If you’ve been given career advice lately, odds are it had something to do with networking. Everyone — from parents to professors to strangers you meet on the subway — is probably telling you the importance of networking. Unfortunately, the phrase, “you should really be networking,” is rarely followed up with practical advice about how to network.

While the Internet has given rise to new forms of professional networking, at their core they all stem from old-school face-to-face connections. That’s why, if you’re going to effectively network in your professional life, you must first master the in-the-flesh networking event. If that thought scares you, fret not. Here are tips to ensure that your first real networking event isn’t a disaster.

Dress to impress
This one should be pretty obvious. You’re there to make an impression and meet potential professional contacts. When someone hears about a potential job opening that you’d be great for, do you want his mental image of you to be as a poorly-groomed slob?

Don’t forget business cards
As a young job seeker, you probably don’t have your own business cards yet, but that wouldn’t stop a motivated self-starter, now would it? Put some weight behind your words, and print up a few of your own design. It’s important that the people you meet at a networking event are able to stay in touch with you.

Take notes
While notebooks may not be appropriate depending on the event, you should always have a pen on you. That way, when others hand you their business cards, you can jot down a quick note. Even something as simple as where and when you met them can do wonders for your memory when you’re sifting through all the information you’ve gathered once you get home.

Don’t force a sale
It’s always a good idea to have an elevator pitch prepared, but it is equally important to know when to use it. Spouting off a pre-planned and carefully written speech may come off as a bit desperate and awkward at a networking event. Remember, elevator pitches are best used when you have only a short time to make an impression. Networking events tend to be a little longer than your average elevator trip.

Show interest
Listen to what others are saying, and prove it by commenting on their remarks or asking follow-up questions. This is a basic tenet of connecting with people, which is what you want to do at these events. You’re there to find ways you can be useful to other people, and you can’t accomplish this if you don’t listen. Another easy tip to make an impression and show off your listening skills is to introduce someone you just met to another individual you already know at the event.

Keep in touch
Following up can be one of the most daunting parts of a networking event, but it’s also one of the most important. If you don’t follow up with new contacts within 48 hours of the event, it’s likely that they will forget meeting you. Reintroduce yourself and solidify the connection by reminding them what you talked about at the meeting. In some cases, it may be appropriate to suggest meeting again to continue the conversation, but in others a simple thank you may be enough.

Matthew Tarpey is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. For more advice and resources on internships, part-time jobs and entry-level positions, visit CareerRookie.com.

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1. Airtron
Industry: Heating, ventilation and air conditioning
Sample job titles: HVAC service technician, residential new construction installer
Location: Charlotte, N.C.; Houston; Indianapolis; San Antonio, Texas; Washington, D.C.

2. American Traveler Staffing Professionals
Industry: Health care staffing
Sample job titles: Travel registered nurse-critical care, travel registered nurse-emergency room
Location: Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix

3. Crescent Processing Company
Industry: Banking/finance; sales
Sample job titles: Outside sales/entry-level sales
Location: Nationwide

4. Dunbar Armored
Industry: Security/transportation
Sample job titles: Software application developer, driver/guard, teller, account executive
Location: Nationwide

5. Freeport-McMoRan
Industry: Mining
Sample job titles: Electrical engineer, senior engineer, driller-mine operations, electrician, mechanic
Location: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico

6. Harris Teeter Inc.
Industry: Grocery/pharmacy
Sample job titles: Grocery manager, deli/bakery manager, customer service manager, cashier, bagger, cake decorator, meat cutter, floral manager, produce manager, deli/bakery clerk, store manager trainee
Location: Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Maryland; North Carolina; South Carolina; Tennessee; Virginia; Washington, D.C.

7. KONE
Industry: Elevator sales and service
Sample job titles: Sales, branch manager, electrical engineer, supervisor service, superintendent service
Location: California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Texas

8. PennyMac
Industry: Financial services
Sample job titles: Underwriter, accountant, mortgage lender
Location: Moorpark and Pasadena, Calif.; Tampa, Fla.

