Find an apprenticeship program that’s right for you

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

Apprenticeship Finder logoApprenticeships combine a full-time job with training—and prepare you to enter specialized fields.

Apprenticeships are a great way to enter a number of well-paying occupations in the manufacturing, construction, health care and transportation industries, among others.

What is an apprenticeship?

An apprenticeship is a partnership between a worker (apprentice) and an employer. An apprentice gains hands-on work experience in an occupation, while also taking classroom instruction. Apprenticeship programs are sponsored by employers, labor unions and associations. Programs last between one and six years and provide wage increases as you gain work experience. Minimum qualifications must be met to apply.

The Registered Apprenticeship program is a way to enter about one thousand careers, including these top occupations:

  • Automobile Mechanic
  • Construction Laborer
  • Electrician
  • Pipefitter

Learn more about apprenticeship at Apprenticeship USA.

Search for apprenticeship opportunities in your state

CareerOneStop’s Apprenticeship Finder is a great place to search for employers and other sponsors of apprenticeships in your state.

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Find a summer job

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Entry-level workers, Parents, Students, Uncategorized
bicycle shop employee

bicycle shop employeeAre you looking for a summer job? It’s a great chance to gain work experience and skills, learn about yourself, and earn money. If you’ve started to look and become frustrated, or are just getting started now, follow these 4 steps to land that summer job.

 

Step 1: Decide what kind of work to look for

There are two important considerations here: the types of jobs available in your local area, and knowing the kind of work that interests you.

Where you live: For example, if you live in a summer resort area—there are probably a large number of hotel, restaurant and recreation jobs. But almost all areas see an upswing in business at entertainment and dining establishments in the summer, so restaurant workers—wait staff / hosts / dishwashers / bus staff / cooks, movie theatre cashiers, amusement park staff, beach lifeguards, ice cream scoopers, and related jobs—are more available in summer in most locations.

Jobs that interest you: You know the job will only last the summer, so it doesn’t need to be a perfect fit. You’ll learn a lot from any job when you are starting out, and even get an idea of what you do—and do not—want to do in your longer term career. But it helps to be interested in the job tasks, or the kind of place you will be working.

To find out what kind of work you can get without previous experience or special training, check out this list of first job titles. For most of these positions, employers will train you after you are hired. From retail sales to lawn care, you’ll find profiles of jobs including typical tasks, training needed, average pay, and a link to job listings in your local area.

Step 2: Get ready for job applications

Learn how to fill out job applications the right way before you start. They are not complicated, but it’s a lot easier when you know what to expect. Almost every job application will ask for your contact information, job history, and education or training. They may ask why you left past jobs.

Instead of trying to remember all the details for each application, you can make a personal data record to keep track, and bring it with you to complete job applications at kiosks at stores like Target or Home Depot, for hand written applications you complete at smaller employers, or when you fill out online applications at home.

Step 3: Get your work documents

There are laws that regulate employer obligations regarding the residency status of employees, and for employees under age 18. Even for a summer job, employers will expect you to provide identification that proves your age, and confirms you are legally able to work. For virtually any job, you will need a social security number to be paid.

You can learn all about work documents, including which other documents you’ll need, where you can get them in your state, and employment laws for workers under 18. And if you have a conviction on your record, get some tips on how to handle that as well.

Step 4: Find out where the jobs are

Finally, get set to find job openings. There are more opportunities than you may realize; some are posted and easy to find, others may require some digging.

Use your network: Talking to people you know is one of the most common ways to land a job, so be sure to let friends, family, teachers, neighbors and others you know – what kind of job you are looking for.

Look for postings online: Use CareerOneStop’s Job Finder to look up job postings in your area. Most postings will allow you to apply on line right away.

Target your favorite employers: If you have a special interest or want to work for a specific type of employer, such as coffee shops, you can look them up in your local area on the Business Finder. Enter the type of business or type of job, and your location. Results will show the business name, address, number of employees, and distance from your location. Click on the business name get the address, phone number and website.

