Job Hunting and Career Information: A PCL Pathfinder

Job seekers looking for new career opportunities will find the resources listed below a great starting point for their job hunt. Resources include career exploration for those just entering the workforce to midlife career changes for experienced workers. Researchers will also find answers to some of the more difficult questions such as matching your college major and preferred skills to an occupation. Once a field or job title is identified career exploration leads to identifying potential employers or sources for job advertisements in the chosen field. Librarians are also available to help guide the way to uncover even more sources of information including the education that may lead to a degreed or certified position or specialized directories of company information. The terms and phrases listed in the subject headings below can be used to search for more materials in the library’s catalog and research databases. If you need further assistance, please ask a librarian.

Quick Jump to:

BOOKS

CAREER EXPLORATION: MANY OCCUPATIONS

CAREER EXPLORATION: SPECIFIC OCCUPATIONS

JOB HUNTING

NO WORKER LEFT BEHIND PROGRAM

'ONLINE EXPRESS' TRAINING COURSES

OTHER RESOURCES

SUBJECT HEADINGS

RELATED RESEARCH GUIDES

Complete Idiot's Guide to the Perfect Resume / Susan Ireland.
331.128 IRE

Interview magic : job interview secrets from America's career and life coach / Susan Britton Whitcomb.
331.128 WHI

Knock 'em dead : Great Answers to over 200 Tough Interview Questions, Plus the Latest Job Search Strategies / by Martin Yate.
331.128 YAT

What Color Is Your Parachute?: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers by Richard Nelson Bolles.
Provides a step-by-step plan for finding meaningful work.
331.128 BOL

America’s Career InfoNet
www.acinet.org
Find wages and employment trends, occupational requirements, state by state labor market conditions, millions of employer contacts nationwide, and the most extensive career resource library online.

Career Guide to Industries
http://stats.bls.gov/oco/cg/
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.

Major Resource Kits, MBNA Career Services Center, University of Delaware
www.udel.edu/CSC/mrk.html
These kits help answer the question, “What do I do with a major in…” Matches college majors with relevant job titles.

Occupational Outlook Handbook. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, biennial.
www.bls.gov/oco/
Handbook describes what workers do on the job as well as working conditions, the training and education needed, earnings, and expected job prospects in a wide range of occupations.

O*Net OnLine
http://online.onetcenter.org
Find occupations by title, classification, and by skill.

Associations on the Net, The Internet Public Library
www.ipl.org/div/aon/
Search for associations in your area of interest. Trade associations in a particular subject area usually offer career information.

Careers in Real Estate, Realtor.org
www.realtor.org/realtororg.nsf/pages/careers
Provides brief information on various careers in real estate including information on where to find more.

MedCareers
www.medcareers.com
Web site about medical, nursing, and healthcare industry.

Nursing Careers, NurseWeek.com
www.nurseweek.com/career/
Provides brief overview of specific jobs in the nursing field.

Today’s Military
www.todaysmilitary.com
Provides background information on all types of military careers.

Many job hunters interested in particular jobs or jobs in certain industries can look to many resources in order to identify employers that hire workers in their area of interest. Once identified, job seekers can continue to monitor the employer's Web site or job line for upcoming employment opportunities. Specialized directories, business directories, and even the local yellow pages can help identify potential employers. State Employment Officers often have lists of the state's largest employers.

America's Job Bank
http://www.ajb.dni.us
America's Job Bank is a partnership between the US Department of Labor and the state operated public Employment Service.The America's Job Bank computerized network links state Employment Service offices to provide job seekers with the largest pool of active job opportunities available anywhere and nationwide exposure for their resumes. For employers it provides rapid, national exposure for job openings and an easily accessible pool of candidates. In addition to the Internet, the job openings and resumes found in America's Job Bank are available on computer systems in public libraries, college and universities, high school, shopping malls, transition offices on military bases worldwide and other places of public access.

CareerBuilder
www.careerbuilder.com
Post resumes, search job listings, and more.

