Buffalo & Erie County Public Library: Computer Training Programs

ONLINE TUTORIALS

Career Planning and Job Hunting

JOB HUNTING STRATEGIES

How should online job-hunting fit into your job-hunting strategy?

Online job-hunting is one tool in the the job-hunters arsenal
A useful tool, not all inclusive.
It's necessary to use traditional methods:
Networking among colleagues and friends
College placement office
New York State Labor Department
Employment agencies
Classified advertisement
Online job-hunting should mirror traditional methods in the networked, electronic world.
In the electronic world, it is also important to access the hidden job market by making contacts and talking to people.
Don't limit yourself to the world wide web, include mailing lists, newsgroups and electronic journals.
Online job-hunting is a skill that takes time to learn.
It is not a quick answer to the job search. It takes time before you can expect to get value from the online search. It is easy to go off on tangents and waste time unless you discipline yourself to remain focused.
"Limit your time online to 1/4 of the total time you can dedicate to your job search, unless you are a techie who is working in any area related to computer networks and programming. In that case, move it up to 1/2 of your time."
To manage your time online, use large databases before looking at smaller resources including industry or trade sites.
use a search engine that indexes and keyword searching of job listings to locate new and hidden resources specific to your occupation and field.
Shut off the computer and spend some time with family, friend and yourself. Play with your dog or scratch the cat!

Material adapted from: Margaret F. Riley (Dikel), author of the Riley Guide to Employment Opportunities and Job Resources on the Internet http://www.rileyguide.com/

Make critical judgments about Internet sources
Before you begin, note this word of warning from Richard Bolles, the author of What Color is Your Parachute on some of the job hunting and resume advice found on the Internet.

"I must admit I am stupefied at some of the superficial (and dead wrong) advice that I sometimes read online about job hunting and resumes – mostly from "experts" who seem to be a little out of touch with the job-hunt reality."

What are the advantages of online job-hunting?

You can network and communicate with people anywhere in the world
Information is timely and frequently updated
As the Internet grows, more job listings will be available
Information is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Free access through the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library
If you are relocating it offers wide geographic reach
Demonstrates current skills

What are the disadvantages of online job-hunting?

At this time in the Western New York area, the majority of job listings on the Internet are for technical or marketing jobs.
Information on the Internet can be volatile and sites change quickly.
Some sites can be stagnant and list jobs that have been filled.
So much material means it can take a long time to find what you want.
You cannot expect privacy or security for resumes submitted on the web. Anyone can see your resume when it is posted.
It is unlikely that employers will go to posted resumes.
Each site works differently so you must explore and learn to use each site.

What you need to know about the Hidden Job Market

The typical employer fills a vacancy:

from within with a full-time, part-time, contract or temporary employee
with a job-hunter who can demonstrate his or her work or one recommended by a trusted friend or colleague
for a higher level job from people recommended by a search firm
for a lower level job from candidates screened by an employment agency or an internal human resources office
from resumes
from answers to a newspaper ad

Because of this pattern, 80% of all jobs are never advertised, on the Internet or elsewhere.

Yet, the typical job-hunter begins with:

newspaper ads
sending out resumes
contacting an employment agency or human resource office
contacting a search firm
making contacts with friends and colleagues in the field
becoming know through a lower level job or a part-time, contract or temporary employee

Make online job hunting only one part of your job hunt.
Contact people in your field, colleagues, and friends as part of your strategy.
Pursue part-time, temporary, and contract work to demonstrate your skills and value to an employer.

Material from, Richard Nelson Bolles, The 1998 What Color is Your Parachute, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA, 1998, HF5383 .B56 1997 available at the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library

With this information in mind, lets explore what the Internet has to offer for career planning and job-hunting.

STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL CAREER PLANNING & JOB HUNTING

While the library staff does not provide job and career counseling. We are here to help locate information and show people how to use our resources and are happy to provide referrals and information.

The World Wide Web does a good job in the area of career counseling with tests, articles, manuals, and answers to frequently asked questions. Counselors recommend you follow these steps:

Self assessment
Identify your skills, evaluate your life and work experiences
Occupational research
Gather information, research and explore the "world of work" in both print and non-print resources
Decision making
Set a direction or career objectives and goals by looking for a fit between your self assessment and research into the world of work
Job searching

Self Assessment Tools on the Internet

Job Hunters Bible.com http://www.jobhuntersbible.com/counseling/ctests.shtml
Richard Bolle, author of What Color Is Your Parachute gives links to free and pay-to-take tests.

