How to answer the question 'Why do you want to change jobs?'

It’s not an invitation for you to bash your current job. In fact, it’s just the opposite.

By Catherine Conlan

 

 

It’s always important to be honest in a job interview, but no question will cause you to stretch the truth as much as this one:
“Why do you want to change jobs?”
Tempting as it may be to spill about your horrible boss or the long hours you work, you've got to keep your lip zipped on the “real” reasons. Otherwise, you could blow your chances at the job by looking like a complainer—and god forbid if your interviewer actually knows your boss somehow without your realizing it.

 Getting negative in an interview can also make the interviewer wonder if you’re the problem, says Jennifer Read, director of career services at The Art Institute of Charlotte in South Carolina. “It will send red flags to the potential employer that you might be difficult to work with, or might quit when you disagree with management,” she says.
Before you say too much, read these tips to develop an answer to this question that will make them want to hire you rather than run from you.

Be honest (kind of)

 Interviewers ask this question mainly to determine whether you've put enough consideration into such a big decision, says Michael Lan, senior resume consultant at Resume Writer Direct in Wilmington, Delaware.

Have a planned, authentic response, says Philip Blackett of Boston-based Magnetic Interviewing. Talk about looking for a new challenge in your career, learning a new industry or focus area, or needing to find a new job because you’re relocating—those are honest, relatable answers.
You say: “I feel as though I’m ready for another stage in my career. A new challenge. I’d also like to continue to grow and learn in this field, and take on some new tasks—ones I haven’t had the opportunity to tackle in my current role.”

Focus on the future

To answer the question effectively, talk about what you want to create instead of what you’re trying to avoid, says career coach Alina Bas of Mind Terrain Coaching in the New York City area. Talk about the opportunities you see at the company where you’re interviewing, and how you’d like to work within its mission while bringing value to the position.
Find ways to talk about what you like about your current position and how you’re interested in transferring those skills and experiences into the context of a new employer, Read says. “Confirm what you have learned about their company from the research you have done and how you see yourself optimizing your previous experiences in order to positively impact the potential employer's long term growth.”
Highlight your excitement about facing the new challenges that are before you, Lan says, and show how the position is the right step in a career path that you are genuinely interested in and passionate about.
You say: “Well, I h
ave noticed this company faces [insert specific problem here]. I’ve always wanted to work on a team charged with the task of solving this issue. And I have a handful of ideas as to how I would go about implementing these fixes. [Discuss your ideas here.]

Read the interviewer

If you’re trying to transition to a new job in your industry—or a tangentially related industry—it’s very possible your interviewer has gone through this same transition at some point in his or her career.
It’s to your benefit to be conversational in your interview. This question could serve as a good opportunity for you to ask about the interviewer’s background. After you’ve given your own answers, have the interviewer describe how their career ended up where it did and how they’ve liked the new challenge.
You say: “Also, I was wondering, did you make a similar transition to this industry? Why did you do it? And how have you liked this space so far?”

Your answers matter

Bottom line: Don't try to pull a fast one on the hiring manager because chances are, they've heard all those half-baked answers before. You need to prepare answers to these sticky questions in advance, otherwise you risk damaging your chances at making it to round two. Want some tips to help you nail the interview? Join Monster for free today. As a member, you'll get career advice and job
search tips sent directly to your inbox. From questions about your starting salary to working with annoying colleagues to explaining why you should be hired, you'll be able to compose thoughtful responses in advance so you're not thrown for a loop during the actual interview

 

 

 

 

 

how hake google....

how hake google....

Google hacking involves using advanced operators in the Google search engine to locate specific strings of text within search results. Some of the more popular examples are finding specific versions of vulnerable Web applications. The following search query would locate all web pages that have that particular text contained within them. It is normal for default installations of applications to include their running version in every page they serve, for example, "Powered by XOOPS 2.2.3 Final"
intitle:admbook intitle:Fversion filetype:php
One can even retrieve the username and password list from Microsoft FrontPage servers by inputting the given microscript in Google search field:

"#-Frontpage-" inurl:administrators.pwd
or filetype:log inurl password login

Devices connected to the Internet can be found. A search string such as inurl:"ViewerFrame?Mode=" will find public web cameras.
Another useful search is following intitle:index.of[1] followed by a search keyword. This can give a list of files on the servers. For example, intitle:index.of mp3 will give all the MP3 files available on various servers.

