• Talking to your career consultant. They can provide or direct you to information and resources available to match your interests with career field(s).
• Reading occupational outlook handbooks and other resources pertaining to your career interest. These books can be found in Career Centers' libraries, public libraries, colleges and universities' libraries and bookstores.
• Using internet resources and search engines to find information on careers and occupations.
• Consulting with alumni and other professionals in your field of interest.

STEP 3
Assessing A Career Field
Researching different careers and occupations enables you to identify those that may fit your needs and appear to be realistic and attractive. Evaluate all information pertaining to them and assign priority ratings from the least to highest importance. Some of the criteria you may use include:

STEP 4
Conducting The Job Search
The final step in the process is the actual job search. There are many resources available to assist you with the search including want ads, career centers, libraries and the internet. Your job search should be organized and targeted. Following is a list of resources you can use to start your search.

TYPE OF JOB SEARCHES

General Career Fields
Some career fields or jobs can be found in most industries and employers. These career fields include administrative (secretaries, office managers, administrative assistants), human resources, technology, financial operations, support (accountants, procurement, budget managers, etc.) and other positions. You can search for job opportunities in these fields using a broad range of search sites including newspapers, online, job fairs and other sources. The main considerations in this type of job search is: salary, benefits, type of employer, work conditions, environment, the commute, and other personal factors.

Specialized Career Fields
Many career fields are specialized and apply to certain industries and particular employers. Some of these fields include engineering, health care, law enforcement, scientists, national/homeland security, international affairs, policy, politics, software/hardware development, computer programming, game development, disaster relief, economic development, human rights, construction, architecture and others. If you interested in one of these career fields, your search and resume should be targeted to them. Search websites of the companies in the particular field or industry. Associations and membership organizations may be useful also.

WHERE TO FIND JOBS

General Job Search Engines
General job search engines include such Internet sites as Career Success Center, CareerBuilder, Monster, America's Job Bank, HotJobs, NationJobs and others. They generally list jobs in every career field and industry. On these sites you can do searches by career fields and location as well as other criteria. You can also do keyword searches to find matches. If you find jobs that interest you, take time to read the job descriptions and determine if you have the education, training, qualifications and skills required by the employer and if the jobs matches your needs.

Niche Job Search Engines
Some career fields have niche web sites that focuses exclusively on jobs in specific fields or industries. For instance, the web site Idealist focuses on jobs in Non-Profit organizations, Construction Executives.com focuses on Construction job, MuseumJobs.com focuses on jobs in at Museums, IntelligenceCareers.com focuses on jobs in intelligence and national security, while BankingBoard.net focuses on jobs in the banking industry.

Meta Job Search Engines
Meta/mega job search engine web sites are not job boards but use technology to allow job-seekers to simultaneously search for jobs through multiple internet sites in the U.S. and abroad. Many of these searches are by keywords. Using these specialize search engines you can search many of the top job banks with one job search engine.

Internet Search Engines
The Internet has become a useful tool to explore various careers and jobs. Some internet sites have been developed and sponsored by government agencies, non-profits organizations, colleges and universities, public and private school systems and companies to allow people to find occupations using keywords and codes. You can utilize such search engines as Google, Ask Jeeves, Metacrawler, Yahoo, Lycos, and others to search for job sites and employers in different career fields/industries. When using one of these sites, do a keyword search by typing such information as "Jobs in Health, Jobs in Law Enforcement, Jobs in Accounting", etc.

Companies/Organizations web sites
Many companies, organizations, and government agencies list jobs in the employment, jobs or career opportunities section of their website. As part of your job search look for companies and organizations in your areas of interest. If you are interested in being an Investment Banker search for investment banks and companies in the financial and investment sector. If you are interested in working on Human Rights issues search for Human Rights organizations. If you are interested in law enforcement then you should look at police and law enforcement agencies on a city, county, state and federal level. Look for the Careers, Employment or Job Opportunities section on the web site home page or in the About Us or Contact Us section. If you cannot find the section there look for the site index or search area and search there. Use a keyword or career field/job category to search for jobs that match your interest. If you find a job that interest you read the job descriptions and determine if it matches your needs and whether you have the education, training, qualifications and skills required by the employer to do the job.

Newspapers
Most newspapers in major cities have an extensive employment listing in their Sunday editions. They generally have some jobs listed in their daily editions as well. The free weekly papers "Help Wanted" or "Employment" sections are also good sources. Always read the job descriptions and determine if the job fits your needs and whether you have the education, training, qualifications and skills required by the employer to do the job.

Trade Publications & Industry Sites
Some trade publications focus on specific industries. These publications can usually be found online and in print and list employers by industry and jobs.

