Getting Started

General Information

Information and resources on career exploration and the job search process for mature job seekers.

Browse articles and advice for job hunters by topic. From Monster.com.

A service of the U.S. Department of Labor, this website's goal is to be a comprehensive source of occupational information. Features a skills profiler and Interest Assessment for job seekers looking to find a career suited to their interests and personality.

BLS Career Information: Exploring Career Information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Explore career possibilities by clicking on different topics that interest you. Topics include: Math, Reading, Science, Social Studies, Music and Arts, Building and Fixing Things, Helping People, Computers, Law, Managing Money, Sports, Nature. A teacher's guide is also available. Provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Job-Hunt

"The purpose of the Job-Hunt.Org Web site is to provide the most comprehensive listing of useful Internet-accessible job-search resources and services on the Web, in a format which is most useful to job seekers."

Jobipedia

"Career advice from America's leading companies". A free service where job seekers can browse or submit questions answered by human resource professionals from more than thirty major companies. Also includes general resources on searching for a job and a basic resume generator.

My Next Move

"My Next Move is intended to assist all jobseekers. It may be especially useful for students, young adults and other first-time workers as they explore potential careers based on their interests. The new tool complements the department's 'mySkills myFuture' website, which is designed to help those with previous work experience match their existing skills to new occupations." Their website is also available in Spanish / Español.

See also their Veterans page to search for career paths based on military jobs.

My Skills My Future

This site, sponsored by the US Department of Labor, allows users to type in current or past jobs to find other potential careers and provide information about necessary training.

Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) - Latest Edition

For hundreds of different types of jobs-such as teacher, lawyer, and nurse-the Occupational Outlook Handbook tells you: the training and education needed, earnings, expected job prospects, what workers do on the job, working conditions. In addition, the Handbook gives you job search tips, links to information about the job market in each State, and more. From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

PayWizard.org

"A resource center, a salary-checker and a tool for helping American workers understand more about pay and work life."

SalaryExpert

The free Basic Report provides a high, low and median salary for occupations by geographical area as well as the cost of living for that area. It also includes nationwide averages. Only the Basic report is free.

What Color is Your Parachute?

Job Hunter's Bible. The online supplement to the classic text on job hunting and career planning includes links to information on every step of the process, from discovery and career counseling forward.

Work Force New York - Career Services

From the New York State Department of Labor, this site offers a variety of guides and samples for the job seeker including information on cover letters, resumes and apprenticeships. Includes:

CareerZone: "The place to explore careers related to your strengths, skills and talents."
InterviewStream: "InterviewStream is a web-based mock interview program that is offered free to our customers to assist them with improving their interviewing skills."
Job Express: "New Yorkers can view the region they live in, see which industries are growing and find out what jobs are available in that economic sector. Job opening numbers are updated frequently." Lists companies with the most jobs in each region.
Job Zone: Includes online work search record, self assessment tools, and localized information by zip code.
New York Hire Now: Immediate job opportunites searchable by job title, keyword, and location.

Job Scams - Things to Be Mindful of Before You Search for a Job

FTC Job Hunting-: The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is advising job seekers to be aware of possible scams involving employment opportunities. Also available in Spanish / en español
FTC Job Scams: Also available in Spanish / en español
FTC Working from Home: Also available in Spanish/español.
FTC Going into Business: Also available in Spanish / en español
New York State Department of Labor: Job Scams: See also: New York State's Division of Consumer Protection for general tips on avoiding scams.

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Resumes & Cover Letters

The resume is a powerful tool in your job search. Equally important and decisive can be the cover letter. Below are links to sites containing hints, tips, and guides to strengthening your resume and cover letter writing skills.

Featured Resources

Basic Resume Generator - Do It Yourself!: You can use this very simple but free service to generate a basic resume quickly. You can print the results, copy/paste/save the text in a word processor, or copy/paste into a job website (if that website allows copy/pasting of resumes). From Middletown Thrall Library.
JobNow - Personalized One-on-One Help: Features "expert resume assistance, live interview preparation and career coaching." Available to members of Thrall. Made possible through the Ramapo Catskill Library System.
Testing & Education Reference Center (TERC): Resume Writing: Any member of Thrall can access TERC's resume generator freely by logging in with a library card number. Free registration and a valid/accessible e-mail address is required to set up a free account at TERC. "Choose from more than 40 industries and select a resume design, and ResumeBuider will guide you through entering your information. You can access hundreds of brainstorming phrases, keywords, examples, and tips from the pros to help you along the way. When you're done, you can save and print your final resume in Word, PDF, and more. You'll also be able to email copies of your resume directly to potential employers and schools. Best of all, you can build as many resumes as you like, and they will all be saved and stored here to access and update anytime you need!"

