Resources
Listed below are a number of free resources for career development professionals. The sites are separated into ten categories for ease of navigation. If there are additional sites or categories that you feel should be added this list, please contact James Westhoff who coordinates this page.
- Self-Assessments
- Occupational and Industry Information
- Employment Trends
- Job Search Resources
- Resume Development
- Salary Information
- Professional Development
- Job Banks
- Education Information
- Employer Research
Self-Assessment:
Self Assessment from the Career Development Manual, University of Waterloo Career Services
There are six assessments from this award winning manual covering personality, attitude, skills, learning styles, values, interests and entrepreneurism. (http://www.cdm.uwaterloo.ca/step1.asp)
Career Assessment Exercises , Life Work Transitions
This website is a companion to the book Life Work Transitions.com. Chapter 2 is dedicated to skills assessment, and the site includes several different skill surveys for you to complete and review. ( http://www.lifeworktransitions.com )
OSCAR: The Occupation and Skill Computer-Assisted Researcher
OSCAR is a product of the Texas Workforce Commission/Career Development Resources (TWC/CDR) and was originally developed under a grant from the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Marvelous free tool that is useful to all. This is a completely free site with great assessment tools. ( http://www.ioscar.org/tx/oscar.asp )
This website is for students interested in developing an academic or career plan. The site has many resources to research everything for schools, careers, industries, and assessments. Much of the site is free to the user, but be aware that some of the assessments have costs attached to them.(http://www.myplan.com)
Explore new career options based on the skills you have used in your past or current jobs. This is part of America’s One Stop System. (http:/www.myskillsmyfuture.org)
Occupational and Industry Information :
Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH)
OOH has detailed descriptions of over 700 occupations commonly found in the country. I have found these descriptions of specific occupations to be very accurate and helpful. The real “plus” is that you can compare occupations easily because each description is laid out the same . /www.bls.gov/oco
Great site for researching occupations using videos. Has over 450 career videos; fastest growing jobs; wages, and piles of other occupational information to help you decide if you’ve found the right job for you! www.acinet.org/acinet/default.asp
O*Net On-Line: Occupational Information Network
Great site for learning about specific skills/tasks involved with an occupation. This is the governments main site for information regarding jobs/ occupations. This has info on skills, aptitudes, descriptions of tasks, related occupations, and MUCH MUCH more! http://online.onetcenter.org
Occupational Outlook Quarterly (website)
This quarterly publication (comes out 4 times / year) has great articles which focus on specific occupations as well as a wealth of other information. You can search for past issues and find “tons” of great information & resources to help you. www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/ooqhome.htm
U.S. Dept. of Labor Career Guide to Industries
Some people know what Industry they want to work in, but not what occupation. This is the place to go. [Manufacturing; Transportation; Retail; Finance and Insurance; Services; etc..]
www.bls.gov/oco/cg
This website educates people to the many career opportunities in health care. The website includes information on all parts of the industry (i.e., business, technical, provipders). (http://www.mainehealthcareers.com)
Employment Trends :
Maine’s Dept of Labor website has a wealth of information regarding fastest growing jobs in Maine, highest percent increase in jobs, etc… a GREAT site to learn about jobs specifically in Maine . www.maine.gov/labor/lmis/
U.S. Dept of Labor, Occupational Employment Statistics
This website gives you wage estimates and other statistics about labor market information. www.bls.gov/oes/home.htm
Job Search Resources :
This is the government’s new single-point entrance to all of the online job search and employment/career services supported by the Department of Labor. From this single site, you can easily access America ‘s Career Infonet, and America ‘s Service Locator, and the training and education information provided by the former America ‘s Learning Exchange. www.careeronestop.org
This site was prepared by the Minnesota Department of Economic Security, this is a great guide to the entire job search process, starting with the initial transition and what you need to do to get focused on your search all the way through the research, interview, and final acceptance process. www.deed.state.mn.us/cjs/
This website has all kinds of articles on job search and career advice, including articles on working with recruiters, considering additional training and education, and working abroad. Please note that the originators of this site are based in Scotland , so their language, customs, and focus may differ from what folks in the US have come to expect. On the other hand, if you are considering trying for a job overseas, this site could give you some good insight. Many of the articles are written by career and recruitment professionals and have very good information for all. They also have links to additional resources and discussion forums. ( www.jobseekersadvice.com )
Florida State Univ. Career Services Website
The Florida State University Career Services Website has very helpful information for counselors on many different career topics.
