Job Search Sites

Job Source Resources

The internet provides possibilities for identifying job opportunities. Online sites can be highly focused while others are geographically wide. Take care to not spend too much time surfing the web. Be careful of the time you spend looking for openings. Stay focused on job titles and location to identify a few good prospects as quickly as possible.

A good source for an ‘instant’ interview is a Job Fair, since an interview is the key element in a job search. Fairs also provide the opportunity to practice your interviewing skills and get your resume circulated.

Presented in this section are these two major topics:

Job Source Site direct links to job opportunity postings, top right

Job Fairs and their effective use in your job search, trailing right.

Armed with a prospective job posting and its specific requirements and qualifications you are set to tailor your resume.

At the right are resources that should assist you in utilizing the internet.

Job Sources by Career Category

General Job Source Sites

Apply for a Federal Job

Job Fair Participation

Back

General Job Search Sites

Use these general search sites by applying your own specific industry, career or job title.

Some sites provide tor your entry of a zip code or city to further qualify and refine the job openings they have in the database.

Remember that each lead you select must be a good fit for your skills and that if selected will likely need a custom edit of your master resume. Quality of the lead and the suitability are more important than the ‘number’ of leads you find.

Education Market

Federal Government Jobs

Follow the following steps to apply for a federal job.

1. Go to https://www.usajobs.gov.

2. If you have not created an account, create one now by selecting
“Create An Account” at the top of the page.

3. When you create an account you also have to complete your profile.

4. Once you complete your profile you will need to load a resume or create one.

5. Select from “My Account” on the tab at the top of the page “Resumes”.
Select whether to Build New Resume or Upload New Resume.

6. After you have created a profile and added a resume go to https://www.usajobs.gov again.

7. (optional) Enter in the “Keyword” field a word or phrase representing the type of job or work you are looking for (ex: clerk, engineer, manager, etc…).

8. (optional) Enter in the “Location” field the city and/or state that you would like to work.

9. If you are not a current federal employee, select “U.S. Citizens” and hit the “Search” key.

10. Scroll through the jobs listed until you find one you are interested in.

11. Double click on the job’s title.

12. Review the job description, duties, qualifications, etc….to see if you are qualified for the job. NOTE: many times education can override or replace the required experience.

13. When ready, select the “Apply Online” button

14. Enter your Username and password.

15. Follow the instructions on the screen.

16. Generally you will receive an email when your application is received and as it is processed. If no email is received, you may contact the office listed on the announcement.

TIPS

Each resume should be tailored to the job that you are applying for. Reference the job duty description and use the appropriate wording in your resume to reflect the skills being requested.

Apprenticeships

Construction Jobs

with free training from youth through adults to learn a skilled career. See individual programs, industry certifications, employer partnerships serviced, below by visiting the Colorado Construction Institute (CCI) web site at: http://ccidenver.org/

Denver Youth Build:

Ages 17 to 24 which is 6-12 month program that allows you to work part-time towards your diploma or GED while learning job skills through hands-on build projects and activities.

Construction Boot Camp:

hands-on construction training and professional development to bridge the middle-skills employment gap. Program flyers with detailed information:

Boot Camp - 1 Boot Camp - 2

Building Pathway:

Innovative pre-apprentice programs serve unemployed and underemployed individuals, in-school and out-of-school youth, and adults who need skills in order to gain employment in a new industry. Training Toolkit

Deseret Industries – Brighton College:

offers nine par-professional college level 9 month certificate programs with Deseret Industries covering 90% of online instruction that can be taken during the day, evenings and/or on weekends.

Construction Industry

Colorado Department of Labor: has expanded a website for developing construction job and apprenticeship training. It introduces 4 week programs in Construction Careers Now Program that are funded by the state. Additionally, it lists programs for apprenticeships throughout the state. It also has job listings for the construction industry.

Construction Employment Rate

Ultra-low construction unemployment a drag on state economy: Unemployment rate among Colorado construction workers is half that of the national. article in the Denver Post (6 Nov 2016) about the lack of construction employees, Colorado has the lowest construction unemployment rate - 2.4% - in the US. A quote caught my attention: If a contractor finds a general laborer with good potential, who has a strong work ethic and the ability to get along with others, they are increasingly willing to cover some or all of the costs for them to apprentice in a trade, author Gerlitz said.

https://asccareerservices.osu.edu/students/internships

Internships are typically undertaken while you are in school. In addition to possible income the most beneficial feature is exposure to a ‘real world’ work environment.

Whether you intend to enter the job market upon graduation, or plan to apply to graduate school, internships give you the experience you need to differentiate yourself from other candidates. Employers and graduate school committees are looking for graduates that have already taken the "next step" to becoming professionals in their field.

What is an internship?