Advanced operators

There are many similar advanced operators which can be used to exploit insecure websites:

Operator	Purpose	Mixes with Other Operators?	Can be used Alone?	Web	Images	Groups	News
intitle	Search page Title	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
allintitle[3]	Search page title	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
inurl	Search URL	yes	yes	yes	yes	not really	like intitle
allinurl	Search URL	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	like intitle
filetype	specific files	yes	no	yes	yes	no	not really
intext	Search text of page only	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
allintext	Search text of page only	not really	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
site	Search specific site	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	not really
link	Search for links to pages	no	yes	yes	no	no	not really
inanchor	Search link anchor text	yes	yes	yes	yes	not really	yes
numrange	Locate number	yes	yes	yes	no	no	not really
daterange	Search in date range	yes	no	yes	not really	not really	not really
author	Group author search	yes	yes	no	no	yes	not really
group	Group name search	not really	yes	no	no	yes	not really
insubject	Group subject search	yes	yes	like intitle	like intitle	yes	like intitle
msgid	Group msgid search	no	yes	not really	not really	yes	not really

The "link:" search operator that Google used to have, has been turned off by now (2017).^[4]

History of Google Hacking

See also: Johnny Long § Google hacking

Johnny Long creates "googleDorks" in 2002

The concept of "Google Hacking" dates back to 2002, when Johnny Long began to collect interesting Google search queries that uncovered vulnerable systems and/or sensitive information disclosures - labeling them googleDorks.^[5]
The list of googleDorks grew into large dictionary of queries, which were eventually organized into the original Google Hacking Database (GHDB) in 2004.^[6] These Google hacking techniques were the focus of a book released by Johnny Long in 2005, called Google Hacking for Penetration Testers, Volume 1.^[7]
Since its heyday, the concepts explored in Google Hacking have been extended to other search engines, such as Bing^[8] and Shodan.^[9] Automated attack tools^[10] use custom search dictionaries to find vulnerable systems and sensitive information disclosures in public systems that have been indexed by search engines.
For a full visual timeline, detailing the major events and developments in Google Hacking from 2002 to Present, see the Google Hacking History by Bishop Fox.^[11]

Top 10 Ways to Get a Better Job

 

Adam Dachis

2/17/18 11:00amFiled to: Lifehacker Top 10




days in the office or you could set aside some time and get a better job. Here are ten great tips to help you put together a great application, ace the interview, and ultimately work for a company you'll love rather than hate.
Note: This week's top 10 list is more in the order of the process of getting a new job than a ranking of the best tips.

10. Put Together a Resume That's Actually Compelling

 

10. Put Together a Resume That's Actually Compelling

While I'm no fan of the resume—as they're often documents skimmed rather than read—they're still requested by the majority of jobs you'll come across. You don't want to reinvent the wheel, but a little creativity can set you apart and help you stand out from the pool. Online tools can be of great help when it comes to creating something a little less ordinary. Visualize.me can create an attractive infographic. Sites like Re.vu and Zerply help you create professional landing pages that can serve as digital resumes. About.me and Flavors.me can be tailored to do the same. Use the tool that suits you best and make sure your page or resume stands out. Often times it is just as simple as choosing the right font and color. It doesn't take much to make a resume look nice, so put in that little additional effort to keep yours from