Additional Resume Resources

CareerZone - Quick Resume: Before starting to build a resume here, you may want to use the link on this page to create a free account to allow access to more features. From New York State Department of Labor.
Resumes: From the New York State Department of Labor, this website provides information on chronological, functional and combination resumes including when to use each, templates and samples as well as a list of appropriate action verbs.
Resumes: What They Are, How They Work, and How to Create One: Middletown Thrall Library's own informational flyer.

About Cover Letters

Cover Letters: What They Are, What They Do, and How to Create One: Middletown Thrall Library's own informational flyer.
Cover Letters: Cover letter openings and samples from the New York State Department of Labor.
Writing a Winning Cover Letter: A nice overview on writing a cover letter from Rennsselaer Polytechnic Institute

You may also want to look for resume and cover letter information on the sites in the Job and Career Resources section or visit the library to check out our print collection.

Main Menu

Job and Career
Resources Online

Jump to:

Civil Service Jobs
(New York State / Orange County / Middletown)
Internships & Entry-Level Employment
Jobs & Careers Databases - Learn about jobs/careers, local openings
Local Job Listings - Orange County & Middletown, NY
Major Job Websites - Nationwide & Global Jobs
Computer & Technology Jobs
Government Jobs
Specialized Jobs
Other Job Websites
Job Search Engines

[ Main Menu ]

Civil Service / Government Jobs

Please select a section:

Local Government / Civil Service Jobs
(Middletown, Orange County, NY)
New York State Civil Service Job Postings
General Government Jobs
Test Preparation

See also:

Internships & Entry-Level Employment

Local Civil Service Jobs
(Middletown, NY and Orange County, NY)

Please note: Civil Service job announcements can also be found in our Reference Department at Middletown Thrall Library. One of our librarians can help you locate the latest listings.

Study guides might also be available for upcoming Civil Service tests. You can search the library system catalog or speak with a librarian to locate such guides.

City of Middletown, New York Civil Service
Examination Announcements for Positions in Local Government: Click on their map or you can browse alphabetically by county, city, or town.
Orange County Government: Civil Service Tests / Continuous Examinations: Openings, positions, testing dates, announcements.
Questions and Answers about Municipal Civil Service Examinations

See also:

Internships & Entry-Level Employment

Test Preparation - Civil Service & General Tests / Test-Taking Strategies

Testing and Education Reference Center: Middletown Thrall cardholders have access to ebooks and practice tests for clerical, firefighter, and law enforcement civil service exams.
eBooks (RCLS / OverDrive): Civil Service Study Guides: Test preparation guides for popular civil service exams (Case Worker, Clerk / Clerical and Administrative Support, Correction Officer, Court Assistant, Notary Public, Police Officer, Teaching Assistant, and more). Download or simply view online. Free access for members of Thrall.
Test Guides and Resource Booklets for State and Local Government Examinations: "Test Guides published by the New York State Department of Civil Service are usually targeted to specific, entry-level titles. Test Guides are not provided for every examination. If a Test Guide is provided for an examination, information about the guide will appear on the examination announcement. Test Guides are designed to familiarize candidates with the format of the test. Test Guides provide a description of the subject areas that will be tested and present samples of the types of test material that will appear on the test." Guides are in PDF format (view with Adobe Reader).

See also the Test Preparation section of our Ready Reference guide.

New York State Civil Service Jobs

Governor's Program to Hire Individuals and Veterans with Disabilities

"The Governor's Programs to Hire Persons/Veterans with Disabilities consist of two specialized programs. These programs are coordinated efforts to place individuals with disabilities in entry-level State jobs. No initial written or oral examinations are required for appointment. You must however, submit a formal application and a medical evaluation may be necessary for program certification." From New York State Department of Civil Service.

New York State Civil Service home page.

"GOT-IT allows New York State employees to learn more about job titles within the State." Job title searches include details on salaries, job descriptions and qualifications, examination information (wherever applicable), and related career mobility options. Occupational searching allows you to find "a listing of titles within that occupation." You can also search by government agency or by location (county, city/town through their Geographic Search). From the Career Mobility Office of the New York State Department of Civil Service.

Working for New York State

Includes examination schedules for upcoming open-competitive examinations and upcoming promotion/transition examinations.

