Getting Started

America's Career Infonet: A service of the U.S. Department of Labor, this website's goal is to be a comprehensive source of occupational information. One neat feature in its Resource Library is a list of links to career assessment websites for those who need some help in finding a career suited to their interests and personality.
BLS Career Information: Exploring Career Information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics: Explore career possibilities by clicking on different topics that interest you. Topics include: Math, Reading, Science, Social Studies, Music and Arts, Building and Fixing Things, Helping People, Computers, Law, Managing Money, Sports, Nature. A teacher's guide is also available as well as an extended list of "A-Z List of Careers." Provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Career Voyages: "This web site is the result of a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Education. It is designed to provide information on high growth, in-demand occupations along with the skills and education needed to attain those jobs."
Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) - Latest Edition: For hundreds of different types of jobs-such as teacher, lawyer, and nurse-the Occupational Outlook Handbook tells you: the training and education needed, earnings, expected job prospects, what workers do on the job, working conditions. In addition, the Handbook gives you job search tips, links to information about the job market in each State, and more. From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
PayWizard.org: "A resource center, a salary-checker and a tool for helping American workers understand more about pay and work life."
SalaryExpert: The free Basic Report provides a high, low and median salary for occupations by geographical area as well as the cost of living for that area. It also includes nationwide averages. Only the Basic report is free.
Work Force New York - Career Services: From the New York State Department of Labor, this site offers a variety of guides for the job seeker. It includes information on choosing a career, surviving a job loss and "marching to your next career," for veterans. There is a wealth of valuable employment and occupational information: a business directory, searchable by county and occupation, allows you to find potential private sector employers in New York State. Includes CarreerZone, the New York state award winning guide to matching occupations to interests, skills, and capabilities. See also: NYS DOL's "Looking for a Job" website.

Resumes & Cover Letters

The resume is a powerful tool in your job search. Equally important and decisive can be the cover letter. Below are links to sites containing hints, tips, and guides to strengthening your resume and cover letter writing skills.

Resume Links

The Damn Good Resume: If you can ignore all the advertisements, there are some free sample resumes that may be helpful. Search Thrall's catalog for copies of many of these books.
Preparing A Perfect Plain Text Resume: Step by step instructions for converting your MS Word resume to a plain text format compatible for posting.
Resumes: What They Are, How They Work, and How to Create One: Middletown Thrall Library's own informational flyer.
Writing a Winning Cover Letter: PDF format: requires Adobe Reader to view.
Writing Resumes and Cover Letters: From the New York State Labor Department this chapter from their Job Search Guide provides information on preparing effective resumes.

Cover Letter Links

Cover Letters: What They Are, What They Do, and How to Create One: Middletown Thrall Library's own informational flyer.
Writing a Winning Cover Letter: A nice overview on writing a cover letter from Rennsselaer Polytechnic Institute
The Art and Science of Writing Cover Letters: An article detailing exactly what a cover letter should look like and what information it should contain excerpted from the book Cover Letters by L. Michelle Tullier. PDF format: requires Adobe Reader to view.
The First and Best Cover Letters: One example for each situation is free. You can view others by subscribing.

You may also want to look for resume and cover letter information on the sites in the Job and Career Resources and Gateways sections or visit the library to check out our print collection.

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Upgrading Skills & Education

Your education and skills decide for what jobs you qualify. To be a competitive candidate for any position your skills must be impressive and current. To explore higher educational opportunities, click here for College Connexion.

As Internet literacy becomes a permanent prerequisite for "good-paying" jobs, you should do everything possible to build Internet proficiency. Free Internet tutorials are available online:

Finding Information on the Internet: A Tutorial
Internet Tutorials: by University at Albany Libraries
Thrall Documents: Contains a number of informative pages, such as Web Check List, Critical Thinking, Search Smarter, and more.
Thrall Self-Study Center: Quick, easy, self-directed tutorials on a variety of topics.

While you're at it...

Upgrade Your Outlook, Self-Image,
and Determination!

