Career Resources

The internet is an essential resource for career-related information. You can find current employment listings on general sites that cover all occupations and geographical areas or go to specialized sites for individual industries and job categories. Expert advice is offered on such topics as: career selection, resume writing, interviewing, and other job hunting skills. You can even locate forecasts for particular industries and occupations, or use a salary calculator to see what the same job would pay in different cities. Take a look at the comprehensive sites, where you can find information on almost every aspect of the job hunting process as well as links to other useful web resources. There is so much information available, in fact, that it's hard to know where to begin. The LRC has compiled this guide to Career Resources on the Internet to help you get started.

In addition to these online resources, there are some excellent career services available through BCTC Counseling Services. Some of the resources available are: Career Assessment Tools, Career Counseling Services, and Career Library Collection

Career Assessment

• Assessment.com
  Take the MAPP (Motivational Appraisal of Personal Potential) test - a free online career aptitude and assessment tool - to discover which careers are best for you. Measures interests, aptitudes, skills, etc.
• The Career Key
  Provides free tests designed to measure career aptitude. Includes advice about making career decisions.
• Discover
  While not available on the internet, students can access this computerized career assessment program using computers in the Moloney Building student computing lab and also at BCTC Counseling Services. You can do a general career assessment using several modules that let you measure your interests, abilities, experiences and values. It will also help you to identify majors, careers, schools, financial aid information and assist with employability skills.
• JobStar Central
  Choose from a variety of short career and personality tests.

Resumes & Cover Letters

These sites provide a wealth of job hunting advice to help you to develop cover letters and print and electronic resumes, and help with interview and follow-up skills.

• Career Lab
  Choose "How to Write a GREAT Letter" to take a look at some well-written sample cover letters, thank you notes, etc. Or, see "200 of the World's Best Letters" by category.
• JobStar Central
  Learn more about the different types of resumes, and see many sample resumes and tips. Provides links to other resume resources on the internet.
• Writing in the Job Search
  The links cover resume styles and content, and give abundant examples to follow on writing resumes, cover letters, and many other professional documents. A concise, well-organized guide to resume development.

Job Information

• Occupational Outlook Handbook
  Published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Occupational Outlook Handbook is a nationally recognized source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives. Revised every two years, the handbook describes what workers do on the job, working conditions, the training and education needed, earnings, and expected job prospects in a wide range of occupations. Search by keyword for a specific career, or browse the A-Z Index or "cluster" categories.
• Career Guide to Industries For dozens of different kinds of industries—such as educational services, health care, and motor vehicle and parts manufacturing --the Career Guide to Industries tells you about earnings, training and advancement, working conditions, and more.
  

Salary Information

• JobStar Central
  Find over 300 profession-specific salary surveys.
• Salary.com
  Use the Salary Wizard, which contains salary surveys and compensation reports on thousands of job titles in dozens of industries, to calculate salaries based on job title and geographic location. Features a job database and salary advice guide.
• The Salary Calculator
  If you are considering a job, use the Salary Calculator to compare salaries in different locations. This resource can help you determine comparable salaries between states and cities (also countries).
• Salary Expert
  Search by job title or by location (in 207 countries) to find compensation data, including the cost of living vs. salary comparisons.

Sites For Graduates

While they provide career information on many topics, these sites are particularly useful for those seeking first-time professional employment.

• College Grad Job Hunter
  While this site does not include links to other sites and resources, it covers almost every aspect of the job hunting process on its own. It is intended for use by the first-time job hunter and college graduate. The College Grad Job Hunter takes you through the steps to successful employment, from preparation to salary negotiation including: resume development and posting, cover letters, job search preparation, entry-level jobs offered, interviewing success, and what to do when you get a new job.
• JobWeb
  Produced by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, this site is well-organized and contains quality information. Search for companies, career fairs, relocation resources, professional associations, and internships. Employment sites are classified by field. There is also a gateway to graduate and professional school guides, plus links to websites offering assistance with application essay preparation, testing, and financial aid. Especially useful for seniors and graduates.

Comprehensive Sites

Comprehensive career sites consist of a table of contents to additional job lists and services. Sometimes they provide brief descriptions of each item. The best sites are often highlighted. Look for signals such as a smiley face or a star. The directory may identify sites which are new. Comprehensive sites let you link directly into the job lists or services that they index. Be sure to keep track of which sites or places you want to find later! As you can see from their descriptions, these sites offer one-stop assistance for all phases of job hunting.

• Job-Hunt.Org: The Job Hunter's On-Line Super-List
  Listing of thousands of on-line job hunting resources and services by category. Includes advice on starting your online job search. This site is managed by Stanford University and is one of the biggest gateways on the Internet. It offers links to general and specialized job-search engines, recruiting agencies, employer sites, resume banks, and newsgroups. Also gives access to background information on resumes and other aspects of the job-seeking process.
• Job Hunters Bible
  Offers an interactive assessment test, and tips for using the internet as a job hunting tool. Serves as an update and supplement to the current edition of the classic career seeker's book, What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard Bolles.
• The Riley Guide
  This site is authored by Margaret F. (Riley) Dikel, a Librarian and author of The Guide to Internet Job Searching. The guide is a directory of employment and career information sources and services on the internet that serves as a gateway to other sites - all of which offer free open access to position and job hunting information. The Riley guide excludes sites that advertise or sell employment services. It is primarily intended to provide instruction for job seekers on how to use the internet to their best advantage, but recruiters and other career service industry professionals will find information here to help them also. This site is different from others in that it provides a lot of helpful information on how to use the internet in a job search as opposed to just where to look for job resources. This is a very comprehensive site and should be your first stop on your job hunting trip.

Employment Listings

Search the databases at these sites for all types of job listings. Many of the sites offer helpful career information as well.

• Career One Stop
  Career One Stop is a service of the the U.S. Department of Labor that provides national, state and local career, labor market, and workforce information using online tools, videos, and maps to a range of local services, including state job banks.
• Best Jobs USA
  Jobs seekers may search for jobs, post a resume, research the economic prospects of several states, as well as do salary research, and get career advice. See also career fair information, and links to products and services.
• Career Builder
  Includes resume and cover letter tips, background information on careers, including self employment and career transitions, and job listings with U.S. corporations. Find information about listed employers, including benefits, products, financial results, and workplace culture. Includes a searchable index of employment ads from numerous major U.S. newspapers and other large job databases. It also offers an online resume posting service, employer profiles, and other career resources. You have to register for some services, but it's free.
• Hot Jobs
  Submit your resume or scan for jobs on this notable job board. Includes career tips and job profiles. Also, check out the career tools for resume & interview tips and industry news, etc.
• Job Bank USA
  Perform job searches, find job opportunities, review job descriptions, see resume samples and submit a resume and much more. The strongest feature of Job Bank USA is its service which allows you to search the job databases of other sites including: Best Jobs USA, Career Builder, Monster.com, etc.
• Monster
  One of the biggest job sites providing a database of worldwide employment opportunities for all levels in all fields. It is an excellent source of information for all job seekers, with special "toolkits" for women, military and non-military members in career transition, older workers, and those who work or who want to work in non-profit organizations. Search for jobs by city or state or open your own career management account and let a Job Search Agent notify you about job openings via email. Explore job categories, post a resume, research a featured company, or read expert advice.

For more information

Contact

BCTC Counseling Services
(859) 246-6550