Take ownership of your career story

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Career changers, Job seekers, Older workers

We all know that the days of a 40-year career at one company are mostly history. Today, our individual skills, talents, and accomplishments are the keys to career advancement. But how exactly does one go about creating a career path—and landing that next great job—with a series of diverse experiences?

Sometimes it’s a matter of identifying the common thread in your series of experiences, says Jody Greenstone Miller, CEO of Business Talent Group. “You’ve got to own your own career path,” she stresses. “You’ve got to tell the story, connect the dots. You’ve got to keep a list of your accomplishments.”

Miller says that agility—being able to move from job to job and add value at each new opportunity—is fast becoming the most sought-after job skill. Increasingly, she says, employers are looking for “someone who’s moved around and been successful quickly.” Learn more about Miller’s thoughts on the evolving workplace in her interview with Yahoo Finance below.

Ready to tell your career story?

If Miller’s advice speaks to you, your next question is likely “So how exactly do I tell my story?” And the answer is: in many ways, on many platforms.  You can present your highlights—connect your career dots—on social media, in an interview or when networking, and, yes, even in your resumé.

A resumé may seem old school, but it’s still the most commonly used job search tool. And it can still be a great method for telling your career story to future employers. CareerOneStop’s Resume Guide offers strategies to help you tell your story. Visit Top Resume Strategies to learn how to:

  • Sell yourself and your brand. Communicate who you are, what you offer, and what makes you stand out from the crowd.
  • Identify your transferable skills. Your transferable skills are a major selling point that sets you apart from other job seekers. Make sure you—and your prospective next boss—know what yours are.
  • Highlight your accomplishments. Anyone can list duties and responsibilities, but accomplishments give you credibility, help your resume come alive, and form the plot of your story.
  • Use keywords effectively. The specific words you use in your resume are critical for communicating your value. Keywords are how companies and recruiters find your resume, and how they decide if you’d be a good fit.

 

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Expand your mid-career job search

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Career changers, Older workers
image of sign saying career

Time for a new job? Don’t feel limited to looking within your current industry—your skills may be more transferable than you think!

career signOnce you’re mid-career, you’ve usually built up a strong foundation of knowledge, skills, and experience within your field. And you’ve probably developed that foundation within a particular industry—the type of business or organization where you work .

So when you start to look for a new opportunity, it makes sense that your first glances might be toward companies in your current industry. After all, that’s where your expertise is, right?

Well, not always. It might be simpler than you think to apply your skills in a new industry. Think about it: if your job is in accounting, IT, human resources, management, design, business development, or a host of other occupations, it’s likely that companies in nearly every industry have similar jobs—and need similar skills and experience. In certain cases, management deliberately hires from outside their industry in order to innovate and grow.

Wondering what industries are most likely to employ your particular occupation? You’re in luck—you can easily find that information with CareerOneStop’s Industry/Occupation Trends reports. You’ll enter your occupation and find a breakdown of which industries commonly employ people in that occupation.

From there, you have lots of options to research industries:

  • Create an Industry Profile for your state to learn about projected employment trends, wages, and more. Use this to focus your search on growing industries in your area.
  • Learn more about employment outlooks from professional industry associations. These can also be a great source of learning about a new industry, through publications and training events, or for finding contacts who are established in the industry.
  • Visit the Employer Locator to find businesses within any industry in your local area. You can target a job search to specific employers by reaching out to their human resources department or to leadership in a division that employs people in your field.

For more ideas on how you might transfer your skills and knowledge to a new job, visit mySkillsmyFuture. You’ll enter your current occupation and find a list of careers that might require similar experience. From there you can explore careers and find employment outlooks, learn about typical education and salaries, and even find current job openings in your local area.

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Need a license for that job?

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

Did you know you have to be licensed to work as a wrestling announcer in Washington (and many other states)? Or to be a beekeeper in Rhode Island? In fact lots of careers require state occupational licenses.

What kinds of jobs need licenses?

licensed occSince the purpose behind most occupational licenses is to protect the public’s safety, jobs where you work with people or address safety issues tend to require licenses. Examples of occupations that are licensed in many states include:

  • Jobs in health care including doctors, nurses, dental assistants, and emergency medical tehnicians (EMTs)
  • Jobs in finance including accountants, stockbrokers, and investment advisors
  • Jobs working with children including teachers and child-care providers
  • Jobs in personal care such as barbers and cosmetologists
  • Jobs in building trades such as plumbers, electricians, and contractors

How do I get a license?

