It doesn't take much time to send a thank you note, letter or email after a job interview. Sending a thank you letter is a good way to reiterate your interest in the job and to remind the interviewer why you are the best candidate.

It's also important to take the time to thank everyone who assisted with your job search. Here's information on thank you letters including who you should thank and the best way to thank them.

If you're not sure what to write, review a sample thank you letter or two to get some ideas and suggestions. And, if you have a thank you letter you're proud of and you'd like to share it with our site visitors, here's how to submit your letter for consideration.

More: Top 10 Thank You Letter Tips

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If you're not joining the Black Friday shoppers at at the mall or the outlets today, or if you have a holiday shopping list that is, like mine, way too long for the amount of time you have to shop, you might have thought about doing your holiday shopping from work.

According to CareerBuilder's holiday shopping from work survey, 32% of workers plan on doing some shopping from the office.  That's up from 29% last year.

A survey from  ISACA reports even more shopping this season.  10% of workers surveyed  plan to spend at least 30 hours shopping online at work.  And most employees plan to spend nearly two full working days (14.4 hours) on average shopping online from a work computer this holiday season.

Despite the fact that I'm a diehard online shopper and don't buy anything from the store that I can get online, I do need to warn you to be careful about shopping from work.   Before you start adding presents to your shopping cart, you might want to consider the consequences of shopping (and socializing) on company time, or you might end up looking for a new job. What you do online when you're doing it from work, is your employer's business and not much of it is private. CareerBuilder reports that 50% of companies monitor Internet use by employees.

So, if you're shopping on the job and don't want to end up job shopping, take CareerBuilder Vice President of Human Resources Rosemary Haefner's advice: "The Internet provides fast and convenient access to virtually any resources you need, but you want to make sure you're leveraging those resources during personal time that is allotted to you during the workday, such as your lunch hour."

More: Using Facebook at Work

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Writing about listening to folk music on my local public radio station one Thanksgiving has become an annual tradition for me, along with a family gathering and lots to eat on the table. I was struck that Thanksgiving, and still am, by the lyrics of Bob Franke's song Thanksgiving Eve:

What can you do with your days but work and hope
Let your dreams bind your work to your play

Bob's lyrics remind me, especially this time of year, as we move from fall to winter here in the Northeast United States, that life is short and none of have as much time as we'd like to do the things that matter most to us.

That's said, this has been a really tough year for finding a job - any job - let alone focusing on finding meaningful work.    What's interesting though, is the common thread that runs through many of the stories that unemployed workers have graciously shared with me.  Despite the fact that they don't have a job, that it's the worst job market that they can remember, and life is really difficult, they are thankful.  They are thankful for the kindness of friends, family, and sometimes strangers, who have taken them in when the've lost their homes.  They are thankful for a meal, for a referral to a job, and for unemployment benefits that have helped at least pay some of the bills.

Thanksgiving is also my time of year to say thank you.  A heartfelt thanks  to all of you have contributed to this site and shared your job search stories, suggestions, and tips. I appreciate you taking the time to comment on posts, email me, or post on our Forum. 

As I mentioned, this has been the most difficult year for job seekers that I can remember and I appreciate all who have shared their advice for to help other struggling with a job search or unemployment issues, even when you are in dire straits yourselves.

More: Share Your Unemployment Story

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Despite the latest unemployment extension passed by Congress, many unemployed workers will start running out of benefits at the end of the year because the extended benefits provided by American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) are set to expire. In addition, the 65% COBRA subsidy, the $25 supplemental payment, and the partial suspension of Federal income tax will also expire. The National Employment Law Project (NELP) reports:

• Almost 450,000 workers will exhaust their 26 weeks of states benefits without accessing the temporary EUC extension program or the permanent federal program of Extended Benefits.
• Nearly 600,000 workers will not be eligible to continue receiving EUC past their current tier of benefits.

If another extension isn't passed, many workers will not be entitled to any unemployment benefits beyond 26 weeks of state benefits. That's because if you are not already collecting extended benefits, you will not be able to move to additional tiers of benefits, like you can now, because those extensions are expiring on December 31. The National Employment Law Project recommends contacting your Congress member and urging him or her to act now to extended benefits for all workers who are going to lose them.

