The Riley Guide: Before You Search

Explore Career Options

Career & Occupational Guides || What to Do with a Major In...
Choosing a Career Path || Changing Careers
Planning & Managing Your Career

We also have information on Self-Assessment. Many of the Job Search Guides: Great Advice & Advisors offer advice on careers, career planning, and career management.

Career & Occupational Guides

Great Info from the Feds

Career Voyages

...wonderful career exploration tool from the DOL and Department of Education. Different sections guide young people, career changers, parents, and even career advisors to resources and information designed to help with choosing and preparing for a career, moving from one career to another, guiding your child to a great career, or even assisting your clients in their search. Many of the sites resources you already know, but this makes one great and easy to us package for exploration and discovery. In early 2005, a Career Compass was added, incorporating Holland's RIASEC codes into the product while also making it even easier for users.

America's Career InfoNet

...part of the America's Job Bank network, this is a tremendous source of information on hundreds of occupations and can help you identify transferable skills used by many occupations, what industries employ persons in these occupations, and what compensation you can expect. Head right to the Wages and Trends section for the fastest access to the occupational info. Select a menu item or use the Keyword search to target potential occupations. These reports will link you to all the relevant information for these occupations, including tasks, skills, industry trends, and job listings through America's Job Bank. The Career Resource Library is searchable by keyword from the home page, and the Frequently Asked Questions are now searchable. Try their Employability Checkup tool. "The employability check-up is designed to provide you with a snapshot of your ability to find a similar job at a similar wage if you became unemployed today."

CareerOneStop

...a new gateway to all of the job and career tools provided by the U.S. Department of Labor. CareerOneStop serves to unite America's Career InfoNet, America's Job Bank, and America's Service Locator into a single source, making it easy for you to move from one to the other as your information and service needs change. An excellent investment of our tax dollars.

Occupational Outlook Handbook

...the latest edition of this biannual handbook from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is now online. It lists a wealth of career information for a wide range of occupations, including a brief review of important features and "what workers do on the job, working conditions, the training and education needed, earnings, and expected job prospects." Users can access this information (offered in HTML and .pdf formats) by conducting a keyword search for a specific occupation, by browsing an "occupational cluster," or by browsing a listing of all occupations in alphabetical order.

Career Guide to Industries

...also from the BLS, "The Career Guide to Industries provides information on available careers by industry, including the nature of the industry, working conditions, employment, occupations in the industry, training and advancement, earnings and benefits, employment outlook, and lists of organizations that can provide additional information." Nice way to find out who's needed by various industries and see if you fit the bill.

Occupational Outlook Quarterly

....published quarterly by the BLS, this magazine features articles with practical information on jobs and careers. Topics cover a wide variety of career and work-related topics such as new and emerging occupations, training opportunities, salary trends, and results of new studies from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The main articles are in PDF format and require the free reader to view them. However, you can review a "nutshell" description or a "snippet" from each OOQ article before you download the full text of the article. The Grab Bag section includes short news alerts, and You're a What? looks at unusual occupational fields (fun for younger persons to read.) These sections are in HTML and PDF.

O'NET Resource Center

O*NET OnLine was created for the general public-to provide broad access to the O*NET database of occupational information. This database includes information on skills, abilities, knowledges, work activities, and interests associated with occupations. O*NET includes Information for over 950 occupations and each occupational title and code is based on the most current version (1999) of the Standard Occupational Classification system. This version of the SOC compacted the declining blue-collar occupations that made up the bulk of our industry in the early part of the 20th Century while expanding the ever-growing computing and IT occupations we see today. You'll like searching this by keyword or code and enjoy the ability to see what occupations are similar to yours and which ones use the skills you already have.

Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT), 4th edition, 1991

The DOT was created by the Employment and Training Administration to establish a uniform occupational language for use by the local offices of the U.S. Employment Service. Please note that it is being replaced by the O*NET, but many agencies still reference its occupational codes, like the U.S. Military Services. I recommend you use this directory only if you have actual DOT numbers you need to look up. Otherwise, please use O'NET for career exploration as it is a better reflection of today's employment market.

