NEWS

Note: During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have the chance to learn a little more about our Louisiana Tech University Family: students, staff, alumni, faculty, and friends. We’ll call it Tech Top 5. Go to LATechSports.com for more Top 5s. #TogetherApart

Caitlin Dartez

The world of work has been turned upside down because of COVID-19. Now more than ever, job seekers are looking for advice on how to navigate their search.

Caitlin Dartez, the Assistant Director of Employer Relations and Recruitment Services at Louisiana Tech, says seeking advice through online resources is a great place to start. She shared both her Top 5 Places to send job seekers for some exploring and her reasons why.

1. The Louisiana Tech University Career Center Website: Call me biased, but this site has some great items on it. Not only does it list our services available to current students and alumni, but also it connects you to many current topics and links to specialized materials for our Tech community. It is a great place to start your search!
2. Handshake’s Blog: Handshake is the official career management system of Louisiana Tech University. Employers, students, and alumni can connect through job applications, events, and direct messages. Sounds easy right? Well, some things are easier said than done, and we need some direction. That’s where the Handshake Blog comes in. Here the Handshake team provides current info on trends and their system. Adding this resource to your toolbox gets you one step closer to being a networking ninja!
3. O*Net OnLine: Sometimes job seekers need to get some insight on themselves before really delving into other steps in a job search. O*Net is a free online database that contains hundreds of occupational definitions to help students, job seekers, businesses, and workforce development professionals to understand today’s world of work in the United States. Job seekers can use this site to better understand occupational requirements and attributes. This info will let them know if the job is the right fit for them and give them clues on what they should be including on their resume.
4. The Muse: Not to be confused with the rock band Muse, though equally as epic, The Muse is another great resource to research companies and careers and get advice for navigating informational interviews, job negotiation, trends, interviewing, and so much more! One of my all-time favorite articles from The Muse is “How to Ask for a Job Without Asking for a Job.” It basically walks you through how to showcase your skill set to an employer in a very casual way – great tip when conducting informational interviews!
5. YouTube: Yep, this is the wild card of the bunch, but it is definitely an underrated source for career advice! There are many YouTube channels devoted to job readiness. Some of my favorites include LinkedIn, Work It Daily, CareerBuilder, and the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Now, just like you can’t believe everything you see on TV, make sure the channels you are subscribed to or get advice from are reputable or specific to the career readiness industry.

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