Industry
knowledge is critical for career success. Stay on top of the news by reading
industry journals, newspapers and business publications. You can access much of
this news on the World Wide Web, or subscribe to electronic newsletters that
offer specialized information for your industry. Learn about new innovations,
new products, emerging trends and the major companies in your industry.
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Information and Preparation
Business, professional and industry associations,
career-planning tools, career fairs, job listings – they’re all on the web,
so it makes sense that you should be, too.
- Many businesses have their own sites where you can find basic
background information, an understanding of their role in their industry, a
glimpse of the corporate culture, job opportunities, contact information, and
more.
- Some sites provide company data on a multitude of organizations;
others provide detailed financial information through annual reports.
- You can look up industry information, trends and job prospects
through government sites, professional associations and industry guides.
- There are a number of employment guides that provide employment
statistics, useful articles and links to other job-related sites.
- The web is full of directories of career and job fairs, electronic
job listings and classifieds that you can search by location and keywords.
- Regional and relocation information can be found online through
local, state and federal sites such as chambers of commerce, tourism bureaus and
embassies. Online magazines also provide this information with searchable
directories and reviews of various cities and countries.
Communication
and Guidance
Since
the Internet is a massive network, what better place to do your networking?
After all, networking is the single most effective means of finding a job.
Whether its advice you seek, networking and informational interview
opportunities, or you want to respond to an internship ad or job posting, people
around the world are available online through their sites and through e-mail,
mailing lists, bulletin boards and web conferencing. The net’s friendly place,
because of its interactive nature, you can contact business people, non-profit
people, career professionals and placement offices, professional association and
special interest group personnel, fellow students and job seekers, and even
employment support groups.
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College
and University Sites
Many
college career offices and placement offices have their own sites online and
they are a great source of career-related information, particularly for college
students, recent graduates, alumni, new job-hunters, and even career changers.
You can access information from your own school’s career and placement office,
but feel free to take advantage of other school’s sites as well. These sites
generally contain a wealth of information ranging from self-assessment tools to
resume and interview schedules to job listings. Most also offer descriptions of
other worthy career-related sites and provide links to them.
Special
Interest Sites
There
are also more specialized sites that cover specific topics. Professional
associations and other specialized groups make valuable career-related
information available to all interested parties, not only their members. Whether
it’s an industry organization that provides information on “what’s
hot/what’s not,” where the jobs are, and announcements of open positions, or
it’s an outreach group that helps employ a particular segment of society, such
as women in business, people with disabilities, racial and ethnic groups, or
part-time workers, these sites can be information gathering and networking
bonanzas.
Some
self-assessment testing organizations offer their services online to help you
evaluate your own skills, interests and values so that you can better focus your
career goals.
Advice
and Insider Information
There
are also plenty of opportunities to seek advice online. Professional
associations and career specialists are online all over the world, providing
information on employment and particular industries. You’ll find that some
information is already posted online, and through e-mail. There are also mailing
lists to which you can subscribe that enable you to communicate with a large
number of people, all of whom are interested in the same subject as you and some
of whom are experts in the field. You can subscribe to one or more of them to
ask questions, increase your network, or even just to be a fly on the wall and
observe what’s going on in your field of interest.
You can also participate in web conferences and
post your requests, questions, concerns, resumes, job postings, and more on
electronic bulletin boards, and people will respond, sometimes even directly to
you.
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