The Career Center is the property of:
Aljerin L. Butler, Jr.
508-251-2161 home
774-267-1472 cell
Career Center User’s Guide
Table of Contents
Let’s start with the spiritual first
Quick start to Internet job hunting
Let your resume do the walking
Resume help for the do-it-yourselfers
Organizing your job hunt strategy
Before you go on that interview
All-in-One Job Search Resources
So what are you suited for? - after taking the SDS test
Need some extra help kickstarting your career?
Welcome to the wonderful world of networking
Facing unemployment can be scary and a time of uncertainty for many who now find themselves in this situation. As if life hasn’t already taken a toll on you, being unemployed multiplies the burden. As you go through this phase of your life, it becomes especially important to maintain a proper perspective on things.
Even under normal circumstances achieving one’s goals and realizing one’s dreams can be frustrating and discouraging at best. But it is important that we keep striving for these things, even when life “gets in the way”. Our dreams and our aspirations – for ourselves and for others are the stuff that make our lives worth living – even as singles, parents and spouses responsible for our loved ones. So hold onto your dreams! They may be what get you through the toughest of times. Remember, you are not alone. Read Tyler Perry's journey to success.
And with that said, let me guide you to these articles before beginning our journey to re-employment:
click on Career Exploration --> Find Your True Calling
click on Career Exploration --> Any dreamers in the house?
The following steps assume that you have access to a PC with a web browser and Internet connection, plus an email account.
For a really fast start:
click on Online Job Search --> General --> ResumeBucket
Register by clicking on Sign Up Now!
Fill out the information then upload your resume or use their ResumeBuilder if you don't have one (also see Resume help for the do-it-yourselfers in this guide).
If your resume is not quite up to speed yet, you can still make a fast start with a few clicks and a minimum of typing. Job searching doesn't have to be a one-way affair. Let one of your primary search tools, your email, do some of the work for you.
click on Online Job Search --> How to get job alerts for your job search from Internet search engines like SimplyHired, Indeed, JuJu, and USAJobs
also:
click on Online Job Search --> How to Create a Job Search Agent Email
Even in these harsh economic times, some job seekers have been able to outperform the norm when it comes to the length of time spent in the unemployment lines. Mike O’Brien, CEO of Climber.com tells what his company found out when studying and talking to these super performers.
Click on Online Job Search --> Commitment to Achieve Job Search Results
If you haven't had to go job seeking for a while or job hunting is fairly new to you, I'd suggest your next stop be to pick up some tips on what's relevant today in terms of job searching:
click on Online Job Search --> Your Online Job Search Tutorial
If you have a working, up-to-date resume, our first stop would be finding several specialty online job search sites that cater to your profession.
click on Online Job Search --> Specialty
Again, why should you be alone in getting yourself re-established in the job market? Hire some experts that know your industry best to work for you. Take a stroll among the contract/career agencies to help match your work experience with your particular profession and industry.
click on Contract/Career Agencies
Even better, pick recruiters that have a presence in the locations where you want to work.
click on Online Job Search --> Oya's Directory of Recruiters
If you can't find your profession among the specialty sites, there are plenty of places to choose from in the general job search section.
click on Online Job Search --> General
also:
click on Online Job Search --> Other Job Search Sites
If you are a woman or minority, you can also get started in the diversity job search sites.
click on Online Job Search --> Diversity Job Search
The first thing to do is to register with the above sites, then set up your profile and contact and work info. Last but not least upload your resume or copy and paste it to their web site. Even if you do not have a resume at this time, some sites will allow you to build a resume.
The above process will do at least two things for your job search:
You can create one or more email agents according to key skill words. This way, job descriptions from their jobs database that fit your profile will be emailed to you on a regular basis.
Your resume is now placed on the Internet for hiring managers to see, making your job search a two-way operation.
If you find the method above too slow and tedious, there are plenty of resume distribution websites that can get the process started off like a rocket. However, the service doesn't come free for the majority of them.
click on Resumes and Cover Letters
They will automatically find a number of online job search websites that specialize in your profession, in which to place your resume, including the more well-known sites. This gives you exposure to the hiring managers and recruiters that pay to see your resume, but not the other valuable services that these web sites provide, such as resume help and job search tips and newsletters. To take advantage of their other services, you'll have to visit each website, register and repeat the process as in the quick start procedure – perhaps at a more leisurely pace.