An internship integrates career related experience into an undergraduate education through participation in planned, supervised work. Across the the Arts and Sciences, these opportunities can vary in many ways. Internships

· may be paid or unpaid

· may or may not earn academic credit

· an be from 5 hours a week to 40 hours a week: part-time or fulltime

· can take place during the summer or during other semesters of the year

· can last for one semester, part of one semester, or extend over several semesters

· may be off campus or can take place on campus

· may be easy to obtain or obtained only through a competitive process which could include an audition, portfolio review, or extensive interview

· are completed before graduation

· are different from a summer job

Summer Jobs

A summer job is also a short-term work experience, but the work performed may or may not be related to your career interests. It is possible for a "summer job" for one student to be an "internship" for another. For example, a student who chooses to work at a TV station may do so for enjoyment and to earn money, while another may work to gain experience with production, script writing, or audiovisual equipment in preparation for a career in broadcasting.

Regardless of whether you have a "summer job" or an "internship," the key is to get experience for your resume. Keep in mind that one experience will often lead to another: a summer job can provide you with the skills or experiences needed to secure a future internship.

http://www.kuzmich4.com/EMP/beta/Internships/Internships.pdf

Work from Home

Melissa Ezarik

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/personal-finance/10-best-and-real-work-at-home-jobs-1.aspx

Searching for jobs, particularly home-based work, used to be a matter of scanning the Sunday classifieds for offers to get rich quick by stuffing envelopes. Now, working from home is easier than before because exposure to at-home opportunities has multiplied.

A wide variety of job ads are just a click away, but so are the scams.

In 2007, when Rat Race Rebellion -- a company that helps people find home-based work -- began tracking at-home jobs, there were 30 scams for every legitimate opportunity. Now, with 4,500 to 5,000 work-at-home job ads screened weekly, the website finds 60 phonies for every one that's for real, says Christine Durst, co-founder and principal of Staffcentrix LLC, the company that owns and manages RatRaceRebellion.com.

Nevertheless, there's no shortage of workers who dream of beating the odds and earning a living from home.

Durst, whose company Staffcentrix develops home-based and virtual career training programs, says those interested in work-at-home jobs primarily are:

· Parents who say they want to spend more time with their children.

· Trailing military spouses who, according to Durst, by virtue of their spouse's career need to pick up and move every few years.

· Retirees needing supplemental income.

· People with disabilities.

It's not easy to be a good parent and simultaneously work well at home, says Durst, because most jobs require blocks of uninterrupted time to complete tasks, and children's schedules are less than predictable. For those who do choose to walk the tightrope between paid work and parenting, consider deadline-oriented work. Durst says it's generally better for those with younger children than schedule-oriented hourly work.

Steven Rothberg, president and founder of CollegeRecruiter.com, says "an increasing minority" of entry-level workers, are attracted to these jobs. He says he believes social introverts make good candidates. "They like working with people (but) they like interacting by email and by being on the phone. They dislike working in person with a lot of others," he says, because of meetings and other "time-sucking problems" at an office.

Self-motivation, discipline, job skills and independence are key traits for at-home workers, says Stephanie Foster, a former medical transcriptionist who runs the website HomeWithTheKids.com.

A growing number of employers appears to believe telecommuting is a good arrangement for them, as well. It cuts overhead costs, allows access to talented workers who may not be available locally, provides off-hours support and helps retain employees, says Sara Sutton Fell, CEO of FlexJobs.com, a website that aggregates hand-screened telecommuting/work-at-home jobs. "We've seen a real broadening of the audience of both employers and job seekers."

Consider these 10 jobs -- some rather traditional and others unexpected -- for engaging at-home work and good (if competitive) prospects.

· Virtual assistant

· Medical transcriptionist

· Translator

· Web developer/designer

· Call center representative

· Tech support specialist

· Travel agent

· Teacher

· Writer/editor

· Franchise owner

Finding a Job Fair

To effectively prepare for a Job Fair, you need to know where and when they occur and more importantly the companies or fields attending. Some job fairs may be theme focused, government service, manufacturing or information technology. Others may appear to be a disparate collection of companies. Only consider spending your time to attend if there are specific companies in your field of interest attending.

Along with a strong, one-page resume, the job fair is a good place to sharpen your interview skills and refine your Me In 30 Seconds.

Plan to prepare at least 10 hours researching the companies that interest you to fully understand their mission, products and services. You are not there to ask questions, you are there with skills and experience that they can use if they hire you. The ability to converse about a company is to your advantage. Your confidence will increase with each Job Fair experience.

Since Job Fairs are usually one-time events (but possibly on a recurring timeframe) keeping them current Is a challenge. The sites listed are typically national in coverage and are kept up to date. Utilize these sites to find upcoming events in your area that you may be able to participate in.

At the right are national job fair search engines with automatic updates that should assist you in finding job fairs.