Career Focus 2000 Interest Inventory http://www.iccweb.com/
Career inventory created by the Internet Career Connection.

Note: For those wishing more extensive career aptitude tests see the HF5381.5 call numbers in the Business-Science-Technology department of the library.

Occupational Research

Career Guide to Industries http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/home.htm
Gives information on various industries, the kinds of people they hire, the average salary ranges, and whether the industry will thrive over the next several years.

Career Resource Center http://www.careers.org
Career material, links to career services, regional pages, reference material as well as job hunting links.

Occupational Outlook Handbook http://www.bls.gov/oco
Descriptions, training requirements and job outlook for occupations from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

O-Net http://www.doleta.gov/programs/onet/,
A career information center under construction from the U.S. Department of Labor.

WESTERN NEW YORK JOB LISTING SITES

If your search is limited to Western New York, try these local sites.

Buffalo News http://www.buffnews.com/
Classified job listings from the newspaper.

Erie County, NY Civil Service Exam Opportunities http://www.erie.gov/employment/
Current listings and descriptions for promotional and open exams for civil service jobs in Erie County

City of Buffalo Job Listings http://www.city-buffalo.com/document_118_25.html

New York State Department of Labor http://www.labor.state.ny.us/
Employment opportunities and training programs in NY State

Western New York Jobs http://www.wnyjobs.com
Employment listings & links for greater Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls & Jamestown NY employers.

Western New York Web http://wnyweb.com/cgi/category.cgi?BUSINESS
Maintained by volunteers. Provides links to goods, services, and businesses in Western New York.

Youth Careers http://www.labor.state.ny.us/labor_market/LMI_youth/LMI_youth.html
School to Work Information from NY State Labor Department

College Placement Centers in Western New York

If you are a graduate of a local college or university, look at their career center sites. They offer services to students, alumni and employers.

Bryant & Stratton http://www.bryantstratton.edu
Buffalo State College http://www.buffalostate.edu
Canisius College http://www.canisius.edu/careercenter/
Daemen College http://www.daemen.edu
D'Youville College http://www.dyc.edu
Erie Community College http://nstaff.sunyerie.edu/home/crcn/index.htm
Genesee Community College http://www.sunygenesee.cc.ny.us
Houghton College http://www.houghton.edu
Medaille College http://www.medaille.edu
Niagara County Community College http://www.sunyniagara.cc.ny.us/eocenter/index.html
Niagara University http://www.niagara.edu/career/
SUNY Empire State http://www.esc.edu
SUNY Fredonia http://www.fredonia.edu
Trocaire http://www.trocaire.edu/career_center.htm
University at Buffalo http://www.ub-careers.buffalo.edu/
Villa Maria College http://www.villa.edu

Look at the service of the association of local college placement offices. Niagara Frontier College Placement Assoc. http://www.nfcpa.org/

GATEWAYS: Excellent places to begin

The gateway sites are a good place to begin. They organize and evaluate online career and employment material.

Gateway Riley Guide to Employment Opportunities and Job Resources on the Internet http://www.rileyguide.com

One of the oldest and most respected guides to employment on the Internet.

What Color is Your Parachute: Job Hunting Online http://www.jobhuntersbible.com

Up-to-date information and easy navigation to the sites in the 1998 edition of this career classic.

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

A meta-list of job hunting sites with its own rating system

GENERAL JOB LISTING SITES

America's Job Bank http://www.ajb.dni.us/
Very large, nationwide job database from the U.S. Department of Labor. Listings primarily in computer/IT, clerical and engineering.
Features: labor market information

CareerJet http://www.careerjet.com/
An employment search engine for the USA. In one simple search, Careerjet gives the job seeker access to a massive selection of jobs that are compiled from various internet sources, saving the trouble of having to visit each site individually.

CareerMagazine http://www.careermag.com
Listings primarily in programming, engineering, sales. Features: careers, employer and salary information, resume posting and assistance, e-mail notification.

Careerbuilder http://www.careerbuilder.com
Lists current classified job listings from more than 50 U.S. newspapers. Listings primarily in engineering, marketing & sales, IT. Features: career, employer and salary information, resume posting.

Monster Board http://www.monster.com
Listings in engineering, advertising and marketing at entry level to CEO. Features: career and employer information, resume posting and assistance, e-notification, special industry "channels".

