Approximately two years ago, I was unemployed and spent time to identify the sites that were most helpful for my situation. Though the economy isn’t quite as bad as it’s been, many are still struggling everyday. There are quite a few sites available, but which are the best? Hopefully the post today will help you in your quest.

Job Search Engines

Indeed – This site digs through thousands of company career sites and job boards. You can customize the search for keywords and specify  and company job boards to find the criteria you enter. Plug in your keyword and zipcode and get an extensive listing. You can also set up e-mail alerts when new jobs meeting your criteria are posted.

Simply Hired – Simply Hired is very similar to Indeed and provides an excellent additional resource. By plugging in your keywords and location, you can find a list of jobs tailored to your search.

Online Resume Sites

Dice – Dice is built for technology and engineering professionals. You can perform highly targeted job searches including criteria such as your skill-set, location, keywords and type of employment.

Careerbuilder – Careerbuilder is an online job site that provides more than 1 million jobs. Choose your keywords, location and job category. You can also review the latest job posting, based on your location.

Monster – Monster is probably the most prominent site in the list. With Monster, you can search for and find jobs specific to your interests.

USAJobs – If you are looking to work for the Federal Government, USAJobs is the place to go. With their redesigned site, you’ll be able to simply search for Federal jobs by using keywords and specifying your location.

ClearanceJobs – If you have a security clearance, this is an excellent resource. Employers target potential employees with security clearances in key fields.

Work at Home Job Leads

RatRaceRebellion – This is a very useful site that conducts extensive research to weed out the work at home scams. They also provide assistance with starting your own business. Professional Networking

While many more sites are available, these are my personal favorites. If you have any excellent employment resources that deserves mention, feel free to share it below.

Blogging JobBoards and Opportunities

1. ProBlogger’s JobBoard – My favorite site on the list. ProBlogger provides job opportunities for bloggers.

2. BlogHer – This is a blogging network of women, but blogging jobs are listed regularly.

3. Blogger Jobs - Provides blogging opportunities and tips for those looking to be a career blogger.

4. Freelance Blogger - Network of freelance bloggers sharing leads, tips, etc.

5. Creative Weblogging – Earn between $84 and $140 per month with a required 3-5 posts per week with atleast 70 words.

6. BlogWork – Job writing and technology jobboard that also provides tips and helpful articles.

7. Bloggeries - JobBoard subforum for Bloggeries where you’ll find opportunities posted.

8. Performancing - Blogging jobs are continuously posted in this subforum.

Get a Freelancing Job

9. Academia Freelance - Snag a freelance writing job. They send you a test essay to evaluate who they want to choose. You can read more about how the process works.

10. Sunoasis Jobs -Freelancing and blogging jobs are continuously posted on this site.

11. Writers Weekly - Extensive listing of freelance writing jobs are continuously published.

12. All Freelance Writing - Provides listings of freelance writing and blogging jobs.

Search Engines

Utilize these search engines with keywords “Freelance Writing” and “Blogging Jobs.”

13. Indeed

14. SimplyHired

15. CareerJet

Job Notifications

16. Tweet My Jobs – Sign up with Twitter and TweetMyJobs, choose a job channel and have the job notifications sent to you via text message or access it from either Twitter or TweetMyJobs online.

Great Resources to Find a Job Online

17. How to Find a Job Online (mint.com)

18. 12 Killer Ways to Make Extra Income on the Web (sitepoint.com)

19. 49 Places to Find Telecommuting Jobs (freelancegigs.com)

20. Rat Race Rebellion - This site posts a variety of categorized online jobs. They research all online jobs that are posted to eliminate those that are scams. They also provide tips to spot scams.

Hopefully these sites and resources will help you get some extra cash in your pocket. I’m contemplating seeking out a part time blogging job to make a few extra bucks. Do you have any great sites I may have missed? Any thoughts on any of the mentioned sites?

Federal Resumes are unlike any other resume you’ll ever right. Your resume can be anywhere from 3 to 6 pages long. If you are a Veteran or a Disabled Vet, you can claim Veteran Preference, which can help give you priority over other candidates.

Pharmacy Technician

Resume & KSA Developing
1. Keword Search – To find the important keywords to hit when writing my resume

• Copied Major Duties Section of the Duties Tab into a Word Document.
• Copied Specialized Experience, Education & Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Sections from the Qualifications & Evaluations Tab into the same Word Document.
• Copied Questions 17 to 88 of the How to Apply Tab into the same Word Document.
• Went back to Word Document & got rid of the excess, while keying in on keywords such as pharmaceutical calculations, Third Party Collection billing, measure, weigh, dispense and mix ingredients, etc. I focused mainly on the KSAs & Qualification Questions for my keywords.