Job search advice with excellent articles on all areas of the job search. Also includes job postings and it classifies itself has the best resource to find $100K plus jobs.
Great website for information about careers in the financial sector. Includes job search advice, research on companies, and information about different parts of the field.
Resume and Cover Letter Development :
Riley Guide Resumes and Cover Letters
The Riley Guide provides several links for both resumes and cover letters. This is a great resource for just getting started and for those who are trying to enhance their applications. ( http://www.rileyguide.com/letters.html )
Career advice website with many samples of resumes, cover letters, and interview questions by field.
Salary Information :
This website is much more than just salaries, as this site is dedicate to total compensation. The Salary Wizard is fast and easy to use, allowing you to search for base, median, and top-level earnings in hundreds of jobs for many occupational areas, and they have much of the data spun to your local jurisdiction. Beyond the Salary Wizard you’ll find helpful articles and exercises to help you figure out things like benefits, stock options, bonuses (and how to get them) and even negotiations. (www.salary.com)
Occupational Employment Statistics , BLS
"The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program produces employment and wage estimates for over 700 occupations." Select a job family from the right side and look for the closest matching job title to get data for that profession. ( http://stats.bls.gov/oes )
JobStar Salary Surveys
JobStar has put together what many consider to be the finest collection of salary surveys online. Combined with lists of books to request from local libraries and articles from experts such as Jack Chapman, this site guides users through salary research. ( http://jobstar.org/tools/salary/index.php )
Professional Development :
Career Development Facilitator Course
Career Development Facilitator (CDF) Course A course which offers in depth training in 12 career competency areas developed by the National Career Development Association. After completion of the course participants can apply for and receive national certification as a CDF .
National Career Development Association www.ncda.org
Maine Counseling Association (MCA) www.maineca.org
Maine School Counselor Association www.meschoolcounselor.org
Mid- Atlantic Career Counseling Association www.macca.net
Maine Global Career Development Facilitator www.MaineGCDF.com
Job Banks :
CareerBuilder
CareerBuilder has evolved into one of the larger and more dynamic sites for job and career information. Registration is free of charge and allows a job seeker to store a resume online without posting it in the database. Registered users can create up to five personal search profiles to track new jobs added to the database, and an e-mail message can be generated to a user when a match is discovered. ( www.careerbuilder.com )
IMDiversity
IMDiversity is a one-stop career and self-development site devoted to serving the cultural and career-related needs of all minorities. Sponsored by The Black Collegian, this is an excellent resource for all minority and diversity candidates. The many "villages" include resources and information specific for each group, and those without a separate village can find information in the global village. ( http://www.imdiversity.com/ )
Opportunity Knocks
OpportunityKnocks.org is a leading national online job site focused solely on the nonprofit community. The services offered by OpportunityKnocks.org are fast, easy and cost-effective for both employers and job seekers. Job seekers can search the database for free or get more services for a fee. ( http://www.opportunityknocks.org/ )
Education Information :
CollegeNET
CollegeNET allows users to browse information on colleges by various criteria, including geography, tuition, and enrollment. More than 500 college applications are available to be completed and submitted online. The site also includes financial aid and scholarship information. ( http://www.collegenet.com/elect/app/app )
Peterson’s
Peterson’s, the well-known publisher of guides to colleges, provides this resource for information on undergraduate and graduate programs, summer work, and professional training and distance education programs. Some areas and resources are free to all users, whereas others can be accessed only through a paid subscription. ( www.petersons.com )
Training & Education Center from CareerOneStop
Users of this resource can find information on degree programs, specialty training opportunities, financial aid, certification and accreditation, and licensing for the various states. You can also learn how career information can help with education and training plans. There are links to additional training and education information and articles on how to ensure the quality of the training before signing up for a program. ( http://www.careeronestop.org/TRAINING/TrainingEduHome.asp )
On this website you can research all of the nursing specialities and the institutions with nursing degrees. (http://www.nursing-school-degrees.com)
Employer Research :
Hoover’s Online
Hoover ‘s is a well-known and respected publisher of business almanacs. Users can access a tremendous amount of free information from the website, but paid subscribers will have access to even more detailed profiles. Hoover ‘s OnLine covers U.S. and non-U.S. companies as well as Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). ( http://www.hoovers.com/free/ )
How to Research Companies by Karmen N. T. Crowther
This article covers the employer-research process in 5 parts, outlining what you want to learn and giving suggested resources for finding what you need to know. ( http://www.jobweb.com/pyramid.aspx?id=1017&terms=crowther )