Understanding yourself will help you decide which job or career is right for you. Determine your interests, values, and overall career fit by exploring the following tools.

• Interests

  Finding a career that is appealing to you will make your work more enjoyable and motivate you to advance along a career path. Complete the O*Net Mini Interest Profiler to measure your level of interest in different tasks and occupations.

  Interest Profiler

• Values

  Your work values are a part of your beliefs and ideas that guide your actions on the job. Complete the O*NET Work Importance Profiler to identify what is important to you in a job.

  Work Importance

• Overall Career Fit

  Determining a career path requires considering your interests, experience, goals, values, and personality. Use Sokanu, a more comprehensive tool to help identify your interests, activities, and personality, to determine who you are and what career would be a good fit.

  Sokanu

Understanding your possibilities is key to creating a lifestyle that you can be passionate about. Match your interests, values and personality to begin a new career by exploring the following resources.

• Career Profiles

  View details of a particular occupation to include responsibilities, outlook for new opportunities, typical wages, education, etc.

  Occupation Profile

• Career Videos

  Watch videos that highlight specific career tasks, work setting, education required, etc.

  Career OneStop

• Research Industries

  Discover the fastest-growing and highest-paying industries.

  Research Industries

Determine where you are going and how to get there. Identify your goals and create a strategy that puts you in control of your own success with these resources:

• SMART Career Goals

  Set goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable (achievable), Relevant, and Timely.

  SMART Goals

• Salary and Wage Information

  Research the typical pay to determine your salary requirement.

  Salary Finder

• License Requirements

  Determine if your occupation requires a license.

  License Finder

• Upskill

  Expand your skills and knowledge to make yourself a more competitive applicant.

  Training Finder

Find out if you have the skills needed to stand out from other applicants. If not, explore how you can build your skill set to grab an employer’s attention.

• Skills Matcher

  Select your skill level for guidance on career options.

  Skills Matcher

• Transferable Skills

  See how your skills and abilities from your work experience can be applied to other careers.

  My Skills, My Future

• Build Skills

  Develop a competitive edge by increasing your value through upskilling.

  Khan Academy Alison

Capture the attention of an employer by making sure that you are job ready. Create career marketing tools and strategies that will promote your personal brand

• Personal Brand Statement

  Promote your skills and experience to differentiate you from other professionals. Follow these best practices to help you create your personal statement (1-2 sentences):

  • Be honest, consistent, and focus on what makes you exceptional.
  • Tell employers who you are and what you stand for
  • Express how you add value and produce results which will impact the bottom line
  
  Brand Strategies

• Resume

  Market your strengths, show how your skills and experience align to the job, and get a job interview.

  Resume Guide

• Interviews

  Leverage your personal statement to create a 30-second speech that summarizes who you are, what you do, and why you would be the perfect candidate for the position. Remember practice makes perfect so try using an interview tool to polish your presentation.

  Negotiation Tips Practice Interviews

After you have created your resume and polished your interview skills, learn how to market yourself so that you get noticed by employers.

• Network

  Connect with friends, family, neighbors and community organizations to build your personal network. These connections may refer you to a job that interests you or, if nothing else, provide you with support during your job search.

  Form a Network

• Create a LinkedIn Profile

  Having a professional, eye-catching LinkedIn profile will help you stand apart from other applicants. Best practices to follow:

  • Add a professional headshot photo. Remember to smile!
  • Make your headline standout by listing our job title and specialty.
  • Add a bulleted list of 4 to 5 of your biggest achievements. The goal is to show future employers that you will add value to their company.
  • Align your experience with the position you are looking for and remember to include keywords for the desired skills and experience.
  • Ask for recommendations from previous colleagues and supervisors.
  LinkedIn Guide

• Connect with the right opportunity

  Connect with the right opportunity by leveraging your marketing tools, networks, LinkedIn profile.

  Job Search Tips