Resource Tools – Jump start your research!
One of the most basic (and important) job search tools is COMPANY RESEARCH. It’s amazing what you can find in a pretty short period of time … if you know where to look. To be sure you enter into conversations well prepared, here is a list of places to begin (NOTE: I confirmed each of these links today, but they can change quickly. I apologize in advance if a few have moved, but you have the organization’s name, so you can hopefully find the new URL):
- AnnualReports.com – free research resource – company annual reports by company name, by ticker symbol, by exchange (NYSE, AMEX, NASDAQ, OTC, etc.), by industry (aerospace/defense, automotive, etc.), or by sector (basic materials, capital goods, energy, etc.).
- Answers.com/Business – find several business-related dictionaries (marketing, economics, and investment) as well as a directory of companies (by name).
- Business Wire – keep up to date with the latest business news, find an international trade show calendar, or research a potential employer.
- Career Guide to Industries – from the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, a terrific source of information on different job groups in various industries. Select any industry that interests you, and you’ll find extensive information about the industry, including working conditions, employment, occupations in the industry, training and advancement, earnings, etc. Very useful if you are looking for a change or just trying to figure out where to start.
- Career Voyages – launched by the U.S. Federal Government in 2003, this impressive site contains a wealth of information for identifying where good jobs are, education and training required, salaries, and more.
- Creative Job Search Guide – a guide to job searching recommended by Richard Bolles, the “godfather of career counselors” and author of the What Color Is Your Parachute books. This Guide is full of great information for job seekers, starting in the Foreword (don’t skip it!) and ending with “Finishing Touches.” Just be sure to review Job-Hunt’s Internet Resume section as a supplement to their “Resumes and Cover Letters Section” so that you get keywords as well as action verbs in your resume.
- Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling Purdue University’s OWL (Online Writing Lab) offers a wonderful resource for everyone with this section of their site. You don’t want to sabotage your job search with grammatical and/or spelling errors in your resume, cover letter, and other correspondence. Brush up on your knowledge here. It can’t hurt, and it will probably help.
- Hoover’s Online – company profiles, “business people” lookup, plus free access to records on public and private companies. Some information is free, but much of the information is available only for a fee.
- HotSheet – short, dense, limited, but well-organized source of the top sites on the Web, organized on one “sheet” by category and sub-category.
- JobStar – (formerly JobSmart) THE California Job Search Guide. Regardless of your location, this is a very well-organized site with the best on-line collection of salary information and lots of other useful information on how to hunt for jobs on-line!
- JobWeb – career planning and employment information, job-search articles and tips, and employer profiles, for college students, recent graduates, and alumni. Sponsored by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
- KnockemDead.com – lots of free advice and information from my partner, Martin Yate … the guy who wrote the “Knock ‘em Dead” job hunting books. Really extensive and helpful information about networking including the new “social networking” sites. And, of course, you can buy his books, but he’s not in-your-face about them.
- My Future – career, education and finance guide from the military career magazine Futures.
- Monster Career Advice – lots of information for job seekers of all kinds, in all phases of the job search process.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook – from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, an amazing and very useful collection of information on thousands of jobs – what training is requried, projected employment needs for each job, and what tasks usually comprise the job.
- PamDixon.com – Pam is a journalist and radio “columnist” who has done very impressive research about online privacy, including important resume-privacy tests on over 500 job sites. Check out the reports and information available here, particularly about scams targeting job seekers.
- PRNewsWire – an amazing compendium of press releases from business, and an excellent source of information on a particular company or on an industry.
- Price’s List of Lists – categorized list of hundreds (if not thousands) of employer/company lists compiled and published by various magazines. Excellent place to find a list of top employers or “movers and shakers” in an industry.
- Quintessential Career and Job-Hunting Resources Guide – lots of information about the job search process, as well as links to many employment-related Web sites, focused mostly on college students and entry level jobs.
- RefDesk – need to know some obscure facts, check out an atomic clock, etc. If there’s a Web site that has that information, it’s on this site, somewhere.
- Salary Calculator – from Move.com, will show you an estimate of the median salaries for different jobs in different locations. Many considerations go into determining an appropriate salary, like education, years of experience, as well as the employer’s budget and the salaries paid to other employees.
- ThomasNet – Thomas’ Register has been used for decades (maybe centuries) by manufacturers, dealers, and exporters to find the items they needed to build their products or to sell to their customers. Now, ThomasNet is online with over 650,000 suppliers in 67,000 searchable categories. Think of this as a giant searchable catalog of potential employers since it now includes services, like consulting, as well as products.
- To Boldly Go…A Practical Career Guide for Scientists – a career guide written specifically for scientists and graduate students in the sciences who are considering non-academic
- U.S. Immigration for Canadian Businesses and Professionals – Contains information about temporary and permanent U.S. immigration work permits for Canadian businesses and professionals. For Canadian companies doing business with the U.S., and U.S. companies hiring Canadians. Maintained by the Law Office of Joseph C. Grasmick, Business Immigration, Buffalo, NY, USA.
- USNews Career Center – great information for new graduates, job seekers, and career changers.
- What Color is Your Parachute: The Net Guide – Richard Nelson Bolles, author of the popular What Color Is Your Parachute? books, has brought his career and job-hunting expertise on-line in this supplement to his famous books.
- Wishcraft.com – discover your strengths and skills and use a buddy group to help you reach your dream with this free book in PDF format (also free)! Wishcraft, written by Barbara Sher (with Annie Gottlieb) in 1979, is wonderful. Don’t be put off by the date. It’s excellent advice and free!
- World Chamber of Commerce Directory – Think of this as a catalog of small and medium sized businesses, organized geographically. Most “real” businesses in the U.S.
Need help? Call me! 800-876-5506.
Happy hunting,
Debbie
