The job-searching process can be excruciating. Going to countless interviews, or worse, applying for jobs and not hearing anything back, can be soul-crushing. You should not allow this to make you worthless, because the truth is you may be making miniscule mistakes that are causing you to fail in obtaining that job. Continue reading to learn great advice you may not be using during your job search.

If you are confused as to what you should wear on your interview, always error on the side of caution. This means that you should always dress to impress, with professional attire. Not only will you look more presentable, but you will feel more in tune and confident when you meet your interviewer.

If you are between jobs, make the most of this time. Instead of allowing yourself to fee; bored and distressed, take the initiative to become more productive. For example, you might volunteer with a local adult literacy program, teach senior citizens about Medicare coverage or lead workshops at a center for small businesses. You will gain valuable experience, preserve your sanity and possibly expand your network.

After you are done with your interview, be sure to send a thank you letter to the person who interviewed you. This not only is an act of graciousness, but also shows that you are following up in a professional manner. This will make a great first impression if you did not make one already.

Have the proper attitude! There is no such thing as failure unless you allow for it. Don’t just sit back and collect unemployment benefits. Instead, create goals for yourself with regards to the amount of applications you will fill out.

Remember that a resume is only a portion of what determines who gets hired. You need to keep your resume up-to-date by reviewing it regularly. However, you need more than a resume to secure a job. Applicants who are dedicated and enthusiastic will be considered above those who do not show those traits. Always emphasize your strengths.

Try tailoring the objective on your resume to the position you’re applying for. If your resume includes an objective, it should match whatever position you are applying for at that job. When you have more specific details in your objective, you better your chances of being chosen for that position.

Offering great vacation benefits is a great way to recruit good employees. Most employers offer only one or two weeks of paid vacation. Perhaps increasing it to three weeks, or offering longer vacations for more time served will guarantee an upper hand in accessing better employees. The longer, the better.

It is not wise to have your resume full of useless garbage. Do not use unreadable fonts or too many colors. The person who is looking at your resume just wants to know about your credentials and how qualified you are to work for their company; everything else is not necessary.

You now realize that finding a great job is an art. No matter how qualified you may be, you must do everything right in order to land this job. Now that you are armed with excellent job-searching advice, you can find and obtain that great job you have always wanted. Go and get it!

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.