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Given that candidates get to select who to list as a reference, it would seem that hirers must be hearing words of praise about every applicant. Not so, according to a CareerBuilder study. Sixty-two percent of employers said that when they contacted a reference listed on an application, the reference didn’t have good things to say about the candidate.

With so many job seekers ready and willing to work, why do positions remain unfilled? This question bothered syndicated columnist and career consultant Andrea Kay, so she set out to find answers. The results make up her new book THIS IS HOW TO GET YOUR NEXT JOB: An Inside Look at What Employers Really Want. Here, she discusses her project:

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• Five Surefire Ways to Lose Your Co-Workers’ Respect [Ragan]
• Workers Share Their Salary Secrets [WSJ.com]
• 10 Tools to Add an Extra Hour to Your Day [LinkedIn]
• How to Answer the Most Common Interview Questions [Career Realism]
• Warning Signs That You’re Way Too Stressed [Lifehack]

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As mentioned yesterday, 86 percent of respondents in a recent Salary.com survey said they have a desire to learn how to negotiate more effectively. While some people are lucky enough to be able to hone this skill with the help of a mentor, co-worker, friend, or family member, the majority of people say they’ve never received help.

• How Interviewers Know When to Hire You in 90 Seconds [Undercover Recruiter]
• Ten Lessons for Reinventing Yourself [Psychology Today]
• How to Take Meeting Notes That Really Work [MacWorld]
• Best Job-Seeking Tips from Staffing Leaders [US News]
• Signs You Should Definitely Quit Your Job [Forbes]

Ever gone home brimming with hope after an interview, only to have your confidence plummet with each passing day that you don’t hear back? While the wait for that crucial call can feel like an eternity, realize that silence doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not being offered the position. From other pressing demands to a higher-up needing to approve what will be offered, hirers cannot always respond as quickly as you’d like.

So are you doomed to sit around like a dateless teenage girl days before prom? Experts say “no” . . . and “yes.”

While job candidates undoubtedly would like to be given as high of a starting salary as possible, many are quick to take whatever is offered. Failure to negotiate salary from the get-go, however, can mean a bleaker financial picture at the present and a great loss of wages over the course of a career as raises are often a percentage increase from where you’re at – the higher the original number, the greater the new figure.

• Social Media Etiquette in the Workplace [LinkedIn]
• How to Handle a Micromanaging Boss [Lifehacker]
• Why Good Personal Finances are Critical to Your Career [Forbes]
• Tips for Writing a Nonprofit Resume [Career Realism]
• How to Manage Stress at the Office [Lifehack]

When interviewing for a job, candidates frequently concentrate on how they should respond to various questions. What you don’t say, however, can be equally important in landing the position. Career columnist and consultant Andrea Kay, author of the new book This is How to Get Your Next Job: An Inside Look at What Employers Really Want, recommends that applicants avoid talking about these four things in an interview:

1. Don’t talk about things you can’t back up.

• Your Career Success Hinges on One Word [LinkedIn]
• How Age and Experience Can Help You Land a Job [Glass Door]
• Avoid Networking Desperation When Unemployed [Lifehacker]
• What to Do When You’ve Become the Office Mean Girl [Psychology Today]
• How to Stay Calm During a Job Interview [Forbes]