Explore careers outside a 4-year degree

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Career changers, Career counselors, Entry-level workers, Students, Uncategorized
School counselor working with students
School counselor working with students

Whether you are a student looking for a career path that doesn’t require a 4-year degree, or a school counselor helping students find one, you can use CareerOneStop to develop a plan for a future career. Explore how different careers might fit, learn about job outlook and what employers are looking for, and identify education and training options available in your local area.

1 Identify possible careers that fit your interests

Start with an interest assessment to get ideas for careers that fit your interests, or what you like to do. Your results will show you a list of careers; use the “Experience or education needed” filter to see your best-fit occupations at the level of education you prefer.

Next you can select any job title in your results to see details on the career description and watch a video to learn more about life on the job.

2 Learn about the requirements and details of a career before you invest money or time into your education.

Once you’ve selected some careers to research further, you can compare some of the important details about them. Use the Occupation Profile to research answers to the following key questions and eliminate careers that don’t fit your goals:

• What’s the job outlook for the career that your training will lead to?
• What type of education does this occupation typically require?
• How many new jobs are expected in coming years?
• What’s the usual salary?
• What skills, knowledge, and abilities are used in the career?

3 Explore education and training options.

To further refine your career ideas, learn about the different types of education and training that are available, so you can make an informed decision for your future. Here are the major options to consider.

Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships are full-time jobs with built-in training that prepare workers to enter in-demand careers. They can provide an affordable way to build a high-paying career without the student debt that can add up for college students.

Apprenticeships are sponsored by employers, unions, and professional associations in fields such as information technology, finance and business, healthcare, hospitality, transportation, and manufacturing.

Visit the Apprenticeship Finder on Apprenticeship.gov to see opportunities that have been advertised in your area.

Associate’s degree

The associate’s degree typically takes two years of full time college to complete and can prepare you to enter a career, or apply toward an eventual 4-year degree. Explore associate’s degree programs in your area using the Local Training Finder.

• Enter your occupation of interest and your location
• Filter results by using the filter, Program Length, to select the options “At least two but less than four years” and “2 years”
• Find school and program names, along with information about program length and number of graduates. School names link directly to school websites.

Certifications

Students can get launched in a number of entry-level fields by studying for and earning certifications.

A certification is a credential that you earn by achieving specific skills or knowledge. Some jobs or employers require workers to have certain certifications, especially in health care, IT, or financial fields. Even if not required, certifications show an employer you have learned and achieved in your field, which makes you a more attractive job candidate in general.

Certifications relate to a type of job, a specific technology such as software or hardware, or to a broader industry. They are sponsored by a professional organization or company, and to earn one typically requires that you pass a knowledge or skill test. You may be able to prepare for certification exams at a community college, through the sponsoring organization, or study on your own, for example, by reading a software manual.

Use the Certification Finder to find out about certifications in the fields that interest you.

Certificate programs

Many community or technical college programs can lead to a certificate award in less than two years. Having a certificate in your field can help you qualify for a job, get a promotion, or earn more money. Look for short-term training programs near you at Local Training Finder. Get started with these simple steps:

• Enter a keyword for the type of job or training you’re looking for.
• Enter your location to view a list of programs near you.
• Use the “Program Length” filter on the left-hand side of your results to limit your results by how long it typically takes to complete the program.

Internships

An internship is a short-term job, often unpaid, that gives students hands-on work experience. Internships are available in a wide variety of fields in government, private business and non-profit organizations. In general, an internship:

• Is an agreement between a student (high school, college, or graduate) or adult and an organization or business.
• Allows a student or emerging professional to gain skills and experience in a short-term, real-world work environment.
• Can be paid or unpaid.
• Has to follow certain regulations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
You can search for an internship on usajobs.gov.

Job Corps

Students between 16 and 24 years old, might qualify for Job Corps, a free residential education and training program to prepare for careers.

If you’re a school counselor attending the American School Counselor Association conference next week, stop by the CareerOneStop table for brochures, posters, and more.