News & Press Releases
News reports and press releases from companies, government agencies, non-profits and other organizations are other sources to find out about new job opportunities. News agencies monitor developments within organizations constantly. News about a company winning a big government contract may mean they will be hiring new employees to complete the work. If a particular company or industry is experiencing strong profits and increased demand for their products or services that maybe be an indication that they will be hiring additional employees. Some organizations make announcements about hiring or even layoffs through press releases that are distributed to the news media. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and National Security Agency (NSA) made announcements about hiring a significant number of intelligence analysts through press releases.
Stay abreast of current trends and developments in certain industries by reading specialized newspapers, magazines and trade publications.

Career Centers
Colleges, universities and city and state run career centers are good sources to find jobs. Career Counselors and other support professionals are usually available at the center. The centers usually have employment books, journals and other materials and many centers have a website with helpful information and links to employers.

Career Books
Career centers, colleges, public libraries and bookstores have career sections where you can find books on various career fields and directories of employers in certain industries. You can use these books to find niche job sites and employers you want to target in the career fields of your interest.

Career Fairs
Career Fairs are held throughout the year in many major cities and by colleges and universities. Career Fairs are events where employers set up booths and have recruiters and employees talk about their company, organization or agency. They also discuss job opportunities, collect resumes of potential candidates. Always research the companies, agencies and organizations participating in the career fair and develop a plan to target them. You should have a targeted, powerful and persuasive resume and cover letter for each employer you want to target.

Career fairs are good sources to meet recruiters from various employers and sell yourself with your targeted self-marketing materials. Introduce yourself, talk to recruiters, and inquire about the mission and opportunities at the organization or company. Provide them with your resume and collect literature on the organization or company. Make sure you get a business card from the recruiter and follow up.

Alumni
Alumni from the school or educational program you are attending or participating in are good resources for information on employment opportunities in their career field or place of employment. Many colleges and universities as well as specialized learning programs keep track of their alumni. Contact the Office of Alumni Relations for alumni contacts in your field(s) of interest. Since you are attending the same school or involved in the same program they will probably be willing to provide you information and assist you during your job search.

Association & Membership Organizations
For many career fields and industries there are associations or membership organizations representing their interests and members. Organizations such as, American Management Association, American Counseling Association, Society of Human Resources Management, American Marketing Association and others represent various career fields and industries and provide opportunities to network and meet people. These organizations usually have career centers on their websites and may even have guides to careers in that industry. In the career area of the web site you will often find a job bank where you can search for jobs from member organizations or others in the field. They sometime have networking events or seminars and workshops related to careers in the field.

Network Contacts
Networking is very important in your career development. Joining professional organizations, attending professional events, seminars and job fairs will help you build your network. Utilize network contacts to find out what opportunities are available in your field(s) of interest. If you were part of a fraternity or sorority, a member of the military, or in some other special organization (social or professional) you have a special network through your affiliation. Utilize these contacts to help you find out what opportunities are available in your field(s) of interest.

Professors/Teachers/Professional Staff
Many professors, teachers or professional staff will have contacts outside the university in organizations of interest. Talking with them about your interests may yield some contacts and leads to employment opportunities.

Volunteering
Many professionals from all walks of life take time to volunteer. Volunteering is a way to give some of your time and energy to worthwhile causes and meet some great contacts. It is also a good way to contribute and gain valuable experience that may lead to employment opportunities with the organization or elsewhere. Many non-profits organizations and government agencies have volunteer opportunities.

Parents, Family, and Friends
Share your career interests with your parents, family member and friends. They may know of contacts that can help you in your job search.

Recruiters
Recruiters are hired by companies to find qualified candidates for various jobs. Some recruiters post job opportunities from their client companies on their website. There are mainly two types of recruiters: Contingency Recruiters and Retained Recruiters. A Contingency Recruiting Agency does a search on a contingency basis for a company. The recruiter is paid after a successful hire or placement. The recruiter is responsible for the initial recruiting, screening and interviewing and arranges interviews with the candidates for the client/company. The company pays either a flat fee or a percentage of the first year's salary. Traditionally, the jobseeker does not pay a fee.

A Retained Agency is similar to a contingency recruiting agency in that the client company pays the fees. Traditionally, the jobseeker or candidates does not pay a fee. The primary difference is that the client company pays a retainer fee to have the company perform a search. A portion of the overall search fee is paid upfront and the remainder is due upon a successful hire. The initial retainer fee is paid whether or not a placement or hire is made. Companies use retained search firms for higher-level positions within an organization such as CEO, President, Vice President, COO, CIO, Executive Director, etc.

Temp or Placement Agencies
Many companies use these agencies to hire temporary or permanent employees. Similar to internships these temporary positions often turn into a full-time position with the company. The more skills you have to offer the better the placement possibilities.

Explore each of these options carefully and you will find that there are a number of jobs available. Although there may be many opportunities remember there is also much competition. Make sure you target the jobs you are best qualified for and develop a targeted sales package (resume, cover letter, etc) that will help you win interviews. Now you know where to look, so happy hunting!!!