There are lots of tools out there for people who want to take charge of their own careers. Here are some of my favorites:
Tools to Find Key Words
Wordle: www.wordle.net. Copy and paste job descriptions to create a word cloud
O*Net: www.onetonline.org. Search your occupation to find common keywords
Manage Your Job Search
Jibber Jobber: www.jibberjobber.com. A free online database to help manage your job search
Grammar & Spelling Tools
Grammarly: www.grammarly.com/ Create a free account; Grammarly was launched in 2009 and it instantly eliminates grammatical errors and enhances your writing.
Personal Branding Books
Ditch. Dare. Do!: 3D Personal Branding for Executives by William Arruda and Deb Dib
Career Distinction: Stand Out By Building Your Brand by William Arruda and Kirsten Dixson
Resume Writing Classic
Resume Magic: Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer by Susan Britton Whitcomb. This book tells you the how’s and why’s of private sector resume writing.
Tools to Help You Answer the Question: What Do I Want to Do?
What Color is Your Parachute? By Richard Bolles
O*Net Interest Profiler: https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip. This free online assessment measures your interests and shows how they relate to different careers. At the end of the Interest Profiler, you are presented with a list of careers that match your interests and preparation level.
And of course, FEDweek’s handbooks:
The Complete Guide to Completing a Federal Resume, http://www.fedweek.com/store/the-complete-guide-to-writing-a-federal-resume-3rd-ed/
The Complete Guide to Interviewing for a Federal Job, http://www.fedweek.com/store/complete-guide-interviewing-federal-job/
The Complete Guide to Federal Career Transitions, http://www.fedweek.com/store/complete-guide-federal-career-transitions/
Take some time during the holiday season to review these resources and let us know what you think. If you have favorites, please share them. Best to you and your loved ones for the season!
– Nancy
