The up to date job hunt

Things change rapidly with ever growing use and simplicity of technology. It's easy to think that your job hunt can be conducted in the same way as it was when you first hit the job market. But the pace of change means employers have new ways of finding staff.


There is a lot of advice on the web to help prevent you blundering through the process or making faux pas. From the basics of job hunting through to special advice for mature job hunters, to how being a mum is a valuable set of skills and experience. Just type what you are looking for into Google or one of the other search engines out there.


One technique you might find useful is to make the job hunt your job in which you schedule tasks just as you would at work. Look into finding a mentor, someone you know and respect could be just as good as a remote but mega successful star.


Try putting your CV on Pinterest, and Tweeting about your job search.


Most companies have jobs on their website but you may have to hunt them down; look at the top or bottom of the page for "About Us", you may find a link on the "About" page. Have a look at all the big sites and get a feel of how they work and learn to identify less effective sites. Read articles and learn how to use any tools they have. Make notes!     
Keep track of all the applications you've made, whether by automatic processes on these sites or by sending a CV, and note all the phone calls you make or receive and time and date of any interviews.


Despite the great technology, perhaps one of the best thing you can do is pick up the phone (don't forget to keep it charged up). There are also offline places to go to advice, from your local library and job centre to specialist advice for people returning from a long illness.




A lot of the advice online is from the USA, but many of the basic principles will apply in the UK as well.
Don't forget that there is a lot of free advice out there, so before you commit to paying for anything make sure you have done your homework and are going to get value for money.

Setting up on your own

Leaving the rat race by setting up on your own is a move that is increasingly appealing to people across Britain, as well as many countries around the world. Increasingly, happiness at work is being valued as much as the other benefits of a job.


When your work, or lack of it, doesn't align with your passions and values it can seem that the obvious way out is to find a way to make your own livelihood. Even if you have never worked before you probably have valuable transferable skills.


The first step to this career path is to find inspiration. Do you have a great idea for a business or an invention that you believe can change people's lives? 


Next you need a plan. This might include making samples, testing them out and costing production, or it may consider what admin, accounting and other paperwork you are going to need on a regular basis, and whether you need to outsource that work. Will you need insurance of any sort? Are there licences or certificates for the sort of work you plan to do? 

Then a business plan is vital. There are lots of sites on the web that give advice and templates for business plans, and most banks offer advice as well in the hope you will go to them for a start up loan.


There is also a lot of advice about the whole process of setting up a business, including advice from BusinessLink and HMRC set up by the government.


This American site can help put you in touch with a mentor in your field and The Guardian offers some advice about finding a mentor.


If you have items for sale one place to market them is a market. Find stalls available in markets around the country at Stallfinder. Also try a blog to market your business, the basics are laid out here but there are lots of advice sites for new bloggers. If you are selling online make sure your social media presence does you justice.


Have a look at the post Starting Your Own Business on this blog for more ideas, and this link for tips on success.


And finally, if you are working from home try this design for making a room divider to keep your office separate from the rest of your home.


Don't forget, there is a lot of free information out there, make sure you do your research before you consider paying someone to help you.

Mental health in the work place

People with mental health issues of all sorts still have to earn a crust. Their treatment at work can have a huge impact on their health and on their motivation and effectiveness in their jobs.


Here are a couple of articles on the different approaches work. The good and the bad.

• Company culture can have a great influence on how staff at all levels treat someone with a mental health issue, this company clearly got it very wrong.
• While this organisation seems to be what everyone would hope for; understanding, supportive and encouraging.

If you want advice for yourself, you employers, your colleagues or your employees this advice on everything from legal positions to practical tips, is a good starting place.

Find out how happy you and your staff are with this survey, then implement some of the ideas that deliver happiness at work.

Dream Job

Job boards

There are a great variety of job boards across the web. These range from a basic listings site which simply enables you to make a search of jobs fitting your criteria to huge sites that offer advice, networking and CV hosting.




Here are some of the main job boards and an idea of what they offer.