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3 tips for seniors planning encore careers

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Uncategorized

If you’ve retired from your day-to-day job or left a lifelong career, you may be considering an encore career. The term, used loosely to describe a second career begun later in life, is used more specifically to describe a later-in-life career change that’s focused on helping the public good or achieving personal goals.

Some encore career seekers want to help the environment, or invest their time in developing youth. Others are inspired by an art or other pursuit they didn’t have time for when they were younger.

If you’ve been thinking about an encore career, you probably have a handle on your area of interest. What can be harder to pin down is “What exactly can I do?” That’s where these three questions come in. Taking the time to explore and answer each one can help you find a fulfilling, rewarding, and realistic encore career.

1) What are your workplace interests?

You might be perfectly aware of your general interests, but have you inventoried your more specific interests? What are the individual tasks and activities that give you the most satisfaction? Knowing them can help you identify jobs or careers that could be the best fit for you—within your broader area of interest. For instance, do you like to build kitchen cabinets, write plays or books, or install computer software across a large network? An interest assessment asks you these questions and more to help map your interests to specific careers. Ready to get started? Visit CareerOenStop’s free Interest Assessment; it will ask you 30 quick questions and usually takes less than 5 minutes to complete.

2) What are your workplace skills?

Skills are different from interests in that they are areas you have mastered rather than areas you find interesting or fulfilling. Often, the two overlap. But just as frequently, people develop workplace skills because they needed them for their jobs—whether or not they were driven by interest in the first place. A skills inventory can help you identify your skills, and also map them to new career options. Visit CareerOneStop’s Skills Matcher where you can rate yourself on 40 key workplace skills.

3) What’s realistic for you?

Being driven by passion is wonderful, but there are many practical considerations when you’re embarking on a new career. Do you have the training or other requirements needed for you ideal encore career? Do you need to make a certain amount of money? Do you live in an area where jobs are scarce—or particularly specialized? CareerOneStop’s Occupation Profile offers information on typical salaries, employment outlook, education requirements and more.

How open are employers to hiring workers with criminal records?

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Businesses and employers, Uncategorized, Workers with criminal records, Workforce Development Professionals
men shaking hands across a table
men shaking hands across a table

The number of individuals with a criminal record is growing; authoritative sources cite approximately 30% of the working age population of the U.S. These workers need employment and often struggle to find it at the same time U.S. employers in many industries are hungry for workers. Could employers be ready for a meeting of this potential workforce and their employment opportunities?

A 2018 survey entitled Workers with Criminal Records by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Charles Koch Institute (CKI) offers some insights and suggests answers to this question.

In the survey of more than 2,000 employees, managers, and human resource (HR) professionals, nearly half did not see a criminal record as a deciding factor in hiring employees. However, there was a great deal of uncertainty about hiring workers with criminal records around legal liability, customer and employee reactions, and regulations.

Most managers and employees report they are open to considering candidates and coworkers who have a record. Managing the real and perceived risks of these hires, developing and communicating policies and practices are all key to the successful employment and retention of workers who have a criminal record.   

More findings from the survey:

  • For those who had previously hired workers with a criminal record, 70-80% noted that the “quality of hire” for these workers is equal to or higher than that for workers in general, and that the cost of hiring is similar or lower than hiring workers without records.
  • Top reasons for hiring workers with criminal records include a desire to hire the best candidate for the job regardless of criminal history, making the community a better place, and giving individuals a second chance.
  • Large proportions of employees are willing to work with individuals with criminal records. Among managers, 55% are willing, 15% are unwilling, and 29% fall in between. Among non-managers, 51% are willing, 13% are unwilling, and 36% say they are neither willing nor unwilling. Among HR professionals, 47% are willing, 8% are unwilling, and 41% select neither.
  • Criminal history is asked on job applications at about half of HR professionals’ organizations.
  • While more than 68% of HR professionals are familiar with the “ban-the-box” campaign, only 14% of managers are.
  • A third of surveyed HR professionals work for organizations that choose not to have a policy regarding the hiring of workers with a criminal record, while a quarter of managers and half of nonmanagers are unsure whether their company has a policy. In some organizations, hiring workers with criminal records is part of the culture and does not require specific policies.
  • HR professionals say pre-hiring activities include: criminal history checks (73%), drug tests (50%), educational verifications (46%), social media and search engine searches (25%), credit checks (22%), and integrity tests (7%).
  • Smaller companies (fewer than 100 employees) conduct criminal history checks less often than larger companies.
  • In terms of experience with hiring employees with a record, patterns differ based on type of offense. A large majority of managers have hired candidates with misdemeanors or substance-related felonies like a DUI or drug-related crime. Fewer have experience hiring workers with a record of violent felonies, financial crimes, or sexual felonies.
  • Willingness to hire candidates with criminal records is strongly positively influenced by a consistent work history, employment references, job training, a certificate of rehabilitation. Some influence is noted from other business leaders’ positive experience, replacement programs, or monetary incentives like tax deductions or discounts on staffing fees.

