Blog | CareerOneStop | Pathway to Career Success

Can you afford to be a lawyer?

Posted on September 3, 2015 by

CareerOneStop Posted in Career changers, Students

Have you dreamed of a career as a lawyer? Read legal novels or watched courtroom dramas and imagined yourself there?

Law is a profession that has long appealed to those with analytical minds and a passion for understanding and applying the law. It’s also a field with a reputation for paying well. However, the recent New York Times article Too Many Law Students, Too Few Legal Jobs highlights the increasing disparity between the number of law school graduates and available job openings, an important factor for those considering the field.

Job openings and salaries

Agreeing with other authoritative sources, the article reports that nationally, there are too few jobs for the number of law school graduates, flooding the market with available graduates, driving salaries down and making it harder for new lawyers to repay student loan debt. In the past 8-10 years, rates of full-time law employment (jobs that require a candidate to have passed the bar exam) have dropped significantly for graduates. At the same time, median starting salaries have declined from $72,000 in 2009 to $60,000 in 2012.

If law schools continue to graduate students at the current rate, while legal jobs grow at the rate anticipated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, new graduates may be in a very tenuous position. The job growth predicted from 2010-2020 could potentially absorb graduates through 2015, but graduates of law classes from 2016 to 2020 would find a saturated market, with opportunities available only from normal attrition and retirements.

Tuition and debt

At the same time, tuition has increased substantially, with a related bump in increased student loan debt. On average, graduates of public law schools finish with $88,000 in student loan debt, while private law school graduates start their careers owing $127,000. While law school has always presented a costly prospect, just in the past nine years debt has risen nearly 30 percent.

An American Bar Association task force was established to help address the issue. They recently published a report that included suggestions to help make law schools more accountable for their graduates’ ability to manage the costs of school without crippling debt. Their report included language regarding “capping law student loans, requiring law schools to have ‘skin in the game’ by being responsible for loan repayment in certain situations, and even scrapping the current federal student loan program altogether” in order to make schools more financially responsible.

Know the expectations for your field

How does a student or career changer mitigate this kind of risk? By reviewing the most up to date, authoritative information available by state, for the employment of lawyers, and nearly 900 other occupations. CareerOneStop data includes current and projected employment numbers, and wages for those in the lowest- and highest-paid positions, and median salaries for each occupation.

Check out employment figures and wages for lawyers in your state with CareerOneStop’s occupation profile. Or explore alternative careers that use analytical reasoning or law-related skills.

Tagged with: career exploration, financial aid, job outlook, Salaries, school value

Check out CareerOneStop’s new app

Posted on August 31, 2015 by

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

Looking for career, training, or job info on the go?

CareerOneStop has collected six of its most popular career, job, and training tools into one free app—now available for Android or iPhone.

Download CareerOneStop Mobile in Apple’s App Store or at Google Play and check out the following features.

Find an American Job Center helps you quickly locate and contact your closest American Job Center(s).
Find a Job provides job listings, updated daily, for any local area in the United States.
Veterans Job Search matches military job experience to civilian careers, and then shows you local job listings for those careers.
Salary Finder provides average hourly wages or annual salaries by occupation and location.
Training Finder lets you locate education and training programs—from short-term training to college degree programs—in your local area.
Unemployment Insurance has details for each state’s unemployment insurance program including how to file—whether it’s online, by phone, or in person.

Tagged with: toolkit

Back to school . . . as an adult

Posted on August 27, 2015 by

CareerOneStop Posted in Students, Uncategorized

Are you heading back to the classroom as an adult this fall?

Congratulations! That means you’ve already cleared the hurdles of finding a school, navigating the admissions maze, and—hopefully—figuring out how to pay your tuition. All you have to do now is show up for classes, find a few hours a day to study, remember how to take tests and write papers, get all your work turned in on time, and you’re golden, right?

Of course you may have to do all that while holding down a job, taking care of your kids or maybe even your parents, paying your bills, grocery shopping, keeping your home in shape, and all the other thousand or so little tasks and responsibilities that are part of being an adult. Yikes, what have you gotten yourself into?

