Alexis asks:

I don't think so.. Did I miss the memo? Is this now common practice?

We're going to go ahead and say "no." This is not common practice. It sounds awfully shady to us and according to the Denver Post, it's illegal to charge a fee for a job in some states.

Here are some popular job search scam warning signs compiled by the attorney general of Tennessee. Watch out for:

*Anyone charging for information about government jobs;
*A guarantee of a job if the consumer purchases study or other materials;
*Career counseling agencies which promise to get you a job;
* Employment agencies requesting you to pay them before they find you a job;
*Agencies touting “hidden” jobs and connections no one else has to those jobs;
*High pressure sales tactics pressuring you to “buy now,” and
*Vague answers to important questions you ask, or no answers at all.

Job search scams can be quite serious and financially devastating. In some cases, they are complicated phishing scams in which your prospective "employer" convinces you to divulge your bank details and other financial information. Others convince you to purchase a license or materials before beginning work — and of course the work never comes.

Employment Scams [ICCC]
(Photo: Getty)

Their top choice is Arlington, Virginia, because much of its labor force is connected to the federal government, lobbying, and the legal industry. Coming in second for pretty much the same reason is Washington, D.C., while #3 is Durham, North Carolina, because of its large education, medical, and research industries.

You get the idea: the more your city relies on education, health care, or the federal government for its local economy, the better off it will likely be.

Bizarre fact that proves how messed-up the economy is: #11 on the list is Lubbock, Texas, where I grew up. Yes, Lubbock is always that brown. Here is a photo my friend emailed me a few years ago during a particularly bad dust storm, no kidding:

See the entire list here: "The Best Cities for Riding Out a Recession".

"Some Cities Will Be Safer in a Recession" [BusinessWeek]
(Photo: Getty Images, Brad Johnson)

CareerBuilder.com asked hiring managers to share the most memorable or outrageous lies they came across on resumes. Examples include:

1. Claimed to be a member of the Kennedy family
2. Invented a school that did not exist
3. Submitted a resume with someone else's photo inserted into the document
4. Claimed to be a member of Mensa
5. Claimed to have worked for the hiring manager before, but never had
6. Claimed to be the CEO of a company when the candidate was an hourly employee
7. Listed military experience dating back to before he was born
8. Included samples of work, which the interviewer actually did
9. Claimed to be Hispanic when he was 100 percent Caucasian
10. Claimed to have been a professional baseball player

Now that you know what not to write (apparently "former astronaut" is still okay), here are a few other tips. Apply early, make sure you highlight specific accomplishments that can be gleaned in less than 30 seconds (because that's probably how long your resume will be viewed), and use keywords:

Hiring managers often use electronic scanners to rank candidates based on a keyword search of applications, so make sure to pepper keywords from the job posting into your resume as they apply to your experience. The terms employers search for most often are:

• problem-solving and decision-making skills (50 percent)
• oral and written communications (44 percent)
• customer service or retention (34 percent)
• performance and productivity improvement (32 percent)
• leadership (30 percent)
• technology (27 percent)
• team-building (26 percent)
• project management (20 percent)
• bilingual (14 percent)

"Nearly Half of Employers Have Caught a Lie on a Resume, CareerBuilder.com Survey Shows" [Marketwatch]
(Photo: Getty)

1. You can get pretty much any book at the library: A book habit can be expensive. Even second hand books can add up if you read a lot. Even the smallest library can access inter-library loan, Worldcat, OCLC and other library loan services to get you even the most obscure and out of print material.
2. Yes, we have movies: Many libraries charge a nominal (1-2 dollar) fee for renting recent or "popular" titles. It's something of a controversy in the profession, one side arguing all library services should be free, the other saying "We're not a video store!". I tend to fall on the side of free for all. In any case, the fee is often far less than what you'd pay for a rental at a chain video store, and the fees to to cover costs of processing and growing the video collection. If you're looking for a rare film, perhaps older or on an obscure format (Betamax tapes are out there still) libraries can save you a ton compared to buying it on Ebay.
3. Kids Activities: Any library worth it's salt offers a summer reading program for kids. Often with prizes, programs and events all summer long. Libraries also offer storytimes, arts and crafts, computer classes, movie nights and reading clubs for kids of all ages.
4. Save Money and maybe your life!: Libraries offer seminars in home buying, estate planning and even purchasing electronics and other big-ticket items. Libraries also offer free blood pressure screenings, programs about weight loss and exercise.
5. Make new friends: Library book clubs and book discussion groups are great ways to meet people. Some libraries even offer "mingling" events for single patrons.
6. Find a new job!: I can't tell you how many times local employers have come in asking to post job listings or drop off materials about open positions. Many libraries offer resume writing workshops, computer training and even job fairs. College and University library job fairs are often open to the public.
7. Libraries listen to consumers!: We like to call them patrons, but we really do listen. Do you want a storytime for kids after 5pm? Ask for it! Want more books about home finance or budgeting? Just ask! Libraries often go to great pains to suss out what the community wants, letting us know directly is great. The complaint or suggestion of a patron carries a lot of weight with library directors and boards, so you are being heard.

