Using Government Sites in Your Job Search

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Most federal and state agencies have a web site which includes detailed information on the agency and its purpose and activities. Often the agency web site will provide a list of job opportunities or links to employment information. The United States and Canada federal governments operate employment sites which attempt to consolidate the available jobs from the various agencies and make it available in one convenient location. Some states and provinces consolidate employment opportunities, but others do not. City and local government sites may or may not have job listing and other employment information. Often the situation is further complicated by the handling of certain types of employment information. For example, state wide teaching and education employment information may or may not be available on a single web site.

The Federal and State Governments operate some of the largest career centers on the Internet. The mission of most of these sites is to improve the way residents' make career and educational decisions by providing useful and reliable information about careers, educational training options and jobs.

Federal and State Job Boards or Career Centers usually offer the following labor market and career information.

Access to employment opportunities and job postings by city and state. The various State Job Banks are an excellent resource for a local job search. Many of these sites include listings from local employers who may not post on the major jobs sites. These job postings are usually free to employers and may not be found in any other location.

Resources for a successful job search, such as resume writing assistance, interviewing advice, salary and compensation information, labor market information, employer databases or profiles, occupational outlooks and information about effective job search techniques.

Links to additional job search and career management resources at other sites. Most government sites include links to commercial resources and links to resources on other government sites. Often an excellent set of links to resources at state colleges and universities is available.

Information about various laws affecting employment. State web sites are a primary resources for this type of information. Information on unemployment compensation and the filing requirements is always available on the State Employment Commission web site.

The site may also contain information on special job search resources for disabled or otherwise disadvantaged workers.

Most employment related laws are established at the federal or state level. State or Province requirements are always available at the State Employment Commission web site. The specific name of the agency may be different but every state and province has an agency to regulate employment. A variety of Federal Agencies pass employment related legislation. The Government Directory is a comprehensive list of links to Federal, State and Local government web sites in the United States and Canada. The Government Directory is organized by State or Province and includes links to more than 5,000 Sites.