Relax, you can do it. Does it help to know that an estimated 40 percent of college students in the United States are older than 25? Like them, you can make this work. But unlike a typical 18-year-old, you probably can’t make it work just on blind luck. The key for any adult returning to school is planning. Of course you know that having a plan doesn’t mean that everything is necessarily going to go that way –but it does mean that when things start to seem haywire, you’ll have a better chance of getting back on track.

When you make a plan, you give yourself the chance to see exactly how you can accomplish all you need to accomplish. This means writing down a weekly schedule each week. Note that it doesn’t mean having a vague idea of all the things you need to get done in any given week. That’s simply a recipe for sleepless nights. Instead, it means physically documenting your weekly schedule—you can do this on paper, in a calendar, or online. However you do it, make sure you include time for the following:

Your job. The first thing to block off is time when you will be at work. Then block off commuting time, getting-ready time, or other work-related tasks.
Your classes. This includes the actual hours you spend in the classroom or online for a course, as well as any commuting time.
Sleep. Notice how high on the list this is? Sleep is important—when you don’t get enough, you can’t do anything else to the best of your ability. No matter what you think you can get by on, be sure to block off 7 to 9 hours a night for sleeping.
Study time. There’s a reason for blocking out your study time after you’ve blocked out your sleeping hours: you won’t end up facing the sleep-versus-finish your work trade-off every night. The sad fact is, you need to do both in order to meet your education goals.
Exercise. Whether you love it or hate it, exercise is one thing that’s easy to let drop from your schedule when you get overloaded. But, like sleep, getting physical activity repays you by improving your functioning throughout the day—and helping you sleep better to boot.
Family time. If you have kids, a partner, or other family members you’re close to, it’s a great idea to block off the time you want—or need—to spend with them each week. This might be family dinners, carpool obligations, helping your kids with homework, or simply relaxing time.
R & R. You may as well face facts—you’re likely to have to cut back on some of your favorite fun stuff while you’re in school. For most people, there just aren’t enough hours in the day. And keeping your eye on your long-term goals can help ease the pain of giving up some fun time. But don’t kid yourself by thinking you can get by without any fun. Now that you’ve blocked out work, school, and other obligations, make sure you include something fun each week—it helps to have something to look forward to and it helps you unwind in between tasks.

Once you’ve included these seven major items, you’ll probably have your own unique needs to add to your schedule. The important thing is getting down your obligations—and the hours of the day—in one place, each week. Sometimes your schedule will look very much the same from week to week—but other times you’ll need to make big adjustments. Once you get used to making and following a weekly schedule, you’ll find that it gets easier to plan ahead—for instance, to find times when you can sneak in some extra study time while waiting for an appointment or get a head-start on a big assignment because you have time off of work.

Check out CareerOneStop’s Credentials Center for information on how going back to college and other credentials can boost your career. You can learn more about the kind of training that’s in demand and what’s right for you.

Tagged with: education and training, school value, work options

Hiring employees with autism

Posted on August 20, 2015 by

CareerOneStop Posted in Businesses and employers, Career counselors, Workers with disabilities

Unemployment and underemployment are high among adults with Austism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). If you are one of the employers missing out on the talents of this group, consider how your organization could benefit from their unique way of seeing the world. Many people with ASD look to contribute to workplaces that respect their needs as well as their abilities.

What is ASD?

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) involves difficulty with communication and interactions with others, and some type of limitation and repetition in interests and behaviors. The autism spectrum is broad, spanning those who are non-verbal and severely disabled to people who are highly intelligent, with astonishing ability in specific areas.

People with ASD have distinct brain processes and experience the world differently. Analysis of historic figures strongly suggests that many “geniuses” of the past likely had an ASD, including: Albert Einstein, Thomas Jefferson, Emily Dickenson and Andy Warhol, and today’s Dr. Temple Grandin, a thought leader on ASD.

Most of us know someone who has an ASD diagnosis. According to figures from the Center for Disease Control, there are currently more than 3.5 million Americans who have an ASD, with about 1 in 68 children who receive the diagnosis.