Related: New Unemployment Extension News

Sometimes, I'm not sure how people even know where to begin looking for a job online. That's especially true if you haven't had to job search in a while. A job seeker I spoke to yesterday had no idea, first of all, how much information was available online and, secondly, where to begin to look for a job.

If you're confused or need a refresher, here are all the online job search resources you need to effectively job search online, including the best job search sites, job search engines, networking sites, online job search tools, and tips to ensure that you are using all the Internet job search resources available to help find a job online.

From the best sites for job searching to making sure employers can find you to using LinkedIn to job search to tools and technology that will expedite your job search, you will find all the resources you need to find a job online.

More: Online Job Searching
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What's the best way to find job listings? Job search engines are a great way to save job searching time and to get job listings from job boards, company web sites and other sources all at once. If you use the best job search engines, (Indeed.com, SimplyHired.com, LinkUp.com), you can get at most of the jobs listed online from just one job web site. They search all the job boards, company web sites, association sites, and other job posting sites. You can search by keyword, location, and other advanced options, to get job postings that match your interests and qualifications.

The other job sites that you should use are the niche sites that focus on a specific location or on a specific industry. Niche job sites are especially helpful resources when jobs are scarce, because you will find job listings that may not be posted elsewhere. That will get you to the rest of the job listings that are posted online.

Related: Best Job Search Engines | Job Listings

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If you're pregant and job searching, how should you handle it? When's the best time to mention your pregnancy to a prospective employer? Before the interview or after you have a job offer?

Here's advice on how to handle employment issues when you're pregnant, what you need to know about pregnancy discrimination, and suggestions and tips on handling your pregnancy while working or conducting a job search.

For prospective moms (and dads) here's what you can expect as far as maternity leave and parternity leave (now usually called family leave) after you have a baby or adopt a child.

More: Benefits Questions and Answers

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George is just one of the job seekers who have written to me asking what they should put in their LinkedIn Profile when they are unemployed. It's definitely an issue because even though you, like many other people, are out of work, you want to present yourself in a positive light to prospective employers and to networking contacts.

Krista Canfield, Senior PR Manager at LinkedIn has suggestions: "If you're currently unemployed list your current position as "open to opportunities." If you just recently lost your job, make sure you update your status field in your profile so your network knows that you're looking for a job. You can update it with, "John is currently looking for a finance position. Do you know anyone who's hiring?" or "Sarah is interested in freelance opportunities. Let her know if someone in your network needs help writing or editing." It's a quick and easy way to let folks you're connected to know that you could use their help."

Krista also, noted that "One member of ours was unfortunately laid off so he updated his status to show he was currently looking for a new position. He was able to find a new job within seven business days of being laid-off because someone in his network knew someone who was hiring."

It's important for anyone job searching or growing their career, and who is out of work or currently employment, to use LinkedIn to job search. Review LinkedIn's Back-to-Business Checklist for Job Hunters for tips that will help if you're re-entering the workforce, changing careers, or if you're laid off and are looking for a new position.

And here's more on how can you ensure that you're not missing out and you're using the full power of LinkedIn to job search.

More: LinkedIn

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Do you have Thanksgiving travel plans? When you're traveling while you're in the midst of a job search, it's important to be able to not miss out on emails or phone calls from prospective employers. Hiring doesn't stop, just because of the holidays, and staying connected could give you an advantage over other candidates who don't check messages until they get home from a trip.

You won't want to miss out on a job opportunity or a conversation with a connection who can help your job search, because you're not at home or out of touch.  As long as you have the right job search travel tools with you, you won't have any problems accessing voicemail, email, or the Internet.

For me, my IPhone, besides being one of the best toys I've ever had, quickly has become an essential tool I can't do without. If you have one, or another smartphone, get your phone set before you  go.  Download job search iPhone  apps that search for jobs by keyword and location, apply for jobs,  email job listings, keep track of your contacts, and even create a resume.

You don't need to spend all your time job searching, but if you spend a little while keeping your job search going, you'll be ahead of the game, instead of playing catch-up when you get home.

More: Job Searching During the Holidays | Job Search iPhone Apps

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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

Whether you are job searching or deciding on a job offer it's important to review what benefit coverage is provided by the companies you're interested in and to decide whether the employee benefit package is one that fully meets your needs.

