Job Hunting and Career Resources for Students & New Graduates

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~Sue Campbell

1st-Writer Student Career Center

Articles - Student	HS Grad Resume Example	New Grad Resume Example
Student Sites	Pro Resume Writing Services	Career Guidance Sites
Online Education Sites	Colleges & Universities by State	Salary Calculators
Career-related Web Sites	Job Sites by State or Industry	Research That Company!
Careers In The News		Job & Career Fairs

Good luck in your job search! Sue Campbell, 1st-Writer.com - over 15 years experience helping clients achieve their career and business goals. Feel free to e-mail me with any questions you may have. I'll be glad to help!

Articles for Students & New Graduates

Student & New Graduate Resume Answers - "I'm a student who has no applied experience. How do I go about writing a resume that will make me look good, even though I lack job experience?"
- Example High School Graduate Resume - (PDF file)
- Example College Graduate Resume - (PDF file)

Student & College Resumes - Frequently Asked Questions - More to help you get there.

Tough Job Search Questions - Answered - Part of the Jobsync Career Center Forum

The Do's and Don'ts of an Effective Job Search

10 Avenues to Finding Your Next Job

What Is A Resume?

Resume Basics

Secrets of a Great Resume

Reverse Chronological, Functional & Mixed Resume Formats - Which should you use?

Resume Quiz - see how you do!

Job Search Sticking Points - Where in the job search are you getting stuck?

Should I Hire a Professional Resume Writer?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - If it's a job search question, the answer is here.

Job & Career Fairs - Everything You Need to Know to Make it a Great Experience.

Covering Cover Letters

Requested Salary History and Salary Requirements

Interview Prep - Before, During & After the Interview.

E-mail 1st-Writer for a list of the most frequently asked tough interview questions and their best responses - it's free!!
or take the new Tough Interview Questions Quiz and see how you do. More quizzes are coming!

Long List of Common Interview Questions - A comprehensive list of hundreds of commonly asked tough interview questions - includes questions job candidates should ask at the interview.

Regarding References

Recommendation Letter - Whether you need one or are asked to write one for someone else.

Thank You Letters

Resignation Letter - one of the most difficult and yet most important documents you may need to write.

~~Seven~~ Eight Worst Resume Mistakes - the eight worst mistakes job hunters make when writing their resumes.

Eight Worst Mistakes Job Hunters Make - the eight worst mistakes job hunters make when trying to land their next position.

Career Path - A motivational article with real world strategies for finding a career you'll love.

Self-Evaluation - A Conversation To Have... with Yourself.

Job Hunting for the Holidays - Don't miss this excellent opportunity to advance your job search and career.

Job Outlook for People Who Don't have a Bachelor's Degree - by Roger Moncarz and Olivia Crosby, economists in the Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projects (PDF File).

Job Outlook for College Graduates - by Jill N. Lacey and Olivia Crosby, economists in the Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projects (PDF File).

A good article on GEDs

Equal Employment Opportunity Regulations in the United States

Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA)
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Age Discrimination Act of 1967 (ADEA)
Sections 501 and 505 of Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (EEOC link)
Title I and Title V of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)

Worth Seeing:

Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch, who, sadly, died from pancreatic cancer on July 25, 2008, gave his last lecture at the university on Sept. 18, 2007, before a packed McConomy Auditorium. In his moving talk, "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" (video), Pausch talked about his lessons learned and gave advice to students on how to achieve their own career and personal goals. You can also check out Randy Pausch's website for more information, links to shorter versions of his lecture, and DVD purchasing information.

Education Online

The U.S. Department of Education has information and resources for aspiring students on a variety of topics, including choosing and paying for career or technical training; planning for, enrolling in, and paying for college; and returning to school. For more information, write to the U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20202; call toll-free, 1 (800) USA-LEARN (872-5327) or TTY 1 (800) 437-0833; or visit them online at http://www.ed.gov/students.