10. Put Together a Resume That's Actually Compelling

While I'm no fan of the resume—as they're often documents skimmed rather than read—they're still requested by the majority of jobs you'll come across. You don't want to reinvent the wheel, but a little creativity can set you apart and help you stand out from the pool. Online tools can be of great help when it comes to creating something a little less ordinary. Visualize.me can create an attractive infographic. Sites like Re.vu and Zerply help you create professional landing pages that can serve as digital resumes. About.me and Flavors.me can be tailored to do the same. Use the tool that suits you best and make sure your page or resume stands out. Often times it is just as simple as choosing the right font and color. It doesn't take much to make a resume look nice, so put in that little additional effort to keep yours from ending up in the generic pileEnsure Your Resume Isn't Filled with Common Words and Redundant Phrasing

When writing your resume, you don't want to use the sort of language that'll make you sound like everyone else. That means avoiding overused terms (e.g motivated, innovative, dynamic) and cliche phrases (e.g. detail oriented, team player, excellent communication skills). Also, terms like "references available upon request" are implied statements, waste space, and do not need to be on your resume. It helps to read your resume from bottom to top to help catch errors, and when you're done you can run it through RezScore to find out where you can still improve.

Avoid These Overused Phrases to Make Your Resume Stand Out

We've shown you a few phrases to avoid to keep your resume relevant, and this week business…
Read more

8. Search Unconventional and Career-Specific Job Sites

If you don't know where you want to work you're obviously going to have to search for some options., but you'll be looking for a needle in a haystack if you go to popular sites like Monster.com and Craigslist. That isn't to say they won't have a great job here and there, but you'll find yourself wading through a lot of undesirable positions just to find the ones you want. Instead of going the traditional route, try an unconventional job site like OneDayOneJob.com, which sends opportunities to your email inbox every day. SimplyHired is a seemingly standard job search, but it aggregates listings directly from company web sites and other locations so you're not just pulling directly from one big pool. TweetMyJobs will handle the searching for you. Just tell it what kind of job you want and it'll text, tweet, and email options to you as they're discovered. Even if you're several years out of college, you may also want to look at any job listings provided to alumni. Even if overqualified for the jobs being offered, you'll learn about companies that are friendly to graduates of your school. You can look on the company's site for more suitable positions and apply for those.

Alternatively, you can focus on sites that target the specific kind of job you want. For example, Dice.com is a good option for tech-related jobs and Authentic Jobs is a great option for designers and developers. Conduct a web search for the type of job you're looking for and the term "job search site" and you may find a tool that's more focused on your specific needs.

7. Find a Better Job by Searching for a Great Company Rather Than a Positi

Getting a great job isn't just about doing something you enjoy, but also about working in a good environment. That means you want to seek out companies who have a reputation for treating their employees well. You don't have to apply to Google or Zappos—companies well-known for their great benefits—but just seek out companies that interest you and do a little research. All you have to do is call them up and talk to pretty much anybody. Just tell them this: "I'm thinking about applying for a job at your company but I wanted to know what it's like to work there. Would you mind telling me how you like it?" Most people will be happy to share their opinion, and if they're busy you can always schedule a call later. If the company sounds good, you've likely just made a friend who you can call back when you're ready to apply and get some additional help. It's a double win. In the event this doesn't work as planned, however, Glassdoor is an online resource that can help you learn about a specific company from people who definitely want to share.

6. Learn to Make Even Your Irrelevant Experience Seem Relevant

I've never gotten a job because my previous work experience was particularly relevant, but rather because I learned how to spin my past experience to make it seem relevant. This doesn't mean I lied, but instead concentrated on tasks in previous positions that were applicable to the job I wanted to get. If your current job is much different from the one you want, think about anything and everything you've done at your current job that's out of the ordinary. Often times you'll find examples of things that relate to the job you want because you were always excited to do that kind of work if it presented itself where you are now. If not, you can always start creating relevant experience now so you can use it when you're on your interview. For example, if you work in a non-creative field but want to become a designer you would have plenty of opportunities. If you make lots of graphs and flow charts, finds ways to make them more attractive. If your company is having an outing, ask to design the flyer. When I worked in customer support, I used to create posters about inside jokes in the office or images based on funny things customers said. Sometimes I'd show these at interviews if I needed to demonstrate my Photoshop skills. As silly as that sounds, it not only demonstrated my capabilities but also showed how close I was with my team. When you put yourself into you work, you'll find that your seemingly irrelevant experience can easily be tailored to most of the jobs you'll apply for. You may have to start lower than you'd like, but if you work hard you'll work your way up pretty quicklyDear Lifehacker, I have no relevant experience in the field in which I want to work and am having a …
Read more

