Job Seeker Resources

Job Search

This checklist will help you to ask the right questions to get you started on your job search. Answering these questions and using the free tools suggested above will bring you closer to choosing the right occupation for you and to be paid fairly for the work.

Where Can I Look For a Job?

The first step in a job search is deciding which job/career you wish to consider.

California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) My Next Move website will help you choose from many possible jobs based on your interests, skills, education, personality, desired salary, experience, and knowledge. If you are not sure what you want to do, EDD’s Labor Market Information for Job Seekers and Students even provides self-assessments so you can match *you* to a job or career. California Occupational Guides and Occupations in Demand will also help you find out more about which jobs are in growing fields and offer more opportunities, education/training for those jobs, and what might be the basic pay rate for new and more experienced staff. This site even tells you where those jobs are in California and specific companies that hire people in the job you want.

Another great resource is American Job Centers, where they can help you look for and apply for a job.

Salary Information

I need to make sure I make enough money, what do I do?

Before you even begin applying for jobs or interviewing, you’re right, you need to be aware of what possible pay ranges or options exist. Doing so will help guide your research into what training you might need to increase your earnings and other requirements for possible jobs. And, you can use pay range information when you interview and are hired to make sure you are asking for and being offered pay that is similar to people with similar jobs.

How Do I Connect With A Prospective Employer?

Networking

Networking is the key process by which people find jobs. It means asking questions and getting into conversations with everyone you can think of and anyone your personal connections can think of about their jobs.

LinkedIn

A good networking tool that also helps you organize your qualifications, skills, experience, and education is LinkedIn. LinkedIn has free services that allow you to create an employee profile about you that employers can see. It also helps you to connect with other people who are in the jobs you want so you can ask them questions and learn more about the job you want.