Getting an occupational license can be easy or complicated, depending on the occupation and the state. Most require a certain amount of training (anywhere from one hour to hundreds of hours) and passing an exam. Both the training and the exam can cost money, and again, the range is huge: anywhere from less than $100 to thousands of dollars. State agencies set the guidelines—and they vary from state to state—so find the licensing agencies in your state to get details.

Learn more

If you’re just getting started exploring careers, or thinking about making a shift from one to another—it’s worth your time to find out if your dream job requires a license.

Since each state sets their own requirements, it’s also worth investigating if you’re considering moving from one state to another.

Visit CareerOneStop’s License Finder for more information.

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Time for a career tune-up?

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Career changers, Job seekers, Older workers

The economy’s looking up—how’s your career looking?

The labor market is strong.  According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s latest jobs report, the national unemployment rate is holding steady at 5.5 percent. And an April 7 report showed that job openings surged 3.4 percent, to 5.1 million, in February—a 14-year high.

Career tune up_jpgThat’s all good news—but it doesn’t mean we’re not still feeling effects from the recent recession. Many people are currently making less money than they were five or ten years ago, and others are stuck in a career or job that they don’t love—or even like all that much. In fact, one of the longest-lasting impacts of a recession is the way it affects our personal ideas about career and job prospects. When we start seeing people around us getting laid off, we decide we’re pretty lucky to have any job. And if we get laid off ourselves—and face an extended period of unemployment—we may very well settle for a job that’s less than ideal.

Once the economy starts humming along again, it can be hard to shake that idea of feeling grateful to have any job. That’s why right now—with the recession pretty clearly in the rear-view mirror—is a great time for a career tune-up.

So what’s a career tune-up?

When a car gets a tune-up, a mechanic checks through a list of items to make sure everything’s working smoothly. You can check up on your career in the same way. Get started with the following short list of questions:

Is my job right for me?

If you love your career but not your particular job, don’t let yourself get stuck in a rut. With the average U.S. worker changing jobs about once every four or five years, there’s no need to stay in a job that’s not right for you. Keep your ears open for new opportunities by networking, joining professional associations, and searching for jobs.

Is my career right for me?          

Ever heard the statistic that the average worker changes careers seven times over their life? Some researchers say that’s an urban myth—but the fact remains: plenty of people switch careers over the course of their working years. Take stock of how well you fit your current career by taking an assessment or learning about other careers of interest. Also, visit mySkills myFuture to learn about additional careers that use similar skills and experiences to the one required by your current job.

Am I getting paid enough?

It’s always good to know how your salary compares to others in similar jobs. Check out CareerOneStop’s Salary Finder to see national and local average wages for more than 900 occupations.

Am I keeping up to date with the latest trends in my career or industry?

Wherever you are on your career path, it’s always a good idea to keep informed about what others in your industry or occupation are up to. Locate professional associations to see what’s going on in your field.

Should I think about going back to school?

It’s a fact that additional education can boost your career prospects—and your paycheck. This could mean finishing a college degree, earning an advanced degree, or simply enrolling in a short-term training program or earning a certification in your field. Learn more about these options at CareerOneStop’s Training section.

Once you get started with the above questions, you’ll probably think of other ways to check in on your career as well.  You can visit CareerOneStop for tools and resources to help you advance in any field. Most of all, remember that a career tune-up is not a once-in-a-lifetime event: make regular assessment and reflection a part of your career journey. You’ll thank yourself!

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Freelance work opportunities are growing

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Businesses and employers, Job seekers, Uncategorized

If you work on a freelance, or contract, basis, you can expect to see more employers offer more opportunities. If you have wanted to explore going out on your own, the prospects look promising.

A recent study of the U.S. workforce by independent research firm Edelman Berland investigated the number of freelance workers compared to the number of permanent employees. They found that 53 million, or approximately 34% of U.S. workers, now work as freelance contractors. Many experts agree that we can expect to see jobs continue to move toward more part-time, temporary, and contract positions.

What’s fueling the trend?

Sources cite different reasons for the trend, from increasing costs of healthcare for permanent employees, to fluctuating business needs due to the rapidly changing workplace. In any case, many freelancers say their work is in increasing demand.

Technology improvements contribute directly to freelance opportunity growth. Work products may be electronically-based, and online communication tools make it possible to meet online, share documents, and gather customer feedback easily. The study also notes that many millennial workers (under age 35) consider freelancing an appealing, viable work option.

What does freelancing look like?

  • About 40% of freelancers are independent contractors. They are self-employed, and work exclusively on a project basis for a variety of organizations.
  • Another 27% moonlight. They are generally full-time employees who conduct work for other organizations on their off hours.
  • 18% of freelancers are considered diversified workers, meaning they have multiple income streams from a blend of freelance and part-time employment sources.
  • About 10% are temporary workers, or employees with a single job, hired on a temporary basis.
  • Business owners make up the final 5% of freelancers. They bridge their own independent freelancing with entrepreneurship by hiring employees for larger projects when needed.