If you are an employer or HR professional, visit CareerOneStop’s Business Center for ideas and information about hiring a diverse workforce, including people who have a criminal conviction, on.

If you are a job seeker who has a criminal conviction, check out CareerOneStop’s Job Search Help for Ex-Offenders for resources and tools to help in your job search.

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Occupational licensing and other career resources for military spouses

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Uncategorized

Are you a military spouse trying to follow a career path as it twists and turns according to your partner’s military obligations?

As a professional, you know how challenging it can be to have an occupational license recognized in another state. But did you know that states and licensing bodies have been working to make the process easier for military spouses?

Many states have recognized that the highly-mobile military lifestyle can create barriers to consistent and meaningful employment; many states now have laws in place that require or encourage licensing boards to grant military spouses expedited applications, temporary licenses, or license recognition.

You can learn more and find four simple steps to help you take advantage of these efforts with the License Recognition for Military Spouses resource guide, from the U.S. Department of Labor.

More employment resources for military spouses

Employment resources:

  • Military Spouse Employment Partnership Career Center is a targeted recruitment and employment solution for spouses.
  • Contact your local American Job Center to meet with a career specialist. If you’re a military spouse who lost your job or are underemployed due to your spouse’s relocation, you may be eligible for dislocated worker funding; ask a representative at your local American Job Center.
  • Visit your base Family Center to discuss military spouse related opportunities or programs.
  • Visit CareerOneStop’s Job Search to search for jobs anywhere in the United States.
  • American Corporate Partners is a nonprofit organization that offers career mentorships to active duty military spouses.

Education or training help:

Relocation information:

  • Military OneSource offers Moving Resources to help you plan a successful move.
  • Visit CareerOneStop to find state-by-state information about career planning, education and training, and job search.

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New year, new resume

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Career changers, Job seekers, Uncategorized
Planner with words New Year Planning

Planner with words New Year PlanningA fresh start is one of the gifts of a new year. And this year we have the bonus of beginning a new decade to motivate our efforts to make a change or launch a new project.

If looking for new work is part of your 2020 plans, read on for some ideas to help you revise your current resume skillfully, and make the kind of impact on the reader that you really hope for.

1 Polish visual elements
I’ve reviewed hundreds of resumes and readability is easily the biggest issue I run into in early drafts. Use plenty of white space, and sharp, consistent formatting for each job you describe. Use a limited number of fonts, preferably just one or two. Avoid using too many attention-getting methods such as all caps, bold, and increased font sizes, or the reader struggles to know where to look. Make it neat and scannable by using clear headings. It can be helpful to look at a number of resume examples to get a sense of what makes a resume easy to read. Check out resume examples.

2 Refine language elements
Spelling, grammar, punctuation. As essential as these three are for general written communication, they are even more so for your resume. I recently texted a friend about picnicking at a park where “we spent time eating watching children jump off the slide”; he replied that I seemed nonchalant about eating children. Funny in that context, but an error like leaving out commas is ridiculous, avoidable, and potentially the endpoint of consideration for a job application. Spellcheck is very helpful, but misses errors of context. Your best bet is careful writing, followed by at least two read-throughs by friends, family, or professionals who have impeccable editing skills.

