Jobs and Careers

Twelve Steps to a Successful Job Application

By LadyVictoria Walker

Advance Your Career as an Office Assistant

In our fast-paced society, many of us have become adept at juggling multiple tasks and responsibilities in our everyday lives. If you find it easy to multitask while maintaining attention to detail in your personal life, a career as an office or clerical assistant might be for you.

An office or clerical worker performs general, but important, tasks depending on the needs of their employer. Individuals working in this position often handle more than one duty at a time, including writing a letter, faxing the letter, filing documents, proofreading reports, sorting mail, answering incoming calls, and scanning a document to the right file or person.

Ten Tips to Write a Great Résumé at Any Age

In your job search, you’ve likely encountered employers who have moved away from a standard fill-in-the-blanks company application form and are now asking you to submit a résumé highlighting your skills and qualifications for the job at hand.

If you’ve never written a résumé before or are seeking a new job for the first time in decades, putting together an impressive résumé may seem confusing and overwhelming. How do you know what information to include? How do you make it look professional instead of something you quickly typed up in a few minutes?

Fortunately, Goodwill® is here to help. Check out our ten pieces of advice to consider when putting together your first résumé or updating your current one.

Find a Job by Sharpening Your Soft Skills

Many qualified workers find themselves competing for a small number of jobs as the economy continues its slow recovery. In the wake of the recession, how will you stand out amongst the crowd of people applying for your job of choice?

Demonstrating your soft skills – your positive attitude, flexibility and ability to interact with other people – can help give you an edge when looking for a job.

What Is a Retail Job, and Is It Right For You?

The back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons are quickly approaching, meaning there’s never been a better time to consider job opportunities in the retail field. The industry has something to offer job seekers of all backgrounds, whether you’re looking for a long-term career, seeking some supplemental income or pursuing your first-ever job.

Retail employment is expected to grow 11 percent through 2014, with ample opportunities becoming available as existing retail workers leave the field for other professions.

Embark on a Career of Caring as an Education or Social Services Worker

If you love working with children or families, consider making your passion work for you by pursuing a career in the education and social services field. By working in this field, you’ll help people learn and find resources to improve their lives, and be a motivating force to help their students or clients become well-rounded, happy and independent.

The fields of education and social service are diverse, and there are many types of jobs to consider. While employment in these areas can be rewarding, it is important to understand that the work can be very demanding and emotionally challenging.

Find Employment Opportunities By Cleaning Up Your Online Identity

It’s no secret that the current economy has made it hard for people to find jobs. You may possess the work experience and skill set required for the jobs you’re applying for, and you may have been told by an expert that your résumé looks great. But have you checked to make sure that your online identity represents you as well as your experience and résumé do?

Your online behavior can affect you just as much as the first impression you make in an interview with a potential employer. This includes activity on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, on job boards, and any other websites where you can publicly post a comment or question attached to your name. And don’t forget the dating sites!