career success and satisfaction.

Watch the three-minute video clip below to understand how these realities could be holding you back too.

Are you a female looking for a career change? The financial education industry is hiring and needs confident, entrepreneurial women... like you!

The old adage about it’s not what you know, but who you know is in full effect in today’s job market. Recruiters are posting positions online and being inundated with the number of resumes that are submitted. Because of the sheer volume of applications, job seekers are often ignored unless something sets their applications apart from the many other candidates.

One way for job seekers to get an “in” with their preferred employer is to find out if they have any existing connections already working for the company. Until now, this was a pretty tedious and time consuming task. However, virtual networking just got a lot easier with Glassdoor.com’s launch of Inside Connections^TM earlier this week. The tool connects Glassdoor’s existing functionality with Facebook’s networking capabilities to allow users to view their friends and where they work now or have worked in the past.

For most job seekers, friends and family are the go-to people for finding out about companies. If your best friend raves about her employer, you’re probably more inclined to consider jobs with that organization. In fact, according to a recent Harris survey, people rate their friends and family as the most trusted resource for learning about companies (52 percent), followed by feedback and reviews from other people who work at the company (14 percent). The least trusted resources are the company’s website (5 percent) and the company’s recruiters (2 percent).

I’m not a big fan of the word “hate” but let me be honest: I’ve definitely felt some very, VERY strong negativity toward a few of my superiors in the past. Hey, I’m only human. This is probably one of the most common challenges I hear from professionals.

Working for someone you don’t like is the absolute worst. And yet, it can be a great learning experience if you approach it with the right attitude. Here are four reasons you should love that boss you hate:

1. Personal Insight

Job seekers with a work injury need career guidance to address issues only they experience due to their unique situation. I recently asked the injured workers I am currently assisting to complete a brief survey about their job search concerns. They were asked to list three answers for each question.

Of special note, one of my clients wrote, "I feel there should be a website for mature adults who have worked all their lives. Give us a chance." Very moving... there was no way I could turn my back on this request.

Here is what I asked my current clients:

Your resume is the most important document to advance your career. And given employers will only scan it for 15-20 seconds, you need to make sure you scream, “Here’s what I can do for you!”

There’s a difference between a resume that only showcases your personality and characteristics and one that demonstrates specific achievements and accomplishments. Unfortunately, too many resumes are filled with fluff statements anyone can say and they don’t really distinguish you as a top candidate.

A resume filled with terms such as “visionary (how many of these do you really know?), “motivated,” “team player,” “problem solver,” “results-oriented,” “dynamic” and many other phrases are examples of overused words.

"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 just started a new job and feel invisible. I know folks are busy and I'm just an entry-level person, but I want to grow my career. However, nobody will give me the time of day. — Mimi

Dale: Thank you for that question, Mimi. Too many entry-level people are your opposite — they're yearning to be invisible.

"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: My friend had a job as a manager at a nursing home. She told her employer she was pregnant, and the next day she received notice she had 30 days to improve her performance or would be terminated. She had no previous disciplinary actions. Thirty days later, she was fired. She is now looking for work and needs advice. Her employer contested her unemployment claim, but she won. — Jennifer

J.T.: First, call the former employer and find out exactly what they will say if potential employers call. Most people will want to confirm her work history and pay, but they'll also ask about her performance. Then, when going in for interviews, your friend should state the facts: She got pregnant and suddenly was told her performance didn't measure up. I wouldn't say any more about it. If pressed, she simply says she didn't understand it, either.