• Monster is one of the biggest worldwide job boards. As well as a search function they offer Career Tool and Advice. You can upload your CV for employers to search or join their networking group BeKnown. There is also a facility to sign up for Job Alerts; if you fill out your criteria for a job they will email you with matching jobs as and when they come up. They also have iPhone and Android apps and Advice Forums. You can connect to them via Twitter and Facebook as well. Monster is also an international company so try their Site Selection page to choose a new location abroad for your job hunt.
• Jobsite is a British site that started simply as a Jobs By Email (Job Alerts) site. It has grown to include Searchable Jobs, Career Advice, and CV hosting. They are also on Twitter and Facebook. Jobsite advertise on UK TV, currently featuring Max Beesley.
• JobServe, also British, make sure every job and CV is checked by a person to ensure nothing on the site is out of date.
• Total Jobs is another British board offering all the usual services but in their Careers Advice they also offer advice on Life At Work.
• CV Library offer the main services but also promote CVs through a network of other sites, the list of which proves just how many job sites there are out there.

A number of news publications offer a job board with many of the same features as the above boards.

• The Guardian aims at "an audience comprising high quality jobseekers just like you, we only list the highest calibre vacancies"
• The New Statesman  "focuses on attracting the unique and diverse jobseekers reading the New Statesman." 
• Jobsearch is provided by Trinity Mirror Group who publish The Mirror a host of local newspapers around the country and also provide Fish 4 Jobs.
• Jobs 24 comes from Archant who publish a lot of local newspapers.

Then there are the recruitment agencies, many of which have High Street branches, that offer similar services again.

• Reed
• Adecco
• Office Angels
• Blue Arrow
• Hays
• Or try Agency Central to find more specialised or local agencies

Most of these boards and recruiters are generalists, aiming to reach the broadest possible audience. This of course means that the esoteric and unusual jobs you might be hunting for are not listed there, or might be hard to find if they are. It is worth searching these boards though, or setting up email alerts, as that special job might be listed and you don't want to miss it.


You could also try other listings sites that have a jobs section, like Gumtree, FreeAds or Friday Ad.

When filling in your job criteria it is important to get the right balance between specific and general. If your search is too vague then you may find yourself inundated with results that are not close enough to your requirements. If you are too specific you may not get very many jobs. You can widen or narrow your search using criteria such as salary and location very easily, choosing the words to describe the sort of job you want is a trickier proposition and you may need to trial and error some phrases; for example the search term theatre may result in jobs in a surgical theatre, while the word stage may bring up Key Stage teaching jobs,

Please note, all the advice and services here should be free. If you are asked to make a payment for anything please do check the authenticity of the service, even if they claim to guarantee you a job.

Work. Life. Balance.

Work life balance is a phrase that gets bandied about by all sorts of invested parties in the world of work. Often it is over simplified as meaning the proportion of your time you spend in or at work. Equally though it can mean the proportion of your happiness or wellbeing that is a result of your work. Gradually experts in the field are coming to understand that the way work makes a person feel has a direct impact on their effectiveness as an employee.


Having a purpose in life seems to be a vital part of a healthy life, so it makes sense for work to be part of the fulfillment of that purpose. If career and purpose are well aligned then it easier to be fully engaged in your day to day tasks.


Engaging an employee with the work and goals of an organisation can be the difference between motivating him or her to work hard and be creative and active in moving forward, or them slumping over a desk barely getting the basics done.

How does your manager act?

The job interview is an opportunity for you, the would be employee, to find out if a company promotes staff well being and actively finds ways to motivate workers. Ask what the organisation offers in the way of

• staff education and training or CPD
• what opportunities there are to work outside the box of the job description
• what incentives or chances to move up or around the company structure are offered
• what staff support is in place to help on the days or in the periods that anything might not be going so well, this includes sickness payment but also if an employee is struggling with workload or being asked to do things beyond their remit.

Find out if these things are done departmentally by individual managers, or if there is a company wide policy that is implemented by the HR department. Think about which system suits you best. What else do you hope for from your bosses?

Dream Job - Musician

Who do you work for? What is your job? Where do you work?

I work for myself, playing,teaching music, I work in clubs, festivals, parties and rehearse at home in my cellar!

How did you start in this line of work?

I started cos music was something I loved and was actually quite good at!

How did you find out about the job? Or where did you get the idea?

i was inspired by my fave bands, if they could do it why not me?

How did you get the job?

Got my gigs by self promotion and word of mouth.

What do you do on an average day?

When gigging I prepare healthy nutrition for b4 and after, make sure all my equipment is functional, maybe change strings, charge batterries etc, load the car and drive sometimes up to 5 hours to get to the venue, once there, unload gear and prepare to set up, set up, wait to play, network, listen to other bands, play the set (usually1-2.5hrs), pack up gear, speak and make contacts, take any bookings, sell merchandise, drive home! When not gigging i spend a few hours on the pc, sorting out website and generally networking, then a few hours practice, rehearsal, writing, recording etc all in all about 4-6 hours aday(when not gigging,on a gig day im working at least 12 hrs!)

