Every week I check dozens of “career” blogs and other online publications, looking for things that will help you find a job, get promoted, develop your skills, and keep everything in perspective and balance. Here’s the pick of the lot for this week. I’m pointing you to items about Business Week’s list of the best places to launch a career, negotiating a salary package, using Facebook to help employers find you, learning from bad jobs, and a systematic way to see what jobs might be the perfect fit for you.

From Business Week: The Best Places to Launch a Career

“To lure and keep young talent when cash is tight, companies of all stripes are appealing to Gen Yers’ ambitions for speedy advancement—and their desire to do good while doing well.”

Wally’s Comment: Here’s Business Week’s annual look at the best places to start a career. Check it out. Then figure out the best place for you.

From Fortify Your Oasis: Negotiating salary package/remuneration/filthy lucre

“The motto of the Gucci family is: Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten. In this extract from the best-selling job-hunting book, Where’s My Oasis? Rowan Manahan looks at one of the make-it-or-break-it moments of the selection process - negotiating your package.”

Wally’s Comment: Negotiating salary is tough. Here’s some guidance about how to handle the moment when it comes up.

From Willy Franzen at One Day One Job: Use Facebook Ads to Make Employers Hunt You Down

“If you pay any attention to the news, you might think that anyone who is looking for a job should immediately cancel his or her Facebook membership and never sign up again. Headlines read: Bank Intern Busted by Facebook, Employers Look at Facebook Too, and Employers Snoop on Facebook. There’s rarely anything new in the stories, but somehow they continue to pop up in all sorts of media outlets. More and more companies are using Facebook as a recruiting tool (and those who aren’t yet should hire us to help them), but for the most part any press that has included the words “employer” and “Facebook” has been negative. Not anymore.”

Wally’s Comment: This is step-by-step stuff, designed primarily for new graduates, but usable by anyone who’s out hunting for a job.

From the Monster Blog: Top 5 Things My Bad Jobs Taught Me

“When people find out I work for Monster, they often ask me for advice on their own careers. I give this standard guidance when people complain they have a bad job: Put your resume together, start looking and try not to let the situation get you down. It will pass. But every experience, good or bad, teaches you life lessons, and work is no exception. Here are the top five lessons I’ve learned from jobs that were not a good fit.”

Wally’s Comment: I don’t know anyone who’s made it through a career, or even a small part of one, without winding up in a job that was bad for them. When that happens to you, and it will, your challenge will be to learn from the experience. Here’s what one person has learned already.

From Juliet Jones at the Career Key Blog: 5 Steps to Smarter Career Exploration: Leave No Stones Unturned

“When choosing a career, it’s easy to have a narrow mind about your choices. We’re most comfortable with careers we’ve heard of and know something about, even if our only information comes from TV: think forensic scientist, real estate agent, fashion designer, crabfisher, those crazy Mythbusters guys making hovercrafts in their garage (job title anyone?) and the “usual suspects” doctors and lawyers. But wouldn’t you hate missing out on a great career just because you didn’t dig deep enough? Don’t be intimidated by massive databases of jobs or giant encyclopedias of career options. The internet makes exploration a little easier. Here are 5 steps to be smart and efficient in your career exploration – without leaving stones unturned.”

Wally’s Comment: Most people choose a job because they know someone who does it or because some guidance counselor tells them it’s a good idea. Juliet Jones presents a post with a systematic way to consider how your personality and various jobs match up. If you’re starting out or if you’re at a mid-career Exploration stage, this will be a great exercise for you. If you’re not there at the moment, bookmark this post so you can visit it when your time comes.

You’ve heard the saying: “Life is a journey.” I used to think that meant one journey. Now I know better.

The journey I used to think of was a pretty straightforward one. It was like a journey from New York City to San Francisco. You drove to the George Washington Bridge, turned left, and stopped when you got to the Pacific Ocean.

I’m 62 now, and when I look back on my life, it’s not a journey at all. Instead it’s been a lot of them.

The journeys took me to different places. When I got there, the place was different from where I was before and often different from what I expected, so it took some getting used to.

Sometimes, like on a real trip to Mumbai, for example, I didn’t know the language and the customs. Sometimes I stayed a long while. Sometimes not.