Use these to call or stop in and ask to speak with a hiring manager about job possibilities. Be ready to talk about what you have to offer – your skills, motivation, friendliness, sense of teamwork, ability to learn quickly, or other attributes you bring.

 

 

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Resources for career advisors

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Career counselors
Counselor and college student talking

Are you a career counselor looking for resources to use with your students or clients?

Counselor and college student talkingDid you know CareerOneStop offers different types of curriculum and tools to help you? Whether you’re looking for materials to use in one-on-one counseling, curriculum for classroom or workshops, or computer lab exercises, you’ll find something to make your job easier.

Check out these resources:

Also, check out these CareerOneStop tools–you can use them alongside a client, or have them use on their own:

  • The Interest Assessment to match interests to careers
  • The Occupation Profile with details on over 900 occupations
  • The Salary Finder to look up average wages by ZIP Code, state, or nationally
  • The Job Finder  to access job listings from three national job banks updated daily: US.jobs, America’s Job Exchange, and CareerBuilder

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Dear graduates: it’s a great time to be you

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Entry-level workers, Parents, Students, Uncategorized
College graduate

College graduateIt’s a great time to be a new graduate.

This year’s college graduates have a strong job market for landing that first job. And, we know more than ever about the skills and qualities employers are looking for in new hires – with multiple blogs, college career center events, surveys and more giving insight into employers’ wish lists. We can even pinpoint an employer size that’s showing the highest job growth, to make new graduates’ job search a little less intimidating.

Two sources offer especially helpful advice for this year’s newest alumni.

Know the qualities employers are looking for

The National Association of Colleges and Employers recently published a survey detailing the qualities employers are looking for in new graduate job candidates. More than any other attributes, employers are looking for candidates with a strong teamwork orientation, who have problem-solving abilities, and who write well.

Right behind those skills, employers value a good work ethic and excellent verbal communication skills. Employers added that the indicators they weigh most seriously when reviewing a new graduate’s resume are, in order: academic major, leadership experience, extracurricular activities, and a GPA of 3.0 or above.

That’s critical information! But while you’ve earned that degree (congratulations!), and may have even built an appealing resume, you still need to know where to look for that great big, culmination-of-all-those-years-of-schooling-and-tuition first job. Where to begin?

Go where most of the job growth is happening

A contributor to USA Today College  wrote last week that “This year’s college graduating class will enter the strongest entry-level job market in years.” And one of the best places to look for those entry-level jobs is the smaller employer market. More than 70% of new jobs created over the past two years are in companies of 500 or fewer employees.

Not only is there less competition for jobs with smaller employers than with large corporations, but the opportunities for learning and professional growth are often excellent. Positions in smaller companies tend to develop a broader set of skills and knowledge than do those in larger firms where specialization and a narrower focus is more common.

So, graduates, to action!

  • Start wowing the employer with your writing skills by writing a knockout resume, and a persuasive cover letter. If this is your first cover letter, CareerOneStop has a brand new video to walk you through the steps.
  • Include on your resume: your academic major, any leadership roles you’ve held, your memberships in extracurricular organizations and activities, and your GPA, especially if it’s 3.0 or higher.
  • Highlight your accomplishments, all the skills you’ve developed through different means – college coursework, internships, volunteering, campus activities, summer jobs, and community involvement. How can your experience help meet the employer’s needs?
  • Prepare to talk in your interviews about teamwork skills you’ve gained from group projects, athletics, service efforts, arts involvement, or wherever you participated in a group.
  • Develop a story around some of your experiences that demonstrate your ability to solve problems.

How about finding those smaller employers to target for your job search?

Find employers in your desired geographic area using CareerOneStop’s Business Finder. Search by your chosen occupation, the industry you want to work in, or the name of a business you want to target. Your search results will show the business name, address, number of employees, and distance from your search location. Go one level deeper to find detailed information on the company, including key contact, their job title and the company’s website.

 

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New on CareerOneStop: Updated Career Profiles

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Career changers, Career counselors, Entry-level workers, Job seekers, Students
Occupation Profile logo

CareerOneStop’s Occupation Profile has always provided accurate and up-to-date details on a wide range of careers—nearly 1,000 in all.

