Many books and courses have been devoted to the problem of finding work that suits you. If you're in career transition mode, see the books and Web sites below; according to our research, they are among the most respected, most visited or bestselling career guides of the past ten years. These are not job posting sites (though some point to job sites), providing instead the tools to identify and find the best jobs and careers based on your qualifications, interests and more.
Top Five Career Books
Based on sales figures and positive reviews, here are five books at the top of the career guidance category:
What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard Nelson Bolles. This is the all-time classic in its field and is updated every year (2009 version available). The companion Web site is http://www.jobhuntersbible.com.
Do What You Are by Paul D. Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger, 2007. The authors show you how to use personality type to find the right career. This book is best used with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. The associated Web site is http://www.personalitytype.com/whoweare.html .
I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was by Barbara Sher. This book speaks to those who are motivated but don’t have a strong career direction. Her Web site is http://www.barbarasher.com/.
The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success by Nicholas Lore. The associated Web site is http://www.rockportinstitute.com/.
Career Match: Connecting Who You are with What You'll Love to Do by Shoya Zichy. The associated Web site is http://www.colorqprofiles.com/ .
Occupational Outlook Handbook and Web Site:
Occupational Outlook Handbook is both a book and has an online tool at http://www.bls.gov/oco/. It is a nationally recognized source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives. The print version is revised every two years. (We assume the Web site is updated more often!)
Some readers may be put off by the book’s catalog format and cut-and-dried prose, but the Handbook provides more specific, high-quality information about more individual occupations than any other guide on the market, hands down. Very broad coverage includes jobs ranging from beauticians to funeral directors. For each occupation, you can learn about the day-to-day experience, training and qualifications, job outlook, and earnings potential.
The interactive Web site, http://www.bls.gov/oco/, is likewise extremely useful.
O*NET OnLine:
The O*NET database describes more than 800 hundred occupations and has very advanced search capabilities. The database, which is available to the public at no cost, is continually updated by surveying a broad range of workers. Jobs groups are organized from the lowest education and experience requirements to the highest (Zones 1-5). Each title is linked to an extensive job description. Notice that some job titles have the “In Demand” symbol--which offers a quick take on this key piece of information. The O*NET program is sponsored by the US Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).
Riley Guide: http://www.rileyguide.com/careers.html
This is a no-frills, comprehensive guide to employment opportunities and job resources on the Internet. It offers free career and employment information and explains the process of online job search. They do not post jobs nor resumes, but point to places that do.
