Library News
Career Transitions
by Reference Librarian 2 | May 4, 2020 at 10:05 AM
Looking for a new job? Want to explore a new career path? Give Career Transitions a try!
Now available to library users statewide, Career Transitions is an online resource that provides career guidance for job seekers of all levels and experiences. Explore careers and occupations, assess your strengths and interests, get resume and cover letter advice, practice interviews virtually, match existing work or military experience to new fields, search for jobs and education options, and more.
Create a free user account to save your work from session to session!
Career Transitions includes a number of features and resources divided into two sections, "Get a New Job" and "Discover Your Career."
Get a New Job resources will help you through the job search and interview process. These features include:
- Search tool: Search for jobs, internships, and more by job title, keyword, or location. Search results are powered by Indeed.com, and you can save favorite job postings when signed into your account.
- Write a Resume and Cover Letter: Complete the forms in each of the two wizards to build a resume and cover letter, plus check out examples of each for inspiration and ideas. While Career Transitions only allows you to save one resume and one cover letter per account at one time, you can download multiple copies of each to Microsoft Word and edit them to create different versions tailored for separate job postings.
- Interview Simulation: Practice answering common types of interview questions in a virtual setting. Given a sample job opening and company information provided by the simulation, choose the best answer to each question to see if you can do well enough to proceed to the second interview and ultimately receive a job offer! At the end, the program provides feedback on areas where you could improve.
- Tips & Advice: Articles and videos with advice from career experts on a variety of topics, from applying and networking to interviewing and negotiating.
Discover a New Career resources will help you explore new careers and fields. These features include:
- Assess Your Career Interests: Answer a series of questions with Yes/No/Maybe to determine what type of work you would or would not like to do, and find careers that could be a good match based on your responses. This interactive tool is powered by O*NET (TM) Career Exploration.
- Browse Career Paths: Learn more about different careers by searching for a career that interests you or by browsing one of 16 categories identified by the U.S. Department of Education. Each category includes sections on Green Careers and New & Emerging Careers. Click on any job title for more information, including typical activities and required education.
- Match Experience to New Careers: Find new careers based on your past experience. Select either "Work Experience" or "Military Experience," type a position title you have held in the past into the search box, and select the closest match from the options that appear. The online tool will generate a list of careers that generally require similar skills, knowledge, and experience to the position you previously held. Click on any job title for more information, including typical activities and required education. Factors used in this tool are based on data from the U.S. Department of Labor.
- Search Schools & Programs: Find schools and their programs by typing and selecting either a career or an educational program. Search results include each school's location, type and available programs. Click on each school's name for additional information.
For more help and information while using Career Transitions:
- Click on "Take a Tour" for an overview of all of the e-resource's main features.
- Click on each page's "What can I do here?" link for tips on getting the most out of that particular feature.
Please contact the library's Reference Desk at 978-929-6543 or reference@acton-ma.gov with any questions about Career Transitions or any of the library's e-resources.