What’s the best part of the job?

Best part is doing what I love and meeting so many lovely people many of whom become friends for life!

And the worst?

The worst part is waiting around, dealing with idiots and the pressure of continuing to be 100%!

What can you not do your job without - Qualifications, licences, insurance, comfy shoes, eye for detail, sense of humour?

Job cant be done without, humour, patience, tolerance and dedication and much more! (qualifications NOT needed) also i play barefoot these days!

Is there a Society, Association, Union for people in your line of work?

I am a member of the Musicians union.

How much initial investment did you have to spend to get started in your career?

Investment is done on an as needed basis and it never ends, initially a good instrument and amplification, a few hundred quid at the time.

How does the pay and career path compare to other people you know? Can you support yourself, a family, a house on the income from this work?

Pay wise it has kept me afloat and I seem to be no worse off or better than anyone else, eg I've never been in debt! I have suppoorted myself with a bit of housing benefit for over 20 years YES if dedicated this work can provide all family needs and if v successful can make you richer than most (still waiting for that part!).

Does your organisation ever advertise for staff? Where?

I sometimes have to advertise for musicians,word of mouth or on the net.The internet has loads of site dedicated to getting musos together.

What would you be doing if not in this line of work?

If i wasnt doing this I would be teaching and or working with nature and or in some kind of service capacity.
I also have another less unusual job, father of 2 kids. That is the hardest job of all!

Preparing for career change

If you are currently in work or a volunteer role or any other position, but not yet in your dream job, treat it as a stepping stone to your goal.

That is not to say you should spend your hours at work using the internet to find a new job. Look around your offices or workspaces and see what you can learn from it. Even if your aim is to do something completely different, don't forget that a lot of the skills and traits in any job are transferable. Are there opportunities to build relationships appropriate to your dream job? Are there training schemes available, through work or through training providers that will provide extra or essential skills. Can you watch the different arms of your organisation to see how they work and what is or isn't effective, can you learn from managers or directors above and around you? Perhaps some colleagues might even be happy to offer you insight in the field.

Build relationships

It's worthwhile bearing in mind how you are perceived in your job, it may influence references in the future or your working relationships with people who may one become clients or suppliers. Do you have a messy desk,/craftroom/vehicle? Does your personal presentation project the kind of person you want to be? Does your Facebook profile match that image?

Whatever your current position, try to make the most of any opportunities available rather than simply waiting for a better offer.

What is a good job?

In recent times there has been a trend towards the idea that a good job is one that requires a degree and a suit and tie. But that concept negates and stigmatises a whole swathe of totally important career choices that include the fundamental work that keeps a society moving. Recent news also suggests that there aren't as many jobs for graduates as in previous times.

Discovery Communications

Mike Rowe is the presenter of Dirty Jobs and has spent his career celebrating the work done by people in those essential positions, from the teams who replace telegraph poles to the people that have to perform AI on cattle, to other jobs we won't mention here in case you are eating. Once dinner is over though, please take time to watch Mike discussing work that makes the world turn in this Ted lecture.


Mike has also spoken in front of a US Government Committee on the same subject. You can watch him here.


This American article discusses the disadvantages of so called prestigious jobs, while The Guardian has a whole section of articles on Vocational Education.


So what does a good job mean to you? Is it just about the pay cheque or is about what skills you need to call upon every day or the impact your work has on life for other people? 

Commuting

The Rat Race. It's a term well known for referring to the competitive world of work but can equally be an apt description of the daily commute, particularly in cities. Fares are rising, often  above inflation. 


The route to work maybe a significant factor in deciding whether to apply for or accept any given position.

Is working from home a better option 

One alternative to public transport is to cycle and the Government it encouraging cyclists by offering a tax free Cycle to Work scheme. It is up to employers to join the scheme but as an employee you can ask them to sign up. They may then choose which cycle shops to work with so you may find your local bike store is not part of your employer's arrangements. Never the less, finding the right bike and getting to work under your own steam will improve your fitness and your carbon foot print.


In London and Liverpool river boats are a viable alternative to road travel, as well as a speedy option through congested town centres, a river trip can be a calm and relaxing break from the stresses of every day life. 


