Usually I hate finding out about contests after they’ve ended, but the one I’m going to mention here has long-term residual benefits and the past deadline won’t hurt anyone’s chances at winning. I’m referring to an initiative that was recently launched by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) in their quest to get more online job search and career advancement tools into the hands of unemployed workers.
In December 2009, “Tools for America’s Job Seekers Challenge” began by inviting entrepreneurs and business organizations to submit their tools so the DOL might identify the most compelling online tools for job seekers that also offered the shortest path to career success. Submissions came bounding in from technology vendors, platform providers, businesses, nonprofit groups, workforce agencies and others who wanted to showcase their offerings. In the next phase of the Challenge, workforce professionals and job seekers were asked to try out, explore, recommend and make comments about the sites. The result was that more than 16,000 job seekers did a kind of “test drive” of nearly 500 sites.
In a press release issued by the DOL, Hilda L. Solis, Secretary of Labor said, “By leveraging the resources of hundreds of private and public sector career websites, we have created a major online asset for job seekers and an innovative way to gauge which tools appeal most to consumers.”
On Feb. 2, 2010, the DOL announced that the results had been tallied and the top-rated sites in each of six categories are now available. The categories are:
• General Job Boards
• Niche Tools
• Career Tools
• Career Exploration Tools
• Web 2.0
• “Other”
I checked out a few of the “winners” and found some hidden gems that you might not discover on your own without a visit to the list. These include:
www.Resify.com
This site offers excellent information on résumé writing. The brains behind the site call themselves “three nerds with a passion for résumés.” I don’t know if they’re nerds, but their advice is solid and up-to-date. Learn to build your personal brand by using smart buzz words and an attractive résumé layout that doesn’t look like you’re stuck in the 1980s. The best feature might be their free downloadable templates that will make résumé writing a breeze. Check them out!
www.experienceworks.org
Great resource for seniors facing barriers to employment. Their mission is to improve the lives of older people (age 55+) through training, community service, and employment. Lots of helpful information for those not sure how to navigate the current job market. Go to their site right now to nominate America’s Outstanding Older Worker—the deadline is March 15—but the catch is that the nominee must be at least 100 years old and work a minimum of 20 paid hours per week! Last year’s honoree was 101-year-old attorney Jack Borden from Weatherford, Texas. A former FBI agent, Borden is the oldest practicing member of the State Bar Association. He still works 40 hours per week, specializing in real estate and probate law.
www.tweetmyjobs.com
Here’s a way to easily incorporate Twitter into your job search plan. Register at this site and you will be instantly notified via a text message when a job is posted that meets your location, industry and/or other criteria. The company sends out more than 1 million tweets monthly. This is a good way to remove some of the Twitter burden from your shoulders by channeling the job tweets directly to you.
There’s lots more—the DOL website is definitely worth checking out if you are in the hunt.
Nancy Schuman is a vice president at Lloyd Staffing, headquartered in Melville, and is the author of eight how-to books on career guidance and job-search techniques. Lloyd Staffing offers temporary, contract and full-time employment services on a regional and national basis. Send your career-related questions to nschuman@longislandpress.com.