9. Securitas Security Services USA
Industry: Security
Sample job titles: Security officer, branch manager, business development manager, human resources manager, site supervisor
Location: Nationwide

10. Sunstate Equipment
Industry: Rental equipment
Sample job titles:  Driver, line mechanic, field service mechanic, washrack/yard attendant, inside sales and outside sales representative
Location: Arizona, California, Colorado, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah

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By Ben Jablow, vice president of CareerBuilder Niche Sites

An improving economy affords workers more opportunities, and job seekers have a reason to be optimistic. According to a recent CareerBuilder study, more than a quarter (26 percent) of hiring managers nationwide plan to add full-time, permanent employees throughout 2013. This is up 3 percent from 2012 — one sign of the economy’s continued recovery.

As businesses continue to grow, job seekers will have access to more opportunities, allowing them to be more specific about the types of roles they pursue. To help navigate those opportunities, a niche job site can be the best choice for a job seeker looking for a particular role or level of experience.

Niche sites offer job listings and resources that target a specific industry or type of job seeker. These sites can help make a job search more efficient, saving job seekers the time and stress of sorting through listings they may not be interested in. Employers benefit from niche sites as well, because they know they’re connecting to interested applicants who know what they want in their career, making niche sites a win-win for job seekers and employers.

Niche sites specific to career level or experience
There are certain times in workers’ careers when their employment decisions are driven by their experience and desire to move to the next level. One such time is when they are just beginning their career, and another is when they’re ready to take on a leadership role. Niche job sites, such as CareerRookie.com and HeadHunter.com, offer resources for job seekers who are in the early or advanced stages of their career.

CareerRookie.com, the most visited job site for entry-level positions and internships, offers advice and resources specific to those just starting their careers. Job seekers can search for jobs, post résumés, get industry and company news, sign up for automatic job alerts, view local career fair information and receive advice on the job-search process — all from an entry-level point of view.

At the other end of the experience spectrum, HeadHunter.com matches senior-level and management professionals with relevant opportunities in areas such as higher level consulting, sales and marketing, finance and operations. Top industries looking for talent through HeadHunter.com include software publishers, pharmaceutical manufacturing and commercial banking.

Sometimes it’s life experience that can influence career decisions. MilitaryTimes.com offers advice and resources for the careers and personal lives of service members and their families. Job seekers can visit the site for news on issues important to the military community, including financial services, pay and benefits, education and training and promotions and certifications.  They can also search for both military and civilian jobs.

Industry-specific sites
Job seekers who have specialized skills and know what industry in which they want to seek employment can also benefit greatly from niche job sites. Industry-specific niche sites allow job seekers to customize their job search and target roles within their industry of choice, without having to sort through jobs in which they may not be interested.

CareerBuilder has created job sites specifically for those job seekers who want to target a certain industry for employment.

JobsInMotion.com connects employers in transportation and logistics with job seekers looking for targeted opportunities. The transportation and logistics industry is expected to grow by more than 7 percent in the next five years, according to Economic Modeling Specialists International, and the demand for mechanics, logistics managers, warehouse employees and especially drivers is high. With currently just one driver for every five job opportunities, sites like JobsInMotion.com can help job seekers with the right skills get to those jobs faster.

MiracleWorkers.com is the No. 1 traffic leader among all health care niche sites, offering the best resources in an industry that’s projected to grow 10.2 percent in the next five years, according to EMSI. A recent CareerBuilder survey states that more than one third of health care employers (34 percent) have open positions for which they can’t find qualified candidates. This is good news for job seekers looking for a role in health care, as there are a large number of roles employers are looking to fill in an industry that will continue to grow.

More than 7.8 million workers were employed in financial activities in May 2013, according to the BLS. MoneyJobs.com is a niche site targeted to those workers in financial services. This site offers finance and accounting jobs, allowing users to sort job results by company, location, salary and other factors important in a job search. This site is also the No. 1 traffic leader for job seekers within banking, finance and accounting professions.

Sologig.com currently has more than forty thousand job postings for information technology and engineering professionals. Site users can sort jobs by company, location, pay range, skills, employment type, job title, industry or role responsibilities.

WorkInRetail.com connects job seekers to opportunities in retail, an industry that currently employs 15 million according to the BLS. Beyond just job postings, job seekers can use WorkinRetail.com to get information on compensation, location, benefits, work-life balance and opportunities for advancement.

Ben Jablow is the vice president of CareerBuilder Niche Sites.