How ASD may show up in the workplace

While ASD is a diagnosis associated with a diverse range of traits, there are some typical ways ASD may appear in employees:

Avoid eye contact, talk loudly, ask many questions
Come across as socially awkward, say the wrong thing, possibly even rude
Talk “at” others extensively, not engaging in back and forth
Become anxious at transitioning between activities or ideas, and handling change
Take a literal interpretation of communications, misunderstanding humor
Fail to correctly interpret body language and facial expressions
Difficulty processing consequences of an action
React strongly to loud noises, bright or flickering lighting, physical contact

There are also benefits associated with ASD:

The ability to focus for hours, weeks, or years on an interest
Deep attention to details
Systematic approach to work; consistently applying procedures
The ability to categorize and retain extensive amounts of information
Unconventional thinking sometimes leading to creative, even brilliant, insights and discoveries

Strategies for employers

Just as the population of those with ASD varies tremendously, so do their needs in the workplace. Some may need no accommodation, while others may benefit from several. A variety of strategies may support employees with ASD in being productive and effective.

Due to social interaction difficulties and anxiety, job candidates with ASD would interview better with additional options to demonstrate their abilities.
A detailed written job description with step-by-step instructions is necessary. Avoid euphemisms or jokes, and ask new employees to describe their understanding of tasks.
Job skill training for all new employees is vital. Use videos or role-playing for employees with ASD to show appropriate behavior concretely.
Provide staff development around how to accommodate differences and resolves issues positively and directly. Mentors are helpful.
Provide detailed schedules with clear expectations for meetings, work start, end, and break times. Offer advance notice of changes when possible for time to transition.
Describe workplace culture, including etiquette, humor, dress, and other “unwritten rules”. Reassurance will help your new employee deal with anxiety and perfectionism.
Consider allowing written responses when requesting feedback, or for communication between coworkers.
Clear, honest, and constructive feedback on performance is crucial. Sensitivity is often important; many people with ASD have been criticized or even bullied in the past.
Where appropriate, allow your new employee to adjust the environment to handle sensory sensitivities, i.e. wearing earphones, changing a light bulb, or taking breaks.
Recognize that lack of eye contact probably means a break from sensory overload, not disrespect or inattention.

Learn more at CareerOneStop’s Hiring Workers with Disabilities, Job Accommodations, and About the ADA. And see the Job Accommodation Network’s Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Tagged with: diverse workforce, hiring

Check out CareerOneStop’s Business Finder

Posted on August 18, 2015 by

CareerOneStop Posted in Businesses and employers, Career changers, Career counselors, Entry-level workers, Job seekers, Uncategorized

Interested in researching businesses, employers, or industries in your area?

The new Business Finder replaces CareerOneStop’s former Employer Locator with enhanced features and streamlined design. Aligned with CareerOneStop’s overall redesign, improvements include a single search box to enter your preferred search criteria, an easy-to-read results page, and improved filters to help you narrow your results.

Job seekers can learn about businesses, government agencies, and non-profit organizations that may be hiring in their local area. They can locate nearly 12 million employers by business name, industry, occupation, or location. For each business, they’ll find basic information including addresses and phone numbers for contacting about potential job openings.

Other uses for the Business Finder include:

Targeting a job search. Job seekers or counselors can get a list of organizations likely to employ people in your occupation or industry, and contact them to inquire about job openings.
Job interview research. Job seekers can find basic information about businesses, and research their competitors or suppliers to be ready for interview questions.
Industry research. Businesses, economic developers, students, or job seekers can identify businesses in any industry by city, state, or regional area.

The Business Finder will soon be available as a web service. If you are interested in integrating the Business Finder into your website, email us at info@careeronestop.org so we may contact you when Web Services become available.

Tagged with: business finder, employer research

Spruce up your resume with the Resume Guide

Posted on August 10, 2015 by

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

Ready to begin or fix up your resume? Before you dive right in, take the time to check out the strategies and tips in CareerOneStop’s Resume Guide. It doesn’t have to take long—and the payoff will be worth it!