Not all benefit packages are created equal and it's better to be informed, upfront, rather than have an unpleasant and possibly expensive surprise later on.

For example, a former colleague of mine accepted a new job and presumed that his benefits package would be equivilent to what he had at his old job. It wasn't - it provided single health insurance coverage. He had to pay to cover his family. There was no visual or dental care, like he had in the past. Also, the leave policy was different. At his old job, his employer provided a generous personal leave package that included vacation, sick time, and personal days. At the new job he got 5 sick days and 5 vacation days to start.

Benefits can be as important, and sometimes more important, that your paycheck. So, before you accept a job offer, review the types of employee benefits offered by the company. Then take some time to evaluate the benefits package to make sure it's a good fit for your personal and family circumstances.

More: Employee Benefit Packages | Employee Benefits

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It's important to manage your job search and keep track of the job leads you find, the jobs you've applied to, the resumes and cover letters you have submitted, and the networking contacts you're outreaching to. If it sounds like a lot, it is. There are ways to get (and keep) your job search under control though.

Spending time managing your job search, keeping it organized, focused, and on the fast track will help you find a job faster than if you don't have a plan in place. Even though you're going to spend some extra time getting organized, it will save you time in the long run. It will also save you from being in the awkward position that someone I heard from the other day was in. She got a call for an interview, but had no clue what the job was that she had applied for.

Rather than hitting, and maybe missing, your job search targets, or not being able to properly prepare for an interview because you're clueless about the opportunity, you'll be spending your time job searching in an effective manner if you take it one step at a time - and stay on top of managing the job search process. Here's how to get your job search on the fast track, along with free tools and tips to help expedite a job search.

Have a tip for getting your job search organized? Share your job search tip or comment (below).

More: Manage Your Job Search | Online Job Search Guide

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November 18 Update: There a lot of confusion surrounding the latest unemployment extension, which provides for additional weeks of benefits for workers who run out of unemployment by the end of the year. Part of the reason is that the new legislation changed the exisiting tiers of benefits. The other is that the only eligible workers are those that run out of benefits by the end of the year. Here's clarification on the new unemployment extension.

November 6 Update: President Obama has signed the unemployment extension legislation. Check with your state unemployment office for details on when payments will start being made. The extension provides for 14 weeks of extended benefit coverage for every state and an additional 6 weeks, for a total of 20 weeks, in high unemployment states where unemployment is over 8.5%.

• Share Your Unemployment Story
• Read Unemployed Worker Stories

November 5 Update: The House voted today to approve the unemployment extension. The next step is for the President to sign it.   Once it's signed, check with your state unemployment office for details on when payments will start being made.  UnemployedWorkers.org has checked with many state unemployment offices and reports that "The first payable week of benefits under the new extension is the week ending November 14, 2009. Benefits would not be legally payable until after that date. Most states have been able to make their first payments under new extension laws in the past within about 3 weeks of enactment, which would be around the first of December."   States have been doing their best to keep up-to-date and to post updates as soon as they have them, but it may take some time for the logistics to be figured out.

November 4 Update:  An unemployment extension has been approved by the Senate.  The  Senate voted 98 - 0 to extend jobless benefits by 14 weeks for every state and an additional 6 weeks, for a total of 20 weeks, in high unemployment states where unemployment is over 8.5%.   The House needs to approve the extension, which then goes to the President to sign.  Hopefully, that will happen this week.

November 2 Update: The Senate voted 85-2 Monday to limit debate and move ahead with a vote to approve unemployment extension legislation. A final vote is expected later this week.

October 29 Update: The Senate is moving closer to voting to extend unemployment insurance. The Senate agreed on an 87-13 procedural vote Tuesday to bring the measure to a final vote. However, the legislation is still being negotiated in the Senate and may not be voted on until next week.

The National Employment Law Project has clarified who would be covered by the extension:
If you have exhausted your full range of federally funded benefits before the passage of this bill, you WILL be eligible for these additional weeks... However, in another important aspect, the bill is NOT retroactive. You will not receive a lump sum payment dating back to the time when you exhausted benefits. The benefits will only be paid going forward.

October 24 Update: Reports indicate that unemployment legislation will be on the agenda for the Senate next week, but there is no timeline for a vote on legislation that would extend unemployment benefits for the 2 million workers who are running out of unemployment.  