Recent Video from Lifehacker

View More >

'How I Work' with Gretchen Rubin

12/12/17 4:12 pm

5. Dress Well for the Intervieressing for the interview doesn't necessarily mean putting on crisply-ironed formalwear. Depending on the company, they may prefer you came in your everyday attire or just wore something that shows you can look nice without overdoing it. If you're not sure what you should wear to an interview, just call the company and ask to speak with the human resources department. Let them know you're coming in for an interview and that you want to know the expected dress code. In most cases, they'll be happy to help you out. If you have to go in uninformed, however, business casual is generally a good bet. While nobody really knows what business casual actually is, you'll generally be safe in a nice pair of pants and a button down shirt or sweater. Your goal is really to show that you're capable of grooming yourself and looking presentable. If your clothing fits, is well-ironed, and isn't something you'd wear around the house you're probably in good shape. For some extra assistance, the Dress Code Guide can help you figure out the proper attire.

4. Learn to Read Body Language for a More Successful Interviel 

 

learning to read body language is helpful in a lot of situations, but understanding the cues you send out and reading cues from others can be immensely helpful in a job interview. It's especially important that you come of as pleasant and charming right off the bat because many decisions are made on the basis of a first impression. The most important thing is to avoid negative body language. For the most part you just want to avoid nervous ticks like touching your face and letting your leg become restless. You also don't want to slouch or sit to rigidly. Basically, your goal is to appear comfortable but professional. If you can do that, you'll be in good shape

3. Know How to Give Great Answers to Common Job Interview Questions

What's your greatest weakness? It's an obnoxious question but you'll hear it on the majority of job interviews in your life, and there are many others where it came from. (There's plenty of debate on how to answer this question. I've always found the best strategy is to pick a skill you are actually bad at that sounds relevant to the job but really isn't. Then you come across as honest but your weakness won't hurt you.) You have to answer the questions if you want to get the job, so there are two things you want to do: understand the motivation behind the questions and prepare your answers in advance. Understanding the motivation is generally as simple as putting yourself in the company's shoes. Why would they want to know your greatest weakness? Probably more to know how you respond to a question that asks you to be vulnerable than to actually find out where you can improve. They may also ask because they want to know if you can realistically gauge your abilities accurately. Once you consider the motivation behind these common questions it'll be easier to tailor the answers you want to give. You don't want to script them out and memorize them in advance, of course, but developing a list of sound bites can help you go in prepared while still being able to provide natural responses.

2. Ask for a Signing Bonus

Congratulations, you got the job! But you might be throwing away an extra month's salary if you don't ask for a signing bonus before accepting the position. If apply for a competitive job, chances are the company will really want to hire you if you're chosen and they may be willing to pay you a little bit extra to get you on board. All you have to do is ask if they offer a bonus. You're not demanding one, but simply asking the question. Whether you're considering other options or not, asking this question will make it seem that way and they'll be more inclined to offer you that bonus if they really want you. If they can't, they'll tell you no and there's likely no harm done. It's one of those low-risk questions that can often yield a high reward.

1. Leave Your Current Job Without Burning Any Bridges

If you hate your current job, it can be tempting to let everyone know it when you leave. As cathartic as that may seem, it'll cause you trouble down the line. You want to leave your current company on good terms. You never know when you may encounter a coworker again or need to call that company for information or a favor. Burning bridges simply isn't in your best interest. If you hate your job so much that you're afraid of saying the wrong thing, however, you can reference these sample resignation letters and read tips on how to resign gracefully. Before you quit for real, run your plan by a friend or two to gauge their reaction. It always helps to have a few outside opinions to help ensure you don't make a mistake you'll regret.
Photos by iQoncept (Shutterstock), vgstudio (Shutterstock) and Bruce McTague.