In these trying economic times, finding a good-paying job can be challenging. Why not take advantage of the many free materials, available at your library, which can help you weather the storms, feel better about yourself, and help you grow not only professionally but personally?

If you're interested, please check out these posts in our Booklovers Blog for links to self-help, self-esteem, motivational, and inspirational books, videos, and other related items in the library system catalog. Note: just skip the text about "displays" and head straight for the topic links at the end of each post:

We also provide a guide to finding Self-Help information at our website (PDF format) and a free "Succeed" flyer at Reference, which introduces you to free services our library provides - services you can use to literally get ahead in your professional career and in life!

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Licensing Information

Many jobs require you meet certain educational and/or profession qualifications. Some modes of employment might require you to hold one or more licenses before you can act in a specific capacity or perform a certain duty. Here are some sites to help you learn more about these things:

Division of Licensing Services - List of Professions: New York State licensed occupations not covered by the Department of Education. Includes links to applications and instructions.
Licensed Occupations: From CareerOneStep, this website allows you to find qualifications and contact information by profession and state.
New York State Office of the Professions: Provides licensing requirements and applications for New York State

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Job and Career
Resources Online

Scores of employment opportunities await the right candidates on the Internet. You may review a fair portion of these job postings through the services listed below.

Gateways to Employment Information

Job-Hunt: "The purpose of the Job-Hunt.Org Web site is to provide the most comprehensive listing of useful Internet-accessible job-search resources and services on the Web, in a format which is most useful to job seekers."
Riley Guide: Created by librarian Margaret F. Dikel (formerly Margaret F. Riley), this is a gold mine of job related resources. Especially good for finding sources for specialized jobs, it includes links to information on all aspects of the job search as well as links to the help wanted databases. Jobseekers looking for employment outside of the U.S. will find links to many helpful resources.
What Color is Your Parachute?: Job Hunter's Bible. The online supplement to the classic text on job hunting and career planning includes links to information on every step of the process, from discovery and career counseling forward.

Local

You may try the following sites for local area employment possibilities:

All County Jobs.com: New York: Job Boards for Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and Dutchess Counties.
Flipdog: From Monster.com that allows you to search by keyword and zip code.
hitechNY.com
Hudson Valley Help Wanted
New York State Department of Labor Career Services: "New York State Department of Labor and Workforce New York provide the tools to find your next job or another job. Whether it is the New York's Job Exchange (NYSJE), job posting sites or the one-stop system; we provide the assistance for your first and future steps."
Orange Works
Snag-a-job
Times Herald Record Employment Search
Tristate Jobs

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Mega Sites

America's Job Exchange: Successor to America's Job Bank
Best Jobs USA
Careerbuilder.com
Career Magazine
Flipdog: Beta site from Monster.com that allows you to search by keyword and zip code.
Monster.com
JOBCentral - National Labor Exchange: "Jobs and Careers Online, Recruitment and Employment Solutions. The JobCentral National Labor Exchange is provided by leading U.S. employers in alliance with the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) as a public service for all employers and all job seekers regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age or national origin."
Wall Street Journal's Career Journal

Computer & High Tech Employment

ComputerJobs.com
Contract Employment Weekly
Data Processing Independent Consultant's Exchange
hitechNY.com
ITCareers.com

Government Jobs

Careers in Government
Civil Service Jobs - Announcements, Current Tests, Upcoming Exams: Governmental employment in New York State (NYS), Middletown, NY, and Orange County, NY.
"Plum Book": Federal civil service leadership and support positions; very limited
USA Jobs (US Office of Personnel Management): Federal job opportunites in the U.S. Government.
Government Jobs: Work for the Government: Sections include: Federal Government Jobs (Apply for Politically Appointed Jobs, Best Places to Work in the Federal Government, Federal Application Process, Federal Employment of Persons with Disabilities, Federal Excepted Service Agencies Which Hire Directly, Federal Government Hiring Projections 2007 - 2009, Federal Salaries and Wages, Find a Federal Job, Foreign Service, Forms for Federal Employment, Internships with the Federal Government, Military Jobs, Presidential Appointments, Senior Executive Service - Find Jobs, Student Jobs in the Federal Government, Summer Employment with the Federal Government, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, USA Jobs, USAJOBS Security Notice, Veterans Preference Advisor, VetGuide, Welfare-to-Work), Public Service and Volunteer Opportunities (Public Service and Volunteerism, Serve.gov Volunteer Network, State and Local Government Jobs, Jobs Available in State or Local Government, State Government Employment Websites). From USA.gov.

