TechCrunch 50 is a yearly conference hosted by the eponymous technology blog featuring 50 web-based startups. It's a pretty cool little concept that highlights a number of new technologies and companies using that technology. Each year, a few of these stand out to me, and this year was no different. For the purposes of careers, advice and the job search, one of those standout companies is LocalBacon.

LocalBacon certainly has an interesting concept that could flip job search on its head.

LocalBacon wants to remove the clutter from the inboxes of many a manager or HR professional looking for the right person to put to work while at the same time giving job seekers the opportunity to stand out from the crowd in their quest to land a good position. The way they want to achieve that is by both increasing the quality of applications and decreasing their amount by charging potential candidates $0.99 (or more based on interest/demand) to apply.

It stands to reason that this would considerably cut down on the clutter, which in turn would benefit both the job seeker and the job poster. If an unqualified individual is dissuaded from applying for a job and the hiring manager has less resumes to pour over, it makes it easier for you to stand out ... thus your odds of getting the job increase.

But this isn't a full proof method. As TechCrunch commenter "Alex" shares:

This might work if employers did 100% of their recruiting on this site. But they won’t. What they’ll do is have the same exact jobs listed on other sites, so what exactly do they hope to gain from this service? Just another job board to post jobs on, that might be a little less spammy. And for the actual user? Why would I pay money to apply for the same job that’s listed on monster and dice?

This would have to be a real concern. In a perfect world, every company posts on LocalBacon and only LocalBacon, so that no one circumvents the system. But how does LocalBacon guarantee that the company won't simultaneously post on CareerBuilder, Monster or Craigslist - which would of course deter users from paying to use LocalBacon's service. To me, this looks like a pretty big barrier to entry for a job board start up.

I'd love to hear any job seekers thoughts on a pay-per-app process for job hunting. Leave 'em in the comments.

On to some Links ...

The Baltimore Sun Lists Social Networks For the Unemployed: "Misery loves company" they say, so the Sun lists a number of ways that you can be and stay connected during your job search to others in a similar situation. Some useful sites here, including a LiveJournal community called "Team Unemployed." Nice.

Inside Higher Ed Shares a CV Strategy: This is some pretty all-encompassing advice on the CV. For instance "an engaging CV slyly warps the conventions of a staid genre into a particular, individualized incarnation." Right. OK. And "Use white space and highlighting to mark divisions and category headings. Use 12 point type." Oh, I got that one.

Forbes Explains How to Transition to a New Career: Just because your current career isn't working out, don't worry your fine. Forbes recommends deciding which skills from your current field translate to your future field, capitalize on them and the network. Why does it always come down to networking? Cause it's that important!

I love summer weekends. Sunscreen and sunburns,  crowded beaches and company picnics. The best part, though, is all the career advice that's penned over the weekend and is ripe for picking on Monday. We found tons of great links today that should get your week started off on the right foot.

Welcome to the "What You May Have Missed" Monday link roundup:

The New York Times Reports: That this summer's must-read book is: anything that gives you career-enhancing advice. According to the Association of American Publishers, sales of career advice books are on the rise, even though overall book sales were down 4.1 percent this year.

The Simple Dollar Reviews: 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget, a finance book by the creators of WiseBread. This post pulls out 10 of the best pieces of advice to help anyone on a tiny small surplus-challenged budget make the most of each paycheck. I especially liked their tips on ways for college students to eat free.

Alison's Job Searching Blog Wants You: To send in your cover letter for consideration. If you have a cover letter, thank you letter or follow-up letter that you're proud of, Alison might add it to the About.com toolkit as a sample of a great piece of work. She also has a great post today about Bypassing the Job Boards and using different, more proactive methods to find positions at companies that are hiring.

Secrets of the Job Hunt Profiles: A man who has the worst job in the world cleaning Calcutta's sewers. This employee works in a highly dangerous environment, exposed to an incredible number of deadly diseases. "He probably works the double of hours you do, he does not have any weekends." Puts your job in perspective, right?

ERE.Net Finds: A new free job matching site called UnitedWeWork.org. "Job seekers spend a few minutes filling in some details about themselves and their career interests, upload a resume, and then go about other business while Quiet Agent technology looks for matches."

The Wall Street Journal Discusses: Why having a mentor is essential to your career. Gabe Padva, CEO of Evolve Investment Group, took it a step further by forming "peer advisory" groups. He says he wanted to form a network with "people who could take me to the next stage of my career and help me reach the $1 million revenue mark."

"The Grill at The Summer Company Party." photo courtesy ricardodiaz11 via Flickr Creative Commons

“Life is like a box of chocolates, and sometimes it take months and months and months to find a job.  --Unemploymentality

I wanted to start out with a bit of unemployment humor. But if your job hunt has hit the not-so-funny point then you are probably ready for better job strategies, not better jokes.

If you are looking to tap into a new job market, you can always look for a cool seasonal job. Seasonal jobs can be a great way to travel to new places and meet cool people. True, the pay probably won’t be anywhere close to what you want for the long-term. But a job is a job, and there are ways you can try to turn your seasonal gig into something permanent. Alison’s Job Searching Blog has some recommendations on taking a part-time position to a full-time career.

If you are an adventure-seeker, or just in need of a serious change in scenery, then browse the following jobs boards for some unique positions.

Links for Seasonal and Part-time Job Boards:

CoolWorks.com: "CoolWorks is about you finding a seasonal job or career in some of the greatest places on Earth." This is a great Web site that has tons of employers listed. The "Help Wanted Now" section still has some positions open for the summer at lodges, parks and retreats.

SeasonalJobs365.com: This is an international site for workers seeking a work/travel experience. You can search jobs by type and by country. It's free to join for job seekers.

ACACamps.org: The "camp jobs" section of the American Camp Association site lists jobs from the thousands of ACA camps around the country. You can search by location and position.

Nannies4Hire.com: This is one of the largest childcare job boards. It's well endorsed and they have several resources for potential nannies. Not only can families search the profiles of childcare providers, you can also search families to apply for positions. Registration is free for nannies.

WineandHospitalityJobs.com: This is your ideal job board if you are looking for something seasonal and refined. It's free to join, and they will send you new job postings from wineries and resorts in the US and Canada.

NPS.gov: Love the outdoors? The National Park Service has plenty of job openings around the country in some of the "most beautiful and historic sites on earth." The site says they hire up to 10,000 employees every year to fill temporary and part-time positions.

BackDoorJobs.com: This site is aimed at the adventurous job seeker. Their motto is that short-term job adventures are "about discovering life's options and finding your place in the world." It's free to register for job seekers.

CruiseShipJobs.com: A job board that is all about... You guessed it. Cruise line jobs. They argue that "cruise line jobs are the best form of overseas jobs, since aboard a cruise ship in fact you will be working in many overseas countries and places instead of one." Not to mention your parents will love you even more if you can get them a discounted vacation.

SeasonWorkers.com: This is another international site for seasonal jobs and volunteer positions. They also have special sections for Gap Year jobs and ski resort openings.

"Club Med 2 cruise ship" courtesy http2007 via Flickr's Creative Commons.

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.

Good Friday All! Hope you all have an excellent weekend.

It was a long week, so without delay, Let's Hit The Links . . .

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.

Busy Day at ThinkTalk HQ. Our Twitter account is up and running, so if you need to waste any more time, you can follow us there. I'll have a more imaginative and insightful post tomorrow, I promise*.

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.

I love Friday’s, but they are maddening at the same time. As happy as I am to have some time off for the weekend, I feel a sense of urgency to wrap everything up for the week. All I want to do is check out for the week, but there is so much to do, and so little time. Maybe I need something to relax.