Step 1: Familiarize yourself with the job market and your field of interest


Career One Stop

http://www.careeronestop.org/

This site is sponsored by the US Department of Labor and has some of the same features as the Occupational Outlook Handbook. However, this site is more visually appealing and modern. The site allows you to look up occupational information like growth, salary information, and educational requirements, but unlike the USBLS it is much easier to browse careers based on education level or via a menu options. This seems more useful for those who are still checking out their career prospects or for those that are looking to change/update their career or career skills.

Assessment test: Useful for those who aren’t quite sure what they want to do
http://www.careeronestop.org/ExploreCareers/SelfAssessments/FindAssessments.aspx

Explore Careers
http://www.careeronestop.org/ExploreCareers/ExploreCareers.aspx

Career Resource Library
http://www.careerinfonet.org/crl/library.aspx
SUPER AWESOME! Provides links to thousands of articles and sites on all aspects of job hunting and career building. Some subjects covered include job search strategies, job and resume banks, and educational resources.



Job-Hunt.org

http://www.job-hunt.org/
This is an extremely comprehensive site that has a job postings page, information about all types of searching, resume and cover letter information, and much much more. This site is a must visit at any level of the job search. Two great features of this site is that it has links to free ebooks and it has location (state) specific resources.

Career Popularity by location
http://www.job-hunt.org/jobs/careers/careers-by-state.shtml

Networking and Job Search Support
http://www.job-hunt.org/job-search-networking/job-search-networking.shtml

Online Job Search Tutorial
http://www.job-hunt.org/starting.shtml



US Bureau of Labor Statistics

http://www.bls.gov/opub/
Occupational Outlook Handbook http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm

This is a resource revised every two years that provides detailed information about an array of potential careers. Information included includes growth prospects, salary information, and related careers. Each career specific page includes organizations and resources particular to that field. The guide also includes job searching methods and job prospects in each state. It should be noted that the job searching guides are relatively general and not much beyond anything that you could find on any other job website. However, the links in the “For More Information,” are much more specific and provide good information.

Example Career Guide: Librarian http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos068.htm#emply

“For More Information” in
Finding and Applying for Jobs http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco20047.htm//



University of Maryland Career Center

http://www.careercenter.umd.edu/section.cfm?section_id=1
Any university career center site can be useful for college students and in some cases the public. This site is comprehensive in scope. It includes information for all levels of a job search from decided on what to study in school, internship information, and job search strategies.

http://www.careercenter.umd.edu/CareerLinks/crwsfrm.cfm
Career-Related Web Link- Provides further resources for the job search including resources specific to Mid-Atlantic searches, government work, and information for students with degrees above a bachelors. Using links on these kinds of sites is a better strategy than a simple Google search because these have been organized by professionals.



Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com/public/page/news-career-management-jobs.html
The site includes recent news pieces on career searching in today’s economy which can help supplement information found on sites that are updated every few years. The site also provides stories about fellow job seekers that could help you. Other links include job hunting software, links to resume building, and career counseling resources.



A Recruiters Blog

http://www.asianjobportal.com/2009/10/finding-the-right-job/
A blog written by recruiters and hiring personnel. The site has all kinds of job searching tips, interviewing information, and other interesting job related articles.


Boston College Career Center “Job Search Strategies”

http://www.bc.edu/offices/careers/jobs/strategies.html

Tips for job hunting from the Career Center at Boston College.


Books!

(Just a few available at Mckeldin)

Bolles, Richard Nelson. Job-Hunting on the Internet, 4th Ed. 2005. Print.

Kleinman, Carol. Winning the Job Game: The New Rules for Finding and Keeping the Job You Want. 2002. Print.