Other Specialized Sites

American Staffing Association: Finding a Staffing Company: Find agencies for temporary and assignment jobs as well as permament positions.
Black Collegian
Chronicle of Higher Education Job Listings
Exec-u-net: For executive positions with salaries over $100,000.
Intern Job.com: A global database of internships and entry level jobs.
Job Web: Employer profiles and other information for college students/recent graduates. Provided by National Association of Colleges and Employers.
LatPro Professional Network: Spanish/English and Portuguese/English bilinguals
Medhunters: Nursing and Healthcare Jobs: Medical personnel
Monster.com's MonsterTrak: Internships, Entry-Level Jobs for New Graduates, and Jobs for College Students
Net-temps: Temporary and contract jobs
Overseas Job Express
SnagAJob.com: Openings for part-time and hourly jobs.
Summer Jobs.com: Seasonal staff positions with camps, resorts, national parks, hotels, environmental organizations and more.
TrueCareers
Veterans and Government Job Banks: For Veterans, Service Members and Spouses

Other Employment Sites

EmploymentGuide.com
Manpower
NationJob Network
Vault Reports
Yahoo! Hot Jobs

Visit the Middletown Thrall Library to access
our Job Information Center Resources.

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The Interview

Below are some links to help you focus on particular aspects of the interview process.

Employment Interviews: A handout from the University of Chicago detailing the interview process. PDF format: requires Adobe Reader to view.
Getting an Academic Job: Provided by the University of Washington.
Interview 101: Sections include: Thorough Research, Getting the Interview, Persistent Preparation, Confident Performance. Includes sample interview questions and suggestions.
Interviews: Interview Advice, Tips, and Techniques: Sections include: Job Interview Guide, Job Interview Questions, Interview Attire (what to wear, how to dress), How to Follow Up After a Job Interview, Interview Thank You Letters, Job Interview Types, Acing the Interview, Interview Blunders, How to Ace the Interview E-Course, Job Interview Follow-Up, How to Use Nonverbal Communication to Impress, Teen Interview Tips, A Second Look at First Impressions, Difficult Interview Questions. From About.com.
Job Interviews - Advice and Tips for Job Interviews: A Guide To Success for Your Next Job Interview (Tech Careers): Sections include: Interview Tips, Behavioral Interviewing Tips, Job Interviews - Guidelines for Success, Interview Questions - Examples, Interview Questions to Ask, Illegal Interview Questions. From About.com.
Job-Interview.net: A complete resource for preparing for your interview. Includes information on handling tough questions and sticky situations.

Look for more interviewing information from the sites in the Gateways section.

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Free Thrall Publications
for Job Searchers

(Adobe Reader required)

Cover Letters: What They Are, What They Do, and How to Create One
Computer Terminology: Some Technical Words and Concepts You Should Know
Critical Thinking Skills: What They Are and Why You Must Develop Them!
Finding Jobs & Career Resources in the Library Catalog: Where to Look and What Search Terms You Can Use
Get Your Own Free E-mail Account - simple instructions
Navigating and Completing Forms at Employment Websites and Other Places Online
Resumés: What They Are, How They Work, and How to Create One
Web Checklist: Consider and Evaluate Websites

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Job Search Engines

You can search multiple job sites for opportunities through the following specialized search engines:

CareerBuilder
Indeed.com
Job Search Engine (juju)
LinkUp: Exposing the Hidden Jobs
Simply Hired: Job Search Made Simple
USA Jobs: Government employment search engine from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

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Civil Service

These are often substantial job opportunities, and it might be wise to extend your job search into Civil Service. Educational and prior experience requirements are explained with each posting, as are the salary ranges and other vital information. Job announcements are also maintained in a folder at the Reference desk.

