Tools Help Job Seekers Find New Career Fields

September 2, 2009 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Two new tools from CareerBuilder help job seekers find jobs beyond their areas of expertise and in new fields of employment.

According to a press release, Jobs by Salary, found at CareerBuilder’s salary site, www.CBsalary.com , and Job Discovery Wizard, found at CareerBuilder’s career resources and exploration site, www.CareerPath.com , work to identify jobs outside of a candidate’s current field. Jobs by Salary starts with desired salary and Job Discovery Wizard starts with a candidate’s skills and knowledge base to generate a list of opportunities   and provide information on what additional skills and training are required, as well as each position’s long-term growth outlook.

With Jobs by Salary, users enter their preferred annual salary range and location. The tool then generates a list of positions in a variety of industries that fall within those parameters. To help job seekers determine how they could transfer their skill into these positions, Jobs by Salary also provides the required training and education, full job description and long-term growth outlook through 2016, the press release said.

With the Job Discovery Wizard, job seekers start by selecting their current strengths from two lists – one on skills categories that includes selections such as writing or critical thinking, and one on knowledge categories, with entries such as chemistry and psychology. From there, job seekers rate their proficiencies on each skill and knowledge selection, and the site generates a detailed list of jobs that match those criteria.

Each position includes a detailed visual chart of the skills and knowledge a job seeker currently has and a list of what skills and certifications they still need. A basic job description, training requirements, and employment outlook are also featured.

CareerBuilder said it has found that 71% of workers who were laid off from full-time jobs and have not found new positions reported they are looking beyond their areas of expertise and considering new areas of employment.

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