Welcome to the Daily Roundup. Each day at the ThinkTalk Blog we will post some links that we find informative, interesting, or just plain funny. The goal is to let you know what else is going on out there, and ultimately help you with the development of your career.

Did you take an extra semester to finish up? Maybe you are ahead of the curve and finishing early. Either way, Thanksgiving is almost here, and the semester is winding down. So if you are graduating in Winter, rather than Spring, it’s time to start that job search.

I can tell you from experience (I finished early, not late . . . which amazes me considering how irresponsible I was in college), that the winter job search can certainly give you a leg up on the competition, who won’t finish and start looking until May. So, now is a better time than January to start your search off.

To help you get the leg up, today’s Roundup is all about Job Search tools.

Alison Doyle’s Job Searching Blog recently asked readers for their favorite job site. The results are in and it looks like Indeed and LinkedIn are in the top spots, with SimplyHired a close third.

I tend to agree with this, as all three are excellent resources to kick off your job search. The two search engines, Indeed and SimplyHired have really streamlined the search process while expanding the scope (and as I always say, the more Scope, the better - ZING!). As for LinkedIn, I am certainly a believer. I am atrocious at keeping in touch, and LinkedIn really has helped me keep in touch and re-connect with professional contacts. It also gives prospective employers another resource to check up on you - which, as I've mentioned, they most certainly will.

On the subject of LinkedIn, Jobacle tipped me off to Zolio, calling it the “crossroads between Facebook and LinkedIn." Zolio offers a number of free services. Users upload work samples, manage recommendations, and create resumes – without worrying about the format. But, Jobacle adds, what sets it apart is:

Zolio takes it a step further by offering a personal URL to add to an email signature or a job application. If that isn’t enough, add the “Z” icon to your website or your social networking page for interested employers to click on and link back to your zolio profile. Hiring managers can search Zolio for candidates they are considering bringing on to the team. If they decide to do a name search (gasp!) on you, the URL for your zolio profile should appear and make quite a professional impression. Well at least better than your Facebook profile, which if left searchable for the public, may display the embarrassing picture of you doing a keg stand.

Another interesting site I came across (thanks to Cheezhead) is My Perfect Gig. This site is a self-described “members-only, private career network for engineering professionals.” The site uses a tag cloud to help you narrow down your search to find exactly what you are looking for. Oh, I’ll let them describe it.

Seems like an easy and helpful site for the engineer/computer crowd. The interface is user-friendly and very intuitive. Hopefully someone will take a cue from the ingenuity and expand to other professions/majors as well.

Other links of general interest:

Chief Happiness Officer Thinks: This dude is downright inspirational. In High School I spent my money buying CD’s and late night Wendy’s. Buying Grocery Stores? Uhh, not so much. Note to the reporter in this package: "Hope: it's what's on special today." Come on my man. You're better than that.)

Gradspot shows: How to understand your FICO score. Whats a FICO? Even after reading this I'm not sure. But once you get into the Real World it's pretty important . . . so I recommend checking it out.

TechCrunch Reports: JuicyCampus: Banned . . . XBox: Netflix’d . . . Viral Videos: Debunked

I know, I know, that’s a lot of TechCrunch links. “Why can’t we just visit Techncrunch ourselves,” you ask? Be my guest. But they post, like, 9 million things a day. They’re like Andrew Sullivan. I love the Daily Dish more than anybody, but good god man, if I don’t check my Reader for 15 minutes I have 85 new posts! Wouldn’t you rather I just sorted out the hip hip links, and give them to you here. Thought so. End Rant . . .

. . . and today’s Daily Roundup. Thanks! And yes, the title is a Star Wars ref. I am, in fact, a nerd.