If you’re coming of age today, your life is probably going to be a lot like mine. You won’t have just one career. You’ll probably have several. And you’ll have more work situations than that.

Take moment to click over and read about “21st Century Career Patterns.” In our time there’s not just one career, but several. There’s not just one journey. There’s several.

To get ready for a life with many different careers, you need to prepare yourself by analyzing your strengths and preferences, by learning to size up opportunities and by learning to find resources when you need them. It won’t be as easy as a one-journey life, but it’s likely to be more fun and satisfying.

Susan’s grandfather, Tom, got out of college, right after World War II. He was hired by a large company.  Over the years he rose through the ranks from Trainee to Manager to Plant Manager and, eventually to Vice President of Operations. After thirty years, he retired.

Her father’s story was a little different. He went with a big company after graduation. In mid-career, he went back to school for an MBA. In the course of his career he’s made several job changes. When he retired, he went to work for a nonprofit.

Things changed a lot between those two generations, but Susan’s career will be very different from the careers of either her father or grandfather. Her grandfather followed the classic GI career strategy, working for one company his whole working life and retiring to life he wanted.

By the time Susan’s father was in the middle of his career, companies had already begun downsizing and rightsizing. They concentrated on quarterly earnings instead of long term profitability. The result was that loyalty to employees became a thing of the past in most companies.

Susan’s father didn’t feel guilty about changing companies. He saw the need to continue his education. He’ll use the funds in his portable pension to do what he wants in his retirement. He chooses to retire to a second career that’s more emotionally rewarding.

Susan’s career will differ from both her father’s and grandfather’s. Here are some of the things that will characterize careers in the first half of the 21st Century.

Employability security will be more important than job security. It will be important for you to develop and maintain your skills so that there’s always a place for you, not matter what your current employer does.

Many alternative career paths will replace the upward career paths that used to be the only option. Climbing the corporate ladder won’t be the only option open to you.

Susan will be looking for a fit with the organization she works for and not so much with one specific job. Savvy companies increasingly will be looking to fit jobs to employees, instead of the other way around.

Where her father and grandfather put career success first, Susan wants to make sure that all the parts of her life, including work and family, fit together well.

Susan’s grandfather got his degree and never went back to school. Her father went back for an advanced degree. Susan will be working in a world where continuous learning and relearning will be required.

Her father and grandfather both stayed employed full time and retired at the end their careers. Susan expects to mix in some part time work and sabbaticals. She may not ever “retire” the way her father and grandfather did.

For her father, and even more so for her grandfather, even top performers had to “wait their turn” to get promoted. In Susan’s world, promotions and other rewards are more likely to be performance based.

Susan will live out her career in the 21st Century. She can expect a faster moving, more information-based world. She’s more likely to be rewarded based on merit and she’ll have lots more career options, but she won’t be able to count on loyalty from her employer.

In the world that lies ahead, neither you nor Susan can depend on your employer to handle your career planning and management. It’s up to you.

We’re designing Momentor to help you choose the Career Path that’s right for you. We’ll offer you resources, including mentors who help identify your Career Stage and meet the challenges it presents.

“Peggy Lee had it right.” Bob flipped a burger on the grill.

The circle of friends in his backyard waited. They knew the signs. Bob was about to deliver a tidbit of “retro-wisdom” from the 1950s, 60s, or 70s that he thought would be helpful and interesting.

“Peggy Lee was a singer in the 1960s.” Bob flipped a burger. “And she had a big hit back then.” Another burger flip. “It was called ‘Is that all there is?’” Bob took a big drink. “That, my friends, is us.”

There was some nervous laughter and a lot of head nodding. Everyone looked around at the others in the group.

Bob was an engineer. After years of work that interested him, it seemed like every project was the same.

His bother, Jack, was a successful salesman, but his old boss retired. Jack’s new boss was a hard charger who wanted to put his own stamp on the sales team. Jack didn’t know if he wanted to hang around for that to happen.

There was Carla who had banged into a glass ceiling at her company. She felt blocked and frustrated.

Bob’s daughter, Susan, had mastered her marketing job right out of college. Now she was coasting.

Many of the people in Bob’s backyard that day felt like asking Peggy Lee’s question: “Is that all there is?” That’s the big question of an Exploration Stage.