What does this mean for you?dv1662015

Freelancing appears to be a trend that is likely to grow, so consider how you can benefit and grow with it.

Flexibility is high. Workers who need flexibility in their work schedules may especially benefit from this trend. Permanent employees with new family or health-related demands may choose to negotiate a freelance arrangement to accommodate changing schedule needs. This trend can also benefit workers who supplement another income source.

Greater personal control over your work. Have you wanted to explore a new direction in your field? Build new relationships, or develop new work? Many contractors appreciate the ability to choose their projects and pursue their own work interests.

Provide your own “benefits.” This trend also means that fewer jobs will come with employment benefits, so it will be important to consider how to meet your needs for health care, professional development, and retirement without an employer’s contribution.

How are your networking skills? CareerOneStop can help you develop your network, an essential step for freelancers. By keeping social media up to date, participating in professional associations, and pursuing contacts from a variety of sources, you can explore a range of potential contract possibilities. It may also be important to research employers in your area that hire people with your skills, to expand your list of freelance prospects.

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5 high-pay careers: no college degree required

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

Looking for a career with a decent paycheck, but not sure you have the time to start or finish a college degree? Check out this list of five occupations that pay well and don’t typically require a degree.

Electrical or electronics repairers. Workers who install, repair, or replace electrical equipment work in many industries including telecommunications, transportation, and utilities. Those who work in generating stations, substations, and in-service relays had the highest typical annual salaries in 2013, earning between $60,100 and $78,800 a year.

Auto insurance appraisers. These workers examine car or other vehicle damage to determine repair costs for insurance settlements, and they prepare insurance forms, cost estimates, and recommendations. Their typical annual salary in 2013 was between $52,400 and $73,300.

200362057-001Aircraft mechanics and service technicians. Workers who diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul aircraft or helicopter engines and assemblies earned typical annual salaries of $45,800 to $69,300 in 2013.

Telecom equipment installers and repairers. Those who install, arrange, or remove communications equipment or wiring earned a typical annual salary in 2013 of between $39,800 and $68,500. These workers may service central office equipment or work on telephone, cable television, Internet, and other communications equipment on a customer’s property.

Court reporters. These workers record pretrial and trial proceedings in courtrooms, using computers and other specialized equipment. They also may produce captions of live or prerecorded broadcasts for hearing-impaired viewers. In 2013, they earned a typical average salary of between $35,100 and $71,300.

You can find courses to help prepare for most of the careers above at a technical college, but you don’t need a degree to land a job. However, earning a certification will help you demonstrate your skills and improve your chances of getting hired.

The typical annual salaries used here are from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Survey.

Want to learn more? Visit CareerOneStop.org for resources to help you Explore Careers, Job Search, and Find Training.

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CareerOneStop’s Credentials Center coming March 2!

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Career changers, Entry-level workers, Job seekers, Students, Uncategorized
Credentials Center website

Beginning March 2, CareerOneStop’s brand-new Credentials Center will be a one-stop site for your education and training needs.

Credentials such as degrees, certificates, or certifications can help people enter a field, land a job, or advance in their current job. But figuring out the best plan for any one person can be a daunting task—the available options range from short-term skills refreshers to advanced graduate degrees.

Credentials Center websiteCareerOneStop’s new Credentials Center aims to streamline and simplify the process of making those education and training decisions—while helping people keep their eyes on their larger career goals. The website includes online tools, information, and  resources to help people sort through the range of available options and make informed decisons about the best plan for their own unique situation.

Anybody can get started in one of the website’s four main sections:

  • Training Options—Find straightforward information on the range of available training options, from achieving a GED to obtaining a certificate, certification, or advanced degree
  • Afford Training—Learn about financial aid, training benefits, and other sources of paying for education and training
  • Find your Path—Plan and meet training goals based on unique needs and experiences as well as labor market demand
  • Toolkit—Access free, user-friendly tools to help locate training programs, schools, certifications, apprenticeships, occupational licenses, professional associations, American Job Centers, local job postings, and more

The Credentials Center is set to launch March 2. Afer that, check back here or visit CareerOneStop to link to the Credentials Center—then, tell us what you think below!

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Top 5 reasons your interview didn’t get you the job

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Entry-level workers, Job seekers, Older workers, Uncategorized
Two people at a job interview.