2. Utilized O*Net Online to help in developing resume statements.

• Used Summary & Detail Tabs, copying & pasting this content to a Word Document. This is a good starting point for developing the resume.
• Removed statements that I had no experience in.

3. Further Developed my Resume

• By using the O*Net statements I had as a starting point & the keywords & statements I had, I customized the statements to my experience & added accomplishments to show impact of the work I did.
• To better organize the content, I created different categories (i.e. Primary Duties, Secondary Duties, etc)

4. Networked with Potential Employer

• Contacted Hiring Manager of position and asked relevant questions
• Asked for and Received a “Position Description” or PD

5. More Resume Tweaking

• The Position Description or PD is an awesome resource, as it shows you exactly what the employer is looking for, along with how critical each requirement is. I made several more changes to my resume based off the PD.

6. Developed KSAs

• Created a seperate Word Document & pasted all KSAs from Qualifications & Experience Tab. Here are two of the KSA’s.

1. Knowledge of an extensive body of pharmaceuticals, pharmacy practices, pharmaceutical rules, procedures, regulations, and operations to perform a variety of complex technical functions.
2. Knowledge of standard procedures and techniques involved in repackaging drugs and supplies; bulk compounding; receipt, storage, care, and distribution of pharmaceuticals; and preparation of certain sterile solutions.

• Started writing my KSAs, which were a paragraph each. With KSAs, they want you to write in the first person, i.e. I accomplished…

7. Finalizing Resume & KSAs

• I did more tweaking, read through my resume & KSAs ensuring it flowed well, all acronyms were removed, no incorrect spellings or grammatical errors were present, etc.
• I had others read through my resume to ensure it flowed properly & for more suggestions.

Key Considerations with Resume & KSAs

• Resume – No Bullets are used in the USAJobs Resume as it will mess up the electronic reader and make your content unreadable. Think, 1 Big Paragraph (up to 3,000 characters for each work entry)
• KSAs - Explain how you did each KSA, providing examples and other relevant experience and training. You should have a paragraph or two for each KSA. Use seperate document for KSAs and attach it when applying.

How I Applied

8. Completed USAJobs Resume

• After finalizing my resume and KSAs in my Word Docs, I copied & pasted my resume into my USAJobs Resume Builder.
• Completed each tab of the Resume Builder & added awards & training into the Additional Information section.

9. Clicked “Apply Online” to apply for the Pharmacy Technician position.

10. Completed all questions in both USAJobs & then in Application Manager. The Application Manager is where you’ll be automatically directed to complete qualification questions, upload additional documents like Transcripts, DD-214 (Veteran’s Only), etc.

Receiving & Accepting or Refusing an Offer

• I received an offer a few weeks later & had 48 hours to accept the offer by replying.
• After receiving an offer, there are a few pretty simple documents to fill out.
• You also have an option to negotiate for a better pay grade, but I was satisfied with what I was offered and was afraid that I’d lose the opportunity.

What I learned after Accepting the Offer

• After keyword searches, the candidates were trimmed down to 5 total candidates
• I was chosen as a Primary, meaning I was the pick, but if something fell through, the other candidates were alternates.
• Once in the system, you are considered “Internal” meaning you’ll have a chance to apply for any job before it’s listed as External. I was an External applicant and only got this job because no “Internal” people applied.

Other Key Informational Links
Application Manager Quick Start Guide
Veteran’s Employment Resource Center
Forms
Government Jobs – How to Find a Federal Government Job
USAJobs Tutorials & Guides
Career Opportunities & Interest Tools
Resume and KSAs Tips
Interview Tips

I am very excited to be a Federal Civilian. If any of you are interested in applying for a Federal Job, it’s likely going to take you days to complete & tweak your resumes & keywords. I’ve tried to explain some of the techniques I used to hopefully help you as well. If you have any questions, please let me know & I’ll try to help.

Make the Cut by Using the Right Keywords
Using the right keywords is critical. If you are looking for a DoD job, all agencies currently use a system called Resumix, which scans for specific keywords.

• As an example, if 200 people applied for a given job, they would specify keywords for Resumix to run. Those without the specific keywords in their resume would be eliminated from the pool of candidates. 200 could be cut down to 50 or so from the keyword search.
• Scan for keywords in the vacancy announcement, mission statement, duties, qualifications, specialized experience & questions.
  
• Incorporate keywords that match your experience into your resume.