You get to an Exploration Stage when learning, possibilities, and choices don’t seem to be part of your life at work. Sometimes it’s temporary. Sometimes it threatens to be long term.

An Exploration Stage can happen at any time in your career. It can be a very tough time.

When you’re in this stage you’re likely to feel frustrated, even depressed. You’ll probably quit diving in and showing initiative at work. You may react by becoming more aggressive or more passive.

Your challenge in an Exploration Stage is to deal with your emotions and start looking for something else to do. Because of the emotions that are often part of it, an Exploration Stage can be very hard on you and the people around you.

You need to meet the challenges of The Exploration Stage and your own Career Path. You need to seek out the resources, including mentors, who can help you make the most of where you are and move on to something better. At Momentor, we’re designing things so you can always find resources for whatever Career Stage you’re in.

Carl used to work late almost every night. Tonight he’s going to watch his daughter play soccer.

Janet built a reputation for always doing a bit of extra preparation. This weekend she’ll forget about the upcoming trade show and do some volunteer work.

Ron turned down a promotion that would have required him to travel extensively. He wants to spend more time at home.

Carl, Janet, and Ron are all in a Balance Stage in their careers. They’ve worked hard and been successful. They’re happy with what they’ve accomplished, but now they want something different.

So they’re throttling back a bit at work and giving more priority to other parts of their lives. Instead of seeking success, the way they have up till now, they’re seeking self-fulfillment.

This is a stage when you ask, “Who am I, really?” It’s a time when you step back from the pursuit of organizational and professional success and ask yourself what’s really important to you and how your success and the rest of your life fit together. It’s a time for those questions that you didn’t have time to ask when your main focus was on success and growth.

Carl and Janet and Ron are all trying to achieve greater balance among the different parts of their lives. Work is still important, but not as central as it was. Now what’s important is the mix of work, family, children, recreation, leisure, and hobbies.

In a Balance Stage and every stage in your life and career you need to meet the challenges of that stage and your own Career Path. You need to seek out the resources, including mentors, who can help you make the most of where you are. At Momentor, we’re designing things so you can always find resources for the Career Stage you’re in.

“Tell me about the new job.” Ray leaned across the table so he could hear better.

He and Lauren have been friends since college. In fact, Lauren married Ray’s college roommate. Now they work at the same company, see each other socially and act as each other’s career cheering section. So it was exciting for Ray when Lauren offered to buy lunch and tell him about her new assignment.

“I’m going to head up the new e-commerce task force!” Lauren was practically ready to explode. “They’re letting us rip apart the web site, tell them what to do about mobile, and develop strategies for using social networking.” She paused for breath.

“The best part is that I get to send stuff to Smith.” Ray was impressed. “Smith,” as everybody called him, was a legendary Executive VP. He was known as someone who loved to mentor younger people.

Ray let her talk while he thought about their lives and careers. They’d been out of school for a little over four years. After a couple of what he thought of as “false starts” they were both working in a place where they could really grow and develop.

Ray and Lauren are both in a Development Stage of their career. For both of them, the focus is on personal and professional growth and development. Ray listened as Lauren wound down.

“I was once a master of the dismal science, now I am ‘Marketing Girl’ and soon I shall become ‘E-Commerce Queen,’” exulted Lauren.

 Ray smiled. He’d met Lauren when they were both economics majors. “Maybe Vice President is next,” he suggested. They both laughed.

If you’re in a Development Stage, like Ray and Lauren, the Entry Stage and learning the ropes is behind you. Now is the time to concentrate on your career and personal growth.

You’ll learn through courses and reading. Ray is mastering the details of cross-border trading because he thinks it’s a growth area and it plays to his strengths. He loves finance and wants to make a career of it.

You’ll learn and grow even more through developmental assignments like the one Lauren was describing. Those assignments can be permanent or temporary but they help you develop both skills and visibility in the company or in the industry. For Lauren, who wants to move up the corporate ladder, both of those are important.

Ray and Lauren’s friend, Tom, is in a Development Stage, too. He’s an entrepreneur and owns a software company. All his energy is poured into growing his company and he’s spending time learning about how to effectively bid on government contracts.