One option for reducing transport costs and emissions is car sharing. This can be something informal or something your employers arrange, either way it is most effective if people in the car live close together and are based in the same office. It could even be just one part of your commute, consider sharing with neighbours as far as the station, don't forget though that the costs of using a car are not confined to fuel and parking, and be sure that the driver's insurance covers your car share.


If trains are your best options, check out the Money Saving Expert's guide to finding the best value tickets and take some Real Simple tips on making the best of the commute.








.

Dream Job - Hypnotherapist

Who do you work for? What is your job? Where do you work?

Myself, Hypnotherapist, West London

How did you start in this line of work? 

Was in Marketing got bored by soullessness & wanted a new career, looked at Life coaching (was a buzz thing at the time) – thought it looked like marketing but that clients would need hypnotherapy as a back up – did the course, loved it & dropped the idea of life coaching

How did you find out about the job? Or where did you get the idea?
Researched where to do the course on the web, idea – see above

How did you get the job?

Started the business 

What do you do on an average day?
There is no average day – perhaps 2 typical days would be -
Up excercise, breakfast, see clients; 3 ish clients thru day, then go do something fun in the evening
or
Up late, 3 ish clients, listen to training dvds or read training books/meet friend for lunch/coffee/network meeting or business development, do something fun in the evening 
or
I can be lazy & just watch an entertainment DVD if I'm feeling unmotivated

I always answer calls & emails on days off but very light work. Sun/Mon I have off (often do networking meetings on Mondays)

What hours do you work?

About 15 client hours per week, plus client prep, training – courses & home study 
I'm always doing training – I love it so it’s more like leisure activity 
I work Tues/wed am & pm, thurs, fri, sat (some evenings & weekends likely!)

What’s the best part of the job?
Seeing people in crisis get their lives back under control

And the worst?
Not much! – but it’s easy to be lazy re business development

What can you not do your job without - Qualifications, licences, insurance, comfy shoes, eye for detail, sense of humour? 

Qualificationss/Insurance/Empathy/self motivation/ability to focus entirely on someone else/have your baggage under control/life experience/be able to be taken seriously/humility/be unflappable/quiet professional room to work out of/means of burning CDs of sessions/being non-judgmental 

How much initial investment did you have to spend to get started in your career?
About £8K

How does the pay and career path compare to other people you know? Can you support yourself, a family, a house on the income from this work?

Pay is what you make it – it works well for me but lots of people struggle to make enough to work full time. It would be tougher outside big cities where there are fewer people & the hourly rate would be lower
Career path – again what I make it but flexible for the future – I think thats why ongoing training is so important to keep it fresh 

Does your organisation ever advertise for staff? Where?
No

Have you ever seen other jobs like yours advertised? Where?

No, self employed

What would you be doing if not in this line of work?
I’d probably still be being a marketing consultant & be really miserable

Where to go when job hunting

The obvious places to look for a job are the big employment websites.

The Guardian Newspaper's Careers section serves a variety of functions for the job hunter, from a search facility and email news on jobs to articles and advice. A high proportion of its content is aimed at graduates and professionals but a lot of the advice is just as applicable to less conventional career paths.

Monster is one of the largest such sites in the world and as such is geared to the most common types of job hunt. It was one of the first such sites, set up in America, but its UK branch is just as extensive. As well as offering job searches and lists of employers, it has a Career Advice section and Career Snapshots giving insight into jobs that are out there. They also publish the Monster Employment Index which is an analysis of what trends in online recruiting have done each month. It also hosts BeKnown a networking app on Facebook.

Similar networks are offered by BranchOut, again on Facebook, and LinkedIn is probably one of the best known networking sites. It is advisable to exercise some caution when sending your CV to any website. Make sure you don't include any personal data, like address or NI number. Never pay for job introductions and try to verify that job offers are authentic via other websites. Be aware of the types of scam you might encounter.

(See also; our post on Online Resumes for more on networking and promoting yourself)

Men at Work

More esoteric jobs though, particularly artisanal or freelance positions will not be suitable for massive job search websites. People looking for such individual employees may well be overwhelmed by large numbers of applicants and so feel that they need to advertise their position to a much smaller audience. This means though that they are harder to find, especially for people looking to move into the sector. Often these adverts will be advertised with professional societies or in trade magazines so it is worth trying to find out what resources are offered in your chosen niche.

Local newspapers are also more likely to have local adverts for jobs in smaller organisations.

Dream Job - Helicopter Pilot

Who do you work for? 
SRT Helicopters.

What is your job? 

Commercial Helicopter pilot / Flight instructor.

