It's no surprise that with the way the economy's been faring this year, some companies are being forced to cut back on things like holiday bonuses, gifts and parties – but according to a recent survey by CareerBuilder, a good chunk of employers will offer their workers some sort of perk:

• 29 percent plan to give their employees holiday bonuses;
• 26 percent will give holiday gifts;
• 49 percent are planning a holiday party.

The employers that don't skimp on holiday perks are smart – rewards are important for boosting morale. But what do you do if your company isn't offering anything of the sort this year?

Read more about how how you can deal with company holiday cutbacks and still enjoy the spirit of the season.

If you're in the midst of sending out resumes in the hopes of receiving that coveted interview call, but you don't seem to be getting any bites, you may be missing a crucial step: the resume follow-up email or phone call.

There are some employers or recruiters out there who might not want you to contact them after you've already applied for the job, but judging from the surveys I've come across, most seem to feel it's OK for you to follow up. And I can speak from personal experience that following up has worked for me a couple of times now. With my current web developer job, I probably wouldn't have landed the interview and gotten hired if I hadn't sent a quick follow-up email.

Keep in mind, however, that there are some things you should know before you drop the employer/recruiter a line or pick up the phone. Read my resume follow-up article to find out more about the steps you should take in order to make the most of your contact efforts after you've applied for a tech job – and what types of things you should avoid doing when following up.

Have you ever walked out of a job interview just knowing that you bombed it?

I did once. Here's what happened: I was positive that I had turned my cell phone off...but I was wrong. And of course, right in the middle of that interview, my phone rang. I was mortified, but it was too late – and I'm sure that's the reason I never got a call back.

The Society for Human Resource Management recently conducted a poll in which it asked, among other things, which types of behaviors or characteristics would be considered "deal breakers" when deciding whether a candidate should get the job. An applicant's cell phone ringing during an interview was cited as a "major problem" by 40 percent of the HR professionals who responded, while 51 percent said it was "somewhat of a problem" and nine percent said it was "not a problem."

So in the end, it may not matter how good your technical abilities are. Sometimes, other factors such as ringing cell phones, bad posture or inappropriate dress can make the interviewer decide against hiring you, even before you have a chance to elaborate on how you could apply your skills for the benefit of the company.

Curious about other interview deal-breakers? Check out our tips for job interview success, which cover less tangible factors such as eye contact, grooming and body language.

The Labor Department just issued a report on December 4 that, among other things, highlighted the growth of temporary jobs for the fourth consecutive month.

This is encouraging news – both in a general sense because it points to an upcoming recovery, and also specifically for the tech sector, in which temps or contractors are often hired for project-based work (with positions often found on sites such as Net-Temps or Dice.com). But a recent article I came across in the San Francisco Chronicle examines whether this trend to tap into a "just in time labor force" really means permanent job growth is just around the corner.

In fact, some experts think it could be a few months before we really start seeing a recovery in the general job market.

What's it like for those of you on the hunt for a job in technology? Have you seen and/or been able to apply for many permanent full-time job postings, or is it mostly temp work you're coming across right now?