If your New Year’s Resolution this year is learn a new skill, add to your resume, or to improve your education, GCFLearnFree.org is here to help! Anyone with access to the Internet can take advantage of free lessons in over 90 different topics, including Computer Basics, Microsoft Office, Internet Basics, Email Basics, Social Media, Math, Reading, and Everyday Life.

In the Career topic area, there are tutorials on cover letters, resume writing and job interview skills. Instructor-supported online classes in Microsoft Office offer a Certificate of Completion, which learners are encouraged to place on resumes and utilize in their job search.

While some New Year’s Resolutions are hard to keep, GCFLearnFree.org hopes that by offering free, quality educational content in the subjects about which you want to learn will help make your resolutions easier to keep this year. To learn more about GCFLearnFree.org, please visit http://www.GCFLearnFree.org.

What are YOUR resolutions for 2012?

LinkedIn is a social networking site that focuses more on the professional lives of its members.  Instead of sharing wacky photos of your Saturday night’s escapades and countless updates about how much you need coffee, LinkedIn connects you to your trusted contacts and helps you exchange knowledge, ideas, and opportunities with a broader network of professionals.

Through LinkedIn, you can establish a professional presence online, stay in touch with colleagues and friends, find experts and answers, and explore opportunities. Looking for a new employment opportunity? LinkedIn may help by putting you in contact with someone that can make that vital introduction to get your foot in the door.  Even after you are employed, LinkedIn is a great site for getting questions answered by other professionals in your field.  Whether your job is sales oriented or you are simply looking for a vendor referral, you can draw from the professional contacts you have made within the network based on your personal relationships.

To get started with a LinkedIn profile today, use this New User Starter Guide to get you on your way.  In the next few days we’ll post a couple of articles with tips and best practices for utilizing LinkedIn.  For now, here are some helpful hints to get you on your way:

• Remember that this site is for professional use so your profile photo should reflect that.  The ideal photo to use is one taken by a professional photographer but at the very least it should be a photo of just you, ideally taken from the shoulders up, and your appearance should be neat and tidy, just as you would want to look going into an job interview.
• When completing your work experience and background, be careful of typing errors and spelling mistakes.  Just as you would with a resume and cover letter, poor grammar and writing skills can make for a bad first impression.  For more information about how to write a resume or cover letter, please visit our Career Topics.
• To create your “real-world” network, make sure you are only adding those people you personally know.  These could be friends, classmates, or colleagues.  But don’t send requests to people you don’t already know.  If there is someone you’d like to connect with, see if a person in your network knows them and ask them to make an introduction for you.

Sign up on LinkedIn today and start working on developing your profile.  In the next few days, we’ll give you more information on how to make your profile work for you.

Do you already have a LinkedIn profile?  Has it helped you in your professional life?

Below are five great websites that can teach you how to improve your typing:

typingweb.com – this site offers straightforward tutorials and typing practice games. It allows you to choose to learn in several different languages and if desired you can earn an official typing certification. However, you must register if you want to track your progress.

Goodtyping.com – this site allows you to choose from over 20 different keyboard layouts for those who reside outside of the U.S. You must register to use the site, but your information is collected for statistical purposes only

Sense-Lang’s Balloon Game – Once you get the basics down, this game is great for teaching you how to type without looking at the keyboard.

Typeonline -The typing tutorials on this site also include lessons on how to use a keyboard number pad for those who may need to enter a lot of numerical data.

Typeracer – You can improve your speed on this site by entering typing races with your friends or others from around the globe. If you are motivated by fun and competition then this is the site for you.

Get started today and you can be an expert at typing in no time. To gain more 21st century skills, visit our Computer Basics or Internet Basics topics.

1. Know What You Want – Confidence and clarity are an absolute necessity when networking. People won’t know how to help you if you are not specific about what you are looking for.  When networking, you should easily be able to talk about who you are, what experience you have and what kinds of opportunities you are looking for. In addition, building  knowledge and enthusiasm about your field will help build your confidence making you more appealing to those who may be able to help.
2. Be Prepared – When meeting connections both in person and online, you will need an introduction, proof of your abilities and your contact information. You should prepare a clear, succinct introduction when meeting people, but also have the ability to talk about your work experience and skills in case a meeting turns into a screening interview. You will also want to exchange contact information, so you may follow-up with the person. Business card smartphone apps are becoming common, but you will also want to have a paper version available. Don’t forget to add any professional websites, blogs, online portfolios or social media accounts, like LinkedIn, to your business card and email signature.
3. Build Relationships – Arranging to follow-up with the connections you make is essential. Send an email, arrange a meeting or call them. They may not know of any opportunities at the moment or they may be busy, but if you build a relationship with them, they can “keep you in mind.” Social media sites, like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, are excellent for building a base of connections to interact with on a regular basis. Just make sure the relationship isn’t just one way. With any connection, you will want to listen, ask them questions and show interest in what they have to offer.

