14. Question 1 Question: Now that my kids are older, I am ready to go back to school - but I have no idea what kind of career to pursue. How can I figure out what kind of work would be the best fit for me? Resource: Quintessential Careers Keirsey Temperament Sorter II Career Link Self Assessment Inventory Testingroom.com O*Net Skills Search CareerPath Link: http://www.quintcareers.com/online_assessment_review.html http://www.keirsey.com/sorter/register.aspx http://www.mpcfaculty.net/CL/default.htm http://quintcareers.testingroom.com http://www.onetonline.org/skills/ http://www.careerpath.com/
16. Question 2 Question: After so many layoffs in the automotive industry, I want to pursue a more promising career. How can I find out the job prospects and potential earnings in the biotechnology field? Resource: Career Guide to Industries (US Dept. of Labor) Link: http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/
17. Question 3 Question: I can’t afford to go back to school, but I heard that floral designer jobs don’t require formal post-secondary training. How can I find out more about floral design as a career? Resource: Occupational Outlook Handbook Link: http://www.bls.gov/oco
18. Question 4 Question: My family is relocating to Charlotte, NC. I currently work in advertising and I would like to locate some Charlotte companies in this field. Resource: US Chambers of Commerce Directory Jobfox American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's) Link: http://www.uschamber.com/chambers/directory/ http://www.jobfox.com/ http://www.aaaa.org/pages/AgencySearch.aspx
19. Question 5 Question: I’m about to complete a degree in nursing and I ‘m planning a career in long term care. Where can I find a list of long term care facilities to consider as potential employers? Resource: Hoovers.com SoluSource (Thomas Global Register) Link: http://www.hoovers.com http://www.solusource.com/
20. Job Leads Photo (CC) Richard Miles: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kmountmaniac/2994014966/
21. Question 6 Question: I’m desperate! What’s the fastest way to apply for as many jobs as I can? Resource: CareerBuilder Monster Quintessential Directory of Company Career Centers Indeed International Association of Employment Web Sites Link: http://www.careerbuilder.com http://www.monster.com http://www.quintcareers.com/career_centers http://www.indeed.com http://www.employmentwebsites.org
22. Question 7 Question: My band has a gig in Key West for the next few months, but there’s no way I can live off of what I’ll be making as a performer. How can I find part time work to help supplement my income? Resource: Indeed.com SimplyHired KeysWebInfo: Employment Agencies South Florida Workforce Craigslist/Florida Link: http://www.indeed.com http://www.simplyhired.com http://www.keysweb.info/Employment/agencies_emp.htm http://www.southfloridaworkforce.com/w/index.html http://keys.craigslist.org
23. Question 8 Question: I’m required to show tangible evidence of my job search efforts in order to extend my unemployment benefits. How can I limit my search to jobs available in Florida that require only a high school education? Resource: Employ Florida Marketplace Florida Job Network Teach in Florida PeopleFirst! Florida Florida Ready to Work program Link: https://www.employflorida.com http://www.fljobnetwork.com http://www.teachinflorida.com https://peoplefirst.myflorida.com http://www.floridareadytowork.com
24. Question 9 Question: I recently lost my engineering job. How can I focus my job search on just positions available in my specific field? Resource: EngineerJobs.com Other niche job boards Dice.com (IT) SoloGig.com (IT and engineering) TrueCareers SchoolSpring.com (Education) Link: http://www.engineerjobs.com http://www.internetinc.com/top-100-job-board-niches http://www.dice.com http://www.sologig.com http://truecareers.com http://www.schoolspring.com
25. Question 10 Question: It seems like I’ve sent out a million resumes – but I can’t keep track of who I’ve contacted or where I’ve applied. How can I manage my job search more effectively? Resource: Jibber Jobber Link: http://www.jibberjobber.com/
26. Bonus Question! Question: I'm interested in working for the U.S. government. Where can I find information about job openings? Resource: USA Jobs Link: http://www.usajobs.gov
29. Question 11 Question: Several friends in Austin, TX tell me they can get me hired at Whole Foods headquarters. While I trust my friends, I’d like to find a more reliable contact at Whole Foods before I start packing my bags. Resource: Linked In Ryze Link: http://www.linkedin.com http://www.ryze.com/
30. Question 12 Question: All of the job search manuals recommend networking through professional organizations, but I don’t know where to begin. How can I make contacts in the human resources industry to help with my job search? Resource: Direct Jobs from Association Job Boards Job Fox Link: http://www.directjobs.com/ http://www.jobfox.com/