Where do you work? 

Meadows Field Airport, Bakersfield, California, USA.

How did you start in this line of work? 
I have wanted to fly helicopters since I was about 16 years old, then finally at 35 I was made redundant from a good career in IT. The money from this settlement was enough to pay for my retraining as a helicopter pilot. It was now or never!

How did you find out about the job? Or where did you get the idea?

I found the job by doing lots of searching on the Internet and by sending out my CV to as many places as possible.

How did you get the job?

With a sit down interview in New Orleans and a flight test in Bakersfield.

What do you do on an average day?
This can vary tremendously, but typically I fly with students and perhaps a photo or sight seeing flight. Ensure aircraft and student records are kept up to date, and talk to potential new students on the phone and via email.

What hours do you work?
Again this is quite variable. Usually its fairly 9 - 5 time wise, but often times can vary and weekend work can often occur.

What’s the best part of the job?

I get paid to fly helicopters - what more do you want?!? My office is usually either hovering 5 feet above the ground or at 500 feet and 100mph - It's just the coolest thing!

And the worst?
The days when you don't get to fly, or flights get cancelled at the last minute.

What can you not do your job without - Qualifications, licences, insurance, comfy shoes, eye for detail, sense of humour?
All of the above, well nearly! The insurance and comfy shoes are optional.

Is there a Society, Association, Union for people in your line of work?
Helicopter Association International (HAI) is one of the main ones. There are smaller regional/specialised associations.

How much initial investment did you have to spend to get started in your career?
About £35,000 (gulp!) for all the flight training.

How does the pay and career path compare to other people you know? Can you support yourself, a family, a house on the income from this work?
Like a lot of careers it's often difficult getting that first break as initially you have no experience in that field. Once you get going though it has reasonable career progression prospects and can certainly pay enough to support me and my family.

Does your organisation ever advertise for staff? Where?
Our company is only small at the moment so has not needed much in the way of advertising for staff (and definitely not for pilots). We have been advertising for a aircraft mechanic without luck as these guys are in real short supply at the moment. Any advertising would be in industry publications/websites.

Have you ever seen other jobs like yours advertised? Where?
I have seem other jobs like mine advertised, usually on the company's own web site or other industry websites.

What would you be doing if not in this line of work?
Probably something like I was doing, technology or computer related. Then again, being a racing driver sounds pretty cool too!... Or perhaps an astronaut!?!

Dream Job - Writer

Who do you work for? What is your job? Where do you work?

I work for anyone who will pay me is the flippant answer. In reality I teach Creative Writing for Richmond Adult College in Richmond 2 or 3 days a week, depending on which courses I'm teaching. I teach private students at my flat. I have also recently been Visiting Lecturer at Solent Southampton Uni. I'm currently working on a PhD for Creative Writing and working on a couple of film projects

What do you do on an average day?

It is probably easier if I take you through a week (I won't say average, because there is no such thing).
Monday is spent preparing lesson plans for the week, this week I'm starting up a new 'Movie in a Month' course and 'Novel in a Month' starts up again on Saturday - so I'll check my notes for that. Then I go through any marking left over from the weekend. I tend to do any reading/marking scripts over the weekend - either with my partner in a cafe or on Sunday night with the promise of a glass of wine when I'm done.
Tuesday I see private student in the morning - discuss with her any problems she's having. I take her through some warm up exercises that should help break a block and she sketches out a couple of scenes there and then - Result!
I check emails when she's gone and make an appointment to see an Agent who is also a friend - I am going to need someone to look at contracts for the film project soon. We agree coffee Wednesday morning.
Tuesday evening I teach 'Developing Your Novel' class. One of the students who has brought work in to workshop blows us all away with a piece. The discussion goes on in the pub afterwards and it is pretty late when I get back home.
Wednesday I go for a run first thing - my work is so sedentary, I need to do something - I also need waking up. Head over to Agent for coffee, contacts and gossip. It is good to see her, she asks when my novel will be finished (she's had nothing but the first three chapters since Christmas) I promise it for end of August and cross my fingers.
Wednesday (I have a private student alternate Wednesday evenings) I'm free so I meet friends for dinner and then go to a Horror film night - I'm teaching Horror Writing next semester in Southampton and need to keep up to date.
Thursday another private student in the morning and I try to organise a meeting with the producer of the film I've been commissioned to write the treatment for, we need to discuss money. He agrees to Friday. I finish working on changes for another script and email it to the Director who calls and promises to read and reply asap, she has just come in from Africa where she is filming a documentary. We talk over the changes and a couple of scenes that the producer wanted included. Then there is just enough time to grab a sandwich and go to Richmond to teach Movie in a Month.
Friday morning, meet with producer and get money. Go home and start working on the treatment. Friday night I have off. The work to be marked is beginning to pile up in my email. I also have an academic paper to write for a conference later this month - I look through the diary and work out that I can do it on the train going up there - some things will need to be juggled!

