Yes, Uncle Sam has free online resources for career planning and job searching. Over the next few blogs, I’ll discuss some of these resources and how they can help you to develop and reach your career goals. Whether you are young and trying to choose a good career, or an older worker making a career change, the United States Department of Labor has tools and resources for job seekers of any age. Career development requires you to know your interests, skills, abilities, and values. Once you complete these self assessments, you can explore careers using your knowledge of yourself to help you to make a good choice. Check out the resources below and explore your interests, identify your skills, and learn about new career paths!

O*NET Resource Center
Consider and plan your career options, preparation, and transitions more effectively. Some of these self-directed career assessment tools available from the O*NET Resource Center are listed below.

• O*NET Interest Profiler: This self-assessment tool can help you discover work activities and occupations you enjoy. Identify and learn about interest areas most relevant to you, and use your results to explore the world of work. The O*NET Interest Profiler is available in a paper and pencil version and an online version. www.onetcenter.org/IP.html
• O*NET Skills Search: The Skills Search function is designed to help you use your skill set to identify occupations for exploration. By selecting a set of skills from six broad groups, you can create a customized skill list.

Career Voyages is a collaboration of the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Education. It targets four groups: Students, Career Changers, Parents, and Career Advisors. Career Voyages has several components, one of which is Career Compass, a helpful resource that uses your interests to find occupations that might be right for you.

• Career Compass links to America’s Career Resource Network, which features the Career Decision Making Tool (CMDT). The Career Decision-Making Tool helps you to: select a suitable career direction; identify the kinds of occupations within your chosen career direction; and pinpoint the kinds of learning you will need to qualify for and perform selected occupations. Anyone looking for a step-by-step process for choosing a career path will find this a valuable resource. Not only does it provide a process for choosing a career path, it helps you to understand how the world of work is organized.
• Other features of Career Voyages are Career Videos; Green Jobs; Tools and Technology (used in high demand occupations); and Worker Reemployment.

If you visit these sites, you will be impressed by the range and quality of information the government has to offer. You’ll also believe that Uncle Sam does want you to have a great career! Stay tuned, on my next blog, I’ll introduce you to the government resources about the world of work.

Don’t forget: this week’s WORKPLACE Wednesday covers interviewing tips, and next week's program will be held in the Tech Lab on the ground floor and feature computer and internet resources for jobs and careers.