Research: What Separates the Hired from the Not HiredA note about career centers: One-stop career centers were created
for public use by the U.S. federal government in the 1990s. They
can be found in every large city and many medium-sized towns
across the nation. You can also participate in their free workshops
on résumés, interviewing, and other job-related topics as well as
obtain limited one-to-one support with a career counselor.
Because they are founded and maintained by government
funding, you have to call first to see if you qualify for services.
Don’t count yourself out! I’ve seen everyone from secretaries to
CEOs to writers and actors utilizing one-stop career centers. If
you need to use a computer for research or wish to further inves-
tigate their offerings, go to the Internet address provided below.
If you were laid off from your last position, you definitely
qualify to use these career centers. You may also be qualified for
other reasons, such as income, family situation, veteran’s status,
age, disability, substance abuse history, and many more.
Keep in mind that one-stops are not only a place to use a free
computer—they are also a terrific resource and source of support
for just about every job seeker.
You can get in touch with one of the many
thousands of one-stop career centers around the
United States to see if you are qualified to
use their services.- On a computer, go to the following:
http://www.usworkforce.org/onestop. - On the first page, click on the link “one-stop Web sites.”
- You’ll be taken to a page that displays a map of the
United States.
Click on your state. - This will bring up a new Web site dedicated to your state.
- Continue to click on: “one-stop sites,” “one-stop loca-
tions,” “local one-stop centers,” “one-stop maps,” or
“one-stop directions” until you find the names, phone
numbers, and other contact information for centers
near you.