JobNewsUSA.com

NationalCareerFairs.com

Job Fair Directory

Colorado Dept of Labor

Before the Job Fair

Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D

Adapted from: https://www.livecareer.com/quintessential/career-fair-checklist

Activities to accomplish before the event

Go to the career fair Website. Whenever possible pre-register with the career fair and obtain the list of organizations attending the event.

Decide on the organizations you are most interested in and conduct research on each. Gather basic information about the company (size, organization, locations, top management), their products, and standing in their industry. Learn how to research companies.

Develop a plan of attack for the career fair. Many experts suggest interviewing with your top companies first, then with other recruiters, and toward the end of the day returning to your top choices.

Finish polishing your resume. Review for keywords and accomplishments, check for typos and other spelling errors, and customize for each targeted organization (even if it is something as small as inserting the organization’s name into your job objective). Print out extra copies of your standard resume to bring to the career fair — just in case you need them. Go to the Resume Resources section of Quintessential Careers if you need help with your resume.

Consider a mock interview if it’s been a while since you have been interviewing. If nothing else, review common interview questions as well as prepare a few questions to ask the recruiters — ones that can’t be easily answered from available company information. Check out these job interviewing resources.

The Fair Day –

Check your attire. Whenever possible, you should wear a well-fitting suit to career fairs. For men, it means conservative shirt and tie, polished shoes, styled hair, and removal of jewelry from all visible piercings. For women, it means a conservative suit (pants or skirt), shoes and pantyhose, styled hair, and removal of jewelry from visible piercings. Oh, and if you are prone to sweaty palms, be sure to pack a handkerchief or something else (other than your suit) on which to wipe your hand. Read more about dressing for success.

Create or review your elevator speech — a 15- to 30-second commercial that succinctly tells the person you are giving it to who you are, what makes you unique, and the benefits you can provide. Learn how to create your elevator speech.

Other useful, though not necessary items, for the career fair include a portfolio of your accomplishments and samples of your work, as well as a stack of personal business cards. Portfolios usually get more attention in later interviews, but it doesn’t hurt to bring one along if you get a recruiter who is hot to hire you. Read more about career portfolios. Your personal business card, which is not the business card of your current employer, could be a networking card or a resume highlights card. Read more about personal business cards.

Get a good night’s sleep the night before. And, as my students like to add, don’t get drunk the night before either. Oh, and packing some breath mints for the long day ahead might also be helpful.

Remember to pack pen and paper for jotting down notes, contact information, and other vital details.

Job Fair Participation

Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D

Adapted from: https://www.livecareer.com/quintessential/career-fair-checklist

Activities to accomplish during the event

As soon as you enter the hall, survey the layout and confirm that it matches up with the plan you developed. Then execute your plan.

Attempt to establish rapport with each recruiter. Remember to smile, make eye contact, and offer a firm (but not death-grip) handshake. Use your elevator speech.

Gather information and materials from each organization’s booth. And if they have some goodies (pens, magnets, etc.), feel free to take one, but don’t be greedy, be sure to say Thank You.

Answer questions, showcase your knowledge of each company, but also remember to ask questions so you’ll have a better understanding of which organizations are the best fit for you.

Ask about the organization’s recruiting timetable. Solicit information about the next step in the process.

If you are considering relocating to a different state, once you’ve established rapport, ask the recruiter if you can obtain the name of the recruiter for that area. Better, ask the recruiter to forward your information to that other recruiter.

Remember not to overstay your welcome. If the recruiter starts looking over your shoulder, it’s time to move on.

Don’t forget to collect business cards from each recruiter. And if you can’t get a business card, be sure to get all the contact information (including the correct spelling of each person’s name).

Remember that politeness counts. If the recruiter appears thirsty, offer to get a beverage from the refreshment area for him/her. And don’t forget to thank each person you speak with for taking the time to meet you and talk to you about opportunities with his/her organization.

Network, network, network. Make connections with people — not just the recruiters but with fellow job-seekers, career professionals, and the like — the more people in your network, the stronger it becomes.

Activities to accomplish after the event

Send thank-you notes to each recruiter, thanking them for their time, interest, and help in your job-search. It doesn’t matter how you send the thank-you… just as long as you send one. Read more about thank-you letters, see samples.

Reflect on your system, your execution, and your results. What might you have done more effectively? Make some initial plans for improvement before the next career fair.

Plan to follow up with each recruiter about two weeks after the career fair. Contact them and express your continued interest with the organization, your assurance of your ability to contribute to the organization, and get more information about next steps in the process.

Consider developing some sort of system for keeping track of all the recruiters and potential job leads. See an example of a job lead log.

Remember to find other sources of job leads. Career fairs are a good source, but there are many other ways to generate job leads. Read more about ways of developing job leads.

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