Go in Depth

• The average Federal Resume is between 3-4 pages long, so don’t skimp.
  
• Go in depth about duties, skills and your knowledge.
• Include background, passion, volunteer work and interests.
• Talk about your skill sets and experience.

Focus on Accomplishments
Don’t just talk about your responsibilities, specify accomplishments.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs)

• Attach KSAs to your Resume
• Find keywords and jargon from the announcement
• Each KSA should be a half to a full page
• If KSAs are listed, make sure who write about each one.
• Write your KSAs in first person. (i.e, I completed….)
• Write short essays for each KSA, providing a few specific examples. Talk about your education, training, awards, etc.
• Tell a story that includes what you did, how you did it and the results of your work.
• Use numbers and percentages to make your statements more powerful.
• USDA provides some great information & examples of a few KSAs.

Network
Just as with all other jobs, networking is very important with Federal Jobs.

References Used For This Entry

• http://careers.gmu.edu/students/jobfind/fedjobs/resume.cfm
• http://www.resume-place.com/services/federal.html
• http://www.fmmatlanta.com/KSA%27s.htm
• http://career-advice.monster.com/resume-writing-basics/government-public-service/Use-Keywords-to-Land-a-Department-o/home.aspx

This has been part 2 of USAJobs. In the very near future, I will posting Part 3 as I use these tips to apply for a job while walking you through the application process. I plan to show how I modify my resume using keywords, implement KSAs and complete the application process. I’ll also provide my examples and plenty of print screens.

What is USAJobs?
USAJobs is the official site for Federal Jobs and Employment Information. If you want a Federal Job, USAJobs is the site you’ll need to use to apply.

How the Process Works
How Jobs Get Filled will show you how the entire process works. Some additional information such as the hiring process, federal job applications, civil service exams & hiring trends can also be found at Information Center.

Search Options
Search by keyword, location, job category, salary range and pay grade. You can also search by eligibility for federal employment. USAJobs – Job Search
Jobs in Demand

Post Your Resume
Once you are a member, you can build your resume online, apply for federal jobs & establish job alerts. You can use the Resume Builder and keep up to 5 active resumes online. In addition to your resume, many jobs require Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs).

Resume and KSAs Tips
Interview Tips

Job Applications
Once you apply for a job, it will direct you to an online application, such as Application Manager. The first time you use it, you’ll need to register. I’d recommend using the same username and password from USAJobs.
Application Manager Quick Start Guide

Additional Features
Veteran’s Employment Resource Center – Resource center for all Veterans. It includes jobs, benefits, forms, training assistance, etc.
Forms – Forms that may be required for certain positions.

Helpful Info
Government Jobs – How to Find a Federal Government Job
USAJobs Tutorials & Guides
Career Opportunities & Interest Tools

This has been a bit of an introduction to USAJobs. I plan to expand upon this in the near future and provide some personal tips on resume building, KSAs and application manager that I’ve learned along the way.

Job Search Engine

1. Indeed - This is very useful. It searches all the job listings on the net, including company job boards to find the criteria you enter. Plug in your keyword and zipcode and get an extensive listing. You can also set up e-mail alerts when new jobs meeting your criteria are posted.Online Resume Sites

2. Dice – A great, which places emphasis on technical skills
3. Careerbuilder
4. Monster
5. USAJobs – Search and apply for Government Jobs
6. ClearanceJobs – Great site if you have a security clearance

Work at Home Job Leads

7. RatRaceRebellion - This is a very useful site. I heard about this site in my Air Force Transition Assistance Course. They conduct extensive research to weed out the scams. They also provide assistance with starting your own business. Professional Networking

8. LinkedIn – This is a wonderful site of networking for professionals. There are many potential opportunities for networking with LinkedIn. Here is my profile if you’d like to network.

Matching Interests & Skills with Employers

9. JobFox - Of the 4 displayed, I found JobFox to be my favorite. You can build a profile, get a experience map, etc. You can find my profile and experience map here.
10. RealMatch
11. Voxhire
12. JobscoreHelpful Links

13. 70+ tools for job hunting
14. Career OneStop
15. Top 10 Certifications to start your IT Career

Help with Resume Writing

16. 25 Words that hurt your resume
17. 36 Beautiful Resume Ideas

Interview Help

18. How to ace your job interview
19. 50 Common Interview Questions
20. Interviewing Cheat Sheet

Blogs

21. Secrets of the job hunt - This is an excellent and informal podcast.

Are any of you currently in the process of searching for employment? Do you have any other sites you’d recommend to others?