The panicked email I received the other day, and it's not the first one, said "Accidentally, on purpose, I had listed false dates for my last job on my resume.  Now  I am really really scared as what could happen if I disclose the truth - or if I don't disclose the truth.  What should I do?"

What do you do when you've lied on your resume and now it might make a big difference in the outcome of your job search? Do you take a chance that you won't get caught? Or, do you try and fix the problem without jeopardizing your chances of getting the job?

Of course, it wasn't smart to lie on your resume in the first place, because it can come back to haunt you.  Even after you've been hired, lying on a job application is grounds for termination at any point in the future - even years later. That said, what can you do now when the damage is already done?  There's no easy answer, but here are the options for what you can do when you lied on your resume.

Poll: Would You Lie on Your Resume

If your plan is to put your job search on hold until the holidays are over, think again. The holidays are actually a great time to hunt for a new job. You can use holiday events to network, spend some time revamping your resume, and build a personal brand that you can use online to attract employers.

The holidays are a terrific time for double-purpose connecting - wishing your contacts "Happy Holidays" and reminding them that you're in the market for a new job. Send a holiday greeting card, as well as messages on LinkedIn and Facebook to all your connections and friends.

There's also less competition for available jobs during the holidays and if you're available to interview, you'll be more competitive than those candidates who are taking a break and quitting their job search until next year.

Here's how to give your job search a boost during the holidays.

More: Using the Holiday Season to Job Search | Send a Holiday Card | Thank You Tips

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I always say that it's important to have a current resume and LinkednIn Profile, and a VisualCV, even if you're not actively job seeking.  It's important to be prepared to job search, so you don't have to scramble if you have to find a job in a hurry. Tools that showcase your online presence are a great way to present your skills and experience, and to build an online presence that can enhance your job search.

Santa seems to agree.  We know he's pretty busy, but he's still on top of his personal brand and positioned to job search - just in case.  I'm impressed with Santa's resume, which does a good job marketing his skills and experience thanks to Certified Professional Resume Writer Martin Buckland.

I'm even more impressed that Santa has gone high-tech and created a VisualCV.  Just in case you're not aware, a VisualCV is an online version of your resume, but, like a portfolio, has much more - images, videos, and links to your accomplishments.

Everyone should have a VisualCV. It's an excellent way to showcase your skills and present your personal brand. It's quick and easy to set up, and, as I said, it's a terrific way to present yourself online.

As you can see from Santa's VisualCV, he's got photos (Rudolph is really cute!), his work history, special skills, including flying reindeer, and examples of his personal brand licensing. Who wouldn't want to recruit him?

Take a cue from Santa and spend some time creating or polishing up your VisualCV. You'll have a unique, personal URL for your VisualCV, and you can link to it from LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other networking sites, and your blog. It will show networking contacts and prospective employers, at glance, why you're a terrific connection or candidate for employment.  

By the way, there are several Santas on Twitter, but I'm not sure which is the real one, and none of them are tweeting quite as much as I would expect Santa Claus to this time of year.

Related:  Creating a VisualCV | LinkedIn

_{Santa's VisualCV © VisualCV}

The holiday season provides a perfect opportunity for job search networking. Even if you're out of work and out of holiday cheer, it's important not to miss out on any opportunities to meet people who can help you find a job.

Accept all the invitations you receive and consider the networking you're going to do as a key part of your job search. Even if you don't feel like going to a party or other holiday celebration, you'll not only meet people who can, and would like, to help. You might even have much more fun than you expected!

These tips for networking at holiday parties, will help you the most out of all the holiday events you attend.

Related:  Top 10 Office Party Don'ts | Top Seven Office Party Gaffes

_{Image Copyright Copyright Kevin Russ}

It's important to remember that even if you have gone on lots of interviews, it is a good idea to brush up your skills and take some time to practice interviewing. A job seeker who had been reviewing our job interview questions and answers told me "I've been reading your pages recently and am happy to say that I had my second interview yesterday. You were of tremendous help. 75% of your probable questions were asked and answered as you suggested."

I'm always interested in adding to the list, so if you've been asked some difficult interview questions that you don't see here, please let me know.

Also, note that there are some questions that are usually referred to as illegal interview questions and although it's legally-risky to do so, it is not necessarily against the law for interviewers to ask them. Here's more information on illegal interview questions.

Job Interviews

• Interview Questions and Answers
• How to Follow-Up After a Job Interview
• Interview Guide
• Tough Interview Questions
• Types of Job Interviews

_{Image Copyright Zhang Bo}

Once you have decided to resign from your job, there's no point in criticizing your company, your boss, your co-workers, the job or anything else.  Even if you hated your boss, hated the job, and can't wait to get out of there, don't burn your bridges.   You might need a reference in the future and you don't want to give anyone any ammunition to use against you.  Save your parting shots and keep your feelings to yourself.  