Examinations Open to the Public
Examinations Open to State Employees
Continuous Recruitment Examinations

New York State Uniform Court System: Careers - Current Opportunities

Test Preparation - Civil Service & General Tests / Test-Taking Strategies

General Government Jobs

Careers in Government
Civil Service Jobs - Announcements, Current Tests, Upcoming Exams: Governmental employment in New York State (NYS), Middletown, NY, and Orange County, NY.
FederalPay.org: The Civil Employee's Resource: "Free public resource for United States Government employees. We have pay tables and pay calculators for all four major Federal Government payscales and military service members, as well as a wealth of information on Per Diem rates, Federal holidays, a government employee database and more...We are a non-governmental information portal built by federal employees, for federal employees... not affiliated with the United States government or any Government agency" Includes a Government Job Search."
Government Jobs: Work for the Government: Presents links and tips on finding government employment through USAJobs.gov and State Job Banks. Specific information regarding veterans, students, Congressional Staff Jobs, Selective Service Registration, and popular employment forms are also made available. From USA.gov.
Plum Book: "Every four years, just after the Presidential election, the "United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions" is published. It is commonly known as the Plum Book and is alternately published between the House and Senate. The Plum Book has a listing of over 7,000 civil service leadership and support positions (filled and vacant) in the Legislative and Executive branches of the Federal Government that may be subject to noncompetitive appointments. These positions include agency heads and their immediate subordinates, policy executives and advisors, and aides who report to these officials. Many positions have duties which support Administration policies and programs. The people holding these positions usually have a close and confidential relationship with the agency head or other key officials."
USA Jobs (US Office of Personnel Management): Federal job opportunites in the U.S. Government.

See also: Civil Service Jobs (Local / County / New York State)

Main Menu

Internships & Entry-Level Employment

Aftercollege.com

Aftercollege.com helps students and recent graduates by tailoring their job and internship search according to three criteria: Where they went to college, their major, and when they graduated.

CareerRookie

A subsidiary of Careerbuilder.com, Careerrookie focuses on linking students and new graduates with up to date internship, part-time, and entry-level offerings on the web. Users can connect to opportunities by posting their resume, creating job alerts, reading career advice, and discovering local job fairs.

Collegerecruiter.com: College Career Connector

Job Board and Blog dedicated to helping Individuals find internships and entry level employment.

INROADS

INROADS provides valuable training and leadership opportunities for minorities by placing high-performing undergraduates in competitive corporate internships. Some highlights of their website include an overview of INROAD's diversity mission, a page dedicated to their corporate partners, and a link to an application for their program.

Internships.com

"The world's largest internship marketplace bringing students, employers and higher education institutions together in one centralized location. We specialize in helping students and young professionals find the right internship to kick start their career."

Pathways

"Pathways Programs, are streamlined developmental programs tailored to promote employment opportunities for students and recent graduates in the Federal workforce."

Some participating agencies' Pathway pages:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Food and Drug Administration
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Interior: Participating agencies in the Department of Interior include: Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, National Park Service, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey.
NASA
Department of State
Department of Transportation

WayUp.com

WayUp strives to be the 'go-to platform' for students and recent graduates to connect with great career opportunities. Registration enables job seekers to find positions that match their qualifications and easily apply. Requires free registration to apply.

Local Jobs

Explore these websites for local area employment opportunities:

Career One Stop

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, this site is designed to be a source for everything job seekers may need. Information about employment opportunities, wage statistics, training information, assistance services, and more.

Craigslist (Hudson Valley)

A lot of jobs, but also a lot of sketchy postings.

Job Express:Jobs by Region

New York State Department of Labor's listings of employment opportunities by region. Choose Hudson Valley Region to see listing in our area. In the left hand column, there are also links to information on job fairs, career center events, and other NYS Labor Department services for job hunters. See also:

New York State Job Bank: "The New York State Job Bank is the Labor Department's main source for job postings."

Hudson Valley Help Wanted

Search or browse job openings / positions / announcements / employment opportunities in and around Orange County, NY.

New Jersey Career Connection (formerly Jobs4Jersey)

"All the tools you will need to get a job." From The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Orange Works

Snag-a-job

Job board focusing on hourly paying jobs.

SUNY Orange Career Portal

"The Office of Career and Internship Services assists students, alumni and community members with all phases of the career development process. The office is staffed by professionals who can guide the students through a maze of career information and make valuable resources available for the students' career discovery." Scroll down their page for their schedule of upcoming workshops and their Annual Job Fair.

