Choosing a Career / Finding a Job

[MsTutor]

Whether you are in the hunt of your first job as a student in college or your ultimate career you are looking with enthusiasm into jobs that would suit you. If you are currently unemployed or your job is terminating, you may be looking for a job that pays money. In either case, some of these sites will work for you. I have partially divided them into two sections: Choosing a career and Finding a job.

CHOOSING A CAREER

When choosing a career, you should become very familiar with yourself. You need to know your skills (both manual and intellectual), your weaknesses, your interests and your personality. You also need to know the jobs which are likely to either remain available or become available in your career cluster during the next few years if not longer. Some schools now have students in their second year of high school do quite a bit of career study to then be able to pick out classes in high school which best fit their proposed career. If you are one of the lucky ones who have done this, you are well on your way. If not, you need to start now (if you are in the second year of high school or older).

The following web sites will help you explore your own skills & interests as well as those attributes of jobs you might want to pursue.


First an interest inventory--for self use. It is copyrighted, so you can't use it for other people without permission.

http://www.iccweb.com/careerfocus/index.asp

Next an aptitude test:

http://www.careerexplorer.net/aptitude.asp


Now some career sites

http://online.onetcenter.org/

http://www.careeronestop.org/CareerTools/CareerTools.asp

http://www.maa.org/students/career.html (careers in math)

http://www.careeroverview.com/

http://jobstar.org/tools/career/spec-car.php

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ Occupational Outlook Handbook

http://www.collegeboard.com/html/careerbrowser.html --cross linked to colleges

http://www.armedforcescareers.com/ Don't forget the military (which may also pay for college training for you)


FINDING A JOB
Now for some other resources when you are looking for a JOB which may or may not even be one you like---but it pays money.

Step 1 should be try to find one you like if at all possible.
Step 2 should be try to find one which can build into a career if possible.

That being said, here are some great sites which will help you improve your resume building skills and go for an interview with confidence as well as sites which will help you actually find a job.

http://www.quintcareers.com/jobhunt.html (designed for the UK and US)

http://www.quintcareers.com/dress_for_success.html (a specific sub part of the previous page)

http://www.monster.com/

http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Education_Training/Finding_Jobs.shtml A government guide on finding a job (etc)

http://www.nhlink.net/employme/workhow1.htm

http://www.aarp.org/money/careers/findingajob/

http://www.job-hunt.org/

If it's appropriate --ie., you have lost your job already--register with the Dept of Employment Security in your area so you may find out about openings and check your local paper.

If you have a medical or learning disability, and have not yet done so, contact your department of rehabilitation (vocational rehabilitation) for assistance in finding employment.

These agencies are run by the state but have offices in most major towns. Check your local phone book for listings for both Employment Security and Vocational Rehabilitation offices in your area.


And, don't forget to check out the links from the career searching part of this post since some of them have job hunting techniques.
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I hope this is of help to you.

MsTutor