3 Revise repeatedly, even if it feels like you can’t stand it
The resume is probably your strongest opportunity to introduce yourself to an employer, and every organization and even different jobs within one organization may require you to make subtle tweaks to your resume to make the best introduction. Recently I observed a new college grad tailoring her resume to send to a networking contact she’d been given. She requested input from her mother, an excellent writer, as well as myself. The pain and agony of multiple revisions ensued, aiming for nuanced language and expression geared to appeal to this contact. However, her mother made a great point. It’s worth even torturous review and revision to make your resume clear and relevant to each position.

4 Please, be interesting
Is it job seekers’ fault that they feel so anxious about making a good impression that they remove all trace of personality from their resume? No, job search is stressful for most. However, it’s still your responsibility and opportunity to write in enough detail to interest a reader in who you are and what you’ve done. “Delivered packages for UPS” may be accurate, but if you need to sell that experience to an employer, you could amplify it, such as “Drove delivery truck through difficult weather conditions. Maintained target speed for package deliveries, while retaining near-perfect accuracy. Recognized for outstanding, friendly customer service.” Voila! You’ve given the reader a vivid picture that includes how you put your whole self into the work, a great quality in any position. Take the time to filter details to ensure you maintain your own unique voice.

5 Add results to build context
Resume experts pound away at this advice, but I think it’s often skipped because it challenges the imagination to actually do it. Some jobs appear lacking in results, or you may not have tracked your statistics on the job to—down the road—accurately report them on your resume. But numbers and impact are so helpful to an employer who wants to get a picture of what you’ve done.  I recently helped a Conservation Corps worker describe his experience, “Coordinated group of 25 volunteers. As leader of 25-person team, removed invasive species growth over 50 acre wilderness, restored and maintained over 10 miles of trails. Developed new team protocols that led to improved communication and more efficient trail practices.”

The fact is that your actions and activities on the job lead to something. If you’ve kept files on your accomplishments and results, that’s terrific. If not, helpful sources to identify that “something” and put results on your resume include: use your original job posting or position description to identify core activities of the job and note their impact, gather details from your performance review documentation, brainstorm a list of key projects you worked on, talk through your job with someone who has strong analytical skills, consider what impact it would have had on the organization if no one did your job.

If you revisit your resume with these ideas in mind, it will be more readable, clear, expressive, interesting, and impressive. Good wishes in your 2020 resume revamp from CareerOneStop.

Check out the Resume Guide for more resume recommendations.

 

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CareerOneStop’s 2019 Year in Review

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Uncategorized
Employment Patterns logo

CareerOneStop had a great 2019—and we hope you did too!  This week we’re looking back at some of our favorite new tools and resources from the past year.

Employment Patterns

Employment Patterns logoCareerOneStop’s newest online tool provides a snapshot of industry employment by occupation. Visit Employment Patterns to see employment by industry within any one of more than 800 occupations. Simply enter the occupation of your choice and you’ll find a list of industries that employ workers in that career. For each industry, you’ll see:

  • The official industry name. You can click the link to view a full profile of information about the industry from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  • The share of all workers in the occupation that are employed by the industry
  • The number of workers in the occupation who were employed in the industry in 2018, followed by the number expected to be employed in 2028
  • The rate of employment growth expected over the ten years in this combination of industry and occupation

Knowing which industries hire workers in any given occupation is valuable information for both first-time job seekers and for people wanting to change jobs or advance in their careers. The industry/occupation employment data in Employment Patterns come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Projections program.

Video Library

CareerOneStop’s Video Library now includes more than 500 career videos, reflecting nearly 800* occupations.

Each 90-second video includes career details such as:

  • Common job tasks
  • Typical wages
  • Education requirements
  • Current employment outlook data
  • Common settings where people in the field work
  • Challenges unique to the occupation

All videos are closed captioned in English and Spanish. You can view and share any of CareerOneStop’s videos on YouTube, or find them integrated into CareerOneStop’s Occupation Profiles, where you’ll also find additional related career information.