SPECIALIZED JOB LISTINGS

If you have experience or training in a specialized field, look for a site dedicated it. Here is a small sampling of specialized job listing sites.

FedWorld http://www.fedworld.gov/jobs/jobsearch.html
U.S. government site for federal job listings.

Medhunters http://www.medhunters.com
Listings for nurses, therapists and physicians.

National Urban League http://careercenter.nul.org/
Offers a JobBank in cooperation with Career Mosaic

SocialService.Com http://www.socialservice.com
Social service job openings submitted by agencies arranged by state.

Telecommuting Jobs http://www.tjobs.com
For job seekers who want to commute via electronic means. Listings primarily in sales, programming, writing. Features: telecommuting information and resources.

RESUMES AND COVER LETTERS

A resume summarizes your qualifications and employment history. Although there is no set format, it should contain the following information:

Name, address, and telephone number
Employment objective. State the type of work or specific job you are seeking.
Education, including school name and address, dates of attendance, curriculum and highest grade completed or degree awarded.
Experience, paid or volunteer. Include the following for each job: Job title, name and address of employer and dates of employment. Describe your job duties.
Special skills, knowledge of machinery, proficiency in foreign languages, honors received, awards, or memberships in organizations.
Note on your resume that "references are available upon request."

Cover letters
A cover letter should be sent with the resume as a way to introduce yourself to employers. It should capture the employer's attention, follow a business letter format, and should generally include the following information:

The name and address of the specific person to whom the letter is addressed
The reason for your interest in the company or position
Your main qualifications for the position (in brief)
A request for an interview
Your phone number

Look at sample resumes and cover letters, either online or in books. The library has many books on the topic. Before sending your resume out, ask someone to read it and make suggestions for improvement.
Material adapted from: Occupational Outlook Handbook, 1996-97 edition.

Online Resume Posting
Many sites offer to let you post your resume online for free. While posting your resume is possible, consider the drawbacks.

It may not be the most fruitful method of reaching employers. Remember, employers begin with people they know.
It is limited to the ASCII format which is not very attractive.
You lose confidentially with your name, address and phone number available to anyone on the Internet. Your current employer may find out you are job hunting.
Read the documentation carefully and check for costs before posting.

COMPANY & INDUSTRY RESEARCH

Research on careers, occupations, companies, cities, is available on the Internet through web sites, and electronic journals. For information on company policies, trends, products, officers names, and locations, as well as current information from news releases look at corporate sites.

WNYjobs http://www.wnyjobs.com
Link to some Western New York company web sites.

NewJour: Electronic Journals and Newsletters http://gort.ucsd.edu/newjour
Many specialized fields have electronic journals for current research

Scholarly Societies Project http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/society/overview.html
Links to professional and scholarly newsletters and web sites for specialized research

THE ART OF INTERVIEWING AND SALARY NEGOTIATIONS

Presenting yourself well in a job interview is a skill you can practice and improve. Several sites offer mock interviews or interactive games you can use to sharpen these skills.

Job Interview.net http://www.job-interview.net/Bank/JobInterviewQuestions.htm

SALARY NEGOTIATIONS

It is important to understand salary ranges offered in your future career to eliminate unreal expectations. You may also be asked salary questions during the interview process.

Jobsmart Collection of Online Salary Surveys http://www.jobsmart.org/tools/salary/index.htm

University of Texas Career Opportunities Center http://www.unt.edu/coc/SALSURVY.HTM Links to a variety of salary survey sites

ONLINE CONTACTS, NEWSGROUPS AND MAILING LISTS

Use electronic communication, e-mail, newsgroups and mailing lists to make contacts with people in your field and see the most current job postings.

Search Newsgroups USENET newsgroups are a worldwide bulletin board system on many topics. Search recent postings on the job newsgroups in a single, efficient search from these sites.

A Word of Caution: The Internet is not private. E-mail can be forwarded and many people can access your personal information. Anyone can read postings on newsgroups.

Advantages of electronic mailing lists (listservs)

May announce job openings before they appear in print publications
Good resource for networking and following industry developments
Search the database on Topica for mailings lists for your career field http://www.topica.com

REVIEW: POINTS TO REMEMBER

Begin by assessing your life and work experiences, collecting information on the choices available to you in the world of work, and setting goals that match your self assessment and research.

Do not limit your job search to the Internet. Remember the Hidden Job Market and how most employers fill jobs.

Evaluate what you find on the Internet and be an intelligent Internet user.

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