One of my clients recently suggested I post my favorite career resources on my blog. Brilliant! I'm not sure why I didn't think of it myself!
So, here you go...my go-to list for career exploration, job searching, and work-life balance resources, both online/general, and some that are specific to Maine (where my practice is located).
These are the resources I normally suggest to or use with my own clients. I hope you find them helpful. This is not an exhaustive list. There are thousands and thousands of career-related resources out there - these are just the ones I tend to recommend most often.
I'll continue to add to this list as a learn of additional helpful resources (please note, many of the descriptions below are pulled directly from the resources' website pages).
ONLINE RESOURCES
Online Career Assessment Tools:
Career Values Card Sort Assessment - an online, drag and drop card sort activity that helps you organize and rank your most important career-related values, and provides a PDF results report.
Motivated Skills Card Sort Assessment - an online, drag and drop card sort activity that helps you determine those skills you enjoy using the most, and those skills that burn you out, and provides a PDF results report.
The Work-Life Balance Assessment - an online drag and drop card sort activity that helps you clarify and visualize your career and personal priorities, and helps you define a concrete goals for finding more work-life balance. Provides users with a PDF report.
StrengthsFinder 2.0 - Book with access code to determine your top strengths and natural talents, and describing how your strengths impact your work and relationships.
MyNextMove - The My Next Move/ONET Interest Profiler is a free, 60 question assessment based on your interests that can help you figure out what careers to explore and what you might like to do for a job.
MyNextMove For Veterans - Provides additional information and resources to help Veterans determine their transferrable skills, and search for jobs.
Self-Directed Search - Based in Holland's career interest theory, the SDS helps you to determine your career interests and match them with careers that fit with your Holland type.
Myers Briggs Personality Type Assessment - the most commonly used personality assessment used in career development.
Career Information, Blogs, Podcasts & Job Search Sites:
O*NET Online - A comprehensive, detailed online catalog by the US Department of Labor, which lists and describes every job title they recognize, and describes related tasks, skills, knowledge, interests, values, training/education, job outlook, salaries & more. You can also search for jobs directly from their site.
LinkedIn - A powerful professional networking, recruiting and job-search tool. Whether you are actively job searching or not, it's a good idea to keep your LinkedIn profile active and current in order to build your professional network.
Career One Stop - Maintained by the US Department of Labor, this site helps you explore different kinds of careers, take free interest, skills and values assessments, and search for jobs and training opportunities.
Idealist.org - This search engine connects people who want to do good with opportunities for jobs, internships, volunteer opportunities, action and collaboration all over the world. Many non-profit organizations place job postings on Idealist.
The Muse - An innovative site that allows users to explore companies and jobs that align with their values, and provides great career advice, podcasts and blogs.
Career Contessa - This site offers useful career advice/blogs and job search options for women, as well as podcasts and webinars.
The Balance Careers - The Balance Careers is home to experts who provide clear, practical advice on job searching, resume writing, salary negotiations, and other career planning topics, and includes thousands of useful career-advice articles/blogs.
The Mom Project - An online community that helps connects professionally accomplished women with world-class, family-friendly companies that offer the type of environment working moms need to thrive. The Mom Project is dedicated to building a more diverse and inclusive workforce so women never feel forced to choose between their families and their careers.
Glassdoor - An online job search resource that offers insights into the employee experience based on employee (present and past) ratings, reviews, salary ratings, interview questions, benefits, and other insights.
Flexjobs - A job search site for hand-screened flexible and remote jobs (work from home jobs), including resume, coaching and career help.
Wanderjobs - A job search site for those who want adventure and travel.
SCORE - SCORE has the largest network of free volunteer small business mentors in the nation, and has a presence in most cities acress the country. No matter what stage your business is at SCORE will connect you with a mentor.
Quiet Revolution - Resources, articles, assessments and advice for those who are more introverted, including helpful insight about careers and healthy workplace environments for introverts.
Lessons From A Quitter Podcast - This podcasts includes interviews with inspiring guests who have quit successful, lucrative careers to forge their own path and create a life they love.
I Make A Living Podcast - Highlights useful aspects of leadership in business & entrepreneurship, and working for yourself.