Main Menu

Major Job Websites

Nationwide & Global Job Listings

America's Job Exchange: Successor to America's Job Bank
LinkedIn
Nexxt (formerly Beyond: The Career Network): "Millions of jobs. Thousands of companies. Hundreds of sites."
Careerbuilder.com
Monster.com

See also:

Job Search Engines

Computer & High Tech Employment

ComputerJobs.com
CrunchBoard: The official job board of TechCrunch, a leading technology media company dedicated to tech news, new internet projects and profiling startup companies.
Data Processing Independent Consultant's Exchange
IT Job Pro: Worldwide job postings exclusively for IT professionals. Allows job seekers to set Job Alerts for new postings.
TechCareers: Job postings and networking opportunities for technology and engineering professionals. Job seekers can create a portfolio to highlight their skills and achievements. Powered by Nexxt.
Women in Technology International - Career Center: Job board hosted by Women in Technology International, a global organization devoted to providing support and opportunities to professional women in the technology field.

Specialized Job Searches

American Staffing Association: Finding a Staffing Company: Find agencies for temporary and assignment jobs as well as permament positions.
Diversity Employers: Formerly Black Collegian. Dedicated to providing career information to minorities with access to a database of equal opportunity employers committed to workplace diversity.
HEALTHeCAREERS Network: Medical personnel. Formerly Medhunters: Nursing and Healthcare Jobs.
HigherEdJobs: Faculty and administrative positions at colleges and universities. Now listing 47034 jobs. Updated daily. Free to job seekers.
Idealist.org
Jobs: The Chronicle of Higher Education: "online career hub for higher education professionals, created by The Chronicle of Higher Education." This website aims to connect academic communities, highlight innovative career advice, and present a top notch job search database.
LatPro Professional Network: "Job listings for Spanish/English and Portuguese/English bilingual professionals."
New York Foundation for the Arts Classifieds: "NYFA Classifieds is the largest national online resource for jobs and internships, opportunities and services, event listings and studio spaces for artists, arts administrators and museum professionals."
NYSUT Career Center: "New York State United Teachers, a statewide union of professionals in education and health care, welcomes your suggestions as we develop and grow this Career Center. It includes a comprehensive map of links for education job listings in New York state, along with information to help you progress in your career and many links to additional resources."
SnagAJob.com: Openings for part-time and hourly jobs.
TopTechJobs: "Specializing in Permanent and Contract IT jobs in the USA. Part of Jobserve USA Corp."
Veteran and Government Job Banks|CareerOneStop

Other Employment Sites

Manpower
NationJob Network

Visit the Middletown Thrall Library to access
our Job Information Center Resources.

Main Menu

Job Search Engines

You can search multiple job sites for opportunities through the following specialized search engines:

CareerBuilder
Indeed.com
Juju: Smarter Job Search
LinkUp: Exposing the Hidden Jobs
Simply Hired: Job Search Made Simple
USA Jobs: Government employment search engine from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Main Menu

The Interview

Below are some links to help you focus on particular aspects of the interview process.

Career OneStop Interview and Negotiate: Get interview ready with guides on types of interviews, tips and advice on what to do after the interview.
Getting an Academic Job: Provided by the University of Washington.
InterviewStream: "InterviewStream is a web-based mock interview program that is offered free to our customers to assist them with improving their interviewing skills."
Job Interview Questions: Explores common interview questions and how to best answer them in an interview.
JobNow: Features "expert resume assistance, live interview preparation and career coaching." Available to members of Thrall.
Monster Job Interview Advice: Guides to interviewing from preparing to the follow-up.
Networking and Interviews: From Boston University.
99 Blog Posts to Help You Ace Any Interview

Main Menu

Upgrading Skills & Education

Your education and skills decide for what jobs you qualify. To be a competitive candidate for any position your skills must be impressive and current. To explore higher educational opportunities, click here for College Connexion.

We encourage members of Thrall to take full advantage of the many free courses, learning materials, and test preparation services available:

DigitalLearn.org: "Free Learning Tools to help Technology Work for You." From the Public Library Association and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Educational Resources: Free online courses and test preparation services.
OpenCourseWare (OCW): Free lesson plans, courses, and learning materials from colleges and universities.
Testing & Education Reference Center: Practice examinations (ACT, CLEP, GED, GMAT, GRE, LSAT, PSAT, SAT, TOEFL, etc.), practice courses, study materials, information on accredited schools, college planning/preparation, financial aid, graduate schools, scholarships, career tools, resumes, and more.
Universal Class: Attend - for free - continuing education courses over the Internet. Choose from over 500 online courses! For Middletown Thrall Library cardholders.