Increase Your Salary: 10 Expert Tips Guaranteed (10 Expert Tips)

Increase Your Salary: 10 Expert Tips:-

Guaranteed(10 Expert Tips)

By darshit katkar

Entrepreneur and investor@darshitkarkar

 Determined to increase your salary? Follow these tips from Reesa Staten, vice president of communications and director of research at recruiting firm Robert Half International and Anna Ivey, a Boston-based career and admissions counselor, to increase your salary this year.  

January 1,2018

 

Determined to increase your salary? Follow these tips from Reesa Staten, vice president of communications and director of research at recruiting firm Robert Half International and Anna Ivey, a Boston-based career and admissions counselor, to increase your salary this year.

1. Get comfortable negotiating salary raises. 

“Women fall behind here, because they generally aren’t as aggressive and fall farther and farther behind with their salaries. You can’t be shy about asking to be paid what you’re worth,” Ivey said. Along these lines, she said, it’s important to keep detailed documentation of your achievements.

2. Research and compare your salary.
 
Staten urges workers to make sure they know how much their skills are worth before they pursue a different position or a promotion. Compare your salary.

3. Become an indispensable expert.
 
Continue to learn about your line of work, so that you stay current with trends and developments. Your strategy might include going to industry conferences, reading industry publications or setting up regular lunch meetings with others in your field to exchange information and ideas. This is a key to increasing your salary.

4. Make yourself visible.
 
Network and mingle, making sure you are continually visible to others in your industry and your workplace. At work, take on difficult challenges and make sure that management is aware of your contributions.

5. Update your skills.
 
Consider training or certifications that could lead to a promotion. “In some companies, if you don’t have a bachelor’s degree, you can’t advance to the next level. Some jobs require an MBA; get as much education as possible,” Staten said. Search for online learning that could help increase your salary.

6. If you return to school, make sure that it will pay off.
 
Ivey said it’s important to investigate degree programs before launching into one that might not increase your salary — and could end up costing you more in the long-run. Also, find out what continuing education benefits are offered by your employer. You may be able to “earn more” by getting your employer to cover tuition costs. Research the best college degrees for higher earnings.

7. Absorb and adapt to new methods.
 
“Things are changing quickly; what is state of the art now will be obsolete 10 years from now,” Staten said. When things change at work instead of getting grumpy, be the first to jump on board. Your enthusiasm for change and adaptability to new systems and ideas are to how your employer values you and could lead to a salary increase.

8. Be receptive to criticism.
 
Constructive criticism can help you improve your performance, Ivey said. Not only is it important to be able to gracefully accept criticism from your coworkers and boss, but integrating that feedback into your work can win you points and opportunities for promotion.

9. Sharpen your communication skills.
 
“I don’t care what role you’re in. If you can read and speak well, you are way ahead of the pack,” Ivey said.

10. Get comfortable with math.
 
“A lot of people coast through college without number knowledge — just basic knowledge, like how to read a financial statement. We live in a Sarbanes-Oxley [SOX]  now. If you work in a publicly traded company, you will be affected by SOX. Accounting is a great skill to have in your tool set,” Ivey said, referring to the federal law that tightened corporate governance standards.

 

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3 Reasons You Should Increase Employee Pay Now

3 Reasons You Should Increase Employee Pay Now.

Darshit Karjkar • Contributor

Entrepreneur; CEO and Co-Founder, ClearCompany

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. 

 

 

Minimum-wage increases are happening, whether you like it or not. In cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle, bills have been passed to gradually increase minimum wage to $15 an hour. New York City has a proposed bill that could raise the minimum to $15 and there’s a bill before congress to raise the federal minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2020.
 
But why wait until a law is passed to begin paying your hourly employees more?
It’s not just workers who are calling for pay increases. A 2015 Careerbuilder survey found that 64 percent of employers believe in raising minimum wage. It’s time to put our money where our mouths are. We need to stop looking at wage increase as a bad thing that will only raise costs we’ll have to pass on to the consumer.