Take the time to really think about how these three key essentials apply to your situation and how you can utilize them when networking. For additional help, visit our Job Search – Networking for a Job tutorial.

Check out the following lessons from our Career tutorials for ideas:

• Career Planning: Assess Yourself and Your Needs - Are you unsure about what you are looking for or whether you are headed in the right direction? Being specific and confident in what you want can greatly increase your chances of success.
• Job Search: Strategies for Networking Effectively – Simply meeting a connection probably won’t land you a job, but knowing how to communicate and build a relationship with them might.
• Job Search: Follow-Up and Organization – Don’t just send that resume into cyberspace and hope for the best. Pursuing a job lead shows that you are really interested in a position and can impress potential employers.
• Job Search: Using Social Media – Knowing how to use social media in your job hunt can greatly increase your edge over the competition.
• Resume Writing: Linking to Online Profiles and Personal Websites – Adding a link to your personal websites and profiles can be very beneficial, but it is important to understand the advantages and precautions.
• Resume Writing: Emailing Your Resume – The majority of resumes are now being submitted electronically, therefore it is important to know the correct methods and formatting that will ensure your resume is seen by an actual hiring manager.
• Interview Skills: What to Prepare Before an Interview - The biggest mistake qualified applicants make is not preparing properly for a job interview. Learn how to research a company, how to dress appropriately and how to ask questions in order to make the best impression.

For even more ideas, visit our Career page for a complete list of our tutorials. Good luck with your search!

Should you go ahead and email them to the company now?

Not yet! You should let somebody else proofread them before sending them out. A friend or family member can catch errors that you (and the spell check) may have missed. They can also give you a fresh perspective on things like word choice, what types of information to include, and even the page layout. And the more professional your resume and cover letter look, the better you’ll look as a candidate!

Proofreading can be as simple as asking your roommate to look at your resume on your computer, but you may also want to consider using Word’s powerful Track Changes feature. Track Changes lets the reviewer make any changes they want, and then you can look over them and decide which changes you want to keep. All of the changes will be marked with a different text color, so it’s easy to tell exactly what was changed.

Sometimes, the reviewer may just want to make a suggestion or ask a question, rather than changing something. They can do this by adding comments to your document. The comments will show up in the margin, so you’ll be able to see them easily.

There’s just one final step: Make sure you accept or reject all tracked changes and delete all comments before sending out your document. Otherwise, anyone who reads your document can view them, and a stray comment could be just as damaging to your resume as a spelling or grammar error.

The Track Changes and Comments features in Word 2010 and 2007 are located in the Reviewing tab (in Word 2003, they’re in the Tools and Insert menus). For full instructions on using these features, check out our Reviewing Documents lesson, or watch the video below.

Use Microsoft Word’s Track Changes Feature to Polish Your Documents

Just as important, is protecting your personal information from being used for identity theft or annoying spam. There are thousands of job-hunting sites on the Internet with millions of people responding, including sites that have no interest in anything other than obtaining your personal information. Blasting your resume anywhere and everywhere on the Internet may gain you a few legitimate results, but it will definitely expose you personally in a major way.

So how can you conduct a job search and still protect your personal identity and current job? Follow these strategies and tips:

• Be very cautious about posting your resume online, even to popular sites like Monster and Careerbuilder. Always read the privacy policies and choose the most conservative privacy settings before posting to select sites. Never pay or sign up for a resume distribution service. Thoroughly research any recruiters to make sure they are competent in protecting you while searching on your behalf.
• Create a cyber-safe resume with minimal contact information and non-identifying employment histories for your online search. Learn how with our lesson on Protecting Your Identity with a Cyber-Safe Resume.
• Never include personal information, like your address, social security number, or work contact email, in an online resume. Use a private cell phone number and web-based email account for contact information. In addition, do not provide this information to anyone unless you have been given an official offer and are completing paperwork at a physical location. Many cyber-criminals may try to request this information by saying they need it to conduct a background check before interviewing you. Be wary of these types of phishing schemes that target job-hunters.
• Build strong networks online through professional sites or LinkedIn for effective job-hunting. However, you must use them consistently, otherwise a sudden increase in your activity on these sites might be considered suspicious if seen by a colleague or supervisor. See this Job-Hunt.org article on Leveraging LinkedIn for Your Stealth Job Search.
• Search for yourself on Google on a frequent basis to see if any results show your job-hunting activity. See our blog article on how to Google Yourself.
• Do not conduct your job search from work. Not only is it unethical, but your email and phone records may be monitored. If you are worried about missing an email or phone call from a potential employer, than you should obtain a smartphone with Internet access for contact purposes.