As Internet literacy becomes a permanent prerequisite for "good-paying" jobs, you should do everything possible to build Internet proficiency. Free Internet tutorials are available online:

Evaluating Resources (formerly "Finding Information on the Internet: A Tutorial")
Thrall Documents: Contains a number of informative pages, such as Web Check List, Critical Thinking, Search Smarter, and more.
Thrall Self-Study Center: Quick, easy, self-directed tutorials on a variety of topics.

While you're at it...

Upgrade Your Outlook, Self-Image,
and Determination!

In these trying economic times, finding a good-paying job can be challenging. Why not take advantage of the many free materials, available at your library, which can help you weather the storms, feel better about yourself, and help you grow not only professionally but personally?

If you're interested, please check out these posts in our Booklovers Blog for links to self-help, self-esteem, motivational, and inspirational books, videos, and other related items in the library system catalog. Note: just skip the text about "displays" and head straight for the topic links at the end of each post:

We also provide a guide to finding Self-Help information at our website (PDF format) and a free "Succeed" flyer at Reference, which introduces you to free services our library provides - services you can use to literally get ahead in your professional career and in life!

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Licensing

Many jobs require you meet certain educational and/or profession qualifications. Some modes of employment might require you to hold one or more licenses before you can act in a specific capacity or perform a certain duty. Here are some sites to help you learn more about these things:

Division of Licensing Services: Thirty-two New York State licensed occupations not covered by the Department of Education. Includes links to applications and instructions.
Licensed Occupations: From CareerOneStep, this website allows you to find qualifications and contact information by profession and state.
New York State Office of the Professions: Provides licensing requirements and applications for New York State for occupations covered by the Department of Education.

Main Menu

Free Thrall Publications
for Job Searchers

(Adobe Reader required)

Cover Letters: What They Are, What They Do, and How to Create One
Computer Terminology: Some Technical Words and Concepts You Should Know
Critical Thinking Skills: What They Are and Why You Must Develop Them!
Finding Jobs & Career Resources in the Library Catalog: Where to Look and What Search Terms You Can Use
Get Your Own Free E-mail Account - simple instructions
Jobs & Careers - An overview of free library services and tools available to you as you search for employment or develop your career potential
Navigating and Completing Forms at Employment Websites and Other Places Online
Resumés: What They Are, How They Work, and How to Create One
Web Checklist: Consider and Evaluate Websites

Main Menu

Employment & Career Development
Materials at Thrall

Books and DVDs on employment, career development, test preparation, certification, and other topics relevant to advancing your job search, skills, and general employability can be found throughout our collections.

Study guides for Civil Service tests are located in several areas depending on the job title. For example, Civil Service examinations for law-related jobs are in the 340s, the general area where Law books are.

Here are some popular topics and their "call numbers" (their locations in the library):

Resumes & Cover Letters - 650.14
Civil Service Test Study Guides - 351.076, 651.3 (and other areas)
Nursing (LPN/LVN/NCLEX/etc.) - 610.73
Adult Education (GED, SAT, teacher certification, etc.) - 370s

If you do not know where to begin, our Reference Librarians will be happy to show you where these and other materials are located within our library.

See also:

JobNow Database

Main Menu

Library Catalog Topics

Jobs, Employment, Career Development,
and Unemployment Information in the Library System

Please click any topic below to locate items available in the library system.

Also be sure to check out our Jobs & Unemployment
Special Coverage Guide for more information.

For even more information, please call or visit Thrall's Reference Department
or click here to use our free "Ask a Librarian" service on the web.

Thrall / RCLS members: You can click here to browse Career Development
and Business eBooks and eAudiobooks in the library system.

>> Main Menu

Disclaimer

The library cannot control resources on the Internet. Some sites accessible via the Internet may contain material that is inaccurate, defamatory, illegal or potentially offensive to some people.

Getting Started

Resumes & Cover Letters

Job and CareerResources Online

Civil Service / Government Jobs

Local Civil Service Jobs(Middletown, NY and Orange County, NY)

New York State Civil Service Jobs

General Government Jobs

Internships & Entry-Level Employment

Local Jobs

Major Job Websites

Nationwide & Global Job Listings

Computer & High Tech Employment

Specialized Job Searches

Other Employment Sites

Job Search Engines

The Interview

Upgrading Skills & Education

While you're at it...

Upgrade Your Outlook, Self-Image,and Determination!

Licensing

Free Thrall Publicationsfor Job Searchers

Employment & Career DevelopmentMaterials at Thrall

Library Catalog Topics

Disclaimer

Job and Career
Resources Online

Local Civil Service Jobs
(Middletown, NY and Orange County, NY)

Upgrade Your Outlook, Self-Image,
and Determination!

Free Thrall Publications
for Job Searchers

Employment & Career Development
Materials at Thrall