Visit the Resume Guide to find:

A step-by-step plan for what to include in your resume
Tips for writing, formatting, and polishing
Sample resumes from a variety of job seekers
Ways to market your resume and get it into the right hands
How to make the most of the Internet and tools like LinkedIn and Facebook
Answers to the most frequently asked resume questions

Poke around on your own, or visit these highlights:

Top Resume Strategies offers tips and techniques for getting your document noticed. Read more about:

Selling yourself and your brand. Make it easy for employers to pick you.
Communicating who you are, what you offer, and what makes you different from other applicants.
Identifying your transferable skills, a major selling point that sets you apart from other job seekers.
Highlighting your accomplishments. Anyone can list duties and responsibilities, but accomplishments give you credibility.
Using keywords effectively. The specific words you use in your resume are critical for communicating your value and keyword matching.

The Sample Resume Walk-Through: One of the best ways to learn how to write an effective resume is to study examples of successful ones.

So the Resume Guide provides several example resumes, as well as a thorough walk-through of one resume that breaks it into parts. Get more information on:

Header (contact information)
Headline and summary
Skills and Abilities
Work Experience
Education
Continuing Education
Other information

Make the Most of the Internet offers marketing how-tos including:

How to establish an online presence. Can employers and recruiters find you on Google? Here are four ways to increase your online visibility.
How to use the major social networking tools. Learn about the “big three” social networking sites—LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter—and what you can do with them.
Why you still need a resume. Social media is exciting, but resumes won’t be disappearing anytime soon. Learn why.

Tagged with: resumé

Post open positions on your state’s job bank

Posted on August 6, 2015 by

CareerOneStop Posted in Businesses and employers

If you hire employees and need to recruit candidates, there is a free job listing service that reaches thousands of qualified job seekers in your area, that you may not be aware of: your state job bank. Learn the advantages of state job banks and use our expert tips to find the best candidates.

How state job banks work

Posting job openings on online state job banks can get your open positions in front of thousands of job seekers. Once you create an account—usually a simple process of providing organization and position information—you can search for qualified candidates and candidates can search your job postings.

All employers can post jobs free to their own state job bank, but registration, validation, and posting times vary by state. Find your state job bank to learn their process to post your job for free.

It’s a time-saving recruiting process, but can flood an employer with applications. Some strategic thinking up front will ensure you get more targeted results while minimizing time wasted by inappropriate applications.

Steps to write your strongest job posting

Think like the job seeker so the right candidate can find your job. Create a job seeker account and search for your own job listing so you can see whether it’s easy to find and how it looks. Does the job posting display the way you expect it to? If not, edit it.
Use as specific and meaningful a job title as possible. Rather than the generic “inside sales”, try “auto sales and service” “industrial real estate sales” to generate more targeted candidates.
Titling is also critical to finding candidates with the appropriate credential. Try to include a required credential in the title, such as “licensed engineer” or “certified nurse practitioner”.
Create separate postings for jobs with different requirements. Job seekers will typically search for their own license or credential in a job posting. For example, posting a job for “RNs or LPNs” will often be overlooked by both RNs and LPNs. Instead, if it’s a job that can be performed by either, just list the lowest level of qualification, in this case, LPN.
Avoid posting a single opening in multiple locations. For example, a trucking job could require a driver to travel across the state. However, it should be posted where the work is – in this example, where routes begin and end, rather than posting multiple openings in each area traveled to. This avoids creating duplicate job openings, which can frustrate both employers and job seekers.
The job description should include physical demands, key skills needed and specific numbers to give a clear idea of expectations i.e. “You will weld auto body frames” and, “Travel to 10 training events per month and train 100 people at each event,” “Lift 80 lbs throughout the day.”
You might include points in the job description to attract candidates like, “job will allow you to be home every weekend.” Note any perks available such as stock options, fitness club membership, parking, education reimbursement. The more detailed the posting, the better results you will get.
Include characteristics that will be deal breakers for many people, such as amount of travel, people contact, helping others with daily life skills, and public speaking. Be accurate about drug testing practices and background checks to give job seekers a chance to opt out.
The expected work schedule is a key factor for some job seekers, so specify any unusual schedule expectations. If your company has PT and FT positions with set hours, state the hours accurately rather than saying “flexible schedule,” which implies hours can be set around an employee’s preferences.