For more information, see our Internet Safety and Job Search topics and good luck with your search!

Not a web designer? There are websites that offer free templates you can use to easily create an attractive online portfolio.

What should you include in your portfolio?

Depending on the job you want, there are many different materials you can include, such as writing samples; examples of presentations and lesson plans; video, audio and design work; web development projects; photographs of field work; and artwork.

If the majority of your work is not directly applicable to the position you want, in your cover letter you can explain how the skills necessary to produce the work in your portfolio are related to the skills required in the position.

When deciding what to include, keep in mind that your portfolio should showcase the best, and only the best, examples from your body of work. An employer should be able to easily navigate your portfolio to find what he or she is looking for. Make sure it focuses on work that is important to the position or type of position that you want.

You can still show a range by focusing a smaller amount of attention on skills directly related to your field. For example, if you are a web designer who has also written content for websites, dedicate a spot on your portfolio to showcase your ability to write for the web.

Which websites offer portfolio templates?

The following websites are some of the most commonly used, and offer both free and paid hosting services:

Krop | Interfolio | Viewbook | Behance | Carbonmade | Coroflot

Explore different sites to find a template that fits with your work.

Is it safe to have your content online?

If your portfolio contains personal contact information or materials you may publish one day, such as an essay or photograph, you may not want it available to everyone on the web. Some web services let you limit your portfolio’s access. You can give potential employers the password to your portfolio at your discretion. Also, keep this option in mind if you are currently employed and do not want your employer to know that you are shopping your portfolio around on the web.

Legal issues are potentially another safety concern. If your portfolio contains materials that you made for a company that copyrighted them or owns proprietary rights, you should check with the company and make sure it is safe to use those materials in your portfolio. This might take some extra time, but save you a hassle in the long run. Also, it looks good to potential employers that you went through the necessary steps to keep a past employer’s materials safe. It shows you are professional and trustworthy.

Take the time to create an online portfolio that might separate you from the pile. Also, check out our Work and Career tutorials to learn skills that will help you with your personal career development. There are tips on how to search for jobs, write a successful cover letter, give a great job interview, deal with workplace conflict, manage your salary, and more.

Our new lessons address the following questions from job-seekers:

• Have you wondered how safe it is to post your resume online? We show you how to protect your identity and create a cyber-safe resume.
• Should you attach your resume in an email or include it in the message body? Our lessons will show you how to create a plain-text resume for online posting and emailing.
• Should I include a personal web page or my LinkedIn profile in my contact section? Our tips and strategies lesson will address the pros and cons of including online profiles on your resume.

In addition, you can craft your resume with helpful instruction from our easy-to-follow writing interactives.  We will take you through the process step-by-step and then you can practice on your own with a simple-to-use template.

Don’t forget to check out our new Resume Gallery for ideas on how you can create the perfect resume.  Visit our Resume Writing topic to get started.

Take a look at the following two scenarios and think about which one you would be more willing to help:

1. Bob – “Even though I was the best programmer at my job, they still got rid of me.  The bills are piling up and if I don’t get a job soon I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
2. Jack – “Yes, I was part of a mass layoff, but it’s been a great opportunity for me to update some of my skills.  I’m now looking forward to finding a senior programming position.”

Bob sounds like a victim who is desperate and unsure, where as Jack sounds like he has made the best of the situation and knows exactly what he wants.  Bob may gain sympathy, but Jack is more likely to find success because he is confident in his ability and clear about what he is looking for.

Having the right attitude and mindset will make you feel better toward your job-hunt which will in turn help you portray a more optimistic and confident outlook when interacting with connections and pursuing opportunities.  To improve your mindset, think about the following:

• Finding a job takes longer then it use to. It takes on average five to eight months to get a job compared to three to six months in the past.  Prepare yourself both mentally and physically for the long haul to keep yourself from getting discouraged.

• Worrying will not help you. If your mind is set on all the negative paths that come with anxiety and worry then you are more likely to ignore and discount ideas and opportunities when they come along.

• New jobs are always available no matter what condition the economy is in. You simply need to figure out where these opportunities are and that can’t be done without an open and positive mindset.

• Know that you will need to use more than one job-hunting method. If all you do is send your resume to job postings, then you are severely limiting your possibilities.  Open your mind to more methods like networking and volunteering and you will see your opportunities increase.

• You have to be clear about what you want. Clarity produces confidence and makes it easier for people to help you.  Figure out exactly what you are looking for and then tell everybody you know.

Everyone knows how tough job-hunting can be, but that doesn’t mean you have to be miserable during the process.  Work on your mindset, live your life and the opportunities will present themselves.  For more help with job-hunting, visit our Job Search tutorial in Work and Career.