Searching for a job can be a difficult process. There are many websites on the Internet with information and tools that can help with the job search. These include sites to gather company and industry information, training and education opportunities, resume and interview assistance, job listings and social networking sites. Provided below are descriptions of some of the sites that we feel would be useful to someone looking for a job.

Please be aware that many of these sites contain ads or links to businesses that may charge you for their services. It is important to read the information on the web site carefully before making use of one of these paid services. Also, it is always a good idea to learn more about who sponsors the site by clicking on the "About" link.

Many of these sites were compiled by the Westchester Career and Education Counseling Service (WEBS) which is a part of the Westchester Library System. The WEBS program offers a number of free services to people looking for jobs including career development seminars, resume and interview workshops, and one-on-one assistance. You can reach the WEBS office at (914) 674-3612 to find out more about its services.

Company/Industry Information

Vault.com - www.vault.com - Insider information on over 300 companies. Includes company profiles (snapshot), message boards and other information. The basic information is free but there is a charge for more in-depth information.

Business & Company Resource Center (INFOTRAC) - http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/nysl_me_wls?db=BCRC - INFOTRAC database that can be accessed from any public library in Westchester or from home with a library card. This database provides detailed company and industry news that includes profiles, company histories, brand information, rankings and investment reports and other company information.

College Information

Westchester Library System Education Database - http://www.westchesterlibraries.org/webs/education - Search school subjects and view profiles of schools throughout Westchester County.

BrainTrack - http://www.braintrack.com/colleges-by-career - The Brain Track Career Guide offers in-depth career profiles as well as degree and wage statistics for over 300 occupations that commonly require college or university education. The career profiles link to comprehensive lists of relevant public and private schools in each state.

Job Listings

Job Hunt - http://www.job-hunt.org/index.html - Meta site with links to many job sites including job search by industry/by state and on-line job hunt tutorial.

State Job Banks - http://www.jobbankinfo.org/ - Department of Labor site which provides links to state job banks including New York's Job Exchange site where you can search for jobs and post a resume (not only for government jobs).

USA Jobs - www.usajobs.gov - Search for federal government jobs by state, job title.

Westchester County Department of Human Resources - http://humanresources.westchestergov.com/ - Find listings of Westchester County jobs, civil service exams and study guides.

Monster - www.monster.com - This popular site offers an interactive database for listing and locating job opportunities. Resume building services available. Also includes international job listings.

Craigslist - www.craigslist.org - Local community classifieds and forums to help find jobs, housing, goods and services for free.

Idealist - www.idealist.org - Site for community of nonprofit and volunteering resources. It includes jobs in the nonprofit sector, volunteer opportunities and internships.

Newspapers

New York Times -http://jobmarket.nytimes.com/pages/jobs/ - Provides job listings (partnered with Monster.com) and current articles related to the job search.

Journal News - http://thejournalnews.gannettonline.com/careerbuilder/index.html - Allows you to search for job listings in the Hudson Valley.

NewsLine - http://newslink.org/ - Provides links to hundreds of U.S. and international newspapers. From these newspapers you can search their job listings.

Career Development and Skills

Learning Express - http://www.learnatest.com/LEL/index.cfm/?HR=http://www.westchesterlibraries.org/ - This database offered through the Westchester Library System is an online learning platform that includes practice tests and tutorial courses for a variety of tests including civil service, GED, professional licensing, SAT’s etc. In order to access from home you need to input your library card number.

Job Search Central - http://www.nypl.org/services/jobs/ - Provides job and career information, databases and links to websites. These resources can be accessed with a New York Public Libray card which any resident of New York State can obtain. Go to www.nypl.org for more information on how to apply for a card and have it mailed to you.

Westchester Community College and Career Collection and Workforce Development Training - http://www.sunywcc.edu/continuing_ed/workforce_dev/workforce_dev.htm - Any Westchester library card holder can take out books from the college’s extensive career collection in the Harold Drimmer Library. There are also special training programs for mature workers reentering the workforce (if you qualify, the programs are free or available at a low cost).

Career One Stop - http://www.careeronestop.org - This site, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor allows you to explore careers, provides education and training information and job search assistance.

Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES - http://www.pnwboces.org/adulted/adult.htm - Provides listing of courses offered through P/NW BOCES including many job training courses. They also offer sessions with a private professional career counselor (there is a fee for the courses and the counseling). Click on Courses to see their full catalog.

Westchester One-Stop Employment - www.westchestergov.com/wplwis/ - One-Stop Employment Center located in White Plains offers computer skills classes, job preparation workshops and individual employment counselors all for free.

Resume and Interview Help

Career One Stop - http://www.careeronestop.org/Resumesinterviews/ResumesInterviews.aspx - This site, sponsored by U.S. Labor Department provides resume advice, letters and interview tips.

ResumeHelp - http://jobstar.org/tools/resume/index.php - Provides free resume examples for a variety of professions, an on-line resume builder, cover letter resources and interview tips and information on working from home.

Yahoo HotJobs - http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/resume - Provides resume basics, formatting and content tips, cover letters, interview guidelines and links to other job related areas.

Professional Association Organizations

Professional Associations on the Internet - http://www.ipl.org/div/aon/ - Provides listing and links to professional associations on the Internet. These associations often have job listings for their respective professions.

Social Networking Sites

LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com - LinkedIn is an interconnected network of experienced professionals from around the world, representing 170 industries and 200 countries. You can find, be introduced to, and collaborate with qualified professionals.

Facebook - www.facebook.com - Facebook is a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them. It currently has 200 million users.