jobhunting

The classic graduation gifts are perfect for someone headed for an artist's colony or off on a vacation. But with half of recent college grads unemployed, the best gifts are ones that will help put them on the fast track to a job. Here are five smart options.

Do you fear something awful is around the corner when it comes to your finances? Given recent years' economic woes, it's not unreasonable. But you can turn your worries to your advantage by planning for the worst before anything goes wrong.

Unemployment among recent college grads is at 9.3% -- but not for every major. The good news is, you can follow your skills and passions and still find a job. The highest-unemployment majors are often related to options that use the same skills, but offer much better odds of a job.

Job satisfaction may be at a record low, but you're probably not going to quit in this economy, right? Where would you go? What would you do? Denise Medved says figure it out. Tap into your passions. Find a way to make a living doing what you love to do. "If the recession's taught us anything,...

After a candid, insightful phone conversation -- during which he offered plenty of ideas and suggestions about whom to meet -- a local businessman signed off by saying, "Let's definitely keep in touch." "I will," I assured him, thanking him again for his time. "I'm serious," he said. "Will you...

If you keep good records, deductions can be a great way to reduce your taxable income. Increasing your allowable deductions means the less tax you owe and the more money you get to keep. To maximize your deductions, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with tax rules -- there are likely many...

One thing I've run into again and again in job interviews is being asked for my feedback on the employer's Web site and how to make it better. I usually offer a few ideas and offer some ways to improve it, but don't go into an exhaustive overview. After all, I'm not working for the company and...

Tired of getting nowhere in sales at a cemetery and essentially unemployed, Gail Neal decided to expand her job search. Neal, who lives in Detroit, Mich., where 15.1% unemployment makes it one of the most difficult places in the country to find a job, was working for commission at a cemetery...

When the holidays roll around, your first instinct is to take a break from the job search. After all, everyone's thinking about family gatherings, vacations, parties and gift shopping. But Aaron Crowe, WalletPop editor specializing in careers and the job search, and Duncan Mathison, coauthor of...

According to data from the Labor Department, the U.S. job market is tougher than ever. USA Today reports the results of new research which shows that there are 6.3 people looking for every single job available in the country. This is in sharp contrast to the 1.2 people looking per job in 2001,...