Advantages of your state job bank

It’s a free resource to advertise your jobs
Help is available to complete your postings
You can search for candidates’ experience and qualifications, and reach more qualified candidates than through many other job banks
Provides a vital recruiting strategy for businesses that have small HR budgets
Federal contractors are required to list jobs with their state’s job bank or labor exchange system
If you have positions for which you get an H2A or B federal designation (approval to hire foreign workers), you have to post on a state job bank to open jobs to domestic candidates first

A few limitations for state job banks: most will not accept listings for contractor positions (i.e. those for which you do not pay employer taxes but file 1099 forms). Some states may require that commission based work guarantees a minimum wage.

Resources to help

Want some assistance with using job banks or with other workforce issues? Contact your local American Job Center to connect with a Business Services Representative. And see CareerOneStop’s Business Center for more ideas on recruiting and hiring.

Tagged with: local services, recruiting

What does the job pay? Salary Finder has the answer

Posted on August 3, 2015 by

CareerOneStop Posted in Businesses and employers, Entry-level workers, Job seekers, Uncategorized

Ever wondered what the earning potential is for your career? Or what a starting wage would be in a new field? CareerOneStop’s Salary Finder provides salary information for more than 800 different occupations, for locations across the U.S.

How to get started using Salary Finder

Start by entering a job name or keyword, or click “List of occupations” to browse job titles
Select a location; you can view salary information by region, state, or the nation
Once you click “Search” you’ll see a table showing the low, median, and high salaries for the location you entered, as well as the state and national comparison
Create charts to compare salaries in your location to a state or national average

Use different views to answer your salary questions

If you are curious to see both the hourly and annual salary information for each state, use the table view. Or to compare pay in your region with national figures, try the chart view. A newer feature allows you to quickly scan a state map illustrating the yearly median salary for your occupation in different areas of your state. Click the “view map” option to see this.

What does the salary range really mean?

It’s important to understand the range of salaries shown in the Salary Finder, so that you can interpret them for your use. Your initial view will show national figures in blue, then add your selected region in red.

The “High” shows the salary that 90% of workers earn less than and 10% earn more than – so at this level most workers have a lot of experience and meet all the qualifications for the job
“Median” shows the salary that 50% of workers earn less than and 50% earn more than
The “Low” salary is the amount that 10% of workers earn less than, and 90% earn more than – this is often used by employers to set an entry level wage, and may be common even for workers with some experience in regions where wages are lower than average

Use salary information before, during and to end a job search

Before a job search, you can use the Salary Finder to compare pay for different occupations you are considering, and see how your career choices stack up. For more detailed information on skill requirements and employment trends in different occupations, check out the occupation profile.

During a job application process, you may be asked for your salary expectations, and if you have to provide it, use the Salary Finder to name an appropriate range for your field in your location. Unless you have an outstanding qualification that is unusual in your field, your expectation should match the typical pay for your level of experience in your location.

After you receive a job offer, use the Salary Finder to help negotiate a salary. Keep in mind that while the Salary Finder data is accurate, it does not offer a complete picture; salary is only one part of job compensation. Many other benefits — like flexible schedules or excellent health insurance — may make up for a lower salary.

Also, since employers and Human Resource professionals use this information to help set appropriate wage levels and as a basis for many job descriptions, it’s smart to look at the same data they see.

How accurate is the information?

Salary information comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Program. Each state conducts a survey of employers twice each year to obtain wage and employment statistics for every part of their state. Because surveys are conducted by researchers calling employers directly, and the employers who participate represent all the industries and business sizes in the region, the information is very accurate. Wage data are updated on CareerOneStop annually.

Yearly wage data applies only to workers with full-time, year-round schedules. The hourly wage data includes information for part-time and part-year workers.

Mobile

The Salary Finder is available as a mobile tool on the CareerOneStop website. It is also one of the six tools included in the new CareerOneStop Mobile app, available for free in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.

View CareerOneStop’s full Toolkit for more tools to help in your career exploration or job search.

Tagged with: Salaries

Health care IT: a fast-growing job market

Posted on July 30, 2015 by

CareerOneStop Posted in Career changers, Job seekers

The health care industry is growing at a rapid pace. In May of this year, 47,000 new jobs were added, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And with federal regulation shifts and heightened demand for electronic medical records, information technology (IT) is a linchpin for industry changes. If you currently work in an IT career, or are considering entering IT, take a look at the health care industry for job prospects.

