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Megan Fong looked ahead to college, she hoped to find
an internship or a summer job in the entertainment industry.
She decided to look online. Fong noticed an ad on craigslist
(www.craigslist.org), a Web site featuring job openings
from cities around the country. ManiaTV!--a new Internet
television network--was seeking on-air personalities.
Fong responded immediately. The next thing she knew,
she was called in for an audition. After several more
auditions, she landed a job as one of the network's
first CJs (cyberjockeys).
Now an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Denver,
Fong hosts two music-video shows and a spoof of the
online dating scene on ManiaTV! while carrying a full
course load. "My job is amazing," she says.
"I am getting hands-on experience, plus it's so
much fun being in front of the camera and performing
for others."
For Fong, using the Internet was the key to finding
a great job. "You can find almost anything that
you'd like to do online," she says. "And you
can respond to a bunch of ads online in the time it
takes to mail your resume to just a few places."
Although not everyone's research will lead to such
a high-profile gig, career information for any student
is only a few mouse clicks away.
Maybe you'd like to learn more about careers worth pursuing
in the future. Or perhaps you want to compare salaries
and educational requirements for different fields or land
a part-time job or an internship. "Many of the things
you need to find and get a job are on the Internet these
days," says Tim Driver, senior vice president of
Salary.com. "You can search job postings, research
companies, send in applications, and find out how much
you should be paid."
Driver notes that the Internet offers particularly
exciting possibilities for summer employment. "Teens
are no longer confined to working the register at the
supermarket down the street or slinging chowder at the
local clam shack," he says. "You can now apply
for a job at a national park in Montana from a computer
in Boston."
* How do I get started?
The first step in finding career information online
is to have a good idea of what you are looking for.
Before using a search engine such as Google or Yahoo,
take a few minutes to jot down notes on just what you're
seeking.
"When using search engines, be very specific in
your wording," says Brenda Fabian, director of
the Center for Career Services at Susquehanna University
in Pennsylvania. For example, if you are looking for
a job, use specific terms in your research. "Don't
just type in jobs," Fabian recommends. "Instead,
enter retail jobs Philadelphia or summer resort employment.
You'll have less information to sort through."
If you're interested in a specific employer, you can
either type in the company's name followed by .com (if
it is a for-profit company) or .org (if it is a nonprofit
organization) or conduct a Web search using the company's
name. To explore job opportunities with Kroger grocery
stores, for example, you could guess that its URL is
www.kroger.com (it is) or conduct a basic Web search
with Kroger as the search term. Are you searching for
general information about a career as an accountant?
Key in accounting and career to begin your quest for
information.
Many universities have career centers with useful links
to career development sites. Those sites can be great
starting points for research.
Although organizations' Web site designs vary, you'll
find common elements. Most sites have sections titled
Employment, Jobs, or Careers. Job listings and career
information can sometimes be found in the About Us section
on a company's or an association's home page.
* How do I know whether a site's information is reliable?
In navigating the online world, use caution. The Internet
has a wealth of information, but not all of it is helpful
or accurate. "Anyone can put just about anything
on the Web, even completely false information,"
says Susan Cheng, a library director at DeVry University.
"So be sure to evaluate sites carefully before
relying on them."
Here are a few strategies you can use to evaluate a
Web site.
Determine who is responsible for the site. Information
provided by a business or a professional organization
is generally more reliable than what you'll find on
someone's personal Web site. Sites offered by government
agencies (.gov), nonprofit associations (.org), and
educational institutions (.edu) tend to be trustworthy.
One useful government site is the Occupational Outlook
Handbook, published annually by the U.S. Department
of Labor (www.bls.gov/oco). It provides overviews of
hundreds of occupations, including job roles, qualifications,
and salary information.
Know the site's purpose. Many business sites (.com)
are perfectly legitimate and provide valuable career
information. However, a few may be more interested in
trying to sell something (such as career development
books or resume-writing services). So use the same care
you would in evaluating any type of advertising. You
should be able to find all the resources you need online
for free.
Make sure information on the site is up-to-date. Many
sites show when pages were last updated. The best sites
are updated regularly. If the last update was in 2001,
you may find general information but not a hot lead
for a cool job. If the site has a Links section, click
on a few links to make sure they're still active. If
so, that's usually a good sign that a site is current.
If you have doubts about any site, send an e-mail request
for more information or ask a parent, teacher, librarian,
or counselor for an opinion on its value.
* Where can I find career info and job listings for
teens?
There are three main types of Web sites that offer
useful career information.
1. INDUSTRY/PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION SITES: These sites
provide overviews of careers in specific fields, as
well as information about education and scholarships.
Some even offer free publications for students. The
Internet Public Library offers a list of professional
associations at www.ipl.org/div/aon.
2. SPECIFIC COMPANY SITES: Are you eager to work for
a specific company? That company's Web site should be
your first stop. You're likely to find job listings,
news, the company's mission statement, and the names
of contact people.
3. CAREER DEVELOPMENT SITES: Many sites focus on careers
across a range of industries. These sites are a good
place to begin your career research. Here are a few
sites to try.
Job Listings for Teens
* CoolWorks.com offers postings for seasonal jobs nationwide
at amusement parks, ski resorts, national parks, and
campgrounds.
* SnagAJob.com connects teens with part-time or summer
job listings across the country.
General Career Information
* Mapping-Your-Future.org guides middle and high school
students through career and education planning.
* CareerSmarts.com helps students develop an action
plan for building a career.
* iseek.org, based in Minnesota, offers enough general
career information to hook any Net-surfing career researcher.
Click on Explore Careers.
Many well-known job search sites target primarily adults
or college students, but much of the information--from
employer profiles to job search advice to career trends--is
also useful to teens. Check out these great career sites.
* JobWeb.com
* HotJobs.yahoo.com
* Monster.com
* Vault.com
* WetFeet.com
FAST FACTS
Every day, about 4 million people turn to the Internet
to find job information.
Who goes online for career info? 61 percent of adults
ages 18 to 29 and 16.9 percent of students in grades
7 through 12.
SOURCES: PEW INTERNET AND AMERICAN LIFE PROJECT, 2005
JA INTERPRISE POLL
Discuss
* How did Megan Fong find her job?
* Besides the Internet, where can you find job listings
or career information?
* What are some ways to tell whether or not a Web site
is reliable?
Do
Students can go on a career scavenger hunt online.
Provide them with a list of items to find online. For
example:
* a job opening they're qualified for;
* a marine biology internship;
* information about becoming an actuary;
* the job outlook for electricians in the next 10 years;
* salary information for chefs;
* a career that is new to them.
Have students note the Web site where they found the
information and assess the site's reliability.
Resources
Many online resources are listed on page 25 of the
student edition. In addition, the following sites are
good destinations.
Job listings for teens:
Teens4Hire.org
GrooveJob.com
General career information:
CareerSmarts.com
ACINet.org
For more information about evaluating Web sites, go
to school.discovery.com/ schrockguide/eval.html.
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