A career counselor who has been on both sides of the hiring and firing divide has a new web site that offers advice on how to look for a job. NY1's Employment reporter Asa Aarons filed the following report.

After 15 years of applying a degree in industrial and organizational psychology, Raymond Lee understands the intricacies of corporate human resources departments. More importantly, he understands them from both sides.

“I've had to deliver the bad news of someone losing his job, but at the same time I've received the same news as well," he says.

Raymond's new company, called CareerMinds, provides support for downsizing companies and helps displaced workers searching for a new job. His experience has led to some surprising conclusions about job hunting.

“By statistics alone, if you have 100 people who are replying to one position, you have a 1 percent. So you can have the best resume out there and have a very low chance of getting a call back," says Lee.

He says it is important to look beyond the classified ads. Search for and identify companies with new products and new locations, which will lead to new jobs.

"Eighty percent of companies use social technology to fill openings. So if you're not online with other professionals that are working and not working, getting recommendations from former colleagues with their abilities to achieve certain results, then you're missing the boat," says Lee.

He says getting bogged down with the past and being inflexible is an ongoing problem for job seekers. Regardless of what a jobseeker used to be, he or she has a new title -- salesman.

“The biggest mistake that jobseekers is they're not out there meeting people, being proactive. You're essentially a sales position, selling yourself to these companies," says Lee.

CareerMinds has formed an academic partnership with Rutgers and other universities to take an almost academic approach to the job search.

The company's web site helps jobseekers access and join social media networks, identify companies on the move up and develop their own brand and strategy to take a unique place in the employment process.

To find out more, visit www.careerminds.com.