By far, the one piece of information a potential employer is looking for is how well a candidate performed in the past. The EmploymentCrossing.com founder says the study revealed 36% of those interviewed say that is top priority. Following that, managers wanted to know the reference’s opinions on a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses as well as confirmation that the information, such as job title and employment dates, are accurate on the resume. A. Harrison Barnes says the extremely competitive job market means more hiring managers are relying on reference checks to help them determine the best person to fill a position.

So how do you know who to include as a professional reference? Barnes has a few suggestions that will serve your purposes. “It’s absolutely crucial that you don’t assume it’s OK to use someone as a reference. Never use anyone as a reference without asking beforehand.” Also, it’s important to carefully consider who you’re going to approach. You want your references to have a true knowledge of your skills, your work habits and your work ethics. Also, just as you don’t want to misrepresent yourself on your resume, don’t misrepresent your references, either. No need to sugarcoat a job title of your reference. It could easily backfire and put you in a less than ideal light. Also, don’t forget that an interviewer isn’t limited to the references you supply. He can easily make a phone call to a acquaintance who you both know or even take a look at your Linkedin profile, Facebook page or even your Twitter feed.  When it comes to landing a new job, it’s best to assume nothing.

Finally, before your references can be of any help to you, there must be an exceptional resume for a potential employer to work from. This is where EmploymentCrossing.com’s team of resume experts can step in and create a flawless resume that will get you noticed. Already have a resume put together? Our team can review it for you, point out the strengths and weaknesses so that it can perfected to highlight the best of what you have to offer.

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A recent revealed that 60% of bankruptcies in this country are filed due to overwhelming medical bills. What’s incredible is that of those bankruptcies 75% of the filers have health insurance!  This revelation speaks volumes to those who insist the insurance industry needs no overhaul. Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School and Ohio University participated in this report and the results were published in the American Journal of Medicine. Dr. David Himmelstein, an advocate of a U.S. insurance overhaul and a member of the Harvard Medical School staff says that those of us without a bank account to rival Warren Buffet are only “a serious illness away from bankruptcy”. He goes so far to say that health insurance offers little, if any, protection for middle-class America. A. Harrison Barnes, founder of EmploymentCrossing.com agrees, “Employers are finding themselves in the position of attempting to cover expensive insurance premiums for their employees without breaking their own banks”.

Other findings in this study include:

• Current legislation currently being debated on Capital Hill will not likely help a vast majority of Americans.
• Expanding private insurance won’t prevent financial catastrophe for hundreds of thousands of Americans.
• Of the 150 million Americans who have health insurance through their employers, many will find themselves with none by year’s end due to employers cutting their own costs.
• 28% of all insurance companies cancel coverage immediately after a disabling illness occurs and is filed, another 25% do so within the twelve months following the claim.

No one is immune from bankruptcy, either. The study found that most were educated, owned their homes and had successful careers. Further, the numbers reflect a 50% increase from bankruptcies filed in 2001. A. Harrison Barnes says those in the job market in search of new careers will still likely have the opportunity to participate in employer sponsored insurance policies; however, the days of generous policies and low co-pays are past us.

For many who were asked to pay thousands of dollars after the insurance paid, such as those with injuries or who were diagnosed with Diabetes or other illnesses, the payments were just too much. Many hospitals and physicians asked patients to make payments that rivaled their automobile or in some instances, those that surpassed even the patient’s mortgage. Barnes goes on to say many of the  job applicants on EmploymentCrossing.com are looking for part time or temp positions as they continue to struggle in the current economy while also trying to keep their medical payments current. He goes on to say there are many part time positions and temp positions available as employers see this as a way to offset their own expenses.

President Obama continues to work on solutions to the ever-deepening concerns and fears for health care in this country. Until these problems are met head on and with a consistent solution across the board that will address insurance, bankruptcies and job cuts, these numbers won’t soon be declining.

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So what does this mean for those searching for work?  Frankly, it means not much has changed.  Remaining committed to one’s career, even in a less than ideal job market, can be difficult; however, no one can do it for you.  It’s all about focus, determination and the right tools to ensure you stand out from the competition.  These tools, of course, include a flawless resume, the ability to do well in an interview with your conversation skills and faith in your education and abilities.

As A. Harrison Barnes, CEO of EmploymentCrossing.com, points out, networking can play a significant role in locating those positions you might had not considered before.  Further, with the highly competitive state of the job market, any tool you can include in your arsenal is crucial and can often mean the difference in landing a job or losing it to the next interviewee.  Of course, taking advantage of sites such as EmploymentCrossing can also give you the upper hand in today’s unpredictable career market.

Another tip, courtesy of A. Harrison Barnes, is to remain focused in your job search.  It’s easy to become distracted, only to end up in jobs that do not match your area of education or your interests.  Do your research, regardless of how desperate you are for work.  Ensure you understand exactly what you’re getting into.  EmploymentCrossing is an excellent place to start your search.  Here, you’ll discover more tips and advice from A. Harrison Barnes as well as updates from the employment sector and of course, job opportunities you will only find on EmploymentCrossing.

Despite the often confusing news that’s reported in the media, the job openings remain scarce and will likely continue to remain that way for a good many months.  The beginning of a new year is always promising, but it’s important to remember the U.S. has been in the current recession for nearly three years.  We all look forward to the light at the end of the tunnel that might finally signal the end of current economic times, especially those of us who are looking to build or rebuild our careers that will ensure our financial well-being.

