Five Online Career Resources You Aren't Using

With the Career Fair yesterday, the campus seems to be abuzz with career-minded discussion. My friends who know I work at the Career Center have been asking me questions like "wait, should I start looking for an internship now?" or "what should I do if I can't go to the Career Fair?" And most of the time, my answers involves the phrase, "check out the Career Center website." The website is filled with tons of great information on careers and majors, internship and job searches, networking tips, and more. But along with this whirlwind of information are dozens of invaluable online resources - some specifically for Tufts students - that are so helpful, user-friendly, or informative that they deserve a chance in the spotlight. So, I've chosen to highlight five resources that few Tufts students may know of, but many can benefit from. This is not a comprehensive list, so if you're really jonesing for more online career investigation, click through the Career Center website.

1. My Next Move

What it is: My Next Move is a US Department of Labor-operated database for jobs spanning dozens of industries. It's actually a subsection of O*NET, a comprehensive database of occupations and the skills and interests they entail. My Next Move lets you search careers in three ways: key word, by industry, and through the O*NET Interest Profiler.

What I like the most: Each career has its own page filled with information that is neatly categorized into boxes like skills, abilities, personality, and even job outlook. Plus, each page has an "Explore More" box that cross-links to related careers. 

Who should use it: Anyone looking to learn more about what it really means to be a (fill in the blank). This usually pertains more to underclassmen, but students of any class year should check this resource out.

Hopefully after some research, you can avoid this reaction.

2. APSIA Guides

What it is: APSIA, or the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs, has published a comprehensive guide to all the possible avenues that a student interested in international affairs can pursue. Broken down by industry, this guidebook is a must for anyone looking to break into the international arena.

What I like the most: When I say comprehensive, I mean it. This guide's 100+ pages are jam-packed with information on companies to work for, qualifications, and challenges in the profession.

Who should use it: This guide is a must for IR majors, and anyone else looking to work at an international level - from global health to international business to political risk analysis.

3. Career Spots Video Series

What it is: I mentioned these in my last post, but they deserve extra attention. The Career Spots videos are brief, but incredibly insightful, mostly because they feature testimonials from real-world professionals. Topics range from networking to defining "business casual" attire, and will help you no matter where you're at in the career development process.

What I like the most: These videos get right to the point. There's no unnecessary fluff, no beating around the bush - just a few minutes of solid information.

Who should use it: Visual learners or people who want to take a break from reading (whether it's homework or the Career Center website).

4. Buzzfile

What it is: This resource isn't actually on the Career Center website, but it's worth the look. Buzzfile boasts one of the most complete employer databases out there. It's a great tool to use for researching specific companies within your industry of interest. Search by major, employer, state, and more.

What I like the most: A lot of the employers have a section for contact info of the company's head or an HR staff member - big plus for networking!

Who should use it: Again, this resource is open to everyone, but it's especially helpful for upperclassmen who have a more refined sense of their career goals and the types of organizations they want to work for.

5. SalaryExpert

What it is: While money shouldn't be your only consideration in your job search, it's definitely something to think about. SalaryExpert is a leading online database that allows you to research job salaries and compare them across different locations. All you need to enter is a job title and location, but you can customize your search by adding education level and other factors.

What I like the most: Each search you conduct provides you with a report with data on the specific job's salary (mean, range, etc.) and other valuable statistics.

Who should use it: Anyone who's thinking of relocating after Tufts, or anyone who wants to know where to go to get the most high-paying jobs in their field.

Don't be Monica. But think about money a little bit.

Hopefully some of these resources have grabbed your attention - if not, browse the Career Center website for many, many more until you find one that does! And the next time you want to procrastinate your homework with mindless web surfing, add a few of these sites to your search so that you can sneak in at least a little bit of productivity.

Until next time,

Sean Boyden

Class of 2017