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By Robert Half International

In your efforts to refine your managerial skills, don’t aim for perfection or try to imitate someone else’s style. Instead, determine how you might become an even better version of the boss you already are. Here are some strategies to try:

Lead by example. If you want your employees to work hard and push themselves to excel, you must be willing to do the same. Set high standards for performance and hold yourself to them. Be an example in terms of time management, client service and creative approaches to problem solving. Set a professional tone by treating everyone — your peers, staff members, customers and vendors — with equal respect and courtesy.

Establish clear expectations. Make sure your employees understand their individual responsibilities and how they contribute to achieving the company’s goals. Explain the criteria that you will use for performance evaluations so your team knows what you expect.

Set your employees up for success. Although it’s important to challenge your staff and encourage them to acquire new skills, you don’t want to overwhelm them with tasks that are  beyond their current abilities. When delegating tasks or calibrating workloads, analyze skills and assign duties accordingly.

Support professional growth. Take the time to find out each staff member’s career aspirations and motivations and then find ways to help them achieve these objectives. Share authority and responsibility to give individuals the chance to develop new skills and prepare for more complex roles.

Delegating tasks and involving your employees in decision making and planning are other ways to enable them to build their professional skills. Mentor promising employees so they can eventually move into a leadership capacity.

Keep an open door. Ask your team to come to you with any problems, and work at becoming a better listener so you can readily identify employees’ concerns, even when they are not stated directly. When employees believe their voice will be heard, they are more likely to perform at their best.

Also remember that communication goes both ways. Ask your staff to give you timely status reports and feedback about difficulties or challenges they experience.

Give employees more autonomy. Your responsibility is to provide strategic vision, establish goals, clarify objectives and set expectations. Your main focus is results, not process, so try not to become overly involved in how your employees perform their jobs. Give clear directions and guidance, then step back and allow team members to put their talents to work.

Criticize with care. In a perfect world, your employees would do their jobs flawlessly. But the reality is that they will make mistakes, miss deadlines and forget to tell you about important information.

When the time comes to criticize, make it your goal to preserve the individual’s dignity. Meet in private and allow him to explain what led to the error. Rather than assigning blame, reframe a mistake or failure as a lesson and focus on what the employee might do differently in the future.

Acknowledge both effort and achievement. No matter what their position or level of experience, all professionals appreciate recognition, particularly when they’ve put in extra time or effort. With a single sincere statement (“You’re doing a great job, and I appreciate your hard work.”), you can help your staff sustain productivity and stay on schedule, even during times of peak activity. Sounds simple, but it’s true.

At staff meetings, congratulate individuals and project teams on their accomplishments. But don’t just wait for formal occasions. Spread the word whenever a member of the company achieves something important. For example, when one of your employees attains advanced certification, publicize it in the employee newsletter or on your company intranet.

Personal milestones are often inspirational and worth acknowledging too. For example, offer congratulations if several of your employees participate in a marathon to raise funds for charity.

Experiment with these strategies but keep in mind they are not a hard-and-fast recipe. One of the most important qualities of a good boss is flexibility. Remain open to new management methods and techniques and be willing to experiment.

Robert Half International is the world’s first and largest specialized staffing firm with a global network of more than 400 staffing and consulting locations worldwide. For more information about our professional services, visit www.roberthalf.com. 

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For some, though, any alternative sounds better than public speaking. Glossophobia, or speech anxiety, is the fear of public speaking or of speaking in general. And for many people, anxiety over public speaking engagements or simply speaking in front of people at work can be enough to make you wish for an alternate ending.

However, there’s no need for such drama when you can overcome your fear of public speaking. Countless books, workshops, videos and trainers offer help and solutions for improving public speaking skills. Gregg Ward, author, speaker, trainer, consultant, executive coach and president and CEO of Orlando-Ward & Associates, Inc., has more than 25 years of experience in public speaking and training. Here are his top tips for managing nerves and presenting.

1. Acceptance
Simply accept that you will be nervous. Everyone gets nervous before speaking and presenting. I’ve been doing this since the mid-1980s and I still get nervous. The trick is not to allow your nervousness take you over and disable you. How do you do that?

