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So you’ve gotten the training, searched the job openings, aced the interview and landed the position that is your entry into professional life and first step in your career journey. But once you’ve gotten the position, there are a few things you should keep in mind to get a good start on success and keep the momentum going. It’s always good to plan early in dotting all i’s and crossing all t’s so that you can focus on doing your best and building a routine of excellence.

Madame Noire details the first six things you should do upon getting employed and why these actions will keep you focused and organized. You can take charge with the confidence that you’ve done your due diligence.

1. Keep any important work-related documents: It might be difficult to remember to save important documents like your pay stubs (if you receive them by paper) once the check comes in, but paperwork like this and other information might be valuable to keep, especially during your first year of employment. Besides referring to these important documents for reference while filing taxes or keeping track of earnings and deductions, keeping documentation such as your check information and more could also help you in case you decide to apply for a new position, a loan or if you’re looking to move into a new place. But if you decide not to keep your work information, make sure it is disposed of in the right way to avoid having your personal info used by someone other than you. Shredding is always a great disposal method for all your juicy information.

Read more at Madame Noire….

Khaleeqa "Roxi" Rouse

As the unemployment rate remains high for African Americans—more than 15%— many workers are forced to find other ways to make ends meet. Some have been forced to face harsh realities about their lifestyle, their budgets, their passions and what really matters at the end of the day.

For Website entrepreneur and health advocate Khaleeqa “Roxi” Rouse, unemployment sparked a holistic change in her life, from her health to her self-esteem to her career path. After downsizing, soul-searching and taking an honest look at her definition of happiness, she decided to start Paparoxi.com, a hub focused on helping people tap into healthy, purposeful living that features insights and tips on fitness, food and fun.

Check out how she did it, why pursuing your passion is the best route and how you can turn the stigma of unemployment into the opportunity of a lifetime.

Produced by Janell Hazelwood; Videography by Janel Martinez; Video editing by Melissa Johnson

But one tough question that is common during many interviews is: How do your efforts support achieving and maintaining profitability?”

In any industry and for any company, contributing to the bottom line — profit — is the main goal. Companies thrive from making money, thus their employees must in some way play a role in doing just that.

AOL Jobs offers a strategy to best answer one of the most difficult and vital questions you may be asked by a prospective employer.

Read more at AOL Jobs …

Let’s face it: In today’s job market, having a diversity of job experiences can be the norm. Some resumes can include the most unconventional jobs in an economy whether many have to get creative to make ends meet.

One resume could list experience both working as a missionary fund-raiser in Africa and coordinating projects for a middle-man accounting company, which could lead some recruiters and hiring managers with major questions as to what focused expertise you can offer to their companies.

Brazen Careerist offers three ways you can effectively market such a resume, tailoring it in a way that is easy to understand and explain during an interview.

Read more at Brazen Careerist …

With the rising cost of college comes the question of return on investment, and choosing a major can be a major factor in determining whether it all adds up in the end. Usually a major is chosen based on aptitude, skills and passions, and the opportunities for success can depend on several factors including the individual’s utilization of their degree, the market demand and the availability of job openings in a chosen field.

AOL Jobs has broken down the numbers on how college majors relates to unemployment, detailing which majors can be applied to jobs where jobless numbers are high and which can be applied to those where numbers are low. While choosing a major may not be solely based on these numbers, it’s good to have an understanding of what’s out there in order to know how to strategize.

Read more at AOL Jobs …

The news wasn’t so great, however, for African-Americans, who saw their unemployment rate increase slightly from 15.5 in November to 15.8. In addition, the rate for Black teenagers and young adults exceeds 40 percent.

“We will never fully rebound or recover when a major segment of our nation’s population continues to struggle. More importantly, we cannot wait for opportunities to trickle down,” said Congressional Black Caucus chairman, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Missouri). “The recent announcement of President Obama‘s summer jobs initiative could not have come at a more critical time. The initiative will provide $1.5 billion for high-impact summer jobs and year-round employment for low-income youth ages 16-24, as part of the American Jobs Act’s Pathways Back to Work Fund.”

But according to Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus, initiatives like the Jobs+ program the Obama administration announced last week, as well as the stimulus program and new industry regulations, are the sort of gimmicks that prevent the economy from experiencing a full recovery.

“As a result of those policies, families across America are hurting. And instead of working with Republicans to get the economy moving, President Obama is engaged in a full-time re-election campaign, prioritizing his job over jobs for the unemployed,” Priebus said. “He has no long-term vision to fix the economy and no comprehensive plan to get Americans working again. All he offers are occasional gimmicks that create nothing more than campaign photo-ops.”

Brazen Careerist offers three common errors job seekers make that can put them out of the running — straight from the mouth of a hiring professional. Take heed to avoid the mistakes that might lead to your resume being sent to the trash bin.

Read more at Brazen Careerist …

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The U.S. economy didn’t close on such a bad note in 2011.

A forceful 200,000 new jobs were added to the economy in December, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Friday.

The nation’s unemployment rate fell to 8.5 % in December, from 8.7% in November, the government said. The Labor Department revised the number of new jobs added in November to 100,000, from 120,000.

December was the sixth consecutive month that the economy added at least 100,000 new jobs, but the Japan earthquake and debt ceiling crisis of the spring and summer slowed progress significantly.

“People were very much thinking that the sky was falling,” said Tom Porcelli, an economist at RBC Capital Markets. “It’s no small victory that we’re up here, even with all these headwinds.”

Read more at the New York Times…

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Entrepreneurship may not be for everyone, especially if you’re used to the hands-off perks and stability of being the employee. There are ways to know whether self-employment is for you. And you can earn extra income while exploring your options.

It’s great to be able to test the entrepreneurship waters before making the big dive into the world of starting your own business. The Young Entrepreneurs Council gives 10 side jobs that will help you not only earn extra cash, but find out whether self-employment is the right option for you.

Read more at Brazen Careerist …

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Having the right goal-setting strategy is vital in progressing in this new year. Whether it’s how to go about job seeking, creating a plan to get that promotion, or totally revamping your career path by making a change, setting feasible goals with a road map for getting to milestones makes each move one that is effective.

AOL Jobs offers tips on how to set goals and how to manage them so you won’t be singing the same stagnant tune next year. Get started on the right foot to capture the success you deserve.

Take time to consider and play with various goals: Sometimes the best goals show up a day or three after we’ve submitted them to our boss. Or sometimes they show up in the middle of your morning commute or while watching a movie. Start now on a list of possible goals, and be prepared to discard many of them.

Read more at AOL Jobs …