Career Builder: Job Oppertunity

At some point, like it or not, we have to venture into the work force. It's unavoidable. A select few fall into their professional roles. A summer job, internship or family business gently ushers them into the work world and allows them to sidestep the job search process. For the rest of us, the day comes when we try to make our résumés look impressive and then take our nicest clothes to the cleaners.

Job hunting is always intimidating. Even the most seasoned professional feels a tinge of anxiety during interviews or in the days when the managers are deciding whom to hire. For first-time job seekers, or those who haven't searched in a long time, the entire process can feel overwhelming.

Although no amount of preparation will take away those butterflies, these five tips can improve your chances of landing the perfect job.

1. Think creatively when writing your resume

Putting together your résumé is the first step in the job search, and often it is the most difficult, especially for first-time job seekers. If you're fresh out of school or are returning to the work force after an extended leave, you might think, "I have no experience to list." Although your work history might be limited or nonexistent, you need to think beyond job titles.

Look at your volunteer experience, clubs, association, guilds and any other activities you were involved in at school and in your personal time. Tutoring a child, organizing a fundraiser, and serving as a committee's bookkeeper all require communication and leadership skills that employers value.

2. Network and ask questions

You're not the first person to look for a job, so don't pretend like you're alone in this hunt. Your friends and family remember what it was like and they'll happily help where they can.

Look around you and you'll realize how many different connections you have to dozens of industries. Let people know that you're looking for a job and what you want to do, and they can let you know whether they hear of an opportunity. Plus, a personal reference goes a long way when a hiring manager is looking at a stack of otherwise similar applications.

3. Find a mentor or buddy

Because job hunting can be filled with many questions and a lot of uncertainty, having someone to rely on is always a good idea. Find a friend or family member who is willing to answer your questions. They are also good resources for looking over your résumé and practicing interview questions. Ultimately a job search comes down to you and the employer, but having someone to share it with you along the way is helpful.

4. Be focused

Novice job seekers, especially in today's economy, are eager to find any job. That often means blasting the same résumé to every company and hoping to land an interview with anybody. Employers don't want to hire someone looking for a job; they want somebody who's perfect for their job.

Decide what you want out of your job search. What kind of job? In what industry? How are you qualified? When you answer those questions, you can begin to tailor your cover letter and résumé for each position.

5. Have confidence

When you're a new job seeker, you can feel as if every other applicant is more qualified than you and you have nothing to offer the company. Don't let self doubt damage your search. Remember that you have skills and talent to offer and that you have as much right to be considered for the job as anybody else. If you act as if you don't belong in that interview, the hiring manager will feel the same way. Don't be arrogant and act as if you're owed the job; just act as if you are worth the hiring manager's time.

Goldman Deals: On Tape

A Goldman Sachs director disclosed to Raj Rajaratnam in 2008 that the investment bank was weighing an acquisition of either Wachovia or American International Group, according to a wiretapped telephone conversation that was played in court on Tuesday.

Mr. Rajaratnam, co-founder of the hedge fund Galleon Group, is on trial in Federal District Court in Manhattan on insider trading charges. On Tuesday, a defense lawyer began his cross-examination of a main government witness who has pleaded guilty to passing illegal stock tips to Mr. Rajaratnam.

But the most striking testimony came when prosecutors played a recording of a July 25, 2008, call between Mr. Rajaratnam and Rajat K. Gupta, then a Goldman director.

Mr. Rajaratnam, working from his Greenwich, Conn., home that day, told Mr. Gupta that he was meeting with Gary D. Cohn, the president of Goldman, later in the week. He asked Mr. Gupta about a rumor that Goldman might look to buy a commercial bank.

“This was a big discussion at a board meeting,” Mr. Gupta said. He explained that the Goldman board was divided over whether buying a commercial bank made sense because it was a low-return business. Goldman was bearish on commercial banks, he said, but the board was “opportunistic” and if Wachovia “was a good deal they’d go and buy Wachovia.”

Mr. Gupta also said that the board was weighing the acquisition of an insurance business, including A.I.G. “Yes, A.I.G. was in the discussion mix,” he said. Ultimately, Mr. Gupta concluded, “I would be extremely surprised” if there was “anything imminent.”

The detailed discussion of Goldman’s board meeting is the first time the government has disclosed specific comments made by Mr. Gupta to Mr. Rajaratnam about the bank’s internal dealings while a director. The exchange also reveals the thinking of Goldman’s board at a time when the bank was struggling as the financial crisis grew.

A Goldman spokesman declined to comment.

The Securities and Exchange Commission brought a civil action this month against Mr. Gupta, who once ran the consulting firm McKinsey & Company, accusing him of passing illegal tips to Mr. Rajaratnam about Goldman and Procter & Gamble, where he also served as a director. The case recounted phone calls between the two men, but provided no detail of their content.

Mr. Gupta has not been charged criminally. Gary Naftalis, a lawyer for Mr. Gupta, has said that the S.E.C.’s accusations are baseless.

The government concluded its direct examination Tuesday morning of Anil Kumar, a former senior executive at McKinsey, who has pleaded guilty to giving Mr. Rajaratnam confidential information about his clients.

Mr. Kumar testified that Mr. Gupta had numerous business dealings with Mr. Rajaratnam, including a partnership in a fund managed by Mr. Rajaratnam called Voyager that was unrelated to Galleon and that collapsed during the financial crisis.

During the cross-examination, John Dowd, Mr. Rajaratnam’s lawyer, attacked Mr. Kumar’s credibility, depicting him as a cooperating witness in the government’s back pocket and a cheat who did not pay his taxes.

“When you got caught, you pinned it all on Raj, didn’t you?” Mr. Dowd said.

Mr. Kumar, who spoke in a soft, scholarly tone during the direct examination, became combative. He raised his voice several octaves and repeatedly sparred with Mr. Dowd, shooting back clipped, rapid-fire retorts and mocking his questions with derisive laughter.

Mr. Dowd focused on the plan Mr. Kumar had set up in 2003 to receive secret payments from Mr. Rajaratnam and then invest them in Galleon. To avoid detection by McKinsey, Mr. Kumar established a shell company and opened a Swiss bank account in the company’s name. Those payments were then redirected to an offshore Galleon account controlled by Mr. Kumar but opened in the name of his housekeeper.

Mr. Kumar told the jury that he did all this at the direction of Mr. Rajaratnam, who paid him more than $2 million.

On Monday, Mr. Dowd called Mr. Kumar’s maneuvers “a monstrous lie.”

Mr. Kumar said, “I am not sure what you mean by ‘monstrous,’ I obeyed the instructions of Raj Rajaratnam, the managing partner of Galleon.”