The updated Occupation Profile now offers the same—plus some extra!—great information in a friendlier and more customizable display. For each career, you’ll find 17 cards with information including:

Occupation Profile screenshot

  • Career overview
  • Career video
  • Typical wages
  • Local and national employment
  • Education requirements
  • Employment outlook
  • Typical tasks
  • Knowledge, skills, and abilities
  • Links to local job postings
  • Links to local training programs

Use the Occupation Profile to explore careers

Read on to learn how the Occupation Profile can help you answer five key career exploration questions:

1) How do I find out what this career is really like?

  • Read an occupation description and overview.
  • Watch a career video.
  • See a list of typical tasks that workers do on the job.

2) What’s the outlook for jobs in this career?

  • Find out if a career is expected to be in demand—that is, have many job openings in the future.
  • See detailed data on projected employment growth or decline.
  • Link directly to local job listings.

3) How much money could I earn in this career?

  • See the typical wages earned by workers in this career.
  • Compare salaries for  nation, states, or your local area.

4) How much education or training would I need for this career?

  • See the range in education levels of people working in this career.
  • See the typical education for starting out in this field.
  • See the amount of work experience most people have when starting.
  • See the average level of  on-the-job training. 
  • Link to local training programs that can help you prepare for this career.

5) Is this career a good fit for my interests, skills, and abilities?

  • See a list of personal interests that are typical a good fit for this career.
  • Learn about the abilities and personal qualities that are usually needed for this career.
  • See a list of work-related skills that are most commonly required for jobs in this career.
  • See the knowledge areas most common to workers in this career,
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Thank a teacher, be a teacher?

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Career changers, Entry-level workers, Students, Uncategorized
teacher and students in classroom

teacher and students in classroomLearners of all ages and life stages – from kindergarten to college and beyond – depend on the efforts of teachers to reach their goals. National Teacher Appreciation week, May 8-12 2017, is a great time to express appreciation to your teachers and, to explore the possibilities for entering this influential field.

Starting in 1984, National Parent Teachers Association has designated one week in May as a special time to honor the women and men who lend their passion and skills to educating children. In addition to teaching their academic subjects, the PTA notes that “Teachers deliver so much to students every day and make a profound difference in the long-term success of children.”

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there were about 3.6 million elementary and secondary school teachers engaged in classroom instruction in the fall of 2015. About 85% teach in public schools. Of those public school teachers:

  • Approximately 76% were female
  • 44% were under age 40
  • 56% had a master’s or higher degree
  • They were assisted in classrooms by approximately 410,201 teacher assistants in the U.S who work full time, year-round

Teaching is a profession that has a long and rich history, and is expected to be in demand as long as there are students to teach. Circumstances vary considerably, however, depending on the school, the district, state, age group of students, and other demographics. Class size can have a major impact on classroom management for teachers; the most recent averages were 21.2 pupils for public elementary schools and 26.8 pupils for public secondary schools, although in practice, class sizes may vary from under 10 to more than 40.

More facts to consider if teaching may be on your horizon:

The schedule: upsides and downsides. While teachers do get summers and school breaks off, they almost always require more than the time allotted during the school day to complete their work. On average, teachers work more than 52 hours a week, including 30 hours on instruction and 22 hours on tasks from planning lessons and grading papers to watching bus riders or staffing after-school activities.

It’s not for everyone. The rate of people leaving the profession is higher than in many other professions. At the end of the 2007-2008 school year, for example, 8 percent of all employed teachers left teaching.

That said, there are few occupations that match the potential for inspiration that teaching offers. As the writer Victor Hugo noted, the student “… who opens a school door, closes a prison.”

For career information on education related occupations, explore CareerOneStop’s brand new Occupation Profiles for: elementary and secondary teachers, teacher assistants, or education administrators. And check out the Local Training Finder for nearby programs where you can earn your teaching credential.

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Free online tools for small business owners

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Businesses and employers
National Small Business Week logo

If you’re a small business owner, then you probably already know that this week is National Small Business Week, when the country recognizes the critical contributions of small business owners.