College and University Web Sites by State:
College and university Websites often provide outstanding student resources online, so be sure to take advantage of what these sites offer. (Regarding Third-party Web Sites)

Alabama	Alaska	Arizona	Arkansas	California
Colorado	Connecticut	D.C.	Delaware	Florida
Georgia	Hawaii	Idaho	Illinois	Indiana
Iowa	Kansas	Kentucky	Louisiana	Maine
Maryland	Massachusetts	Michigan	Minnesota	Mississippi
Missouri	Montana	Nebraska	Nevada	New Hampshire
New Jersey	New Mexico	New York	North Carolina	North Dakota
Ohio	Oklahoma	Oregon	Pennsylvania	Rhode Island
South Carolina	South Dakota	Tennessee	Texas	Utah
Vermont	Virginia	Washington	West Virginia	Wisconsin
Wyoming

Student Sites
(Regarding Third-party Web Sites)

Career Overview
Making informed career decisions can be a daunting and sometime near impossible task. CareerOverview.com is a non-commercial website dedicated to providing aspiring career professionals and students with relevant, reliable and up-to-date career and job information.

(BLS) Career Info Page
Bureau of Labor Statistics - An excellent site for students exploring different career paths and options. A fun and well organized site.

Student Aid
Student Aid on the Web. Provides student resources and links for preparing, choosing, applying, funding, attending, and repaying for financial aid.

FinAid
Resource for objective and unbiased information about student financial aid. Dozens of tools for calculating college costs, loan payments, savings, etc.

StudentAffairs.com
Offering job listings, Internet resources, an online exhibit hall, and interactive courses.

Study Guides & Strategies
A great resource for students. Sue Campbell has over 15 years experience as a professional resume writer and career strategist - helping clients achieve their career, business and marketing goals.

Campus Blues
College and university student resources.

Groove Job
Part-time, student, hourly, summer jobs and more.

Campus Books
Compare textbook prices on new and used college textbooks. Use their book bag to compare prices on all of your books at once. Sell textbooks with their textbook buyback service.

Best Book Buys
Search Web retailers for low prices, including estimated taxes and shipping costs.

Book Finder
Another great search tool to search Web retailers for low book prices.

Books on Campus
Free networking site that matches buyers and sellers by school. Campus Book Swap is another great resource. Barter online and complete the order in person. Sellers earn more money for their books than from campus store buybacks, and buyers avoid tax and shipping charges.

Alibris: Used Books, Texbooks, Rare & Out-of-Print
Alibris (pronounced �uh-LEE-briss�) is the premier online marketplace for independent sellers of new and used books, music, and movies, as well as rare and collectible titles.

Chegg.com
Cheap Texbook Rentals - "Best Way to Rent Books for College"

eCampus
Everything text books - from buying, to selling, to renting.

Medical Assisting Colleges
Created by seasoned Medical Assistant, Mary Armstrong, this site offers a comprehensive and unbiased review of medical assistant colleges and their medical assisting programs. Well organized and current.

MBA Program Search
Request free information from wide range of MBA universities and colleges.

Online Education Search
Browse top colleges for online education programs.

Community College Review
Site offers new tools and data to help users compare colleges within their state and learn more about how community colleges work.

Online Degrees School Search
Online Degrees School Search provides access to a wide selection of online degree programs and the information necessary to determine which school is right for you.

College Degrees Search
Provides information on colleges and degrees offered.

Military School
Military school is the right place for troubled teenagers to get educated and focused. Military schools for teens and other military schools provide an opportunity to troubled teenagers to make their life more constructive.

Alumni Recruiter

Princeton Review
Princeton Review Career Research & Planning

College Grad Job Hunter

Intern Jobs: Internships

Postdoctoral Jobs

http://jobsearch.studentjobs.gov/
Student jobs & internships with the Federal Government

http://www.campchannel.com/jobboard/
Summer Camp Jobs

The Latest News:

Unemployment Rate Unexpectedly Plummeted to its Lowest Rate in Nearly Three Years
CNNMoney.com. December 2, 2011. The unemployment rate fell to 8.6%, the lowest rate since March 2009 and a significant decline from 9% just a month before. By Annalyn Censky

Average student loan debt tops $25,000
CNNMoney.com. November 3, 2011. Debating whether college is 'worth it'. By Blake Ellis.

The return of multiple job offers
CNNMoney.com. July 18, 2011. Jobs are still hard to come by - unless you're part of the elite group of job seekers who are fielding not one but several competing opportunities at once. By Vickie Elmer, contributor.

Job seekers get left out of the recovery
New York, CNNMoney.com. July 8, 2011. It's been two years since the recession officially ended, but for job seekers, the economic woes are far from over. By Jessica Dickler.