Bottom line, there is simply no room for assumptions or “almost” perfects.  You simply must rise above the mediocrity, highlight your strengths via your resume and interview process and work on those weaknesses that might provide trouble after you’ve landed your dream job in your chosen career.  These are all goals we should seek to meet regardless of current employment climates.

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Many people in the job market suffer from the same problem when looking to make a career change or the same problem of perspective at least. Trying to find a good job can be tough, particularly when you don’t have any experience. How are you supposed to find a job when all of the open positions require years of experience already? At what point will you be able to get that experience so that you can get the jobs that require it? Some of the best career advice in the world focuses on how a person is supposed to overcome this problem.

The truth is that whether you’re making a career change or getting started in the workplace for the first time, everyone needs to start from somewhere when it comes to experience. Nobody has built up experience without ever putting the time in. That means you have to work your way up the ladder in order to gain that level of background, and the necessary skills that employers are looking for.

The first step in the game is learning about yourself in terms of what you’re looking for, what you’re good at and interested in, and what you’d like to pursue. Once you have that done you’ll know where to begin and what direction you should be going in. Now it’s time to start training and developing your skills, backing up your interests with experience and knowledge.

One way to do this is to enroll in a school program. You can go back to school and finish your Bachelors, you can get an advanced diploma or you can focus on brief certificate classes that are real world skill driven. Either way, you’ll be gaining a foundation of knowledge and skills in your industry of choice that will enable to you to succeed. For many employers, this will be sufficient to count as some experience when you’re interviewing and trying to be hired. Employers want to see something on your resume in relation to the field, and in lieu of job experience, schooling and education can work in many instances, particularly for entry level positions.

Another important piece of Career Advice is that without solid experience you can’t expect to get the top level jobs. You have to have time in the industry and a proven background. So if you’re making a career change, be sure to keep your expectations realistic. You’ll need to climb your way through the ranks with promotions and new job offers down the road. But first you need to worry about making your mark, gaining hands-on experience in the field and so on.

Remember that when you make a career change, there are many pitfalls that you can run into. Don’t set yourself up for failure or disappointment by getting trapped into disadvantageous commitments, or by trying to land jobs that call for more experience than you have. Instead, dive into the field in whatever way you can, through schooling, entry level positions and more. You’ll earn that experience and build up your skills and knowledge, leaving you in a great position for advancement.

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An attorney or associate generally considers changing his or her job if the salaries are low, or if he or she is not comfortable with the other associates or attorneys in the law firm. Those days when people used to join and retire in the same office are long gone. From 25 to 60 years of age, the lawyers used to practice in the same law firms. A. Harrison Barnes CEO of Lawcrossing.com states that a lawyer who had changed their job several times in a year used to find it difficult to get themselves placed in a law firm. Today it is not very unusual to change jobs after every one or two years.

The law schools, and internships, train the law students with the skills that help them to get into the law schools. These phases of training, never instruct the methods to be implied while changing the legal job. The law students do not have any idea as to how to approach the beginning of their career. This is one of the major flaws in the modern legal educational system, says A. Harrison Barnes.

In case you are a lawyer, and you are trying to move into a career that is not related to law, it is important that you measure the weight of the following questions:

• How necessary is it for you to change your career? • Are you ready to change your career directions? • Is career change an easy option for you? • Will it not be personally difficult for you to opt for career changes? • What are the choices available at your disposal for making career changes? • What should be the most appropriate method for bringing about career changes? • What should be your course of action? • How have you decided to implement your plan?

“Theory of victory” says A. Harrison Barnes is one of the master plan that can be implemented for bringing about career changes. In case you feel that your abilities, strength and talents are not utilized fully, you do not derive any sense of ownership, predictability, legitimacy, while making use of them, should you consider changing your legal career. You must feel that you are the boss of your work and it centers around you. Once you feel that you are no longer the anchor, you should consider changing your legal job.

You can consult a career coach who can guide you to choose a new job and through the job search process. You can discuss your job preferences and other concerns with the career coach at length. A good career coach will surely help you take the right career path.

The lawyer has a natural tendency of considering his current position, when they feel as if they are being underpaid, or you have better options waiting in the market and there are better job prospects. If the associate or the attorney is very energetic about their career and life, a new direction can offer better prospects. In case you feel that you have unconsciously developed stead fast relation with your colleagues, associates or advisors, and you are feeling the absence of a role model in your legal firm, you might go for legal career changes says A. Harrison Barnes.

Chalk out your professional and personal priorities. If you find that your present legal career is not giving you enough scope to exhibit your skills, you can opt for career changes. Self evaluation is also very important. At the same time you should remember that you don’t have to make frequent career changes to prove “a worthy expression of who you are.”

A lawyer must be very organized in their legal career. Any changes in the legal career because of mismanagement will be a great mistake. It might take you several months to deduce successful career plans. The current market scenario and the financial status, both are important. Make sure that you spend considerable time and effort to deduce such plans. Do not make decisions of changing the legal career in haste says A. Harrison Barnes.

The decision of changing the legal career should never be taken because of boredom. Before deciding anything, there should be clarity of thought. You should ask yourself if it is the legal career, the job, the office or the people that you are not satisfied with. It is advisable that you should not leave a job unless you find a suitable legal job or career ahead.

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