Career Matrix
http://www.careermatrix.com
Based in Southwest Michigan, these folks have local listings from a variety of companies, excluding temp agencies or other middlemen.

FlipDog
http://www.flipdog.com
Search job listings at corporate web sites, set up a Job Hunter to have openings matching your profile sent to you via e-mail, or post your resume online. Also has a Resource Center with tips on interviewing and resume writing.

Hot Careers in Michigan
http://www.acinet.org/acinet/acinet_emerging_start.asp?stfips=26

Job Corps
http://jobcorps.doleta.gov/
Job Corps : Job Corps is the nation's largest federally funded job training and education program for economically disadvantaged youth ages 16 through 24. Established in 1964, Job Corps has trained and educated more than 2 million young people to date, serving more than 70,000 young adults each year. Besides vocational training, Job Corps provides academic and life skills training including the opportunity for students to earn a High School Diploma or GED. Approximately 90 percent of Job Corps graduates go on to careers in the private sector, enlist in the military or move on to higher education or advanced training programs.

Kalamazoo Area Jobs
http://kalamazoohelpwanted.com/p/jobs_city/281/Kalamazoo/
Job seekers may post resumes and search for jobs; employers may search for resumes and post job openings.

Michigan Career Portal
http://www.michigan.gov/careers
Smart career decisions start here! Formerly known as the TalentFreeway, this site is a bridge to quality employment, career, education and training resources. A one-stop online career portal system for students and workers planning their futures and employers seeking skill development for existing workers and recruitment tools for prospective workers. The Career Portal provides access to occupational and career planning information, job-finding tools, postsecondary education, e-learning, resumes of thousands of jobseekers looking for jobs, and much, much more.

Michigan E-Library
http://www.mel.org
Select the "Best of the Web " link. Once there, select the "Jobs and Careers " link.

Michigan Live
http://www.mlive.com/jobs/quicksearch
Search from 8 Michigan newspapers and choose as many job titles as you like -- all at once!

Michigan Talent/Job Bank
http://www.michworks.org
The Michigan Talent Bank is an Internet-based labor exchange available to job seekers and employers 24 hours a day. Job seekers can post their resumes and search job postings from construction workers to computer engineers. Employers who register on the Talent Bank have access to hundreds of thousands of resumes and can post immediate job openings. Through this system, the public can easily access a wide range of employment and training services. Job seekers can find education, job training, employment support services and job openings. Employers can access a local pool of qualified workers and related supportive services. There are no users fees.

Michigan Works
http://www.michiganworks.org/
Michigan Works! was established in 1987 to foster high-quality employment and training programs serving employers and workers by providing support activities and a forum for information exchange for Michigan's workforce development system. That system has been recognized by the National Alliance of Business as the most innovative in the country. Contains information of special interest to the disabled, veterans, and seniors.

Monster Board
www.monster.com
Offers a wide range of career-related resources including job, career, and networking information.

One Stop Career Centers
http://www.servicelocator.org/search/CategorySearch_Resnew.asp?zip=&city=&state=MI&proximity=25&usertype=ForWorkers&Category=WorkersServices&x=10&y=10
One Stop Career Centers are the focal point of America's workforce investment system, supporting the employment needs of job seekers and the human resource needs of business. At One Stop Centers, workers, job seekers, and other participants can receive training and education, build their skills, and access federal assistance programs, while employers use One Stop Centers to help recruit workers they need for their businesses.

The Riley Guide
www.rileyguide.com
A very thorough and current guide to job hunting and career information. Includes a comprehensive list of job banks and recruiting sites.

Click this link to go to the No Worker Left Behind web page. The following information was taken from the web page:

"For too long, Michigan's unemployment system has encouraged workers who have lost their jobs due to outsourcing and globalization to wait for a better opportunity to come along. They can no longer afford to wait. Now, Michigan is taking the next step to help thousands of displaced workers who need new skills and training to transition to a new career. By redirecting the state and federal dollars already used for worker training programs, we can open wide the doors of education and training to every displaced worker in Michigan who needs it.

