Melanie Said:

Has anyone experienced being unemployed for a long period of time despite...?

We Answered:

I have been unemployed a few times in a 20+ year sales career. I have a BBA in Marketing, and spent almost my entire career in one industry with "name brand" companies. A couple years ago I was out 10 months between career type jobs, and my last job just ended, so I feel your pain.
Opportunities vary depending on your chosen industry, so several months is not that unusual.
I would be more concerned that you are not getting return calls for interviews. Remember that most hiring managers now use phone interviews until they narrow the field of candidates to a handful, so you may need to work on your phone skills to get that face-to-face meeting. Don't be afraid to ask for the job when networking with corporate types, if they have openings.
Frequent job changing is not that unusual as well. The average college grad today will work for 10 different companies before they reach retirement age. I myself have worked for 6 companies in over 20 years, and have come to the conclusion that all jobs are "temp" jobs.
My recommendation: If you love hair styling, go into it with gusto. It is an honorable profession, and there is usually more security in self-employment than the corporate world.
Keep your resume updated, and maybe a "dream job" will come your way down the road.
Good luck!

Ricardo Said:

One to three day courses, workshops or seminars for an administrative assistant.?

We Answered:

Go to www.NationalSeminarsTraining.com. I don't know where you are at, but they offer an Administrative Professionals' Conference that is 1-2 days long.

Ruth Said:

How soon do I send out a thank you card for an interview?

We Answered:

Yup, right away. As soon as you get back to your room. Make sure you have nice stationary also.

Beth Said:

How to further a young singer's chances of success?

We Answered:

A few things that might help from the point of view of a singer and voice coach who has worked with teens:

First of all, don't let anyone (including herself) push her voice to the point that she physically feels uncomfortable or hurts. I knew a gal who had nodes (scarring) on her vocal cords at the age of 18 because she and her voice teacher were too hard on her voice. Nodes can cause permanent damage.

Second - if she is serious about this, have her learn basic music theory. I know, BORING, but being able to read music will make her stand out in a crowd of talent. If she can learn to sight-read (sing something from a piece of paper without hearing it first), all the better.

Third, and this might help for both of you, get used to the audition process and rejection. I know I sound harsh, but to "make it," a person needs to have thick skin and a backbone. A producer, director, hiring agent might not hire someone because his or her sound isn't what they were looking for. That doesn't make the singer "bad" - heck, in my experience, some directors look for a sound that makes me cringe. If your daughter can learn to shake off a bad audition or a Simon Cowell-like rejection, she'll be happier in the long run.

As for the tape, I say go for it. What's it going to hurt? In the meantime, have her get all the experience she can singing. Sing at church, in community theatre, where ever she can get experience. And make sure she's enjoying it. If she isn't, it's going to cause BIG problems.

Good luck!