NEED HELP KICK-STARTING YOUR CAREER OR JOB SEARCH?

Are you contemplating a specific career change and want to know what kinds of skills it would take to make that leap? Or do you simply want to explore what kinds of jobs are in a particular industry?

Pathfinder Careers will help write your new résumé, and for your next career, we highly recommend working with the following professionals, who are exceptional resources:

Twitter Job Search - Use cutting edge technology to be on the forefront of finding out about new jobs.

Meeting Planner Jobs - The premier website for meeting professional jobs.

Job Angels - Brings people together in a community setting where each person commits to a single goal: to help just one person find gainful employment.

Rope with Hope - Recruiters and HR professionals providing free resources to job seekers assisting them in finding meaningful work.

iMatchSkills - Match your skills and experience to what employers in Oregon need.

WorkSource Oregon - Oregon Employment Department site.

Portland is Better Together - Get out of the house! Volunteering can help you gain skills, knowledge, experience, contacts and insight into specific fields. Plus, by engaging in altruistic activities, a physiological reaction happens in your body which releases endorphins which make you feel good, too. Which can be particularly important during times of unemployment. This is just one resource in the Portland area for volunteer opportunities. Check your local community listings for additional information on organizations that could use your help.

Portland Job Developers Network is an association of employers and job developers seeking to connect candidates to open positions. Job listings are regularly updated on their website.

Business Journal newspapers usually have a complete listing of business networking events in the area.  Seventy percent of all job seekers find their next job through networking, and this is a great medium to get out there and make new connections.

Portland Job Finders Support Group run by Cleon Cox, who has invested his time, energy and expertise as facilitator of the Job Finders Support Group since 1991. He is a fountain of knowledge and is a highly-connected individual who is always glad to assist job seekers with ideas and advice. The JobFinders website has a regularly updated and exhaustive list of job search links and engines. Weekly meeting at the Capitol Hill Branch of the Multnomah County Library every Friday at 12noon-2pm.

LinkedIn is a great resource to connect to local and national contacts. Profiles are free and once you are in, you can use this as a way to learn about job opportunities as well as make connections to land informational interviews and networking.

Life By Design NW supports people as they age, by discovering their passion and purpose so they engage their wisdom and skills to strengthen the community and achieve personal fulfillment. This organization is especially useful for mature workers seeking to transition from vocations to avocations.

Institute of Non-Profit Management is a Portland-specific organization based out of Portland State University, and has a great daily digest of jobs and volunteer opportunities that can bolster a resume, or be a great place to look for employment in the non-profit sector.  Sign up is required.

Community News Resource Group (CNRG) is another Portland-specific digest of volunteer opportunities and jobs in the non-profit, public and social services sectors. Registration required.

Young Professionals of Portland provide a place for young professionals to connect, network, and socialize.  The YPOP's ultimate goal is to help create a revitalization of the American economy and society based on the principles that people are at the heart of what makes businesses and communities work well.

Idealist.org is THE resource for non-profit and social-service types of jobs. Registration required.

Indeed.com is a great job-search spider that goes out and searches all of the job listing websites and does a compilation of your search specifications. It's a wonderful way to save on time going to each website separately, and this website sends job alerts directly to your email inbox.  Registration is required but you can set up your own job search alerts that are specific to particular job titles and locations. Very handy!

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