CareerOneStop’s Video Library also includes videos on career clusters, industries, work options, and abilities. Next up: CareerOneStop is updating Industry Videos to reflect current industry data and trend.

*In all, 785 O*NET occupations are depicted in 506 videos; some videos describe more than one related occupation.

Veterans Job Matcher

CareerOneStop’s new Veterans Job Matcher helps transitioning service members and veterans identify civilian careers that match their military experience—and then shows them local job postings for the careers they’re interested in.

Users simply enter their military job title or code, and receive a list of civilian careers that use similar skills and work experience as that military job. For each of the civilian careers on their list, veterans can review basic career information such as typical wages, training expectations, and job outlook. They can easily sort their list to highlight the occupations that might be the best fit for them—and then link to job postings in their local area.

Users can compare civilian career options by several different measures:

  • Typical Pay Grade: the minimum military pay grade that usually qualifies someone for this civilian career. Users can use this to help decide if a civilian career is appropriate for their own career level. If the Typical Pay Grade is the same or very close to their actual Pay Grade, the civilian career may be a good fit; if it’s much higher than their actual Pay Grade, they may not qualify for jobs in that particular field; and if it’s much lower than their actual Pay Grade, they might find that the civilian salary does not meet their requirements.
  • Typical Wages: the median annual salary for all workers in the career.
  • Typical Education: the amount of education that most workers have when they enter the career.
  • Outlook: a measure of how fast the career is expected to grow. This can help users identify demand in the job market for that career.
  • Job postings: when users enter a location, they’ll link directly to local job postings for any career of interest.

The Veterans Job Matcher uses the O*NET Military Search equation, which matches military jobs to civilian careers based on skills and other factors.

Veterans will also find updated content and resources on CareerOneStop’s Veteran and Military Transition Center, including a new Explore Civilian Careers section, an expanded Job Search section, and many new worksheets, resume samples that highlight military experience, and other veteran-specific resources based on the U.S. Department of Labor’s Transition Assistance Program.

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Hanker to help others? Find your career

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Career changers, Career counselors, Students, Uncategorized
Senior woman listening to a client or patient.

ISenior woman listening to a client or patient.f your vision of the ideal career involves service to others, it may be possible to realize your goal in almost any career. Engineers, for example, help people by solving real-world problems like improving acoustics in a room, or designing bridges to move people safely over waterways.

However, a more typical definition of service careers puts “helping others” as the focus and purpose of the occupation.  And there is a big variety of careers to explore that embrace this definition.

To begin, it’s helpful to understand different angles on “helping others.” Consider these concepts of “helping careers”:

  • For some people, helping others means changing the world in some way – such as through finding cures for diseases, negotiating peace agreements, fighting hunger, poverty or global warming, or advocating for government programs and policy changes.
  • For others, there is a more classic definition of helping through providing direct care. For example healthcare, mental health services, childcare, relief work for disasters, elder care, or care for people who have disabilities.
  • Many helping-oriented people want to inspire and guide others in roles such as teaching, which varies significantly from preschool through elementary, middle and high school, and higher education. Clergy or other religious and spiritual work also fit here.
  • Some helping roles center on advocacy – people who may speak for others and seek to improve the immediate life situation for others – such as social workers, school guidance counselors, social justice /nonprofit workers, translators / interpreters, social or community services managers, and human resources positions.
  • There are also public safety and protective service careers that contribute to creating safe living conditions and resolving disputes, like law enforcement, mediators, probation officers, lifeguards, or military service.

One way to narrow down your ideas is to take an interest assessment and explore the careers listed in your results. You can take a career interest assessment on CareerOneStop to identify your strongest career interests and then view a list of related occupations.