Quintessential Careers.com has some great examples of resumes, cover letters and other jobseeker correspondence if you would rather keep the change and create/redo your own. Of course you can explore some of the other sites to see if they offer similar help.
click on Career Exploration --> Career Resources Toolkit --> Career Tools: Job-Search Samples (left side of page)
You can also try any of the Resume Builder sites to help you get started if it's been quite a while since you updated your resume or simply don't have one.
click on Resumes and Cover Letters
Suggestion – once you've built and obtained a copy of your resume have it critiqued. Many of the online job search web sites found in the Career Center provide this service for free or a small fee.
If this is your first time in a long time since you've had to search for a job, things have probably changed considerably in the way you would approach it. The tools you use are probably different, and so are your methods and strategies. The website JobHuntersBible.com may be very helpful in organizing your job search.
click on Career Exploration --> What Color is Your Parachute?
Often, when you're fortunate enough to find a position to pursue, there's an application to fill out. Most likely, one of the things you must fill in is your salary expectations. Similarly, you may be contacted via email by one of those hiring managers or recruiters that saw your resume online. They also may ask for a reply which includes your salary requirements. To find out what the “real world” salary expectations are for you click on Salary and Compensation and do a little research.
As any recruiter worth his/her salt will tell you, before going on your next interview, research the company you will be interviewing with. It will boost your chances tremendously if you walk in being knowledgeable about the company that's looking you over for a position to fill. Do your homework and click on Industry and Labor Market Research to find out about your company of interest.
If you prefer to go to just one or two places for all your online job searching needs, here are three excellent places in the Career Center that can accommodate you.
click on Online Job Search --> Quintessential Careers – Your Job Search Starts Here
click on Online Job Search --> Online Job search Guide and Career Resource center: Job-Hunt.org
click on Online Job Search --> CareerDirectory.com - All The Career Resources You Need!
There are other similar resources on the Career Exploration page
click on Career Exploration --> Career Resources Toolkit
click on Career Exploration --> Job Resources
Throughout the Career Center you will find URLs directly from Quintessential Careers.com, such as some that you are directed to above. Job-Hunt.org is another great all-in-one resoure which I think is worth exploring. I've sprinkled around several of its URLs also. When you have a chance to break away from your other job seeking duties, it would be worth your while to check out these sections of Job-hunt.org:
The Job Search Experts:
Online Job Hunting Basics:
Job Search Resources by Location:
Job Search Networking Resources:
Job Search Resources by Industry or Profession:
Other Job Sites and Career Resources:
Research:
Not exactly sure what type of career you want to pursue or are suited for? Then take the SDS (Self-Directed Search) test. It’s a short test (approx. 30 minutes) that produces a three-letter code to help guide you toward an occupation suitable to your personality and interests. The SDS may be freely available at your nearest One-stop Career Center.
To find your nearest One-Stop Career Center:
click on America's Service Locator
Fill in location info under One-Stop Career Centers on the left side of the page and click on go.
Or for a nominal fee you can go online to take the test:
click on Career Exploration --> Welcome to the Self-Directed Search...the world's most widely used career interest inventory!
click on Students & Parents - read page and view the video
click on "Take the SDS and find your future today!" near bottom of page
After taking the SDS test, you can search for all the occupations that match your personality (three-letter Summary Code) by navigating here:
click on Career Exploration --> Welcome to O*NETTM OnLine! --> Advanced Search:Browse by O*NET Data: --> Browse by O*NET Data:Interests
click Go
click on category represented by 1st letter of your Summary Code (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising or Conventional)
select the 1st, 2nd and 3rd categories representing your 3-digit Summary Code and click Go to review all matching job descriptions
Other similar tests are also available:
Click on Career Exploration -> JobHuntersBible.com - Free Online Tests dealing With Careers
Perhaps your career wasn’t taking off the way you wanted it to.