• Related: 5 Actions to Take Right Now to Survive a Minimum Wage Increase

 Giving your employees a raise now, before you legally have to, can be a good thing for your company. Here are three reasons you should increase employee pay to help your company:

1. It will help recruit and retain talent.

The 2015 Jobvite Job Seeker Nation survey revealed that 61 percent of job seekers choose to take a new job because of the amount it pays. If you’re having trouble finding the right employees for the job, take a hard look at the pay you’re offering for the position.
Money talks, and while vacation days and excellent health insurance are nice, it’s not going to attract and keep top talent. Consider benefits the sprinkles on top of the salary cake. Unless the money you’re offering is sweet and satisfying, potential employees aren’t going to care about what else you throw on top.

Since it’s only a matter of time before minimum-wage laws change, increasing what you pay now will help you stand out to job seekers. Draw in top talent before it’s too late and they’re working for somebody else.

2. It improves employee satisfaction.

If you want your employees to perform well, you need to take their happiness and health into consideration. Helping employees manage stress goes a long way in improving their satisfaction and performance at work.

• Related: Should Tipped Minimum Wage Still Exist?

Employers have done a lot to ensure workers are maintaining a work-life balance by offering things such as flexible hours. But that’s not what’s really stressing out employees. In a 2015 report from the American Psychological Association, 72 percent of respondents reported feeling stressed about money and 22 percent said they experienced extreme stress over finances.

Increasing the amount you pay your employees will not only alleviate their present stress, but also help them feel more secure about their futures. The aforementioned CareerBuilder survey found that 36 percent of workers surveyed do not participate in a retirement plan and 28 percent were unable to set aside money for savings last year.
The best way to help your employees manage their financial stress is to help them make ends meet. It will improve their productivity and satisfaction because they’ll no longer be distracted by financial problems.

3. It improves your company brand.

A lot of companies worry that raising the minimum wage will mean they have to raise prices, and that will push customers away. Depending on how you decide to facilitate higher pay, your costs and your prices may go up. But that doesn’t mean customers will be scared away from your brand.

A 2015 report from the Hart Resource Association found that 75 percent of Americans support increasing the minimum wage to at least $12.50. Taking the lead and increasing your employees' pay before it’s federally mandated will do wonders for your PR. You could attract even more customers by proactively changing wages because it’s the right thing, rather than because you have to.

Also, think about the types of employees you pay hourly, such as customer-service representatives and receptionists. These are the types of employees that have significant interaction with your customers and clients. They are the face of your company brand. It’s important that they believe in your company, so they can do a great job in making your customers happy. After all, a happy customer is a repeat customer.

• Related: Chipotle Raises Prices in San Francisco After Minimum Wage Hike

 

7 telling questions that reveal a candidate’s true potential

  

Have you ever interviewed a candidate who talked a great talk, but didn’t end up cutting it in the actual job? Enthusiastic job seekers may be tempted to stretch the truth a little on past performances in hopes of leaving the best impression, which means a hiring manager’s greatest challenge is often in deciphering a candidate’s real ability and fit.

With limited face time during an interview, asking specific, targeted interview questions can reveal much more about a candidate than they may even realize. As an interviewer, applying such a strategy can help you unravel falsehoods, and accelerate your ability to get to the heart of who a job candidate really is. 

Behavioural interview questions are designed to uncover insights beyond just technical skills such as:

• Attitude and motivation: how does the candidate accept direction, feedback and works under pressure?
• Loyalty and work ethic: how committed are they to the job and their career
• Honesty: while embellishment may be expected, lies are not acceptable
• Preferred managerial style: do they like to be hand-held or do they thrive when working autonomously?

Here are seven telling interview questions that can help reveal a candidate’s true potential:

1. To gauge their ability to work under pressure: “Describe what is a stressful situation for you? What is your worst case scenario and how do you cope with it?”

2. To uncover how motivated they are at work: “Tell me about a situation when you had to go above and beyond your call of duty in order to get a job done?”