31. Question 13 Question: Should I worry about my “online reputation” as I begin my job search? I don’t want my Facebook profile to keep me from getting a job. Resource: Google Alerts BrandsEye Brand-Yourself.com Reputation.com Metal Rabbit Media Reppler Link: http://www.google.com/alerts http://www.brandseye.com/ http://brand-yourself.com/ http://www.reputation.com http://www.metalrabbitmedia.com/ http://www.reppler.com/
33. Question 14 Question: My son is trying to find a job for the first time. Where can he get help with the basics of writing a resume? Resource: The OWL at Purdue Resume Workshop JobStar Central Resume Guide Riley Guide: Resumes and Cover Letters How To Write a Resume (When You Have No Job Experience) Resumes and Cover Letters for Students Link: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/719/01/ http://jobstar.org/tools/resume http://www.rileyguide.com/resprep.html http://teenadvice.about.com/od/adviceexpert/ht/htwriteresume.htm http://jobsearch.about.com/od/resumesandcoverletters/Resumes_and_Cover_Letters_for_Students.htm
34. Question 15 Question: Now that I’m out of work, I find that my resume is hopelessly outdated – in both content and style! Where can I get help with writing a 21 st century resume? Resource: Emurse.com Pongo Resume Google Docs VisualCV Link: http://www.emurse.com http://www.pongoresume.com http://docs.google.com http://www.visualcv.com
35. Interviews & negotiations Photo (CC) A. www.viajar24h.com : http://www.flickr.com/photos/soschilds/344188960/
36. Question 16 Question: I’m an out-of-work programmer, and it’s been quite a few years since I’ve had to interview for a job. How can I get help preparing for the questions I’ll be asked? Resource: Ace the Interview OOH Job Interview Tips Job Interview Questions The Riley Guide: Network, Interview, & Negotiate Link: http://www.acetheinterview.com/ http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco20045.htm http://www.jobinterviewquestions.org/questions/interview-tips.asp http://www.rileyguide.com/netintv.html
37. Question 17 Question: I finally got a job offer, but I’m not sure if the salary is fair considering my experience. Where can I find information on salaries in my field? Resource: Salary.com Payscale.com Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates Link: http://www.salary.com http://www.payscale.com http://stats.bls.gov/oes/oes_data.htm
38. In the meantime… Photo: (CC) woodleywonderworks: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/3358011563/
39. Question 18 Question: I’ve just been laid off from my job. How do I find information about filing for unemployment benefits? Resource: CareerOneStop Service Locator Link: http://www.servicelocator.org/OWSLinks.asp
40. Question 19 Question: I haven’t given up on finding paid employment, but I want to be sure to use my time off to gain additional experience in my field. Where can I find volunteer opportunities related to working with animals? Resource: Volunteer Match Idealist All for Good Your local United Way Volunteer.gov Link: http://www.volunteermatch.org http://www.idealist.org http://www.allforgood.org http://liveunited.org http://www.volunteer.gov/gov
41. Question 20 Question: I am a volunteer counselor at a local career center. We offer a small library of print job search resources, but I’d like to direct our clients to something they can access from their home computers. What would you recommend? Resource: The Riley Guide CareerBuilder CareerOneStop JobHuntersBible JobStar Jobsearch.about.com Link: http://www.rileyguide.com http://www.careerbuilder.com http://www.careeronestop.org http://www.jobhuntersbible.com http://www.jobstar.org http://www.jobsearch.about.com
Some are fee-based, but may offer free trials Warn about scams, giving too much personal information
For folks with some post-secondary education, the career services office at their college/university may administer interest testing Myers-Briggs one of the first such tests, but generally expensive and requires counselor State dept. of labor may have opportunities to take such tests
And other BLS pubs, such as OOH
Do you have any print or e-resources on? Also, professional/trade associations, especially for information on licensing, credentialling, etc., for those professions requiring such
In this particular instance, http://www.mediapost.com/, The media, marketing and advertising professional's leading resource for complete news coverage, engaging events, a focused social network, and comprehensive industry jobs, directories and research. Finding associations: if you have access to it, the Gale Encyclopedia of Associations. Also, search for trade association web sites. At http://www.uschamber.com/chambers/directory/ , go to NC, then Charlotte. Show "Largest employers" too Go to http://www.aaaa.org/pages/AgencySearch.aspx, do agency search