In the Development Stage you must:

Establish your career plan
Develop professional expertise
Establish personal and professional contacts
Become visible and recognized by others
Demonstrate your worth and competence

In the Development Stage and every stage in your life and career you need to meet the challenges of that stage and your own Career Path. You need to seek out the resources, including mentors, who can help you make the most of where you are. At Momentor, we’re designing things so you can always find resources for the Career Stage you’re in.

There is a Yiddish saying that, “All beginnings are hard.” That’s the bad news about the Entry Stages in your career. The good news is that it gets easier.

You’re in an Entry Stage is your career when things are new. Your challenge is to learn the ropes and settle into your new situation quickly and effectively.

The first time that happens is when you move from school to your first regular job. Brent’s first job was with a company that rents construction equipment. He had a lot of things to learn.

He needed to learn about the construction industry. He also needed to learn about the company and about his job. He needed to make friends at work.

The Entry Stage is a little like the Chinese character for crisis. It’s composed of the character for “danger” and the one for “opportunity.” There are many “first impressions” and things you don’t know that will feel dangerous. But there’s also the excitement of something new and the opportunities ahead.

Later in his life, when Brent gets promoted, or changes companies, or gets assigned to a different office or project, he’ll experience other Entry Stages. So will you.

Every time you start something new you go through an Entry Stage. The challenge is always the same.

You need to learn the ropes and how things are done in your new situation. You need to connect with the people and make sense of the social network. And you need to figure out how you fit in best.

Look for resources to help you do those things. Seek out a mentor or two.

Early in his new job, Brent spent a lot of time on the phone with his uncle who had worked in construction for years. He did research to help him understand the business. And he made friends at his new company who helped him learn how things work there.

In the Entry Stage and every stage in your life and career you need to do the same thing. You need to seek out the resources, including mentors, who can help you make the most of where you are. At Momentor, we’re designing things so you can always find resources for the Career Stage you’re in.

Susan is living out a career pattern for the 21st Century. It’s very different from the stages followed by her grandfather, Tom.

When Tom got out of college, right after World War II, he went to work with a large corporation. Over the years he rose through the ranks from Trainee to Manager to Plant Manager and, eventually to Vice President of Operations.

Susan’s stages are very different. After she got her MBA, Susan landed a marketing job. It took her a little while to learn the ropes, but four years later, her employer was thrilled with her work and her performance.

But Susan was bored. She’d mastered her job and there wasn’t much more opportunity. She was coasting. She got married. She and her husband bought a house. That was when she realized two things.

Susan realized that she wanted a challenge at work. And she realized that she didn’t want a challenge with her current employer.

She moved to a large company, where she was still working in marketing. This time, learning the ropes was easier. Her job has expanded and she’s been promoted. She likes the company and the people she works with.

Susan still has things she wants to learn and accomplish, but she’s thinking about what’s ahead for her. She and her husband want to have children in a few years. Susan would like to keep working, but at a less intense level. Her employer doesn’t see a problem making that happen.

Compare that to her grandfather’s life. For Tom things went in a straight line, defined by position in the hierarchy. He planned for years for the retirement he would take after his career was done.

Today’s Career Stages are more like Susan’s than her grandfathers. There are lots of reasons for that, but in the next few posts we’ll talk about the new Career Stages.

Today Career Stages aren’t defined by age and hierarchy. They’re defined by your state of mind about your life and the work that is a part of it.

And, you won’t go through these stages once each. Instead you’ll probably experience each one several times in the course of your career. Here are today’s four Career Stages with a brief description.

Entry Stage

You’re in the Entry Stage when things are new to you. That might be when you join a new company, start a new job, are assigned to a new team, or begin a new phase of life. Your challenge is to learn the ropes and move on to developing yourself.

Development Stage

In the Development stage your challenge is to grow and develop, personally and professionally.

Balance Stage

In the Balance Stage, the growing at work has slowed or plateaued. Work life often recedes in importance. In this stage, your challenge is to answer questions like, “Who am I?” and “What’s important?”

Exploration Stage

Exploration is the stage where you look for something new to do. When you find it, you’ll be back to the Entry stage.

In the next four posts, we’ll examine each stage in some detail. Knowing the stage you’re in will help you select the resources and seek out mentors who can help you most effectively.