Perhaps your work wasn’t very satisfying or rewarding.
Perhaps you get the feeling you’re in the wrong business.
If you’ve been feeling out of sorts with your job and the way it’s been going then perhaps you need a little coaching to get you out of a rut. Take the test and see if this is just what the doctor ordered.
click on Coach’s Corner --> You Need a Career or Life Coach if...
click on Coach’s Corner --> Are You Ready for Career Coaching? A Coachability Quotient Quiz
click on Coach’s Corner --> The Benefits of Career Coaching
Online networking is an essential tool for success in today’s world of job hunting. LinkedIn, MySpace, FaceBook and many other Web 2.0 services have just exploded onto the Internet scene in recent years. Practically everybody and their brother are involved in social networking in one form or another.
Employers all over have stood up and taken notice of this phenomenon. Make no mistake – companies large and small have jumped on the bandwagon and are using this medium to their advantage. Human resource and recruiting professionals have discovered a gold mine in the social networks and are jumping in with both feet. Now that you have a network account or two of the social kind, you can take advantage and turbocharge your jobseeking efforts.
click on Networking --> Using social media for job searching
from there:
click on The Quintessential Guide to Job Search 2.0: Advancing Your Career Through Online Social Media
and
click on 7 Secrets to Getting Your Next Job Using Using Social media
also
click on The Art of the Networking Letter
Now that you're here, dive into the job search techniques presented on your network of choice with LinkedIn, FaceBook, Twitter and YouTube.
After all is said and done, you still need to talk to people and build relationships in order to find that next job. If you're like me, that is the hardest part of job searching to do. But have no fear, I've put in a few helpful hints to get you through this difficult time. For all you people persons out there, check out these tips to see if you're on the right trail to success:
click on Networking --> Networking tips
To get really, really serious:
click on Networking --> Networking tips --> Critical career networking tools and resources for all job seekers
What? You don't like to network? Well, you're not be alone. I myself can be counted in that number. But have no fear – there's a section here just for us. I've divided the page:
For those who like to network
...And for those who don't
We even have a book written for us. Check out the links under “Networking for People Who Hate Networking by Devora Zack”
click on Networking --> Networking tips
There may be a networking support group in your area to help you get through this phase of your life. If there is, make regular meetings part of your job search efforts. The help and the information you walk away with can be very valuable in addition to the networking connections you might make.
click on Networking --> Job Clubs, Networking, and Job Search Support by State
After you've finished with the college courses and/or put in the years of experience on the job, consider certification as another means to enhance your career and boost your salary. There is a variety of certifications available for numerous industries and professions. It is certainly worth your while to see if you are eligible in your field of work.
click on Miscellaneous --> Prometric.com – Professional Certification/Licensing
or
click on Miscellaneous --> Pearson VUE
Too often I've heard people claim to be computer illiterate in these day and times. I am always mildly surprised by this because I think the PC would be as ubiquitous as the cell phone by now, a natural part of our lives. Even with the digital divide still among us, great strides have been made to expose as many citizens as possible to this modern instrument of civilization.
Anyway, in these times of the global Internet superhighway, FaceBook, Skype and communication at the speed of light, the PC is an indispensable tool for conducting your job search. And with that, the two most prominent weapons you'll find in your arsenal are the web browser and email. So, for all you “newbies” out there and even you long-time computer users, take the time to explore the power these digital machines can bring to your everyday lives as you strive to get back into the job market.
click on For the computer newbie
If you don't have an email account, click on Free Email Sites or check with your Internet Service Provider.
Just in case you missed it at the beginning of this guide, click on Online Job Search --> Your Online Job Search Tutorial
This might help you get up to speed in using the Internet in your job search.
The Career Center is a work in progress. That means this User's Guide will also have new additions and changes as time goes on. I've only mentioned a fraction of what is offered to you the jobseeker that is at your disposal. I invite you, when you have a few minutes in your busy schedule, to “go exploring” through the Career Center and see what it has to offer as you seek employment. Happy hunting!
Copyright © 2010 by A.L. Butler, Jr.