October 2 Update: Senator Max Baucus, Chairman of the Finance Committee, introduced legislation - the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2009 - that provides additional weeks of federal unemployments benefits to workers in all states. Baucus and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid propose four extra weeks of extended unemployment benefits for all states, plus 13 additional weeks for the 27 hardest-hit states. In addition, Senator Jeanne Shaheen will introduce an amendment to give all states 13 weeks of extra unemployment benefits, plus an additional four weeks on top of that for Michigan and other hard-hit states. Hopefully, we'll see action early next week on the proposed legislation.

September 23 Update: The House passed an extension of unemployment benefits last night. The extended benefits would covering an additional 13 weeks of unemployment for more than 1 million workers in 29 high unemployment states whose benefits will expire before the end of 2009. The next step in the process is for the Senate to approve an extension.

September 20 Update: The House of Representatives is expected to propose an extension of unemployment insurance benefits next week. If passed, the extension would provide an additional 13 weeks of benefits to jobless people living in states with an average unemployment rate of 8.5% over the last three months. A vote is expected by mid-week and if it passes, the Senate is expected to follow suit and act quickly to extend benefits which are running out for hundreds of thousands of American workers.

July 24 Update: Millions of unemployed workers are going to start running out of unemployment benefits in the near future. What can you do if your unemployment runs out or you're about to run out of unemployment benefits? First of all, check with your State Unemployment Office to make sure that you are receiving all the extended benefits you qualify for. If you're close to being out, take a look at the other resources that are available for unemployed workers and take advantage of whatever you can to help you get by until you find a new job.

June 18 Update: To discuss unemployment, post information on extended benefits in your state, or ask questions about unemployment benefits, visit the About.com Discussion Forum Unemployment section. You'll be able to ask (and answer if you have information) questions on unemployment.

June 18 Update: The National Employment Law Project reports that since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was signed by President Obama, 25 states have enacted jobless benefit policies that will enable thousands of workers previously barred from the system to collect unemployment benefits, while 21 high-unemployment states have extended jobless benefits an additional 13-20 weeks.

March 27 Update: Updates on the unemployment extension are continuing to come in on a state by state basis. Check your state unemployment office web site regularly for updates on extended benefits in your location. Also, check the comments below and add your own updates, if you have news to share. Thanks to everyone who is providing updates. I appreciate your help keeping everyone up-to-date on the extension and unemployment benefits.

March 3 Update: States are starting to post updates on the unemployment extension, so check your state unemployment office web site frequently for news. New York, for example, has an Emergency Unemployment Update stating that 13 additional weeks of benefits are available, along with answers to frequently asked questions about eligibility and payment.

February 22 Update: The National Employment Law Project (NELP) has a Q&A (PDF) that details the new options available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which allows high unemployment states to provide up to 13 to 20 weeks of additional extended benefits to workers who run out of federal funded unemployment benefits. Currently, are 20 to 33 weeks of benefits for workers who run out of their state unemployment, so this plan, if adopted by the states, would provide additional weeks of federally funded benefits.

States need to qualify for the funding, based on the level of unemployment. The Department of Labor has a weekly trigger notice with an update of which states have reached the unemployment level to qualify for the extended benefits funding.

More information on extended benefits will be available on state unemployment office web sites, hopefully, in the near future.

Unemployment Resources

• Unemployment Benefits
• Unemployment Extension
• How to File for Unemployment
• Job Loss Checklist

My brother is a marathon runner who recently had his best time ever in the New York City Marathon. He's got a hectic full-time job and he's middle aged, so it was a really big accomplishment. He spends a lot of time training and staying in shape.

Talking to John about the race and what led up to it was a good reminder that a job search isn't a one shot deal. It's a marathon, not a sprint, and everything you do leading up to winning the job search competition, and it is a competition for each and every job, and getting a job offer matters.

Every part of what you do when you job search, including looking for job postings, online job searching, writing cover letters, dressing for an interview, sending a thank you note, job searching (or not) from work, and using social media can make - or break - your job search.

These top job search tips include tips for resume writing, cover letters, curriculum vitae, interviewing, phone interviews, working at home, online job searching, using your network, finding work at home jobs, and more advice to help you find a new job fast.

Related: Top 10 Job Search Tips | Online Job Searching

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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

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