Other Great Sources

Career and Educational Guidance Library: Career Exploration Links

Put together by the Career & Educational Guidance Library, part of the Counseling & Psychological Services housed within University Health Services at the University of California at Berkeley, this links you to resources for a variety of occupational and educational preparation programs. No jobs, but a nice way to find out how people really work.

TheCareerProject.org

...a database of thousands of career profiles in hundreds of professions. "Every mentor fills out a profile that includes a questionnaire, a summary of an average day on the job, and a place where a user can ask any additional questions they feel we missed. To view profiles, conduct searches and use our resources we are 100% free. We only require a registration fee if a user wants to ask a mentor a question to help protect our mentor's privacy." Folks, this is a marvelous, REAL look at careers and jobs. Each mentor fills out the same questionnaire with information on his or her current job, how they got there, what they do, and do they like it. You get to see their job title, age, and gender (lots of women in nontraditional jobs!). And it includes snapshots of jobs you will not find in other locations, like actual military personnel (enlisted and commissioned) and court clerk. The average salary data at the top of the page is not quite as relevant as I'd like, but it is enlightening. Very well done and very interesting. Remember, it's all free unless you want to ask a mentor a specific question. Not everyone has filled out the "A day in the life.." area, which is disappointing, but these are great profiles.

Career Prospects in Virginia

...a database of information about careers that are important to Virginia (and almost every other state!) If you are interested in career information specific to Virginia, this site is a gold mine. For others, it is still a good resource. Each career field has 2 pieces of information presented:

• A written analysis that includes things like required educational levels, skills, earnings, and job outlook
• A set of statistical tables covering wages and job outlook at the Virginia regional as well as National level.

While most of the data regarding salaries and job demand is specific to Virginia, descriptions of each career area are general enough to be relevant to all and very well done. Search for information on various careers by keyword or browse them by job family. Under "About This Guide" you'll find a list of all certification and licensing agencies for the state arranged by profession or type of establishment (animal hospital, funeral home, etc.) complete with the current number of licenses held, the regulating agency, and the phone number to call for more info. The "Related Links" will take you to more sources for wage, occupational, and education or training info at the regional, state, and national level.

California CareerZone

"...a new way to explore exciting jobs and occupations that the Golden State has to offer and to learn about what career path interests you." This is a spin-off of the New York CareerZone, a proven, successful career exploration and planning system designed especially for students, but this one is targeted to the residents of California. It is an interesting site, and the ability to opt for text, graphic, and Flash versions makes it easily accessible by users on any kind of online connection. Areas include Assess Yourself, Industry Sectors, Reality Check (how much money will it take for you to live after high school -- wonderful!), Resources, and Search Occupations. My only complaints: the salary data was not showing for each occupation, something of real value which should be easily accessed from other areas of the state's online government resources, and the link to the jobs database was not working at the time of review. Otherwise this is another example of excellence in government services.

CareerVideos.com from JobsTVNews

...a collection of approximately 600 short videos on various careers, primarily targeted to postsecondary students. These were produced in Canada, so some of the references and job titles are more specific to that country, but it is a wonderful collection with great information. I love all the maritime career coverage.

Learn More Resource Center, was Indiana Career and Postsecondary Advancement Center (ICPAC)

..."Indiana's Pre-K to College Connection, helps Hoosiers of all ages realize a better future." Provides timely, useful education, financial aid, and career information for residents of Indiana as well as non-residents. Tracks for students (elementary through college) , parents, counselors, and adults seeking career and education information will help you target the information and resources you need.

JobProfiles.org

"A career exploration and inspiration web site where experienced workers share their motivations, basic skills and advice with those just entering the career field." These profiles are completed persons who are successful in their jobs, and they cover an interesting assortment of jobs including head groundskeeper for a baseball park, private school headmaster/mistress, hand-made wooden boat builder, debugging specialists (surveillance countermeasures), and much more. They also have a nice article on how to discover and then manage your career (under About).

JobStar: Career Information

Originally developed for California job changers, this site includes articles on career information, links to resources, and lists of books to check for in your local public library. Definitely something we can all use.