Getting plenty of interviews but no job offers?

interviewSometimes job searching can be a matter of numbers: the more jobs you apply for, the better chance you have of landing one. But if you’re consistently missing out on offers for jobs you thought you had in the bag, you may be running into one of these five classic interviewing issues:

  • You don’t know enough about an employer. Researching the employer is an important step in applying for any job. It’s best to do it before you apply, but you really need do it before an interview. Your research will help you be better prepared for the interview questions. Read more about researching employers.
  • Your interviewing skills are falling flat. Review interview tips to prepare for the interview and practice answering common interview questions. It may also help to do some mock interviews with friends, family members, or colleagues.
  • You’re sending the wrong message. Even when you’re not speaking, you’re sending a message. How you walk, your posture, whether you make eye contact, and how you dress all say something about how you feel and what you are thinking. Make sure a prospective employer knows you’re feeling confident about your ability to be successful in this role.
  • You’re saying negative things about your past employer. An interview is not the time to bring up any misgivings, grudges, or pet peeves you may have about a former employer—even if you were clearly in the right, and your employer was clearly in the wrong.. Unless you can show how you turned a negative situation into a positive one, potential employers will think less of you.
  • You’re pricing yourself out of the job. Employers will ask about your salary requirement or your previous salary. If you name a salary that’s too high, they may no longer consider you for the job. Too low, and they may think you’re not serious. Get Salary Info including average salaries for your field, and use that information to guide your salary negotiations.

Best of luck in your next interview. . . leave us a comment below to tell us how you did!

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What’s the ROI of your education costs?

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Career changers, Entry-level workers, Job seekers, Students, Uncategorized
Dollar sign

Think about it: when you invest in updating your skills and knowledge, you make yourself more marketable in the workplace. That’s true for nearly every class, program, or training opportunity you undertake. But some options cost more than others. And some have different returns-on-investment than others.

Your job is to make sure you gain more from your training investments than you put in. Sounds complicated? It doesn’t have to be. You can get started on some light research with the three key questions below:

1. What’s the job outlook for the career or job that my training will lead to? 

Simply put, you may not want to study ski-lift repair if you’re planning to live in Florida. There may be very few job openings.

Learn about the job outlook for a career before you decide to invest in training. Get started with this Target Occupation tool from CareerOneStop. Just enter the name of a career you’re interested in, and look for the following details:

  • How many years of education does this occupation typically require?
  • How many new jobs are expected in coming years?
  • What’s the average salary?

2. What kind of skills, knowledge, and credentials are employers looking for in my field?

Take the time to target your classes and training programs to help you gain the skills you need to land a job. Discover what employers are looking for from any of these sources:

  • Talk to a career counselor at a college or training program. Ask them about placement rates for graduates.
  • Network with people who already work in the field or industry. Ask them about what’s in-demand in their field.
  • Look up job listings on CareerOneStop’s Job Search to see the types of skills, certifications, experience and other requirements that employers include
  • Visit Target Occupation to view skills, knowledge, tasks, tools and technology, and training related to any occupation.

3. How do I know a training program or school is worth the money?

Use these sources to research the value of a training program or school:

  • Visit with admissions and financial aid staff at your schools of choice. Ask about total costs, graduation rates, loan amounts, and how many graduates are employed.
  • Check to see if a school or program is accredited by visiting their website or the U.S. Department of Education’s Accreditation Search.
  • Thinking about college? Visit the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard to find out more about a college’s affordability and value so you can make more informed decisions about which college to attend.
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Coming soon: CareerOneStop has a new look!

Posted on by CareerOneStop Posted in Businesses and employers, Career counselors, Job seekers
CareerOneStop's new home page image

Look for an updated CareerOneStop website in early 2015!

CareerOneStop's new home page image

CareerOneStop’s redesigned website features:

✓A fully responsive, mobile ready design

✓Enhanced usability—making it easier to find the information you need

✓Streamlined access to key resources and tools, including:

  • Explore Careers includes quick access to occupation details as well as information on self assessments, career planning, and more.
  • Find Training features quick access to find local training programs as well as information on training options, certifications, licenses, financial aid, and more.
  • Job Search includes CareerOneStop’s newly enhanced Job Search, featuring daily updated job listings from US.jobs, America’s Job Exchange, CareerBuilder, and indeed, along with tips on networking , resumes, interviews, and more.
  • Local Help features the American Job Center Finder and nearly a dozen additional tools to easily locate and find contact information for local workforce services across the United States.
  • The Toolkit lists all of CareerOneStop’s online tools—more than three dozen in all.
  • Resources for. . . provides direct access to CareerOneStop’s targeted resources for veterans, businesses, people with criminal records, laid-off workers, career professionals, workers with disabilities, and others.

✓Additional tutorials and help pages

 

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