Instead, write a formal resignation letter, so it can be placed in your employment file.  Keep your resignation letter simple and short. Don't go into too much detail about why you are quitting and what you are doing next. Your letter shouldn't be negative or nasty - it honestly isn't worth venting.

When you're not sure what to write, review sample resignation letters to get some ideas. You can use them to create your own personalized resignation letter.  On a related note, email isn't really the best way to resign, but if you're working remotely or you don't have the courage to resign in person, here's how to send an email resignation message.

Here's more advice on how to resign gracefully and how to resign on good terms.

And if you're already written a resignation letter that helped you part with your employer on good terms, I'd like to include it in our collection of samples. Here's how to submit your letter.

More: Resignation Letters| Resignation Letter Examples

Before you can start to job search, you need a resume.  A resume is a summary of your work-related history - a written compilation of your education, work experience, credentials, and accomplishments. Writing a resume, especially the first time or if you haven't updated yours in a while, can be complicated because your resume is going to be reviewed by software as well as by hiring managers. You need to write it for both audiences.

Review these top resume tips for choosing a type of resume, selecting a resume font, customizing your resume, using resume keywords, explaining employment gaps, reviewing resume examples, and more tips for writing interview winning resumes.

I'm probably sounding like a broken record, but writing a cover letter to send or post with your resume isn't easy either. That's especially true in a competitive job market, like this one. When you need to write a cover letter, it can be the small things that can knock you out of contention, and as importantly, how you present yourself in your letter that gets you an interview.

Review these cover letter tips and techniques for writing top notch cover letters to send with your resume, including cover letter format and presentation, choosing a type of cover letter, writing custom cover letters, and cover letter examples and templates.

Next, take a look at these 10 job search tips that will help your hunt for a new job go smoothly.

Resume and Letter Tips

• Cover Letter Tips
• Curriculum Vitae Tips
• Resume Tips
• Thank You Letter Tips

_{Image Copyright Pali Rao}

If you're looking for work or have job searched at all this year, take a few minutes to thank the people who helped with your job search. And if someone has introduced to a connection who has helped give your career a boost, send a holiday thank you card to them, too.  It's a terrific way to  thank the people who have helped you if you've found a job or to remind your connections that you're still job searching if you haven't found a new position yet.

Or, if you simply want to stay in touch with contacts, which always makes good sense, take a few minutes and send them holiday cards, too.  Sending a holiday thank you card is a good way to stay in touch with your connections, and to let them know that you appreciate the help they have provided during the past year. 

Old fashioned paper cards or thank you notes work best, because they are a bit more tangible than email, but if the time it takes or the expense are issues, email thank you messages work, as well.   Not sure what to write? Here are sample thank you letters to get you started.

More: Thank You Notes | Thank You Letters | Email Thank You Messages

_{Image © Valerie Loiseleux}

Social media, including sites like Twitter and Facebook, can help you find a job and connect with people who can assist you with growing your career.

However, it works both ways. Social media when used the wrong way can backfire and jeopardize a job offer or even your current job.  I am amazed that people still post "I hate my job" on Twitter or complain about their boss without thinking of the possible ramifications.    Then they're surprised if, all of a sudden, they don't have a job.

It's important to be careful and consider what you shouldn't do, as well as what you should do, when using social media to job search. What you put in your LinkedIn Profile, who you connect with, when and where you use social media, and what you share with the world, all can make a big difference in the outcome of your job search.

Here's how (and how not) to use social media to job search.

Related:  Network Before You Need To | Be Careful What You Tweet

_{Image Copyright Twitter}

A holiday job used to be a way to earn some extra money to cover presents and pay a few bills. Now, according to a survey from job search engine SimplyHired.com, the majority of holiday job seekers are those who just need a job - any job.

SimplyHired reports that 66% of job seekers are looking for a seasonal job because they are out of work this holiday season. 24% of job seekers simply need the additional income and 8% need money for school expenses.

If you're looking to earn some extra money during the holiday season, it's quick and easy to apply for the holiday jobs that are available - and there's not all that many, so apply everywhere you can. I picked up a few holiday job applications at the mall the other day and they are so simple that they only take few minutes to complete.

Before you go, make a list of the information you need to apply, so you're ready to complete an on-the-spot job application. Dress appropriately, be ready for an interview, and you may get a holiday job sooner than you expected!

Related: Holiday Jobs | In-Person Job Applications

_{Photo © Morrighan}

Tools for America's Job Seekers is a new venture from the U.S. Department of Labor. It's an effort to collaborate on bringing job seekers together with the best job sites - job search engines, job boards, and sites with tools for job searching. The challenge will connect workers with online career resources and offer an opportunity for career and job sites to showcase their best products. During Phase 1 (Open now) Providers of online job search engines, job boards and career exploration sites can learn more and submit their products at http://www.dol.gov/challenge/.