The assessment identifies helping interests as “Social”, described below:

At work and at home, you may:

  • be patient, insightful, responsible, cooperative, outgoing, and skilled with words
  • like to work in groups, volunteer, solve personal problems, or serve your community
  • be able to teach others, mediate, lead a discussion, communicate well, or plan and supervise activities

In terms of careers, Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Check out these examples of careers with a high match to Social interests:

·       Athletic Trainers 

·       Childcare Workers 

·       Customer Service Representatives 

·       Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics 

·       Funeral Attendants

·       Home Health Aides 

·       Marriage and Family Therapists 

·       Registered Nurses 

·       Special Education Teachers, Secondary School

·       Tour Guides and Escorts 

·       Waiters and Waitresses 

View the full list of Social occupations on O*NET, our partner site sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration.

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5 career planning ideas to help jumpstart your New Year’s goals

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Career changers, Entry-level workers, Job seekers, Older workers, Students

It’s the middle of December, and there’s no reason to think this December will differ from nearly every December on record: the New Year will be here before you know it.

If you’re one of the millions of people who set career goals at the beginning of each new year (or, if you’re one of the even more numerous individuals who aspire to set career goals each year), now is prime time to get started.

Whether you hope to find a job, earn a promotion, or simply excel in your current position, you can choose from a number of simple steps that can help you achieve your goals.  Get started with the five ideas below (or if none jump out at you, visit CareerOneStop.org for more ideas).

  1. Boost your professional network. You’ve probably heard that networking can be the single most impactful activity for advancing your career. Keep your professional network fresh by continuing to make new connections. You can even get started at holiday gatherings of friends, family, or colleagues. Other options include joining a professional association, contacting career services at your college or other school you’ve attended, or using social media resources like LinkedIn to expand your network.
  2. Inventory your skills. A skills inventory is simply a list of skills you’ve acquired during your professional, volunteer, personal, or academic activities. Visit Skills Matcher to learn more about how knowing your skills can help you find the best career fit.
  3. Investigate going back to school.  Have you thought about going back to school but aren’t sure what school or training type will help you most? That’s understandable, with options ranging from earning a professional certification to a four-year degree. Visit What’s right for me?  to find information to help you make this decision.
  4. Research employers. Whether you’re interested in switching jobs within your current field, or you’re ready to try a new occupation or industry, taking the time to research employers will help your job search.
  5. Update your resume. Your resume communicates your qualifications and your brand—who you are and what makes you different—to employers and recruiters. Whether you’re looking for a promotion or a new job, a great resume can help you stand out in a sea of applicants. Visit Resume Guide to find tips samples to help you polish your document.

Happy career planning, and Happy (Almost) New Year.

 

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Stories of success inspire young adults

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Career counselors, Entry-level workers, Students, Teachers, Uncategorized, Workforce Development Professionals, Youth
young African American man working in a lab

young African American man working in a labIf you’re in your first job search, or trying to figure out your direction in life, it can be tough to move ahead with confidence. Seeing success stories of people who have grappled with barriers, or managed to land their first job, can provide a source of inspiration and encouragement.

Whether you are a young adult seeking a career path, or an employment counselor for youth and young adults, check out these success stories from real people who have overcome challenges to achieve education and career success. Below is a brief summary of each; some are short profiles while others are complete videos.