One Day, One Job

...a wonderful daily blog for entry-level job seekers. Each day, blogger Willy Franz posts a nice article about a particular employer. "We tell our readers a little about what the company does, how easily the Careers site is to navigate, what opportunities are appropriate for recent grads, and how the application process works." You can review his list of past reviews or check his articles on improving your job search. Really nice!

ocouha: Occupational Outlook Handbook plus

...it is the OOH, but with added information. The developer of this site, Frank Fogelfrei, is a retired career guidance counselor who worked with high school students helping them to decide on a career path the pursue. To this end, he has taken the great occupational information found in the OOH and enhanced it with additional statistical resources, such as the Census Bureau, as well as detailed information from the the Employment Matrix, the Occupational Employment Statistics Program, and the Current Population Survey, all from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This BLS data is present in the original OOH articles, but it is summarized while here you can read the full data. Poke around the site, because you can survey the information from a number of access points, including alphabetical indexes of job names, employment rankings, and more.

The Princeton Review Online: Colleges and Careers

One offering here is an extensive searchable database of career information under Seek and Ye Shall Find. It is better to search on occupation titles like chemist instead of keywords like chemistry Free registration is required for much of the services here.

UniXL

This is an education and career portal targeted to students and the general public. Each subject will introduce you to many possible career fields, and each career field will introduce you to the possibilities within.

FabJob

"Got a Drab Job? Get a Fab Job?" At first glance it appears to be a bit over the top, but the folks who operate this site do have some good advice for job seekers and career searchers. Their many guides to various careers cover the creative to the interesting to the absolutely necessary and seem to have good advice and information offered by experts in each field for a pretty good price (less than $13 at the time of review). Their free Fabulous Career Advice area offers very good advice for career changes, job seekers, and dreamers.

Top of Page | Site Navigation Links

What to Do with a Major In...

Major Resource Kit

These "kits" cover information for 49 undergraduate programs as a tool for implementing a job search. Each "Major Resource Kit" includes information such as entry-level job titles that previous University of Delaware graduates in that program have attained, brief job descriptions, major employers for that field, and listings of materials for conducting a job search.

What to Do With a Major In...

Select a career area from the list, and you will be presented with a nice list of professional and trade associations and links to occupational descriptions for this field. They also list similar sites from other colleges and universities, and job and career information online. A nice resource put together by the Academic and Career Information Center at Kansas State University.

What Can I Do With a Major In...?

This set of guides to career options comes from the Career Exploration Center at the University of Texas, Austin, and offers you direct (you are ready to go with your degree in hand), less direct (skills are close but the degree might not be all you need), and indirect (primary skills overlap, but other areas are weaker) options. All the guides are in PDF format, so you'll need your Adobe reader to view them.

Top of Page | Site Navigation Links

Choosing a Career Path

Career Development eManual, University of Waterloo Career Services

Developed and maintained by Career Services at the University of Waterloo (Ontario), this online guide starts at the bottom with self-assessment to take you through the career choice process.

Career Planning Process

Developed by Pam Allen and Ellen Nagy at Bowling Green State University, this guides you through various steps to evaluating yourself and your career options.

CollegeBoard.com Career Browser

....how do you select a career? What if you already know what you want to do, but need to find out how to accomplish this dream? This site can help. They have descriptions of hundreds of occupations (including training and education requirements and salary expectations) and a wonderful career questionnaire which can help you in narrowing your choices to something you would enjoy. From The College Board Online

Exploring Occupations: Getting You Started on Your Career Path!

Resources for exploring some of the more popular career areas. From the University of Manitoba.

Minnesota Careers

..."What do I want to do with my life? What do the numbers say? Where do I go from here?" This guide from the MN Department of Employment Security is here to help you answer these questions and plan your career path. Using the labor market information (LMI) they have collected, they can help you find some of the faster growing careers available today as you discover your own interests and develop the skills you need to be competitive. While they start by talking to young persons just out of high school, older and more experienced people will also find this guide to be extremely helpful. Not just for Minnesotans.