National Small Business Week logoBut did you also know that the U.S. Department of Labor offers a wealth of free resources to help small business owners recruit, hire, and train a strong workforce? Visit the CareerOneStop Business Center to take advantage of online tools, labor market information, links to state resources and local services, and tips and information to help you grow your business.

You’ll find information on writing effective job descriptions and find tips for interviewing candidates. You can also locate local skills training programs, look up salary information and employment projections, and link to any state resources available for hiring workers. The site also includes tips about how to recruit qualified candidates through local American Job Centers.

You’ll also find several easy-to-use tools:

  • American Job Center Finder: Locate an American Job Center near you for help with recruiting, training, and retaining employees.
  • Available Workforce: Build a profile of the workforce in your local, state, or national area with data on employment, wages, unemployment rates, education and training programs, and demographics.
  • Civilian-to-Military Occupation Translator: Find military occupations with experience and skills that match your civilian positions.
  • Compare Occupations: Inform hiring and training decisions by comparing skills, salaries, and training for any two occupations.
  • Find Certifications: Identify current industry- or occupation-specific certifications for employee development, defining position requirements, and identifying potential candidates.
  • Find Local Training Programs: Locate local training programs and institutions to recruit qualified candidates or train current employees.
  • Find Professional Associations: Locate industry and professional associations to help you recruit candidates, provide professional development opportunities for your employees, and stay current with industry developments.
  • Find State Resources for Businesses: Connect to state resources on tax incentives, business development, training sources, employment laws, policies, recruiting, and more.
  • Job Description Writer: Create job descriptions for hiring or conducting reviews of existing positions, staff, and organizational structure.
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From incarceration to employment

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Businesses and employers, Uncategorized, Workers with criminal records
young man interviews for job

young man interviews for jobReentry week, April 24-28, 2017, co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Justice, calls attention to the approximately 600,000 citizens who will leave incarceration this year and return to their communities and families. While “getting out” is a big transition, what happens after release has an enormous impact on those individuals staying out.

The importance of employment for this group would be difficult to overestimate —as potential employees, providers for their families, and for preventing recidivism – and its related social costs.

Information from studies by the Pew Research Center help shed light on this critical population:

  • An estimated 70 million U.S. adults have arrest or conviction records. Society can’t afford to simply banish 70 million people from the workplace
  • One in 31 adults in America is in prison or jail, or on probation or parole.
  • Overall, two-thirds of offenders are in the community on probation or parole, not behind bars.

Criminal records make it tough for ex-offenders to get livable wage jobs, but giving them a chance to be successful in legal jobs will give millions of people a means to achieve sustainable wages legitimately. Economic innovation consultant Mike Green notes good reasons employers should take a closer look at hiring from this population.

  • Employee retention is often excellent: Workers who have criminal convictions understand their job prospects have been reduced by their record, and are likely to stay with a job that welcomes them. A number of studies note that many ex-offenders have a positive work history, and are as reliable as other workers.
  • Incentives: Hiring incentives such as the Federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit, and the federal bonding program, help employers offset potential concerns for risk.
  • Support for success: Probation often includes employment requirements that must be met, drug testing, and supervision by parole officers and halfway house staff. These supports reduce risks for employers at no cost to them.
  • Societal well-being: By employing people who have a criminal record, employers help prevent recidivism, and provide a means for legitimate workers to put their skills to work and make a positive contribution to an organization, and more broadly, their community. It also saves enormous costs – in preventing the return to prison at an annual cost of over $30,000 / per person. Baylor University has estimated a $10,000 yearly positive contribution to the economy for every ex-offender employed.
  • Children and families: The highest at-risk group for incarceration are the grown children of adults who were incarcerated. Family financial stability helps prevent this.

As the U.S. labor pool shrinks, it may be a good time for employers to take a closer look at their opportunity to hire good employees who hope to move from a criminal record to a strong work history.

CareerOneStop offers a range of resources both for businesses hiring a diverse workforce, and for job seekers who have a criminal conviction. To get a quick overview of the Job Search for Ex-Offenders website and learn how it can help you, check out the new introduction video.

