The Monster 5 for Friday--Careers Edition--October 29

We've been watching a lot of people vie, very publicly, for jobs in recent weeks--because that's what election campaigns are: job interviews, in which we (the voting public) are the hiring managers--and we're hiring politicians.

Many of us are not often on the decision-making end of the hiring process, so it might be interesting to ponder, for a moment, some lessons we can take away from our "interviews" with these job candidates.

Going negative is risky. If you have only a limited amount of time to make an impression on a hiring manager, don't waste it by badmouthing former employers (when you sling mud, you invariably get a little muddy yourself). Instead, focus on your strengths and abilities.

Honesty is crucial. Even a little fib about past qualifications can do major damage to a reputation. 

There are no secrets. Like campaign reporters, recruiters and hiring managers are snooping out job candidates online--they're going to Facebook and looking at you and your friends, they're reading through your Twitter history, they're doing Google searches for your name, they're checking out your LinkedIn profile, and more. So you should be looking at these things with a careful eye yourself, to make sure that what hiring managers find presents you in a good light.

For more advice, let's take a look at five of this week's best stories about the world of work:

5. The temporary-staffing industry is growing fast--and this is good news, because temp jobs are often the first sign that an unhealthy employment market is recovering. Find out where those jobs are in "More Temporary Jobs and Contract Positions Coming in 2011." (Also, if you have a temporary seasonal job, Monster.com is offering tips on making it permanent.)

4. A new ABC.com article about stay-at-home fathers has good advice for anyone re-entering the job market after a break. Check out "How Stay-at-Home Dads Bounce Back from Career Hiatus: Dads Talk About Returning to Work After Raising the Children."

3. In a new HotJobs survey, only 29 percent of job seekers say that they have a summary statement at the top of their resume. Perhaps more of them should consider it--here's why and how: "A Knockout Resume Summary Is Key."

2. Not all hiring managers and recruiters are good at interviewing--many of them ask questions that are, frankly, stupid! Knowing what those questions really mean will help you craft better answers. Read "7 Stupidest Interview Questions and What They Really Mean."

1. And the Wall Street Journal reports on the increasing protests against a controversial hiring practice, in "Employer Credit Checks on Job Seekers Draw Scrutiny."

What kind of job-seeker-focused content would you like to see? Let me know in the comments section, or find me on Twitter and send me a message.

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