Resources for You at the Valle Verde Library
Sample Titles:
Occupational Outlook Handbook. [use latest edition]
First, use the index to locate your career choice in the Handbook.
Gives basic information about the history of the career, nature of the work, educational and job experience requirements, employers and geographical locations where most jobs will open up, salaries, and list of professional associations which can provide you with more detail.
Also available on the Internet at: http://www.bls.gov/oco/.
Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance. [use latest edition]
O*NET. [use latest edition]
Also available on the Internet at: http:/online.onetcenter.org.Sample Title:
The College Blue Book. REF LA226.C685 [use latest edition]
First, use the "Degrees Offered by College and Subject" volume to look up your major and find a list of colleges/universities that offer that major.
Next, use the "Narrative Descriptions" volume to find brief descriptions of each college/university including statistics about the student body, lists of special services, entrance requirements, costs, collegiate environment and community environment.
Start with a Subject Search of the Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) for books, videos, D.V.D.s and audiocassettes that you can check out. Type the name of your career (e.g. teaching, nursing) followed by : vocational guidance. You could also try searching by the name of the industry. Examples:
teachers
vocational guidance
teaching vocational guidance
biology vocational guidance
business
vocational guidance
hospitality industry vocational guidance
hotel management
vocational guidance
If the Subject Search does not work,
try a Keyword Search. Combine words using a capitalized
AND.
Example: biolog* AND career*
The * symbol
is called a truncator. It acts like a wildcard. In this example, it tells the
computer to look for the words biology, biologist or biologists
and for the words career or careers.
Search the Online Databases <http://www.epcc.edu/vvlib/vvonline.htm>
for newspaper, magazine and journal articles about your career choice. The databases
can be reached from any Internet computer on any E.P.C.C. campus. To use the
databases at home, click on "Off-campus Access."
Start with General OneFile. 1). Click on "Subject Guide
Search." 2. Type in your career choice, then click the Search button. 3.
If you see a "Subdivisions" link, click on it.
Try the Vocational and Career Collection. Limit the
search to "Full Text."
Go to: <http://www.epcc.edu/vvlib/internetvv.htm#career> to find sites on the open Web including:
The Internet versions of the Occupational Outlook Handbook and the O*NET.
Professional Associations. Joining an Association as a student member is cheap, a great way to network, looks good on your resume, and keeps you aware of job opportunities in your field. Join today!
Practice an Online Job Hunt. Search local and national job classified ads on the Web. See what the requirements and pay are for jobs in your career. How do jobs in El Paso compare with jobs in other parts of the country?
To El Paso Community College Libraries District Page
To El Paso Community College Home Page
Created September 4, 2003; last updated: August 29, 2007
Created and maintained by K.A. Gardner, V.V. Librarian
Send Your Comments to: askalib
URL: http:/www.epcc.edu/vvlib/Handouts/career.htm