(Photo: Getty)

Forbes' Top 10 Recession-Proof Jobs:

1. Sales Representative
2. Software Design and Development
3. Nursing
4. Accounting Executive
5. Accounting Staff
6. Networking and Systems Administration
7. Administrative Assistant
8. Business Analysis, Software Implementation
9. Business Analysis, Research
10. Finance Staff

Recession-Proof Jobs [Forbes]
(Photo: moxythecat )

8. "And another thing I hate..."
Rants are appropriate for your best friend or your blog, but not interviews. You don't want to come across as a whiner.

7. "As Lady Macbeth so eloquently put it..."
Such statements could make your answers seem scripted, and if your pretentious reference flies over the head of your interviewer, you've just scored -1.

6. "Are you an active member in your church?"
If you are trying to make small-talk, you should avoid topics that may be controversial.

5. "How long until I get a promotion?"
Even though you may be goal oriented, such a question may come off as if you feel entitled or special. Try a more tactful way to get this information.

4. "I'm going to need to take these days off."
If you say this too early in the interview process it may appear as though you are assuming you got the job.

3. "No, I don't have any questions for you."
This could indicate that you lack interest. Even if you have all the information you need, you should try to ask a few serious questions.

2. "I don't know anything about the company."
This might make your interviewer think you are too lazy to use Google.

1. "I hated my last boss."
There is a fine line between honest person and trash-talker. Be careful how strongly you criticize your last employer.

8 worst things to say in an interview [CNN]

1. Gaming supervisors — $20.38/ hour*
Gaming supervisors watch over assigned areas in casinos and gaming facilities to make sure that all gaming stations are covered and gamblers are following the rules.

Annual salary: $42,390*
Growth through 2016: 23 percent
Industry: Personal care and services

2. Health educators — $21.81/hour
Health educators encourage people and communities to live healthy lifestyles by teaching them about healthy behaviors and how to prevent diseases.

Annual salary: $45,370
Growth through 2016: 26 percent
Industry: Community and social services

3. Subway and streetcar operators — $22.20/hour
Subway and streetcar operators control or drive trains, electric-powered streetcars, trolleys or light-rails that transport passengers through cities, suburbs and metropolitan areas.

Annual salary: $46,180
Growth through 2016: 12 percent
Industry: Transportation and materials moving

4. Respiratory therapists — $23.37/hour
Respiratory therapists practice under a physician's supervision to treat patients with breathing or other cardiopulmonary disorders.

Annual salary: $48,610
Growth through 2016: 23 percent
Industry: Health care practitioner and technicians

5. Curators — $24.03/hour
Curators manage museums, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, nature centers and historic sites. They direct collections storage and exhibitions, including negotiating and authorizing the purchase, sale, exchange or loan of collections.

Annual salary: $49,980
Growth through 2016: 23 percent
Industry: Education, training and library occupations

6. Cartographers and photogrammetrists — $25.29/hour
Cartographers and photogrammetrists analyze and map geographic data provided by surveys, satellite information and photographs.

Annual salary: $52,600
Growth through 2016: 20 percent
Industry: Architecture and engineering

7. Multimedia artists and animators — $27.90/hour
Multimedia artists and animators create special effects, animation or other visual images seen in movies, television programs and computer games.

Annual salary: $58,030
Growth through 2016: 26 percent
Industry: Arts, design, entertainment, sports and media

8. Arbitrators, mediators and reconcilers — $28.27/hour
Arbitrators, mediators and reconcilers decide or recommend resolutions, penalties and liabilities on claims regarding legal matters.

Annual salary: $58,790
Growth through 2016: 11 percent
Industry: Legal

9. Urban and regional planners - $28.33/hour
Urban and regional planners develop plans and programs for land use and physical facilities in towns, cities, counties and metropolitan areas.

Annual salary: $58,940
Growth through 2016: 15 percent
Industry: Life, physical and social sciences

10. Loan officers — $29.77/hour
Loan officers approve various types of credit loans and advise borrowers on financial status and methods of payments.

Annual salary: $61,930
Growth through 2016: 11 percent
Industry: Business and financial operations

*All wages and salaries are mean averages provided by the BLS

For even more $20 an hour jobs check out CNN Money's full article.

Ten jobs that pay $20 an hour [CNN Money]
(Photo: Getty)

Here are a few more signs from the list:

4. The suits begin holding frequent "secret" meetings.
Confidential meetings among executives are commonplace at most companies, but more closed doors and hushed voices than normal should serve as a warning. For instance, if most of your department suddenly disappears for an impromptu two-hour meeting that you weren't invited to, you should at least ask questions — and be prepared to hear lies.
 