What is Health IT?

Health IT deals with the use of computer and digital technology in medical facilities, including electronic coding and billing systems, electronic medical records, and networks for digital imaging. Health IT professionals enter the field either from a medical background, or from IT experience in another industry.

Most health care employers prefer to hire IT professionals with medical background to provide contextual knowledge and understanding of medical terminology. Some employers provide IT skill training to clinical staff, to build technical understanding on their foundation of medical knowledge. But with increasingly complex IT systems and related work processes, formal IT training may be necessary.

And given recent increases in Health IT needs, many IT professionals with experience in other industries have made the transition to Health IT successfully.

IT professionals: same career, new industry

To move from another industry, an IT professional needs to learn about health care settings, and clearly understand that the primary mission and culture of health care is patient care. While IT may be a major focus in many corporate settings, IT projects often take a back seat to patient care priorities in health care settings. As a lower priority, IT systems may be antiquated and lack integration.

The employees who provide care are also a critical focus of the health care industry, so emphasizing this awareness and its implications will strengthen your job application process. In interviews, you may want to talk about the key players in health care – physicians, nurses, and other clinicians – and assure the interviewer of your commitment to support the quality and efficiency of their work. You may also expand your job-seeking opportunities if you have expertise related to current health care industry changes.

Health IT expertise in demand

Information security. The rise in electronic health records and other government requirements have made medical data security and privacy a major focus in health care.
Financial reporting systems. Federal requirements target industry billing changes, which present another significant industry challenge and an opportunity for IT development.
Performance benchmarking and analytics that support performance reporting. New care delivery models require much clearer data on performance.
Clinical expertise. Clinicians moving into IT can expect to see strong demand in nursing informatics, clinical process improvement, and service line analyst occupations.

Regardless of your prior experience, all Health IT job candidates need to meet some basic qualifications.

Getting into Health IT: education and certifications

A bachelor’s degree is the minimum entry level credential for most Health IT jobs, with either a health care-related or IT major. Health care professionals should maintain their clinical licensure and professional certifications, as these may be required or preferred, for IT positions. IT professionals should maintain their credentials as well. Certifications in demand include:

To learn more about IT certifications, visit CareerOneStop’s Certification Finder. Or research both healthcare and IT industries in CareerOneStop’s industry resources.

Tagged with: career exploration, job outlook

Find local schools and training programs

Posted on July 27, 2015 by

CareerOneStop Posted in Students

Thinking about going back to school? CareerOneStop’s Local Training Finder helps you locate schools and training programs in your area.

Whether you’re interested in a short-term certificate program, a two- or four-year degree, or even graduate school, the Local Training Finder can help you locate and research programs near you, to make sure you find the best fit for your needs.

How do I get started?

Visit Local Training Finder and enter a keyword for the type of job training or program you want to find. Once you start typing, you’ll see some names appear below the box. Click on the one that best matches what you are looking for. If you don’t see what you are looking for, try typing another keyword.

Then enter your city, state, or ZIP code, and click “Search.”

What kind of information will I find?

Once you enter a keyword and location, you’ll see a list of schools with training programs that match your keyword. You’ll find:

The school name (click the name to visit the school’s website)
The program name
The length of time it usually takes students to complete the program
The number of people who graduated from the program (these numbers are for the 2012-13 school year)

What if I want to find out more about a school or program?

To learn more about a program, click on the name of the school. When the school’s website opens, look for:

Information about a program. Find it by looking for the “Programs” section on the website or entering the program name into the school website’s search box, if there is one.
Information about admissions
Information about cost and financial aid

Can I improve my list of results?

Your results list may be too long or have odd matches for your keywords. You can get better matches by using the filters to the left on your screen: occupation, program name and program length.

Can I save my list of results?

To download and save your results in a document, click the Download button at the bottom of your results list, and choose from Excel, Word, pdf and RTF formats.

To email or print your results, use the links at the bottom of the page.

Where does this information come from?

All of the school and program information comes from The U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Only schools that receive federal funding are included.

Where can I learn more about starting or going back to school?

Visit CareerOneStop’s Credentials Center to learn more about selecting, paying for, and getting started in a training or degree program.

Tagged with: education and training