3. To understand their ability to balance work with personal responsibilities: “We have all faced a time in our lives when we had to be pulled away from work for personal reasons (i.e. sick child, family emergency, etc.) – how did you handle this?”
 

4. To detect embellishments or fabrications: ask the same questions in a pre-screening phone interview and during an in-person interview. You may be surprised at how much the answers can vary. For example, “Why did you leave your last job?” Often, during the in-person interview the answer changes or is a lot less glorious, and more honest.

5. To discover their managerial style preference: “If you were made the manager in your last position, what would you have changed?” This question can also uncover what they liked and disliked about a previous boss.

6. To learn about their favoured company culture: “Tell me about the best position you’ve had, and why it was great?” This can provide clues into what they liked about various aspects of a company, the job, work environment and their boss.

7. To determine their enthusiasm for the job: “Tell me about your ideal position – your ‘dream job.’ What is important to you in your next role?” Compare their description to the job at hand, to see how much they understand the role and how much they want it. This question should also be asked during the initial phone screening when candidates won’t necessarily have the job description in front of them to reflect on.
For more interview tips and tricks, download our free eGuide, Interviewing for success. Here’s a sneak peek:

Four Real World Ways to Create More Jobs

Four Real World Ways to Create More Jobs  

What Works the Best? 

By Darshit karkar

Updated January 20, 2018

The goal of all job creation strategies is to stimulate healthy economic growth. Economists agree that annual growth between 2 and 3 percent is sustainable. It will create the 150,000 jobs per month needed to employ new workers entering the labor force. 

In a free market economy, the government need not do anything when growth is healthy. Capitalism encourages small businesses to compete, thereby creating better ways to meet consumers' needs. Because of this, small businesses account for 65 percent of all new jobs created. The proper role of government in this healthy economy is to provide a supportive environment for growth.

Nevertheless even a healthy economy is subject to the bubbles and busts of the business cycle. When the economy contracts into a recession, the government must create solutions to unemployment.  It may use expansive monetary policy, expansive fiscal policy or both to stimulate job growth. Some are more cost-effective in creating jobs than others. Here are the four that give the most bang for the buck. 

1

Reduce Interest Rates 

 

Expansionary monetary policy is when a central bank, such as the Federal Reserve, uses its tools to stimulate the economy. This often means lowering the fed funds rate in order to increase the money supply. The action increases liquidity, thereby giving banks more money to lend. As a result, mortgage and other interest rates decline. With cheaper credit, consumers can borrow and spend more, allowing businesses to expand to meet the increased demand. Companies hire more workers, whose incomes rise, allowing them to shop even more.

The Fed can also increase the money supply through quantitative easing. It creates credit out of thin air to buy U.S. Treasurys, mortgage-backed securities and any other kinds of debt. The Fed has many other tools, such as lowering the federal reserve requirement and lowering the rate on the discount window.

This should be done first when a recession is looming. It’s because decisions can be made quickly through the regular Federal Open Market Committee meeting. The Fed can quickly put trillions of dollars into the economy by making credit available without increasing the U.S. debt.

The main disadvantage of this is that it relies on bank lending. It doesn't directly put money into consumers' pockets. It can take six months or more to stimulate demand. 
It doesn't work once a severe recession is underway. That's because there won’t be much demand for loans. If people feel too poor to borrow, it doesn't matter how low interest rates are.

If the recession continues, then banks become unwilling to lend. That's because borrowers' credit scores fall. Banks won’t be willing to risk taking on bad loans. 
Another con is that, if overdone, expansive monetary policy can trigger inflation. To prevent that from happening, the central bank must begin raising rates as soon as the recession is over.

2

Spend on Public Works

A University of Massachusetts at Amherst study found that all government spending is not created equal. The most cost effective ones are building roads, bridges and other public works. One billion dollars spent on public works created 19,975 jobs. 

Public works creates jobs because it puts people right to work. The federal government can quickly fund construction projects already in the approval pipeline. It can hire contractors, send money to the states or hire workers directly. That was one reason why the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ended the Great Recession in 2009. It spent $87 billion in shovel-ready construction projects.