Governor Granholm's new No Worker Left Behind (NWLB) plan will help more than 100,000 displaced workers by:

• providing up to two years free tuition at any Michigan community college or other approved training program;
• allowing displaced workers to receive needed training in high demand skills while receiving unemployment benefits.

To qualify for the NWLB program, displaced workers will need to take a skills assessment test administered by Michigan Works! Agencies (MWAs). Qualifying workers must pursue an associate's degree or attend a technical training program in a high-demand occupation, emerging industry, or entrepreneurship program. High-demand occupations vary from region to region, however some common examples include health care, accounting and bookkeeping services, information technology, auto service technicians and mechanics.

No Worker Left Behind is a one-time offer for Michigan's displaced workers. Eligible participants have three years to participate in this program.

The No Worker Left Behind program was announced in Governor Granholm's 2007 State of the State address and is expected to be up and running in time for the 2007 fall semester. Looking for training now? Many training programs and services are available now to displaced workers at local Michigan Works! Service Centers . Select the Job Resources in Your Community through Michigan Works! link on the home page of the No Worker Left Behind website, www.michigan.gov/nwlb , to find the Service Center nearest you. "

Kalamazoo Public Schools Community Education now offers a wide range of highly interactive courses that you can take entirely over the Internet, via Ed2Go at http://www.ed2go.com/kpscomed/. All of the courses include expert instructors, many of whom are nationally known authors. Click any of the subject links below for more information about the content, and cost, of individual courses.

Once you choose the department and course title you are interested in, select the 'Enroll Now' button. Follow the instructions to enroll and pay for your course. Here you will choose a username and password that will grant you access to the Classroom. When your course starts, return to the Online Instruction Center and click the 'Classroom' link. To begin your studies, log in with the username and password you selected during enrollment.

All courses require Internet access, e-mail, and either Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer. Some courses may have additional requirements.

All courses run for six weeks (with a two-week grace period at the end). Courses are project-oriented and include lessons, quizzes, hands-on assignments, discussion areas, supplementary links, and more. You can complete any of these courses entirely from your home or office and at any time of the day or night.

LearningExpress Library via the Michigan E-Library. (formerly Learn-A-Test)

Your library is providing you with the best online resource for test preparation and skill-building practice. Our practice tests, based on the official exams and developed by education experts, can help you master the essential skills needed to succeed on standardized tests and in your career. Our program includes:

• Unlimited access to all of the free online practice exams in your library's plan
• An instant score report with detailed answer explanations so you can understand why certain answers are right and others are wrong
• A customized analysis to determine your strengths and weaknesses
• Personalized recommendations

Click the "MeL Databases" link. You may log on at your school or library, or you may log on at home using any Michigan drivers license number. Click either the "log on in your library or school" or the "log on at home or work" link.

Select "LEARNINGEXPRESS LIBRARY " from the list. You'll find the ACT test prep under "COLLEGE PREP" and the SAT test prep under "SAT." Learn-a-test offers many more practice tests, for military admission (ASVAB), civil service and public safety careers, etc.

Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency
http://www.michigan.gov/uia

Employer Customer Relations hotline, 1-800-638-3994
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays

Claimant Customer Relations hotline, 1-800-638-3995
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays

The UIA's Web site allows unemployed workers to apply for unemployment benefits. It also has information about using the telephone to apply for benefits, and about a program in which employers may file claims on behalf of their employees during mass layoffs. Also available on line are: important forms and publications for unemployed workers and employers; Agency contact information; an FAQ section; details about Agency programs and services; and information about Michigan's unemployment insurance system.

Michigan Works! Employment and Resource Center
Kalamazoo Service Center
http://www.michiganworks.org/page.cfm/50/
1601 South Burdick Street
Kalamazoo, MI 49001
Phone: (269) 383-2536
Hours of Operation:
Monday thru Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm

Minimum Wage in Michigan
http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/america.htm#Michigan
Lists the minimum wage rate in Michigan.

For Job-Seekers:
College Search
Company Information
Resumes and Cover Letters

For Entreprenuers:
Business Plans
Business Resources
Company Information
Demographics
Small Business