2. Breathe
It’s amazing how many people forget to breathe deeply when they get nervous. They take shallow breaths, which doesn’t clear out the carbon dioxide from your blood stream nor replace it with oxygen. 15 minutes before you go on, you should find a quiet place, sit down, close your eyes and breathe deeply and slowly. If you know how to meditate, do that. If you don’t know how to meditate, learn. I meditate for three minutes before every single speech, training class or presentation. It’s invaluable for calming me down.

3. Preparation and practice
Unless you’re a trained professional, you should never appear before an audience without a lot of preparation and practice. Walking onstage with a bullet point list of talking points isn’t good enough. You need to plan out your presentation, especially your opening and your closing, and you need to memorize them.

4. Walk through beforehand
Do a walk-through of the space and technology beforehand. If possible, get up on stage or in the presentation space when no one is around and get the “feel” of it. Practice your lines if you’re able; work with the slideshow, the remote. Pick out some spots (like exit signs or light fixtures) on the back and side walls of the room that you can look at during your actual presentation.

5. Familiar faces
Forget the old advice to “picture the audience naked” — that’s nonsense and it will distract you from your task at hand. Instead, find familiar faces, people that you know in the audience. They will have supportive looks on their faces; they want you to do well. You can focus on them and they will reassure you.

6. Be confident in what you know
Right before you go on, say to yourself, “I know what I know; I’m glad to be here to share what I know; and no matter what happens, I’ll be OK and I’ll get through this.”

7. Tell relevant stories that teach something
Storytelling is one of the most powerful and effective professional speaker’s tools. Human beings are wired to hear stories. If you tell good stories — that are relevant and teach your audience something — they will remember the story and the lesson forever. And you will be focused on the story while you tell it — your nerves will magically disappear!

8. Breathe some more
Once you get through your memorized opening; you’ll be in good shape. But if the nerves come back, take a deep breath; it’ll seem like an eternity to you when you do it; but your audience won’t notice it. And you’ll be amazed at how a deep breath will calm you down.

Ward’s advice focuses on preparation and confidence. When you do your homework and know your presentation materials, you give yourself the raw goods to present well. The rest is feeling comfortable and keeping in mind that your audience wants you to do well: Remember, everybody wants to attend or present a well-prepared speech over one that’s poorly done. With preparation and confidence, you can wow the crowd.

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Survey reveals how managers deal with disliked employees

In a perfect world, you and your boss would have similar personalities, agree on everything and get along 100 percent of the time. In the real world, you’re not always going to click with your manager. While not being BFFs with your boss doesn’t always cause problems, there are some warning signs that your rocky relationship may be putting your job in jeopardy.

According to a new CareerBuilder survey of more than 2,000 employers, 27 percent of bosses have a current direct report that they would like to see leave their company. These bosses deal with disfavored employees in different ways. Some send subtle signals of their unhappiness, others are direct in their discontent, and still others choose to avoid the situation altogether.

Some of the specific ways managers say they handle an employee they’d like to see leave include:

• Issue a formal warning: 42 percent
• Point out shortcomings in employee’s performance more often: 27 percent
• Reduce responsibilities: 21 percent
• Hire someone else to eventually replace the employee: 12 percent
• Move the employee to another work area: 8 percent
• Keep employee out of the loop regarding new company developments: 8 percent
• Communicate primarily via email instead of in person or over the phone: 7 percent
• Don’t invite the employee to certain meetings or involve him in certain projects: 6 percent
• Don’t invite the employee to social gatherings with co-workers: 3 percent

While 32 percent of managers say they would do none of the above, if you were in such a situation, you’d hope that your manager would be upfront with you about any issues standing in the way of your professional success.

“It’s important that managers be as direct as possible when dealing with employees that, for whatever reason, aren’t a good fit for their teams,” says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder. “Fortunately, a plurality of managers in our survey were open to confronting the situation through a formal discussion or warning; however, some will do nothing at all, or even resort to passive aggressive behaviors that can only prolong a negative working arrangement. It’s important that workers be aware of such warning signs, and if necessary, take steps to improve their situations.”

It’s not too late to turn things around
Whether or not your manager is direct with you about her discontent, chances are you’ll know if you’re not one of her favorites. While being in such a situation can be stressful, don’t look for a new job just yet. Here are some tips from Haefner on how to mend a broken relationship with your boss:

Recommit yourself to performance. Identify areas you can improve immediately and display your commitment to the company’s objectives. Sixty-three percent of managers say the best thing a worker can do after a falling out with the boss is to simply improve the quality of work. In most cases, the negative attitudes will be history.