Should you wish to pursue any particular Civil Service job and prepare yourself for its respective test, our library also contains many study guides for major Civil Service job titles. Use our Public Access Catalog or speak with a librarian to learn about these and other employment opportunity information at Middletown Thrall Library.

Please select a section:

New York State
Local (Middletown, Orange County, NY)

New York State

New York State Civil Service home page.
New York State Uniform Court System: Careers: Current Opportunities home page.
Test Guides and Resource Booklets for State Examinations: "Test Guides published by the New York State Department of Civil Service are usually targeted to specific, entry-level titles. Test Guides are not provided for every examination. If a Test Guide is provided for an examination, information about the guide will appear on the examination announcement. Test Guides are designed to familiarize candidates with the format of the test. Test Guides provide a description of the subject areas that will be tested and present samples of the types of test material that will appear on the test." Guides are in PDF format (view with Adobe Reader).

Local Civil Service - Middletown, NY and Orange County, NY

For Local civil service listings, please see Thrall's bulletin board (located in the lobby). Middletown Thrall Library posts civil service announcements in its library and maintains a folder of test announcements at our Reference Department.

Local civil service websites:

City of Middletown, New York Civil Service
Examination Announcements for Positions in Local Government: Click on their map or you can browse alphabetically by county, city, or town.
Orange County Government
Questions and Answers about Municipal Civil Service Examinations
Test Guides and Resource Booklets for Local Examinations: "Test Guides published by the New York State Department of Civil Service are usually targeted to specific, entry-level titles. Test Guides are not provided for every examination. If a Test Guide is provided for an examination, information about the guide will appear on the examination announcement. Test Guides are designed to familiarize candidates with the format of the test. Test Guides provide a description of the subject areas that will be tested and present samples of the types of test material that will appear on the test." Guides are in PDF format (view with Adobe Reader).

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Employment & Career Development
Materials at Thrall

Books and DVDs on employment, career development, test preparation, certification, and other topics relevant to advancing your job search, skills, and general employability can be found throughout our collections.

Study guides for Civil Service tests are located in several areas depending on the job title. For example, Civil Service examinations for law-related jobs are in the 340s, the general area where Law books are.

Here are some popular topics and their "call numbers" (their locations in the library):

Resumes & Cover Letters - 650.14
Civil Service Test Study Guides - 351.076, 651.3 (and other areas)
Nursing (LPN/LVN/NCLEX/etc.) - 610.73
Adult Education (GED, SAT, teacher certification, etc.) - 370s

If you do not know where to begin, our Reference Librarians will be happy to show you where these and other materials are located within our library.

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Library Catalog Resources

Jobs, Employment, Career Development,
and Unemployment Information in the Library System

Please click any topic below to locate items available in the library system.

Also be sure to check out our Jobs & Unemployment
Special Coverage Guide for more information.

For even more information, please call or visit Thrall's Reference Department
or click here to use our free "Ask a Librarian" service on the web.

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Disclaimer

The library cannot control resources on the Internet. Some sites accessible via the Internet may contain material that is inaccurate, defamatory, illegal or potentially offensive to some people.

Getting Started

Resumes & Cover Letters

Upgrading Skills & Education

While you're at it...

Upgrade Your Outlook, Self-Image,and Determination!

Licensing Information

Job and CareerResources Online

Gateways to Employment Information

Local

Mega Sites

Computer & High Tech Employment

Government Jobs

Other Specialized Sites

Other Employment Sites

The Interview

Free Thrall Publicationsfor Job Searchers

Job Search Engines

Civil Service

Employment & Career DevelopmentMaterials at Thrall

Library Catalog Resources

Disclaimer

Upgrade Your Outlook, Self-Image,
and Determination!

Job and Career
Resources Online

Free Thrall Publications
for Job Searchers

Employment & Career Development
Materials at Thrall