Online counselor, coach & therapist directories:
National Career Development Association Career Provider Search - Find career service providers who hold a credential through the National Career Development Association.
Therapy Den - A socially responsible mental health services online directory.
Open Path Collective - find therapists offering sliding scale/reduced-rate counseling.
Psychology Today: Find a Therapist Directory - the largest online therapist directory.
BOOKS & WORKBOOKS
Career exploration books:
Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type
What Color is Your Parachute? Your Guide to a Lifetime of Meaningful Work & Career Success
You Majored in What? Designing Your Path from College to Career
The Authentic Career: Following the Path of Self-Discovery
Switchers: How Smart Professionals Change Careers & Seize Success
Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
Life Reimagined: Discovering Your New Life Possibilities
Luck is No Accident: Making the Most of Happenstance in Your Life and Career
Pivot: The Only Move that Matters is Your Next One
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
Blue-Collar Cash: Love Your Work, Secure Your Future, and Find Happiness for Life
Mental wellness & self-help books:
How to Be Yourself: Quiet Your Inner-Critic and Rise Above Social Anxiety
The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When Life Overwhelms You
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
The Empaths Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People
Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness
Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change and Thrive in Work and Life
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist and our Lives Revealed
Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies: And Other Rituals to Fix Your Life, From Someone Who's Been There
Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder
Do Less: A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Ambitious Women
MAINE-SPECIFIC RESOURCES
Live and Work in Maine - An online job search tool for Maine-based & remote jobs. From the website: "Live and Work in Maine is a not-for-profit initiative designed to increase awareness about the great career opportunities that exist in Maine, and promote the world-class quality of life Mainers enjoy. The mission is to show the world that in Maine, you can have it all when it comes to quality of life AND quality of career."
Maine Association of Non-Profits Job Board - An online job-board, updated daily, which includes postings from member non-profits. MANP hosts the only job board in Maine exclusively for mission driven employment opportunities.
CEI Maine Women's Business Center - The CEI Women’s Business Center is a home for women* who want to start or grow their own business. CEI works to build a network of peers, experts and advocates, who understand the challenges that disproportionately effect female entrepreneurs and provide resources to meet those challenges.
Maine Small Business Development Centers - The Maine SBDC program helps build and strengthen small businesses through business advising, training and educational resources. Certified business advisors provide guidance on topics such as business feasibility, business plan development, capital acquisition, financial management, marketing and sales, e-commerce, customer service, personnel management, small business strategic planning and more.
New Ventures Maine - New Ventures Maine creates an empowering environment for Maine people to define and achieve their career, financial, and small business goals. They offer many free courses, programs and coaching for those looking to grow and development in their career, financial health and life.
Maine Apprenticeship Program - The Maine Apprenticeship Program assists in setting up structured yet flexible training programs designed to meet the specific needs of Maine employers through on-the-job learning and related classroom instruction. Apprenticeship Programs can be sponsored by employers, employer associations, or labor/management groups that can hire and train in a working situation.
Maine Job Link - An online resource to explore jobs, create a resume, and find trainings.
Maine Adult Education - A public education and career pathways system that enables adults to be prepared for post-secondary education and/or employment. Over 70 adult education programs throughout Maine provide a range of instructional services to help adults develop the skills for further educational opportunities, job training, and better employment, and to realize their full potential as productive workers, family members and citizens.
Maine State Career Center - Maine CareerCenters provide a variety of employment and training services at no charge for Maine workers and businesses.
Boots to Roots - Boots2Roots is the only organization in Maine specifically focused on preparing active duty military members up to a year before they begin their transition for immediate success in Maine, while providing a pipeline of new workforce talent to Maine Employers. They work with active duty military members and their families who are planning to transition to Maine, up to a year before they come to Maine; and offer personalized self-assessment, resume, and interview coaching, peer mentoring, Maine business connections, and local networking.
Maine Career and Technical Education Schools - The Maine CTE Portal can help you find information about Maine’s network of 27 career & technical high schools. At all Maine CTE schools, hands-on programs are designed to meet national standards that prepare our students for academic success and qualified career placement
Maine Community College System