MyFuture, Australia's Career Information Guide

...a career planning and exploration tool developed by the Department of Education, Science & Training (Australia) along with several educational partners. You can created your own career plan and get help in determining your career direction through a series of articles and activities that guide you through career exploration and planning processes. Registering and setting up your own guide is the best way to use this site.

nextSteps.org

...a service of the Calgary Youth Employment Center, part of the HRDC - DRHC (Canada), this is a great guide to career planning, exploration, and decision-making for young persons age 15 to 24. They have some nice interactive tools you can use as you work through the various steps and exercises tied to great resources.

Top of Page | Site Navigation Links

Changing Careers

Finding the Work You Love by Keri Coffman-Thiede [PDF]

This is a great article on how to go about figuring out what you want to do with your life and how to translate that into your dream job. Ms. Coffman-Thiede of Amaze Yourself Coaching is a career coach based in Wisconsin. You will need the free Adobe reader to view this article.

Career Voyages: Career Changers

...this subsection of Career Voyages walks you through the process of switching careers, from assessing your needs to getting additional training to finding a new job. They also have information and resources to help you survive layoffs along with several additional tools designed to help you with your move to a new career.

GuidetoYourCareer.com

...a nice online resource offering information and guidance for career changers. Yes, the author makes a lot of references to his book (which he hopes you will buy), but what he offers on this site is a good, simple, and fast guide to get you thinking about a possible change and how to determine which way to go.

Top of Page | Site Navigation Links

Planning & Managing Your Career

What's the difference between choosing a career path and planning & managing your career? Choosing a career path is usually for younger persons or persons who are really considering a major shift away from what they have done in the past, maybe going from System Administration to Nursing. Planning & Managing your career means making choices along the way, deciding if it is better to step sideways from one industry to another while still doing the same work, decided if you want to move up and then learning how to accomplish this. It may involve choosing a career path, but it's also choosing the path you personally want to follow as you evolve in your own path.

USNews.com: Careers

...this has always been a good resource for career information and employment news, it is even better since Marty Nemko has been named Contributing Editor. (We have more info on Marty under Job Search Gurus.) Marty has a real no-nonsense approach to career management and planning. You might be surprised (or even offended) at what he has to say about some job fields (like the possibly declining need for librarians due to search engines), but if you think about it he could be right (but not about that. Of course, he also said librarian job growth will be in nontraditional settings, and I've been nontraditional for about 10 years now...) Anyway, the articles here are good and they will enlighten you to a lot of things. Check out Marty's extensive Blog too.

Career-Intelligence.com

"The smart woman's online career resource. Our mission is to help you achieve career satisfaction by providing the information, support and tools you need to succeed in today's competitive economy." This web site doesn't just focus on searching for jobs, it looks at your entire career and the choices you may make along the way, from job changes to entrepreneurship to your personal life. The organization is run by women whose talents combine to make this a very powerful source of information and guidance, from stress management to career planning to image consulting to resume writing pros. While this site is very focused on women, I encourage men to look here for good advice on a number of topics. The site is divided into channels covering the main topic areas: Assessment, Transition, Management, Small Business Services, and Tools. The free membership is not required to access most areas and articles but will be needed in order to get to the article archives and access some of the other tools. This site offers you the ability to take a variety of interest inventories and assessment tools, some of which are free and some which charge a fee. The fee-based tools are the same ones you would see in a career counseling or outplacement office and are highly valued for the insight and information they provide. Some of these send you personalized reports you easily interpret yourself but others require the assistance of a certified consultant to interpret. If this is the case, you will be sent the information to arrange a session with career-intelligence.com's certified consultants. If the tool or inventory you selected does not required a counseling session but you have questions, you can contact this person for more assistance. One-on-one counseling sessions are also available for a fee. Career-Intelligence.com also partners with Net-Temps to provide fast access to their job database.

what

job title, keywords

where

city, state, zip

jobs by

Jobs, Career Resources, & Articles from The Wall Street Journal

• Find a Job
• Post a Job
• Virtual Career Fair

RealEstateJournal -- advice on buying or renting a new home, apartment, or office.