The job world can be a dangerous place for the ill-prepared – so when a position opens up, it’s game time! While packing your resume with loads of experience certainly gives you an edge, it truly is what you say during the interview that will be the determining factor for most employers. For this reason, employers will size up applicants usually within the first 30 seconds of meeting them. Sometimes it’s the fundamentals, the elementary negotiating tactics or lack thereof that cause the interviewer to essentially ignore everything after the initial meet and greet.

Statistics reveal that many hiring decisions are made within the first 2 minutes of an interview. It behooves the candidate to spend a little time on preparing to have their life’s work summed up in just 120 seconds. Follow the tips below:

The Fundamentals:

There are certain common sense, time tested fundamentals when it comes to negotiating your way into a dream job. From the start, if you are not making eye contact, you will lose almost all credibility. Repeating the interviewers name is another fundamental that will also immediately add a level of personal connection that most of your competitors will fail to achieve. Nowadays, even the simple smile throughout an interview is left out. These few fundamentals are probably the most important, otherwise you are just another applicant. Establish that connection from the start. The good news is that few are doing what should be extremely obvious, and by bringing some eye contact, the interviewer’s name and a smile into your interview, believe it or not, you will have an edge!

A friend, Glenn, passed me this great article about the anxiety people experience when an e-mail goes unanswered. It talks about how our minds start racing with thoughts about what could be wrong. In short, we see “no news” as bad news.

E-mail Panic = Even Worse With Job Seekers

Anxiety from unanswered e-mails is especially prominent in job seekers. At least once a day, a client contacts me in a frustrated panic because the e-mail they sent days ago to a colleague, perspective networking contact, online application, recruiter, and so on hasn’t been answered. Each time, I walk them through the three tips that should be followed to increase the chances we get a response. They are:

1. Wait One Full Business Week Before Following Up

While it feels like months to you, to the person you sent the e-mail to, a week feels like a day. If they didn’t answer you yet, it just means you weren’t viewed as needing an immediate response. It doesn’t mean they are saying “no” to your request, they are just saying “not now.”

2. Never Send A Nudge On A Monday

Even the happiest of people feel a little off on Mondays. We call it the Weekend Flu, you might call it the Monday Blues. Regardless, it puts people in a mood to say “no” more quickly. So, even if it’s been a full business week, if it’s Monday – don’t do anything.

I recently asked readers to share the best career advice they ever received – and I figured it was time to ask for the worst next. And you certainly delivered! A lot of bad career advice apparently comes from parents – but managers aren’t too far behind them.

Here are the 10 worst pieces of work advice that readers reported hearing.

1. Say whatever it takes to close the sale

“’Say whatever you need to say to close the sale. Then we can worry about resetting expectations.’ This from a seasoned sales manager. I wasn’t in sales, so he wasn’t saying it directly to me, but this is what he was telling his sales reps to do re: the professional services I was responsible for managing.”

2. Major in anything and figure it out later

“’Major in whatever you want and then figure it out later.’ What was helpful when I was having panic attacks at 18 wasn’t so helpful when I was having panic attacks about what I’d do post-graduation at age 21. So then I went to grad school because it seemed like the safe, familiar choice, for a major that (turns out) needs a doctorate to do anything with it. And I don’t want a doctorate. Plus, I took out student loans that I’ll be paying back till my yet-to-be-born kids go to college. (I fully recognize these are my own choices; just wish someone had slapped me upside the head and said, ‘No!’)

If I were to do it all over again, I might still pick my undergrad major, but I’d get my act together more about what I’d do post-college before the spring semester of my senior year and seriously consider what kind of life I wanted post-college rather than my at-the-time “dream job,” which has a lifestyle that, turns out, I really don’t like or ever want.”

Finding a job in today’s market can be a daunting task, but there are many ways to make yourself more appealable to potential employers. The following 10 tips are surefire ways increase the likeliness of finding a job.