During the next phase, starting in January, job seekers will be able to provide feedback on the sites, and, of course, use the tools to apply for jobs.

There are lots of terrific career and job sites out there and this is a great way to connect with job seekers. So, don't wait to submit your site so it can be considered for the list. Keep in mind, job sites should be free to users (I love that rule!). Tools that have a fee must be made available free so they can be evaluated during the challenge.

Job seekers and career professionals, stay tuned for Phase 2 - I'll post a reminder when you can review the sites and provide feedback.

Sometimes a little good news can be an indicator of progress, especially when the news is much better than expected. The unemployment rate dropped, slightly, to 10%, with non-farm payroll employment losing only 11,000 jobs in November - the smallest loss since the recession began. In addition, adjusted job losses for September and October were lower than originally reported.

That said, the job market still has a long way to go and there is a lot of competition - more than 6 job seekers - for every available job. It's important to spend some time checking out the job market, so you know what type of jobs are available for someone with your skills - just in case you have to find a job sooner than you planned.

If you have already lost your job, here's information on filing for unemployment. It's important to file as soon as possible, and you may be able to file your unemployment claim online.

More: Unemployment Extension

A bill extending unemployment benefits has been introduced in the House by James McDermott (D-WA). If approved, H.R. 4183, the Helping Unemployed Workers Act, would extend the eligibility deadline for those who have exhausted benefits from December 31, 2009 until March 31, 2011.

In addition, the legislations would fix the deadline glitch that prevents unemployed workers in high-unemployment states from collecting the additional six weeks of insurance that was passed in H.R. 3548.

If you're out of work, please add your story to our collection:

• Share Your Unemployment Story
• Read Unemployed Worker Stories

Related: Unemployment Benefits  | Unemployment Extension  | How to File for Unemployment

There's a lot going on during the holiday season and, when you're job searching, all the mixing and mingling is an ideal opportunity for networking.  If you are attending a holiday gathering or any other type of party, mention that you're job searching. You never know who might be able to help.

Accept all the holiday invitations you receive, even if you don't really feel like going, so you don't miss out on a chance to get help.  My stepson was not only offered a co-op position by one of my friends that he met at a party at our house, he was also remembered a year later when the company was hiring for a full-time job.  Now, he's looking to move on once again and he's using the holiday season to advance his career.

Also,  take the time to send to send a holiday thank you card or email to everyone who has helped with your job search this year. Everyone appreciates a thank you!

More : Holiday Job Searching | Give Your Job Search a Boost

_{Photo © Stephanie Phillips}

Update December 3: A bill extending unemployment benefits has been introduced in the House by James McDermott (D-WA). If approved, H.R. 4183, the Helping Unemployed Workers Act, would extend the eligibility deadline for those who have exhausted benefits from December 31, 2009 until March 31, 2011.

Update November 20:  Here's additional information from the National Employment Law Project on unemployment benefits running out at the end of the year:

The National Employment Law Project (NELP) released a new analysis finding that one million workers will become ineligible for unemployment benefits in January 2010 unless Congress reauthorizes the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's unemployment insurance programs by the end of December. The critical benefits provided to jobless workers by the ARRA are set to expire at the end of the year, which means that even with the latest 14 to 20 week extension enacted in November, 30,000 workers a day will be left without any jobless benefits in January. By March, the number without federal jobless benefits will swell to nearly three million workers.

Update November 18:  There has been quite a bit of confusion about the new unemployment extension, which provides for an additional 14 weeks of extended benefit coverage for every state and an additional 6 weeks in high unemployment states. Part of the reason is that the new legislation changed the exisiting tiers of benefits. The new third tier of EUC will provide extra weeks of benefits to applicants who have exhausted both EUC Tier 1 and Tier 2 benefits. Tier 1 provides up to 20 weeks of benefits, Tier 2 now provides 14 weeks of benefits (it was 13 weeks).

In addition, the new unemployment extended benefits are only available to workers who run out of state unemployment benefits before December 31, 2009. This means that if new legislation isn't enacted, more workers are going to be running out of benefits. The National Employment Law Project (NELP) reports that a million workers will become ineligible for unemployment benefits in January unless Congress reauthorizes the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's unemployment insurance programs. By March, the number of unemployed workers without federal jobless benefits will rise to nearly three million workers.

States are updating their web sites, but it's taking time because computer systems have to be reprogrammed, so check with your state unemployment office for details on extended benefits in your state.

More: Unemployment Extension | How to File for Unemployment | Share Your Unemployment Story