Don’t hold a grudge or gossip. Fifty-nine percent of managers say one’s ability to “move forward and not hold a grudge” is important to repairing working relationships. This is a two-way street, of course, but workers who are able to display professionalism in spite of personal differences will be in a better position to navigate office politics. Similarly, 38 percent of managers say simply not discussing the falling out with other colleagues is a smart way to repair a relationship.

Rewrite the terms. If you sense your manager is pushing you away, take preemptive action by presenting ideas that may improve the working relationship. Forty percent of managers cite this as a good way to move past the problem. Workers have the right to clear expectations of their roles and responsibilities. A conversation that redefines or clarifies those expectations is sometimes necessary.

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1. Advanced Group
Industry: Human resources, accounting/finance, health care, administrative/clerical
Sample job titles: Accountant, sales assistant, medical biller, RN case manager, medical coder
Location: Chicago, Ill.

2. Bentley Systems Inc.
Industry: Software
Sample job titles: Software developer, web developer, senior web developer, business analyst, business intelligence officer
Location: Pittsburgh, Pa.; San Diego, Calif.; Exton, Pa.; Metaire, La.

3. Certified Payment Processing
Industry: Banking/finance
Sample job titles: Outside sales, entry level sales
Location: Nationwide

4. Datacard Group
Industry: Technology, security
Sample job titles: Customer engineer, Sr. Java software engineer, regional vice president, janitor, software engineer
Location: Denver, Minneapolis, Chicago

5. Mesirow Financial
Industry: Financial services
Sample job titles: Business intelligence analyst, vice president – real estate research, insurance – risk management services benefits associate, client service manager – alternate investments, senior marketing manager, institutional sales and trading – fixed income sales
Location: Chicago, Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, San Francisco, Tampa, London, Hong Kong

6. Powell Industries
Industry: Engineering
Sample job titles: Engineer, welder, machine operator
Location: Nationwide

7. ProEnergy Services
Industry: Energy/power/utilities
Sample job titles: Electrician, welder, tube welder, road technician, electrical engineer, accountant, project manager
Location: Missouri, Colorado, Texas, Illinois, South Carolina, Georgia, Alaska, Arizona

8. Rush Enterprises
Industry: Trucking
Sample job titles: Body shop technician level 5, body shop technician level 3, service technician level 4
Location: Dallas and Amarillo, Texas; Atlanta, Ga.

9. Shred-it
Industry: Security
Sample job titles: Sales executive, inside sales executive, customer service driver
Location: Nationwide

10. TitleMax
Industry: Financial services
Sample job titles: Call center rep, store manager, district manager, general manager, customer service rep, bilingual customer service rep
Location: Nationwide

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While planning for your career may seem like something only soon-to-be seniors need to worry about during the summer, think again. There are things even those entering sophomore year can be doing to lay a foundation for their future.

Here are some tips on what students at every college level should do during the summer to jump start their post-college career:

Soon-to-be sophomores:
“You survived year one, congratulations. It is time to start seriously thinking about what you might want to do for your career,” says Lynne Sarikas, director of Northeastern University’s MBA Career Center. “You may have selected a major already or you may still be considering your options. Either way, this is a critical time to begin networking. Talk to people who work in fields that interest you or companies that interest you. Start with the ‘low hanging fruit’ — parents of your friends [or] people your parents know.”

Once you get comfortable having those conversations, Sarikas suggests reaching out to alumni next. Since they’ve been in your place before, they’ll likely be more willing to help. Plus, since it’s the summer, their schedule may be more flexible, leaving more time to talk.

Lynne also suggests finding a summer job, where you can gain both money and experience. “Having a summer job also shows future employers that you are motivated and focused. While it is ideal to gain some exposure to your field of choice, for this year, it is critical to be employed. Doing most anything is better than doing nothing. Retail or fast food experience at least exposes you to customer service skills and time management.”

Soon-to-be juniors:
Now that you have two years under your belt, you’ve likely already determined your major, so you should look into internships in your field of study. If you aren’t able to secure an internship just yet, you should still continue working to gain professional experience and skills that will help you in your future career.