Hoovers – "Hoover's offers proprietary business information through the Internet, data feeds, wireless devices, and co-branding agreements with other online services..." You can get a free trial. [Search "long term care" in "Companies"] Find the trade association: if you have access to it, the Gale Encyclopedia of Associations. Or search for its web sites. Solusource is Thomas's Register; not good for "long term care" as more manufacturing oriented
Features: Job search: by location, by company, by industry; set up alerts. Post/distribute resumes. Manage leads; follow-ups Privacy features to ensure that current employers, spammers, identity thieves don’t have unauthorized access Other career tools: career advice, help with resume writing, interviewing, salary calculators, etc. Pros: Hundreds of thousands of job listings in almost any industry Searchability and career tools (search alerts, for example) Cons: Commercial focus – some sites accept “fake” job ads (submitted by agencies, recruiters, etc. for the purpose of making money) Registration is required for most functionality Needle in a haystack – potential employers receive too many resumes to “make the cut” Sample search: mechanic/job category = automotive Sample search: field technician (no location specified) - point out recruiters, staffing agencies Walk through features: Suggestion: Because so many resumes are posted via these megasites, job seekers may want to also submit resumes via target company career web sites to increase likelihood of success. If you're wondering about Yahoo's Hot Jobs, it was acquired by Monster (re-direct to Monster.com) Some thinking that "Major Job Boards to Die Within a Decade" (http://www.quintcareers.com/job-board_death_march.html) to be replaced by social networking
How about "ask a librarian" at the Monroe County Public Library, in Key West? Craigslist can be particularly good for PT work, but have to be careful of scams
Theme here is you can find state-based resources: www.job.com/Colorado, etc. In just about every state, state govt agency exists for workforce development State libraries often collect resources for libraries developing job search assistance; large public libraries in state
Dice – "The career hub for tech" TrueCareers is focused on professional positions Again, professional associations
"So what is JibberJobber? Is it a job search tool? Is it a networking tool? It is more like a personal relationship manager that allows you to do everything you need to do to manage a job search and optimize your network relationships - for the duration of your career!"
What is Ryze? "Ryze helps people make connections and grow their networks. You can network to grow your business, build your career and life, find a job and make sales. Or just keep in touch with friends." [login to LinkedIn and search Whole Foods in Companies]
Search Direct Jobs for "Human Resources" In this scenario, American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) Remember too, trade/professional associations; Gale Encyc of Associations Also - Search jobs Category – human resources Type – Full Time Location – Any Search "Jobfox makes job searches easy by connecting you with the people who are hiring at the companies where you want to work. Become part of their inner circle and hear about jobs even before they’re publicly announced. Your application will land in the hands of the right person so you’re sure to get noticed and get better results. Better than job search engines. Better than social networks. And it’s completely confidential, so your job searches stay private."
Many of these are fee-based; reppler has a free-level– it's an alert service, when someone posts something questionable about you in social networks
What's in your print collection? In your subscription e-resources? OWL focused on college students
Pongo not free, but free trial; does more than just resumes Some talk of "social media" resumes, using blog or website as resume VisualCV for the academic environment, though CVs more broadly used outside the US
Ace the Interview is oriented toward IT jobs
The BLS info is always a year out of date. Salary.com's free Salary Wizard is what's available within Monster
Idealist.org also for jobs in nonprofit sector If there's a ___ Cares organization in your area (e.g. "Pittsburgh Cares"– www.pittsburghcares.org) that's a good source
These are "multipurpose" sites, so to speak http://careeronestop.org/ is US Dept of Labor site JobHuntersBible.com is by Richard Bolles (What Color is Your Parachute?) JobStar.org is California-based, but includes postings from around the country RileyGuide.com, by librarian and author Margaret F. Dikel (nee Riley)