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In today’s world of economic uncertainty, companies are relying on contract or temporary workers to help meet the demands of business. This means that you may have an easier time finding work as a contractor than searching as a regular employee. There may be a definite end date in sight, but contract workers often receive full benefits, greater pay than their full time counterparts and a more flexible schedule.

If you’ve been out of work for any significant amount of time, it’s a good idea to start engaging in activities to make that employment gap in your resume seem more like a positive than a negative. If during an interview you’re asked to explain a long gap in your employment history, you definitely want to avoid looking unproductive. It’s wise to keep the task of looking for a job first on your priority list, but we recommend looking into some of the below activities, as well.

By now, I’m sure we’ve all heard about the power of Twitter. It’s the preferred method of millions of socially-connected people to keep up with their favorite friends, celebrities and politicians. Sure, you understand how to post links and update your friends with short messages, but did you also know that Twitter can be used as an effective tool to locate open jobs in your area?

Like it or not, social media has become a ubiquitous part of our daily lives. Nearly every website you visit will ask if you want to “share on Facebook” or “tweet this article” – it’s everywhere and does not seem to be letting up anytime soon. If you are connected with both coworkers and friends in these networks, it can be difficult to keep the line between personal and professional clear. A CareerBuilder.com survey states that 45 percent of employers use social networking sites to research candidates. The last thing you want to do is post content that’s professionally inappropriate and have it fall into the wrong hands!

So you’ve landed an interview – great news! You know that this job is made for you, but how do you convince the hiring manager that you are a better fit than the other candidates? If it’s an in person interview, you will likely have a short amount of time to convince the team to hire you, so here are a few tips to make a great first impression and get a leg up on the rest of the competition.

It can be tough to get an interview in a job market where multitudes of equally-qualified people are fighting for the very same position. So, it’s your job to make your resume stand out from all of the others. We aren’t suggesting that you resort to using brightly colored paper or unusual fonts. Instead, you should try to highlight certain things in your resume that will work in your favor. Here are several tips will point you in the right direction.