If you’re someone who wants to actually like the career you spend the bulk of your waking hours engaging in, you’re in the right place.
Searching for the absolute best resources can be like finding a needle in a haystack. It takes a whole lot of time and energy, and oftentimes it’s a miss.
Over the years, I’ve accumulated many resources - as my impressive list of sticky notes can testify! But when I decided to share this top-10 career resources guide, I realized I had some work to do.
So, I went through hundreds of bookmarks, notes and pins to weed out the outdated resources – the ones with broken links and the ones that are just so-so – because my goal is to share only the very best ones with you.
This list was the result, providing you with the 10 best career resources available for crafting a career you’re proud of.
(I’ll update this list every few months to provide you with the most current resources available to help you out, so keep checking back.)
Resource #1. LinkedIn
This resource is a gimmie. LinkedIn can help you create the career you want if you use it. What really stands out – and why this is #1 on my list – is that it’s a one stop shop. You can use it to network, to learn, to grow to research, to apply for jobs, to get expert advice, to get a professional to rewrite your resume… and on and on.
It’s my absolute favorite resource and something I can’t do without. I use it for everything from market research on salaries to nosing out insider news in fields clients are interested in and connecting with colleagues.
It makes networking fast and easy, too. When you have this in your toolbox getting your career in shape is almost too simple.
You won’t find a better tool to do all the career things you need to do in one spot.
Resource #2. O*NET Online
The U. S. Department of Labor runs O*NET Online, a career exploration website that offers up in-depth information on a wide range of roles and fields. It has detailed data on the skills, activities, and interests associated with a wide range of careers.
This site makes doing research on different career paths clear and easy. You can even see which careers are projected to have a future increase in demand. You also have the option to sort through career paths based on your skills and interests.
If you’re looking for a more in-depth, comprehensive approach to finding occupational information, you need to hop on this resource ASAP.
It will give you a deeper understanding of career outlooks, not just add fluff knowledge. There’s a reason O*NET is one of the best career exploration tools out there.
Resource #3. Glassdoor
Whatever stage of your career you’re in, this site will help you when it comes to researching organizations you’re interested in.
This site is different from the other ones on this list because it’s information is crowdsourced from everyday folx who work for the companies they are reviewing.
I suggest that client use this resource to get the inside skinny on an organization before they apply, interview and consider a job. It can really help you cut through the company line and make a decision based on the insights of your potential coworkers.
Resource #4. careeronestop.org (specifically the Self-Assessments)
If you’re just starting out, this is one of my absolute favorites, hands-down. If you really don’t even know where to start this site offers 3 assessment tools that can be super helpful:
I personally don’t use assessments in my coaching practice but I know that for many, you just need a starting point.
Pro tip: Now, keep in mind, assessments aren't magic. They can't:
Promise you'll love every detail of a job. There can always be unexpected aspects of a career.
Guarantee a dream job in your zip code. Availability can vary by location.
Be a one-size-fits-all deal. Even within the same career, things can differ. Think high school art teacher vs. gallery artist – totally different environments!
Resource #5. FREE Career Success Workbook
There’s so much that goes into crafting your career and it can be overwhelming.
Back when I was changing careers, I had no idea what to do, and I felt lost and generally “icky.” I was struggling with so many ideas and to do’s and I felt like I just needed some step by step help.
What really helped me was collecting all the pieces of advice I was researching and developing a process so that I could know what to focus on and what to do when.
Today, I use exercises from it every day / week / month to make sure that I am actually crafting my career in a way that feels good to me.
It may not be a shiny hardbound planner-y thing, but what it DOES give you is all the exercises you need to figure out what it is you want out of your career and how to achieve it.
You’re really going to love this if you are tired of feeling lost or stuck and need someone to just help you figure out what questions to ask!
If you want to use it too, download it for free here.
Resource #6: YouTube
YouTube is best if you are good at self-directed learning and research.
If you have an understanding of how to search for the career expanding topics that will be most helpful to you, and you're ready to up your game, I find it very useful. It’s 1000% a free University if you use it right.
Here are three of my favorite ways to use YouTube
‘Big Idea’ lectures/talks/breakdowns of things in your field (think Ted Talks)
How to’s or skill expanding - there are experts on literally everything on there
Day in the life of a ____ - you can see the real day-to-day of almost any job under the sun
What I love most about it is that it’s unbelievably comprehensive. It’s a treasure trove of career inspo and information.
Resource #7: Skillshare
For many of the same reasons I think YouTube is a great resource, I recommend Skillshare. Especially if you’re a Creative and want to learn new skills or if you’re looking to change careers. Skillshare is filled with valuable information and still packs a punch due to it’s expert led courses and learning paths. It’s great if you like the idea of video based directed learning with a bit more structure than YouTube.
It’s not free like YouTube but it will help lay a solid foundation for expanding and learning and keep you grounded as you continue to grow in your career.
Don’t sleep on this one!
Resource #8: Ascend, a blog from HBR
Here’s another one you probably haven’t seen on many other Top 10 lists. That’s because it comes from the Harvard Business Review (which sounds stuffy).
But don’t let that fool you. I always include this blog on my list because it offers genuinely well written advice on a wide variety of career topics so you can be sure to find helpful articles.
The topics range from Career Planning to Management to Learning & Development and beyond.
Don’t let this one fool you because of it’s Ivy League origins; you’ll be missing out on a powerful tool to help you gain insights on all things Career.
Resource #9: CareerVillage.org
This one is great especially for those of you just starting out (but the answers and insights can be helpful to almost anyone. Do you feel like you just need expert guidance to give you the right answers? Are you doing things because you felt it was what you were ‘supposed to’ be doing but it doesn’t feel right?
This site will help you out by matching your questions with a certified expert/relevant professional from big name companies.
It’s a community that offers free career advice from a vast array of professionals, for free.
Resource #10: Calm app
I’ve saved my personal favorite for last (no this isn’t sponsored). This is one you can use every day to keep your mind focused on the task at hand and frankly, chill out. It’s simple and guaranteed to help you enjoy the journey.
Since I’ve begun using Calm to work on my mindset and meditation, I’ve been able to find more focus in less time, with less stress.
If you want to Create A Career You Actually Like, you’ll want to use all 10 of these regularly. I do and credit most of my career success to them.
Don’t forget to click here to download your free resource The Career Success Workbook >>>
You can even use my workbook that will give you a roadmap, save you time, help streamline it all for you.
If you want more career pathing tips, find me on *ahem* LinkedIn or Instagram for daily career inspo, answers and tips & tricks.
Yours in ‘cheers to liking your career’ goodness,
EBS
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EB Sanders | Career Coach for Creative Types
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