What’s the best part of the job?

On the plus side, I love what I do, there are great moments when you write something someone loves or fix something that wasn't working. I get to work in bed, in my PJ's a lot of the time or if it is sunny I can sit outside in the park or a cafe. I can organise my time according to my own schedule and being an insomniac helps.

When a student tells you, you've changed their life or a director sits laughing and crying over the final scene you wrote on the back of an envelope - well, that's pretty good. It makes up for the 'sorry your book isn't right for our lists right now', 'your course has been cancelled' 'the money dropped out' 'we found someone else to do it.'
Well...almost.

And the worst?

I don't have a pension and I do worry about my financial future sometimes. But I wouldn't change what I do for anything else

What can you not do your job without - Qualifications, licences, insurance, comfy shoes, eye for detail, sense of humour?

You need patience, a sense of humour and the ability to bounce back in my job. Rejections are frequent and always horrible. Even when you have been commissioned for a job, you may or may not get the money, the job can suddenly disappear, never get made, given to someone else. That's why I teach as well - my students keep me sane and allow me to eat.

The changing world of work

Work used to be a case of finding a position in an established organisation, working a fixed number of hours on a fixed number of days and staying there for the majority of your working years. Those days are long gone however. Flextime, teleworking, virtual meetings and cyber commuting have made a huge impact on the way we work.


This article from Pick The Brain recognises that the old 8 hour day didn't sit well with normal psychology and was inefficient, and advocates employee centred structuring.


Big Ambition has lots of advice about Digital Careers, describing work at large organisations such as ITV and BT in their IT and business systems sections. There are courses on building Apps and discussions with people who have already success in the digital world. It is aimed largely at youngsters but the information will be of interest to anyone looking to move into information and technology.

http://www.the-happy-manager.com/goal-setting-tip.html

The idea that happiness should be an indicator of success as much a financial factors is moving into the world of work as well. Originally used by Bhutan alongside GDP to measure how well the country was doing, happiness is becoming a driving force in people's career choices, with some going to far as to quit their jobs to do work that has more personal meaning for them.


Increasingly work can mean spending more time out of an office environment with technology and more flexible employers enabling people to work from home, or anywhere else they choose.


For people wanting to go it alone, traditional sources of loans and capital investment are now joined by Crowdsourcing, websites that connect people with ideas to hundreds and thousands of people prepared to invest small amounts. Kickstarter is one of the largest of these, with links to Amazon, it has raised $7million for one project alone.


The Work Foundation studies the situation that work and workers are in and how policy and the economy affect and are affected by work. Their press releases summarise their findings but the site includes animated graphs of how the world of work is changing, and other tools and research.




Where will your work take you? 

What career is right for you?

“You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers … If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” - Steve Jobs in a Stanford commencement speech

When you know you need to leave your job

First up, decide if your current job is really right for you. I-Resign will help you to re-evaluate your current position then guide you through resigning and moving on.


How to find what you love from Brian Kim guides you through asking yourself the right questions about work.


Zen Habits offers more tips on finding the right work.

People Maps  has a range of personality and other tests to help you identify strengths and skills. Requires registration


Career planning - from Alberta Canada, has Know Yourself quizzes and ideas for exploring career options and universally applicable advice.


A 32 question test to match your personality to job types on iVillage.

PlanIt offers a number of tools and job profiles to help you decide.

For Graduates this site offers lots of information and lists the usual sectors of employment.

---

And try these articles for more information

• Are you already an entrepreneur?
• Working in a flexible office the Google way who know how to make the office a place you'd like to be.
• 1 in 5 workers are in the wrong career according to PersonnelToday.com
• Career Survey result shows how many of us are in the wrong job 

• What to do with your life -  a long article from Fast Company based on the book (and watch the author on the Oprah show here)
• An item from Work Life Balance Centre, who also have some interesting Hot Topics on their site.

• A word of warning Be sure you can do the job you choose, an article from current.com
• Career Choices About.com's quick guide to making the biggest decision of your life.