  • Joel: “About four years ago, I began to abuse drugs and was arrested several times. I was committed to a juvenile justice treatment facility. I earned two certifications that helped me get ready to work. Now I’m a high school graduate and I have two jobs. I plan on attending college to become a physical therapist.”
  • Jorge: “I got help with immigration to get a work permit, then I got a Social Security number, that gave me the right to work. Once I got it – that motivated me. I got a certificate of arts in culinary. And now I’m here to tell you, all you’ve got to do is take responsibility to change your life.”
  • Stefan: “A jobs program helped me get an ID, and they helped me get a Social Security card and start my own bank account. They sent me to a job as an intern at a welding school for 8 weeks. Out of five of us that came, I was the only one who stayed with it. At my job I cut pipe, cut plate, they enrolled me in welding classes. I got four certificates. They helped me get back on my feet.”
  • Antoine: “I’ve got 3 kids, two little boys and a girl who I’d do anything for. Coming from a place with drugs, violence, and poverty to where I am now, I have a good career, a new car. I’m on my way up. I’m thankful for the opportunity. If you ever get an opportunity, don’t ever be closed minded and always have the best attitude moving forward.”
  • Ashley: “I think my lowest moment was the first day I got to the shelter with my son and I actually had seen the living conditions. A shelter worker told me about the program and I jumped at the opportunity to train as a pharmacy technician…It’s given me a lot of skills. I really worked hard for the license and it definitely, definitely gave me a road map to a better living.”
  • Cat: “I’ve been in the foster system myself. After drugs, prostitution, I was homeless, no job, no car. Then I got pregnant. I saw a flyer and decided I’d try a program. It was very scary. They helped with job training and how to be myself, how to be a professional in the world. Now I have three jobs, a car, and I have a home. It’s amazing.”
  • Lonnie: “I was from a pretty low income family so I really didn’t have the money to go to college. First Generation College Bound showed me all about college and financial aid… when I came back a lot of the friends that I grew up with were incarcerated. I got a sociology degree, I’ve been at IBM for 13 years in the sales and technology field.”
  • Gabby: “I did run away from home. I was doing drugs and trying to make money illegally. And I wasn’t attending school, or I would attend school and I’d ditch. I had a counselor there who’s just telling me there’s a lot of places out there that can help me. I graduated from high school and now I’m getting ready to go to college. I’m going to major in architectural design and drafting. I want to be able to build homes for people who are low income, but give them the dream home they’ve always wanted.”
  • Alex: A youth program representative came to his high school class, where Alex talked about liking computers. They set up a 6 week work experience for him in a county IT department. “This program took me to the point where I go from a kid to an adult and I’m now three years ahead of the people who didn’t know what to do. They told me what to expect, how to react, what to do, when to do it, and the proper way to do it.”

Feeling their inspiration? Locate youth employment programs in your area by entering your location in the Youth Program Finder. Also see a video to learn more about how youth programs work.

If you work for a youth employment program anywhere in the United States and don’t find your program listed, let us know about your program at info@careeronestop.org, or stop by our table at the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals Youth Symposium in Chicago, December 9 – 11, 2019.

GetMyFuture, is a website sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor for young adults to explore different careers, plan their education, and search for jobs. Teachers, youth counselors, and employment program staff, be sure to check out GetMyFuture’s User Guide for tips on navigating the website, worksheets and checklists, and direct access to all site video content.

 

 

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3 great reasons to job search over the holidays

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Uncategorized

If you’re tempted to take a Thanksgiving-through-New-Years break from your job search, you may want to rethink that plan.

It’s true that social calendars get outrageously overcrowded during this season—and it can seem like a good time to step away from your job search. However, at many businesses, calendars actually get lighter.  In fact, with many employees taking personal time off and many projects on a slow simmer, managers sometimes find themselves with more time than ever to devote to hiring.

Read on for three great reasons to take advantage of the holiday season for job hunting:

1) End-of year hiring is a real thing!

Not only do some hiring managers find themselves with time to review resumes and schedule interviews amidst the slower pace of December, they may also have annual hiring quotas they want to fill, or funds they need to spend. Instead of slacking off, maybe it’s time to ramp up your job search.

Insider tip: January is high turnover time in many companies—especially those who give year-end bonuses in December. Since many employers see that turnover coming, they often ramp up hiring efforts in December.

2 ) Your competition is likely taking it easy!

Lots of job seekers do relax their efforts from Mid-November through the end of the year—making it a prime time for you to stand out in front of potential employers.

Insider tip: Many employers will be impressed by your efforts when you continue your job search while others are relaxing over the holidays.

3)  Holiday gatherings were made for networking.

Whether your calendar is full of extended family dinners, cookie exchanges, holiday recitals, or cocktail hours, you’re more than likely to find yourself making small talk with people you don’t always see throughout the year.  What a great time to trot out your elevator speech!

Insider tip:  Even if you don’t have a calendar full of networking events, holiday season is a time of year when it’s common to get in touch with former colleagues and bosses, neighbors, professors, college roommates, and lots of other people you could network with!