Economists see more hiring on the way
New York, CNNMoney.com. January 24, 2011. In another sign of a strengthening economy, U.S. companies say they are planning to hire more workers, and expect economic growth to pick up in the first months of 2011, according to a survey released Monday. By Charles Riley, staff reporter.

100 Best Companies To Work For (2011)
Fortune Magazine. See the full list of America's top 100 employers, including detailed company profiles and contact information, or check out "Best Employers By State."

Strong signs of life for the job market
New York, CNNMoney.com. January 5, 2011. Private sector payrolls soared 297,000 in December, while 2010 job cuts drop 59% to lowest annual level since 1997, two separate reports show. By Aaron Smith, staff writer and Blake Ellis, staff reporter.

2011: A hiring boom, even at 9% unemployment
New York, CNNMoney.com. January 3, 2011. After three years of economic pain, a growing number of economists think 2011 will finally bring what everyone's been hoping for: more jobs and a self-sustaining recovery. By Chris Isidore, senior writer.

They're hiring!
Fortune Magazine, April 19, 2010. These Fortune 100 employers have at least 200 openings each, totaling more than 60,000 jobs. Want to work there? Fortune Magazine asked company representatives what they're looking for - and secrets to getting hired.

Finally, an end to job losses
New York, CNNMoney.com. April 2, 2010. The long nightmare of job losses appears to be just about over. By Chris Isidore, senior writer.

6 Job Search Mistakes in a Recession
CareerBuilder.com, March 22, 2010. In any economic climate, job hunting is nobody's idea of fun. And with the growing number of folks hitting the bricks these days, it seems the task is getting even harder. By Paul Powers.

Good job news: Wages are rising. Really.
New York, CNNMoney.com. March 5, 2010. The end of more than two years of job losses can't come soon enough for most Americans. By Chris Isidore, senior writer.

100 Best Companies To Work For (2010)
Fortune Magazine. See the full list of America's top 100 employers, including detailed company profiles and contact information, or check out "Best Employers By State."

Jobless claims fall to 17-month low
New York, CNNMoney.com. December 31, 2009. - The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment insurance fell sharply last week to the lowest level in 17 months, the government said Thursday. Analysts had expected an increase. By Hibah Yousuf, staff reporter.

More Raises, smaller pay increases in 2010
CNNMoney.com, December 21, 2009. - The good news is that you're more likely to get a raise next year. But the bad news is that the boost may not be as big as you'd like. By Blake Ellis, contributing writer.

Job loss: Worst in 34 years
CNNMoney.com, February 6, 2009. Employers slashed 598,000 more jobs in January as unemployment rate climbed to 7.6%. By Chris Isidore, CNNMoney.com senior writer.

Number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits breaks half-million mark for first time - in 2009
CNNMoney.com. By Lara Moscrip, contributing writer.

What About My Job?
CNNMoney.com, September 25, 2008. A near meltdown of the nation's financial system will affect jobs well beyond Wall Street. By Jessica Dickler, staff writer.

Corporate America Is Getting Nervous
CNNMoney.com, June 6, 2008. A big spike in unemployment is the latest sign that businesses are starting to feel the pinch from the weak economy. But some see hope on the horizon. By Paul R. La Monica, CNNMoney.com editor at large.

Nation's Economic Pain Deepens
CNNMoney.com, June 6, 2008, Biggest jump in unemployment rate since 1986 - combined with energy and housing woes - stokes fears about recession. By Chris Isidore, CNNMoney.com senior writer.

Fortune Magazines Top 100 Employers To Work For (2008)
See the full list of America's top 100 employers, including detailed company profiles and contact information, or check out "Best Employers By State."

Five Reasons To Find A New Job
CNN.com/Living, January 9, 2008 - Anthony Balderrama, Writer, CareerBuilder.com

Most Expensive Colleges
A college education gets pricier every year. Here is a list of 10 of the most expensive colleges and universities this year, based on the latest data from The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Grad salary offers on the rise
New York, N.Y., April 5, 2007 - Chemical engineers, marketing majors are raking it in, but accounting grads aren't seeing similar increases. This year it really pays to have a college degree. By David Ellis, CNNMoney.com staff writer.