10. The email deluge suddenly dries up.
A sudden, pronounced and prolonged drop in the volume of email you receive may be a welcome respite from communication overload, but it also might mean that key projects that would have normally been assigned to you are being handled by employees that the company sees as key to its future. Meaning, not you.
 
13. You notice unfamiliar security guards around the premises.
Companies often hire extra security personnel on days that employees are let go, ostensibly so that those who blow a gasket can be manhandled off the premises before they cause a ruckus and that those with access to important company data don't walk out the door with state secrets. If a couple of 275-pound bruisers start hanging around the break room, you or one of your colleagues may have a shorter-than-expected work week.

"Within the industry, everyone knows about Buffalo," said Aaron Siegel, chief executive of Franklin Credit Solutions, an investment firm here that buys debt from lenders and farms it out to collection agencies to pursue.

Demand for collectors is so strong, Mr. Siegel said, that good ones "can walk out the door and get another job that afternoon."

[...]

As an added benefit, Mr. Costa and other executives said, people in Buffalo tend to be loyal, so turnover is only 20 percent after the first 90 days, compared with 50 percent or more at agencies in other parts of the country.

On average, experienced collectors in western New York earn $32,000 a year; homes in the region can cost less than $100,000.

The downside, executives say, is that the best collectors — some of whom get performance bonuses that boost their salaries to $150,000 a year — will quit with little notice if they get a better offer.

Suspecting that Best Buy might be interfering, Oliveri created an email account in the name of a Target employee and contacted Best Buy for a reference. In his lawsuit, Oliveri alleges that Ann McCafferty, a human resources manager at Best Buy, responded:

"I will give you the skinny on him but you can't say you got any info from best Buy or we can be sued. Just don't hire him and say you went with a better candidate.

"He was hired as GM and demoted after 12 months or so because he sucked. He is desperate for a job because supposedly his wife left him because he has no job. I would not touch him.

"Again, do not forward this email to anybody or say where you heard the info from because we were not allowed to give this info out, but I would hate you to get stuck with this guy!"

Job growth areas

• Retailers Wal-Mart, J.C. Penney, and CVS Caremark, all positions. (Hey, we didn't say this would be a glamorous or inspiring list.)
• UPS, which "has needs for engineers, computer science and economics experts."
• Executives? — MarketWatch says as current executives reach retirement age, they may be vacating their positions. We doubt that somewhat.
• Bankruptcy lawyers
• Health care professionals, especially nurses, physical therapists and pharmacists
• "Opportunities also will abound in energy, both among the traditional oil, gas and nuclear power sector and in development of 'green' technology and alternative energy sources."
• "Professional business services—including compensation and benefits experts, accountants, lawyers and consultants."
• "Security fields ranging from guards to information technology."
• People who speak additional languages or have experience dealing with other cultures

• "Anyone associated with the home-bankers, lenders, construction companies and manufacturers."
• "Financial services, especially the big investment banks, have been especially hurt by the mortgage crisis because many held sub-prime mortgages as assets. The sub-prime woe trickles down to affect law firms, printers and other industries that rely on deal-making conducted at the major banks."
• The manufacturing sector, which tends to be efficient enough to meet higher export demands without adding employees
• "Automakers and related auto-parts suppliers and dealers"

New research shows that drinkers earn more than non-drinkers, and that visiting a bar correlates with even higher pay. Sweet success comes at the bottom of a dirty glass.

And all along I thought that alcohol only improved your looks, smarts, and sexual prowess. Who knew the fiduciary benefits could be this tangible?

Time to start getting receipts from the bartender, and writing off the night as job training related expenses.

Only about 70 people in the United States have been implanted with microchips, and of those virtually all have been (ostensibly) for medical reasons. Depending on the brand of crazy you subscribe to, you might think this is just another mind control method, or even that it is the infamous mark of the beast. The more rational of us realize that there's good and bad in any technology and, like everything else, a judgement can only be made after we see how it is used. As a replacement for easily lost or stolen pieces of plastic that grant access to sensitive areas, this tech could be a winner. As a national ID that ties into our bank and credit accounts and is required for any kind of commerce, well, we're neither deeply religious nor hexakosioihexekontahexaphobic, but count us out.

US group implants electronic tags in workers [Financial Times via Smart Mobs]

We've all had our share of incompetent nincompoops lording over us, so to Jorge, Paisley, Stewart, and Hyun, thank you. And Scott, man, don't be such a dick!

Mutiny at the Cafe [Beyond Robson via Church of the Customer]

Before she could respond, a man wearing a ski mask and crouched close to the ground sprayed her with a fire extinguisher.

"I was in disbelief," Clayborne said.

She couldn't see. Her whole body was covered in white foam.

"Is this guy serious?" Clayborne said she asked herself at the time. "It was the funniest thing. He seemed pretty shaky."