The Monster 5 for Friday--Careers Edition--November 5

We got some good news from the Labor Department today! Well, it may not have been clearly "good," but it was better than expected and gave reason for job seekers to feel happy and hopeful: The Labor Department reports that private-sector employers added 159,000 jobs in October, meaning that payrolls rose by 151,000 jobs. And September's number was revised to show that payrolls fell by only 41,000--less than the original estimate, 95,000.

Many jobs were gained in mining and several service industries. Health care also continued to add jobs, and the temporary-services industry added 35,000 jobs (another good sign that the economy is continuing to recover, albeit slowly). And Monster.com reports that online job postings are up.

The unemployment rate is still stuck at 9.6 percent--in part because employers are still not adding enough jobs to keep up with population growth. So a lot of Americans still need job-seeking advice. Here's some of the best advice we saw this week:

5. Job boards like HotJobs and Monster.com are essential tools--but they're not the only tools you should be using in your search. Read "4 Ways to Tap Into the Hidden Job Market."

4. Do you know what not to do when managing your career and your job search? Read "11 Ways to Hurt Your Career."

3. Think you know all there is to know about job interviews? You may want to think again. Read "3 Job-Interview Myths: Learn the Truth Before Your Next Interview."

2. Tired of reading? Check out this very informative video-blog post on the pros and cons of different resume formats: "Formatting Your Resume to Be Read."

1. Finally, here's advice on getting past a hiring manager's possible bias (conscious or subconscious) against more-mature job seekers: "Eliminate Ageism on Your Resume with Six Quick Tips."

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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