Skilled worker shortage hurts U.S.
New York, N.Y., January 4, 2007 - Employers would be hiring more if they could just find the skilled workers they need. By Chris Isidore, CNNMoney.com senior writer.

Pay differences: Same job, 10 different cities
New York, N.Y., September 14, 2006 - Here's what you might earn in jobs that pay annual salaries of $60,000 and $90,000. By Jeanne Sahadi, CNNMoney.com senior writer.

Privacy issues for online job seekers:
Documents Reveal Serious Job Seeker Resume Privacy Violations, by Pam Dixon - Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
Fact Sheet 25: Privacy Tips for Online Job Seekers, by Pam Dixon - Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

Top 5 Resume Lies - The Truth Stretched Thin (CNN Money)
New York, N.Y., Nov. 23, 2004 - The truth is stretched thin in resumes and on interviews by a notable number of job seekers. There are no statistics, but experts estimate that 10 percent to 30 percent of job seekers shade the truth or flat-out lie on their resumes, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Top 10 Degrees in Demand (CNN Money)
New York, N.Y., Nov. 12, 2004 - A new survey indicates a brighter job outlook for new college grads compared with last year. Graduates with a bachelor's in business, engineering and computer-related fields will be in highest demand.

Career Guidance & Development Sites
(Regarding Third-party Web Sites)

Before beginning a successful job search, you need to know yourself and what it is you're searching for. The following are some outstanding sites and resources to help you find your way.

Katen Consulting, LLC
"Helping Young Adults Become Young Professionals" - A Website worth watching, Katen Consulting offers powerful skill building workshops, including "Enhance Your Chance," for young adults and the educators who mentor them. Katen Consulting will soon be updating their Website to include interactive online materials and resources aimed at helping young adults succeed in the world of work. A definite winner.

The Career Key: Choosing a Career
The Career Key will help you -- in choosing a career, choosing a college major or training program, and in career planning. Take The Career Key - it's free! - a professional test or quiz. It measures your skills, abilities, talents, values, interests, and personality. You will identify promising jobs and get accurate career information about them. Highly recommend!!

Career Browser
What do you want to be? What college major will get you there? To start exploring careers, you can pick a general career category from an extensive list. From there, you can browse specific jobs and learn about working conditions, job forecasts, related professions, and what you can be doing right now to reach your goals. Much like the Occupational Outlook Handbook, this site is designed in a more user-friendly environment. Brought to you by CollegeBoard.com.

http://newslink.org/statnews.html
U.S. Newspapers By State - Find newspaper classified job ads in your location of choice.

http://www.onlinenewspapers.com/
International Newspapers.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook
Get the statistics you need on that targeted position or potential career path, including educational requirements, national salary levels, working environment, and more.

Weddles Association List
A well organized and easy-to-use list of several thousand associations from around the world organized by their primary professional/occupational focus and/or industry of interest. Provides individual links to the professional association Web sites. Joining professional associations in your industry and actively networking within them is a very important aspect of a successful and productive career life.

AllStarJobs
Directory of over 50,000 employment agencies, job banks, employers & career resources.

Big Dog in the UK
Site aims to provide a wide range of various job and apprenticeship vacancies for a NEET audience (not in education, employment or training), aged 14-24. They have over 30,000 vacancies listed, with more coming in on a daily basis. Offering career advice articles, money-saving tips and deals as well as a social network �feed�-like design, site encourages conversation and participation from the online community. They even mix up the serious side of job-seeking with a bit of fun via music videos, trailers, Flash games and competitions.

Contract Job Hunter
Contract Job Hunter specializes in job openings for serious Contractors and Consultants in the engineering, IT/IS, and technical disciplines. Their jobs include all positions advertised in CONTRACT EMPLOYMENT WEEKLY magazine. In addition to a job database, their members have access to a wide range of job-seeking services... all for $20 a year. Site offers a substantial listing of contract technical employment posts and is definitely worth a look. Listings are promised to be updated on the half-hour, and most posts are less than a week old.

CoolWorks
75000 jobs in great places! Find a seasonal job or career in some of the greatest places on earth. Ski resorts, ranches, theme parks, tour companies and more are waiting for you here.