Darica Ward, chief marketing officer of SkillSurvey, a provider of behavioral online reference checking, also suggests using your time to get involved in other activities that can help boost your résumé. “The summer is a great time to gain relevant experience in the industry that interests you. Take advantage of the various professional resources around you; join your city’s young professional club, volunteer, attend regional alumni events, go to local industry networking events or sign-up for a student membership in a professional association — most associations deeply discount or give these to students free of charge. By getting involved, you continue to build your all-important network while also gaining valuable information about what is going on in the field.”

Soon-to-be seniors:
You’re almost there. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel. While it’s exciting that you only have one year left, it’s also scary that you only have one year left. If you’re not continuing your education, you have one more year before you have to enter the real world and get a job. Hopefully, if you were productive during your past summers, you’re in a good position to have a successful summer break.

Sarikas says this is the time to step up your networking efforts. “Try to do at least two networking informational interviews each week. Identify a relevant professional association and join as a student member. Attend their summer meetings. Connect with your contacts on LinkedIn. Always say thank you for their advice and their time and keep them posted. Build on the networking from your first two years.”

Also, if you weren’t able to find an internship in your field last year, this is the summer to make it happen. Not only does it show future employers that you have relevant experience, but it’ll also help you to confirm that this is truly a field that interests you. If you can’t find an internship in your field, consider volunteering instead. “Work with your career center and utilize your network to identify an appropriate opportunity,” Sarikas says.

You’ll also need to start preparing yourself for a job after graduation by getting tools together that will help in your search. “Update and edit your résumé, and ask several people to review it for you to ensure that it is flawless,” Sarikas says. “Practice writing cover letters to jobs in your field and ask for feedback to improve them … Practice researching companies of interest to identify questions you can ask in your interview. The more preparation you do now, the easier the process will be.”

Finally, Sarikas suggests developing a plan to help your eventual job search. “Build a list of target companies you are most interested in working for. Research to identify alumni and other connections at those companies. Prepare to maintain your networking even while you are back in school, but get a good start during the summer. Start reviewing job postings at your target companies to get a feel for the types of positions they post for entry level.”

No matter what year you’re entering into, use your summer to its fullest to help prepare for what comes next. But don’t forget to squeeze in some fun and relaxation too.

If you’re a college student, what are you doing this summer to prepare for your post-college career?

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A new study by CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists Intl.* found that certain segments within the housing sector are rebounding and in turn are creating jobs.

“Several industry segments closely tied to the housing sector have experienced encouraging job growth over the last 12 to 18 months as home prices and sales inch up and the economy improves,” says Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder. “While some segments may still be trailing pre-recession employment levels and may not fully recover jobs lost, we’re seeing signs of a rebound in everything from construction and mortgage banking to home furnishing stores.”

Housing segments experiencing growth
The construction industry is actively hiring again after facing job losses during the recession. Since 2011, the U.S. has added more than 187,000 construction jobs, an increase of 2 percent, and 7,794,077 people are currently employed in this segment.

Other housing-related industries outside of construction are building up their staff again. More than 59,000 additional housing supply chain** jobs have been added since 2011, an increase of 3 percent. There are 1,755,863 people currently employed in this segment.

Some specific segments within the housing supply chain that have seen job growth from 2011 to 2013 include:

Mortgage and nonmortgage loan brokers

• Added 19,317 jobs since 2011, 30 percent growth
• 84,759 people currently employed

Home centers and other home furnishing stores

• Added 23,849 jobs since 2011, 3 percent growth
• 823,496 people currently employed

Building materials dealers

• Added 11,305 jobs since 2011, 4 percent growth
• 317,987 people currently employed

Hardware, paint and wallpaper stores

• Added 4,062 jobs since 2011, 2 percent growth
• 184,017 people currently employed

Upholstered household furniture manufacturing

• Added 1,828 jobs since 2011, 4 percent growth
• 53,838 people currently employed

Hot areas for the housing market
Certain cities are experiencing notable increases in home values and housing marketing activity***, including some of the areas hit hard by the housing crisis. These metropolitan statistical areas include:

Los Angeles

• Added 191,343 total jobs since 2011, 3 percent growth
• Added 22,318 construction jobs, 8 percent growth
• Added 3,138 other housing supply chain jobs, 5 percent growth

Denver

• Added 69,622 total jobs since 2011, 5 percent growth
• Added 6,243 construction jobs, 8 percent growth
• Added 904 other housing supply chain jobs, 6 percent growth

San Francisco

• Added 118,617 total jobs since 2011, 5 percent growth
• Added 13,963 construction jobs, 13 percent growth
• Added 465 other housing supply chain jobs, 2 percent growth

Phoenix

• Added 75,281 total jobs since 2011, 4 percent growth
• Added 11,414 construction jobs, 11 percent growth
• Added 1,097 other housing supply chain jobs, 5 percent growth

Las Vegas

• Added 33,370 total jobs since 2011, 4 percent growth
• Added 2,524 construction jobs, 6 percent growth
• Added 255 other housing supply chain jobs, 4 percent growth

While the economy works to recover, it’s this kind of progress in the housing market industry that will continue to help fuel its growth.

^*EMSI data is collected from more than 90 federal and state sources, such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau and state labor departments. EMSI removes suppressions often found in publicly available data and includes proprietors, creating a complete picture of the workforce.

^**For the purpose of this study, EMSI included the following in the definition of housing supply chain jobs: home centers and other home furnishing stores; building materials dealers; hardware, paint, and wallpaper stores; mortgage and nonmortgage loan brokers; and miscellaneous home and household furniture manufacturing.

^***Hot housing markets based on 24/7 Wall St.’s review of Zillow data, April 2013. Employment data supplied by EMSI.

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“Touch is the new frontier for job search,” said Hope Gurion, chief product officer for CareerBuilder. “Tablet users expect to see jobs information in a visual way that reflects the visual approach of the overall Web.”

But as job-searching mediums change from paper résumés to desktop computers to mobile devices, there are some points to remember to keep your job search efficient and productive. Check out tips for applying on a mobile device, as well as new tools that can improve your job search.

Tips for applying on a mobile device
When using mobile devices in your search, remember to still take your time with the application process. Due to smaller screens and people’s tendency to multitask with their mobile devices, there’s a higher chance a mistake can slip through with your application.

Also make sure that you’re using customized résumés for the different jobs you apply for. Many hiring managers and companies utilize applicant tracking systems that scan résumés for keywords which are often found in job descriptions. Some mobile-friendly sites, like CareerBuilder, allow you to save multiple résumés, which you can choose from and use during the application process.

Finally, take the extra time to do your research. While it’s tempting to apply quickly and easily to every job listing you see, remember that the system works best for everybody when you only apply for jobs that you’re qualified for and would seriously consider accepting. Check out the company’s background and what it’s like to work there. Learn about their company culture and if it’s a good fit for you. Not only will this give you a better idea of whether you want this job or not, but it will also prepare you to write a thoughtful cover letter.

Tools to know about
CareerBuilder has just launched a new experience for tablet users (tablet.careerbuilder.com) that is redefining mobile job search. The highly personalized and intuitive experience enables tablet users to not only discover jobs, but also insights about other candidates who applied for them and a host of other cool features.

Organized in simple tiles, CareerBuilder’s new tablet search technology instantly provides more relevant information in a visually mindful way. Key features include:

• When you pull up a job listing, you can instantly see how many other candidates have already applied.  You can also see in aggregate their education level and years of experience, what companies they worked for, schools they attended, etc.  You can assess how you stack up against the competition and if it’s worth your time to apply.
• Job listings also have a unique GPS function that tells you how long your commute would be if you drove, walked, rode a bike or took public transportation.
• You can apply to jobs via your tablet with a résumé stored on CareerBuilder in just two taps.
• When you’re searching, you can choose from a host of company attributes that are important to you like company size, type of corporate culture, flexible schedules, whether it’s a start up, etc.  This helps the technology learn the type of work experience you’re looking for.
• You also have your own customized content section with featured companies and articles that most closely match your job search behavior and interests.

Mobile devices and technology will only continue to grow more prominent in the different facets of our life, including job searching. Stay ahead of the curve and try out these new tips and technologies in your job search today.

* comScore Mobile Metrix 2.0, Career Services and Development – Job Search, March 2013

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