(Source: “The Employment Effects of Military and Domestic Spending Priorities”, University of Massachusetts at Amherst Department of Economics and Political Economy Research Institute, October 2007.)

3

Spend on Unemployment Benefits 

 

The second most cost-effective solution is unemployment benefits. Every $1 billion spent created 19,000 jobs.

Unemployment benefits create so many jobs because the unemployed must spend all the benefits received. They buy necessities such as groceries, clothing and housing right away. Retailers and manufacturers respond to the added demand by hiring more workers to keep up. 

These benefits also help keep the unemployed from becoming homeless. It is more difficult for them to find a job if they lose a steady address. 
The third most effective spending solution is education. For each $1 billion spent, it created 17,687 jobs. 

4

Cut Payroll Taxes, Especially for New Hires 

 

Tax cuts create jobs by letting families or businesses keep more of the money they earn. The idea is that consumers will buy more things, thereby stimulating demand. Businesses use tax cut money to hire much-needed workers.

All tax cuts are not created equal when it comes to job creation though. A Congressional Budget Office study found that, for example, the Bush tax cuts created 4,600 jobs for every $1 billion in foregone tax revenue.

Payroll tax cuts did better. They created 13,000 new jobs for every $1 billion spent. That's because companies use the tax savings in one of four ways. All of them increased the demand needed to drive job growth for the following four reasons.

1. Reduce prices.
2. Increase employee wages.
3. Buy more supplies.
4. Hire more workers directly.

The best was a payroll tax cut given only for new hires. With it, every $1 billion created 18,000 new jobs. (Source: "The Economic Outlook and Fiscal Policy Choices," CBO, September 28, 2010.)

To learn more about why so many people favor tax cuts as the best form of job creation, see Supply-side Economics, Trickle-Down Economics and Laffer Curve.

5

Doesn't Defense Spending Create Jobs? 

When people think about the best way for ​the government to create jobs, they tend to think of World War II. According to the U Mass/Amherst study though, defense spending only creates 8,555 jobs per $1 billion spent.

This finding surprises many people. They've heard that the New Deal failed. The government needed to gear up for World War II and to end the Great Depression. It made sense back then when you consider the fact that World War II was much more labor-intensive than today's defense spending. Now, more is spent on drones, F-16s and aircraft carriers than the salaries of military personnel. Second, there were no unemployment benefits during the Great Depression, just soup lines. 
For more on the job creation ability of government spending,

6

When to Use Expansionary Fiscal Policy 

Expansionary fiscal policy works best once a recession is underway or becomes severe. Tax cuts create jobs by putting more money directly into the pockets of consumers and businesses. Discretionary spending creates jobs by directly hiring workers, sending contracts to businesses to hire workers or increasing subsidies to state governments so that they don't have to lay off workers.

One disadvantage of fiscal policy is that legislators disagree on whether tax cuts or increased spending is more cost effective. The resulting debate can delay action.
Another disadvantage is that it can increase budget deficits and the U.S. debt. That's why Congress should cut spending or raise taxes once the recession is over. 

7

Job Creation Statistics 

When looking at job creation statistics, it is important to remember that not all jobs are created equal. Federal spending on public works creates construction jobs. That will successfully reduce the unemployment rate. It may not stimulate as much demand as it would if the same number of better paying high-tech jobs were created.

In fact, jobs created after the last few recessions have led to greater income inequality. This happened because rehired workers became willing to take jobs that paid less. The high level of long-term unemployed and underemployed individuals in this recession means that this trend will only continue. For month-by-month job creation statistics since 2008.

8

Which President Created the Most Jobs? 

President Bill Clinton created the most number of jobs (21.5 million) during his term. President Barack Obama came in second, creating 17.2 million jobs from the beginning of his term (January 2009) to the end.

But Obama created 22.3 million jobs from the worst part of the recession (January 2010) through to the end of his term. That’s because there were more jobs when he started. The recession continued during the first six months of his term. The economy continued to shed jobs, reaching the low point in January 2010.