Inspired Hospitality Recruiting
Specializing in attracting top-tier candidates in the hospitality industry, and working with leaders throughout the industry, Inspired Hospitality Recruiting focuses on high quality C-level, direct and management-level searches. Contact them to get started on your future. Highly recommend.

Job Applications & Forms Online
Find or download applications or forms for hundreds of companies.

JobFiler
Jobfiler.com offers free job search tools and resources to help you manage your job hunt online. Jobseekers use Jobfiler's job search organizer to track job leads, contacts, action items and favorite job sites.

Job Search Engine at TheJobSpider.com
A free employment resource site. Offering: online job searching, job alerts, resume posting, and free job posting. View their help wanted by category or search by keyword. Also, browse their extensive employment resources directory.

Jobwerx Manufacturing Network
The Latest in What's Happening Online for Manufacturing and Engineering Professionals in Plastics, Packaging, Metal Stamping, Rubber, Tooling and More!

Foreign Immigration.com
Because immigration is worldwide, ForeignImmigration.com offers information and consulting services for businesses and individuals looking to move to any destination around the globe.

HireAbility
More than a 1000 jobs posted daily. Job seekers can post a profile in just seconds and search HireAbility's job database by state, posting date, job titles, skills, and more.

Skill Clear
Skill Clear offers information, news, advice and assistance relating to immigration, work permits and work visas for UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Net-Temps
Net-Temps is the #1 destination of job seekers looking for contract, temporary or direct employment through a staffing agency.

Job & Career Fairs
(Regarding Third-party Web Sites)

You can learn about upcoming job and career fairs from your local newspaper, professional association, business or industry publications, employment agencies, community employment centers, and various Web sites on the Net. See article on Job & Career Fairs.

http://bostonworks.boston.com/events/networking_events/
Area Career Events from the BostonWorks, a division of the Boston Globe

http://cfg-inc.com
Career Fairs Global

http://www.careerconceptsusa.com
Career Concepts, USA

http://www.careerfairs.com/ Sue Campbell is a professional resume writer and career strategist with over 15 years experience helping clients achieve their career, business and marketing goals.
Career Fairs

http://www.careersummit.net/
Sales & Retail Industries by Career Summit

http://diversityjobfairs.jobexpo.com/
Diversity Job Fairs

http://www.diversitycareergroup.com/
Diversity Career Group - Sales, Retail & Management

http://events.nursingspectrum.com/
Nursing Career Fairs

http://www.eop.com
Equal Opportunity Publications, Inc. Job Fair Listings

http://www.idealist.org/
Non-profit Career Fairs and Events

http://www.jobexpo.com/
Job Expo Event Calendar

http://www.jwtec.com/hrlive/jobfairs.php
JWT Employment Communications Job Fair Listings

http://www.nationalcareerfairs.com
National Career Fairs

http://www.psijobfair.com/
Diversity Job Fairs

http://www.salestrax.com/html/career_fair_schedule.htm
SalesTrax Career Fairs

http://womenforhire.com/expos/index.asp
Women for Hire - Expos & Seminars, Calendar

Salary Calculators
(Regarding Third-party Web Sites)

PayScale
Salary survey, salaries, wages, compensation information and analysis. Includes evaluations for job offers or raises, and salary in your current position. Nice site.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook
Get the statistics you need on that targeted position or potential career path, including educational requirements, national salary levels, working environment, and more.

Salary.com
What are you worth? The Salary Wizard can help you determine what positions are paying in your choice of industry and location.

National Association of Realtors� Salary Calculator
Calculates salary and cost of living factors by location. Excellent resource.

SalaryExpert.com
A leading provider of online compensation data, including salary comparison, serving both individual employees and HR/Compensation professionals.

Salary Surveys by JobStar
General and position specific salary guides.

Research That Company
(Regarding Third-party Web Sites)

Business Week Company Search - See who's hiring and which schools they hired from.

Hoovers Company Information Search

Annual Report Resource Center - from The Investor Relations Information Network.

The New York Public Library - Company Information Search.

Corporate Information

The Public Register's Annual Report Service

Canadian Business Resource

Forbes

Web 100 Big Business on the Web

Good luck in your job search! Sue Campbell, 1st-Writer.com - over 18 years experience helping clients achieve their career and business goals. Feel free to e-mail me with any questions you may have. I'll be glad to help!