The job market for new college graduates is red hot, according to the most recent report from Michigan State University’s Collegiate Employment Research Institute(CERI).

MOST people look to their favourite school subject when they start thinking about a career path, but maybe it's what you enjoy after class that will be your job. Whether you're into music or love hitting the gym, it's very possible that you can transform your passion into a career.

According to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica, as of October 2006, the unemployment rate in Jamaica was 9.6%. While this represents an overall decline compared to say, 2004, unemployment in Jamaica is still high and that fact has become even more evident as new graduates hit the streets this year in search of jobs. 

Did you know?

• Career Jamaica makes it easy for you to find a job in Jamaica or the wider Caribbean.
• There are numerous opportunities for employment in Jamaica at all job levels listed with Career Jamaica
• Registering and viewing jobs with Career Jamaica is free
• You can sign up for Career Jamaica’s free, bi-weekly news letter that alerts you to new job vacancies and our featured employer job vacancies.
• That if you reside within any CARICOM member state you can not only find work in Jamaica, but any other country that is a member of CARICOM?
• That Career Jamaica lists Caribbean Jobs as well as other Jamaican jobs
• Search for and view free Caribbean job vacancy postings from Antigua and Barbuda,   The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

Surveys show that up to 50% of jobseekers continue to do this. Competition in the job market is tough. Even the most qualified applicants are not getting called for interviews.

Instead, use the time you would spend on these applications to make yourself more marketable.

Structure of a Cover Letter

If you’re unsure how you’re actually going to write a cover letter, it can help to break the letter down into its various parts and concentrate on just one section at a time. Here’s what goes into each of the four main sections of a cover letter:

Resume Checkist

Did you know that a resume will only get less than a 15-second glance at the first screening?

If you don't make a good impression within those 15 seconds, it's straight to the "no pile". Before sending off a resume to an employer, be sure that ALL your answers are YES to the following questions: 

How to Identify (and avoid) Employment Scams

Employment scams are becoming more popular as persons seek to profit from the need for jobs in this difficult job market. It is crucial that job seekers be able to identify potential scams and protect themselves from paying costly fees for the promise of employment.

5 Things You Should Never do in a Job Interview

Congratulations! you have just gotten called in for a job interview. You now need to know the simple ways to candidates make a bad impression during an interview. There are a few things that most Human Resource professionals agree are “pet peeves” guaranteed to ensure you do NOT get the job.