When people search for employment, they often think job boards are their #1 online resource. However, if you don’t know exactly where you’re going or what you’re looking for, your job hunt will be haphazard and unsuccessful. You not only need to be aware of what kind of jobs you’ll be looking at but also whether one of those jobs will fulfill your dream of making a meaningful career for yourself. And that’s where career exploration sites—like Inside Jobs—can help.
Here are the top three ways career exploration tools bring clarity and focus to your search—in other words, how they help you conquer your job hunt:
By showing hidden CONNECTIONS between jobs
At Inside Jobs, you’ll find thousands of articles and job descriptions. Because no job exists in a vacuum, so we’ve designed our site to point out both the straightforward and less obvious connections between positions and fields.
For example, if you read the description of Book Editor, you’ll find links to related positions like Acquisitions Editor, and Textbook Editor, as well as jobs that use similar skills, like Continuity Director. This kind of set-up starts you thinking creatively about where you want to use your strengths.
For many of our profiles we also show career trajectories. Based on thousands of resumes and job postings, we’ve tracked statistical results about which jobs most commonly precede and follow a given position. Sometimes, these trajectories are what you’d expect (Fashion Editors becoming Fashion Directors) and oftentimes not (Fashion Editors becoming Publicists). As such, this resource can take you in surprising directions, opening your eyes to possibilities you may not have considered.
By helping you CONCENTRATE on a specific area
Once you’ve settled on a field you’re interested in, it’s time to look for a specific position. For instance, if your general interest is Accounting/Finance, you might consider pursuing a Trade Compliance Analyst position. Career exploration sites can help by exposing you to these off-the-beaten-trail type jobs.
Why is this important? In any field, the more visible positions will have a higher volume of applicants. By choosing a more unknown career niche, you up your chances of having someone actually look at your resume.
By UNCOVERING your next move
Exploration sites can also reveal information about what type of education (if any) you’ll need before you set off on your new career path. At Inside Jobs, we take this one step further, by pointing out schools that offer programs in your area of interest.
Even if you already have the training you need, the specific industry info on career exploration sites will give you a competitive edge for informational interviews; you can leverage you know-how by targeting an expert in a particular area, rather than a generalist in the field.
Looking for a job is never easy—but using the right tool means you’ll have the clarity and knowledge to secure your next career move.
Annie Rose Favreau writes and works for Inside Jobs, a career exploration site “where people can explore what opportunities exist and learn what paths can take them there.â€
Where to find the latest from InsideJobs.com:
Check out their website and follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
Leave a Reply