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CareerOneStop wins 2017 Innovation award from AACC

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Career counselors, Students, Uncategorized
Logo og AACC Innovation Award winner

AACC Innovation Award logoCareerOneStop is one of six AACC Innovation Award winners for 2017. CareerOneStop was selected as a valuable resource for colleges, students, and administrators. Preparing youth and adults to enter skill-building community college programs and enhancing collaborations between community colleges and employers are core components of CareerOneStop’s mission.

CareerOneStop offers several resources aimed at providing youth and adults the resources they need to plan, pay for, and succeed at their education goals. These include:
Description of AACC Innovation Award winner CareerOneStopGetMyFuture.org, providing youth age 16 to 24 with reliable education and labor market information to plan for school and career success. The site includes an Interest Assessment, a Local Training Finder to search college programs in any location across the country, Occupation Profiles with local labor market data, and special resources for youth experiencing barriers to college success such as poverty, a criminal record, addiction, foster-youth involvement, and more.

The Credentials Center, providing education seekers of any age a one-stop website where reliable education and labor market information can help them plan, pay for, and achieve their education and career goals. This site includes information to help people explore education options, make a plan that works for them, and prepare to succeed in college. Free tools include a Local Training Finder where users can search all IPEDS schools by program, location, career field, and more; a Scholarship Finder with information on more than 7,500 scholarships, fellowships, grants, and other financial aid opportunities; and a half dozen other education-related tools such as Certification Finder, an Apprenticeship Finder, a License Finder, and more.

mySkillsmyFuture.org, providing skills gap information from any occupation to any other occupation and offers links to education and training programs that can help students or job seekers bridge that gap.

AACC announced the 2017 Innovation Awards awards in advance of the organization’s 97th annual convention April 22-25 in New Orleans.

Planning to be at the convention? Come see CareerOneStop at Booth 130 in the Exhibit Hall.  Join us for a Happy Hour Reception Sunday, April 23rd from 5:15 to 6 pm. Or, visit us anytime between 2 and 6:30 pm on Sunday or 9:30 to 11:30 am Monday.

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From fairy tales to resume guides: Find them at the library

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Entry-level workers, Job seekers
People working on computers in library

People working on computers in libraryDo you remember childhood visits to your local public library, complete with the smell of new books, and the freedom to check out all the materials you could carry?

I grew up across the street from my small town library. Once I could cross the street alone, I spent hours perusing shelves, confidently looking up books in the card catalog and reading in the comfy stuffed chairs.

Fortunately, libraries offer plenty of appealing resources for adults as well. And there’s no time like the present to explore library resources – during National Library Week, April 9-15, 2017.

Sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries across the country, the week celebrates the contributions of our nation’s libraries and calls attention to the importance of community and public support to keep resources available. All types of libraries – school, public, academic, and special – participate.

Some intriguing facts about U.S. libraries:

  • Librarians answer nearly 6.6 million reference questions each week. Standing single file, the line of questioners would span from Miami, Florida to Juneau, Alaska.
  • Americans go to the library (including school, public, and academic libraries) about twice as often as they go to the movies: 2,664,612,367 for libraries vs. 1,340,000,000 movies.
  • Americans check out an average of eight books per year. They spend $36.96 a year for the public library – a little more than the typical cost of one hardcover book.
  • Libraries are a smart investment. When Ohio studied the return on investment in their library system, they learned that for every dollar spent, Ohioans received $5.48 in economic value.

Most libraries also help unemployed Americans find resources to look for work, and even provide needed tools to conduct a job search.

  • Nearly 100% of public libraries provide Wi-Fi and have free access to computers
  • 97% help people complete online government forms
  • 90% help patrons learn basic Internet skills
  • 73% of public libraries assist patrons with job applications and interviewing skills
  • 68% help patrons use databases to find career openings

CareerOneStop recognizes the tremendous support libraries offer to job seekers. Check out our nationwide library finder to quickly locate the closest library in your community.

You can also depend on finding a wealth of employment resources and personal assistance at your nearest American Job Center.

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