1. Build a Resume Worth Reading

Resumes are a necessary evil, and today you need more than a piece of paper. Check out sites like About.me and Flavors.me to create online resumes where you can add pictures, video and links to social media. You’re painting a more complete picture in a fun and creative space.

Across any media, language is important so avoid redundancy as well as common words and phrases. Overused terms such as innovative and dynamic, team player and detail oriented do little to distinguish your candidacy. Plus, it seems contrived and sometimes in-authentic.

Never lie on your resume and don’t use half truths, but it’s ok to dress things up. Look back at all your prior job experiences and find what’s most relevant. Many small and menial tasks provide insight into the spirit and enthusiasm you bring to your work, and it’s important potential employers understand not only what you did, but how you accomplished it.

2. Create a Calling Card

If someone wants to hire you for a job then make it easy for people to find you! It could be your personal website or the contact information on LinkedIn, but freely share information about yourself and your background. Not only does it build your professional story, but it establishes your authority in a given space. After people view you as a credible source of information they’ll want to contact you so make it easy for them to get in touch.

Whether we like it or not, our social media profiles are part of our digital resume. In the same way we stay glued to Facebook for updates from our friends, family, and favorite celebrities, employers look at our social media profiles for clues into our character and qualifications. Strengthen the likelihood of landing the job you want by avoiding these social media don’ts for job seekers:

Don’t post questionable photos or statuses.

Becoming an online billboard for the TMI Rule will cement your place at the back of the unemployment line. Unless you’re applying for a job as a Hawaiian Topics bikini model, forego the body-baring photos. And be just as modest with the content of your statuses. If you want a professional position, skip the profanity.

Don’t publicize criticisms against current or former employers.

Slamming an employer via social media will squash your hireability faster than a snowball can melt on a summer day. Publicizing offensive comments about your employers paints you as disloyal and untrustworthy. If that weren’t enough, making disparaging and defamatory remarks could thrust you into legal hot water.

Even though the logistics industry is growing, finding a job in this field takes a bit of preparation on your part. Let us help you get a foot in the door and navigate the process from start to finish by following our tips, tricks, and how-to’s.

Tip #1: Determine your career goals.

To reach your career goals in logistics, you must define your ambitions. Do you want to run the company, or do you want to specialize in a particular field? What are your short-term and long-term goals? Sit down and write out a career plan detailing what you want to achieve, then brainstorm ideas for how you’ll get there.

Tip #2: Network, get feedback, and find a mentor.

The cliché is true: It’s not what you know, it’s who you know (though knowing stuff definitely helps). Discuss your career aspirations with someone who currently works in the job you’d like to have, such as a coworker, a family friend, or a connection made through networking. If you currently work at a logistics company, have a discussion with your boss or a human resource staffer about what you need to do to earn a promotion and set yourself on the right career track. Ask your mentor or coworkers to introduce you to others in the field or at specific companies you’d like to work for. If you attended a school with a career office, contact them to ask for advice and connections to alumni.

During the recent financial crisis, many companies ran into difficult times. Businesses struggled to stay afloat and employees were laid off. In the post-recession period, many companies are downsizing when their business does not meet set expectations. Today, employees are also familiar with the idea of pink slips, and they know that their individual performance and company’s financial health must be right to prevent any shocks.

Being Laid Off? Know Your Rights

While layoffs have become quite common in all industries today, many employees do not know that the law safeguards their interests and welfare. Here are some laws and policies that every employee should be aware of when he/she is asked to leave:

Final Pay

Final pay laws differ from one state to another. The general norm is to issue the final paycheck as soon as the employment ends. The final pay includes the wages an employer owes to its employees on the last day of their work. In addition, it covers overtime, bonuses, expense reimbursements, commissions, and vacation pay, if applicable. The law does not cover sick leaves in the final pay. Some employer, however, pay it to prevent the misuse of sick leaves.

Final pay may not include severance pay for the layoff. Further, employers are not required to issue severance pay by law. It depends on the employment contract or terms of a separation agreement.