A game changer for career advancement and job placement?

By Sarah Halzack

The nation’s economic recovery may be gaining momentum, but it often seems that managing one’s career has rarely been trickier.

The current labor market, for instance, still poses many challenges for American workers and job seekers. The unemployment rate is 7.6 percent, and a report released by the Labor Department in March showed that jobless rates increased or held steady in 24 states in March.

(RELATED: How is the job market faring in the D.C. area?)

With so many people still out of work and so many firms still cautious about growing their workforces, recruiters say the competition for positions can be fierce. And human resource experts say that competition is further stoked by people who already have jobs but have been emboldened by the improved economy to seek new opportunities.

Even those interested in staying put are often finding they must navigate a changing workplace in which pay raises or promotions to management may be difficult to come by.

In this climate, many people are reassessing their career options, often with the help of new technology platforms and social networks. These offerings give them new options for marketing their talents, showing their resume and finding job openings.

When it comes to finding success and rising to the next rung of the proverbial career ladder, what skills and tactics have you found to be most helpful? Have new technology platforms changed your job search or your networking strategies?

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