Searching for a new job can be an overwhelming, sometimes demoralizing process. You scan the wants ads, send out a slew of résumés and, if you're lucky, maybe get a form letter in the mail telling you "thanks, but no thanks."
If you're looking to embark on a second career, one that takes you in an entirely new direction, this search can be even more daunting. Fortunately, the Web can help take some of the mystery out of the process by helping to familiarize you with the ins and outs of a new career, how to upgrade or expand your skills and how to land that new job.
Monster.com and Hotjobs.com are the old favorites for job listings, but I've found they're limited both in the types of jobs listed, as well as the information they have to offer.
Fabjob.com offers information on hundreds of careers and even helps walk you through a skills inventory. (The site quaintly refers to this as the "where you've been" inventory.) More detailed career guides are available for about $30, but a lot of info is free.
Wetfeet.com provides career profiles, specific company profiles (including company salary data, where available), as well as industry profiles. There's also a "tips and advice" section to help get you started. Once you've figured out what type of job you want, you can use the job search feature, which is powered by Careerbuilder.com.
If freelancing is where your heart is set, check out Sologig.com. Here you can scan job postings and other resources for the freelance worker. To view more detailed listings or to post your résumé, you must upgrade to a paid monthly subscription, which costs about $30.
Finally, Salary.com breaks down the million-dollar question of how much a job pays. It's regional, therefore more accurate than some of the nationally based salary averages. However, sometimes the salaries still seem a little inflated so, before using the salary you find here as a negotiating tool in your next job interview, try to get a sense of the prospective company's salary scale.
Romi Carrell Wittman is a business writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative, with headquarters in Marana. She can be reached at r.wittman@cox.net.
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