Each week (usually) we post a "Hot Site of the Week" on our homepage. We pick these sites based on our estimation of their quality and high value to our visitors. This section is a compilation of those sites from the present week back through to January 3, 2005. (For a trip down memory lane, see October, 1999, through December, 2002 and January, 2003 through December 2004. If a week is missing, that week's "hot site" cooled off and disappeared. RIP!) If a week is missing, that week's "hot site" cooled off and disappeared. RIP!)

• December 27, 2006 & January 1, 2007: Wishcraft.com
  This free book in PDF format (also free)! Wishcraft, written by Barbara Sher (with Annie Gottlieb) in 1979, is one of my favorites. Don't be put off by the date. This book provides some help in figuring out what you want to do. It's strength is in helping you reach your goals by guiding you in the implementation of a "success team." Your team members help you reach your goal while you help them reach their goals. When I was laid off in 1994, this book and these ideas helped me found NETability which led to Job-Hunt. (And the rest is history?) [For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Reference Information Resources section.]
  
  
• December 18, 2006: Cost of Living Calculator (CNN/Money)
  If you are planning a new job for the new year, you may be considering a change in location as well. Changing jobs and locations is a bit tricky to pull off, but it can defnitely be done, and here's a tool to help you figure out how the finances will probably work. Plug in your current (or last) annual income, and it will calculate the equivalent income you would need in the new location as well as costs for groceries, housing, transportation, and healthcare.
  
  
• December 11, 2006: LinkedIn
  This may be the way we job search in the 21st century - using the technology to expand our network of contacts with other humans. LinkedIn is unique and interesting, and it has good possibilities for job seekers. You'll find jobs posted "exclusively" on LinkedIn and also others collected by SimplyHired (a job aggregator). You also have the opportunity to create and publish a "public profile" to attract recruiters and employers. Just be careful to protect your existing job, if you have one.
  
  
• December 4, 2006: JobLounge Blog
  A great blog from Job-Hunt resume pro Susan Ireland. Wonderful tips from a very knowledgeable "pro," news and useful information she uncovers, and also some funny stuff, too. Great!
  
  
• November 27, 2006: Oya's Directory of Recruiters
  An old favorite is back, and in fine form. Find recruiters by specialty or location for the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, and the rest of the world.
  
  
• November 13 and 20, 2006: Military Transition Portal
  Help migrating military skills and experience to jobs in the civilian world for veterans and service members coming off active duty. Lots of information, including where to find a genuine human being for face-to-face guidance and feedback. Happy week after Veterans' Day and Happy Thanksgiving, too! THANK YOU!!
  
  
• November 6, 2006: 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers
  From Working Mother magazine, the latest version of their annual report on the companies most friendly to working mothers.
  
  
• October 29, 2006 - JobSearch.About.com
  A great site with excellent advice and resources by Alison Doyle, About.com editor for job search. Kinda heavy on the advertising, but Alison's articles are worth digging for.
  
  
• October 22, 2006 - Veteran's Employment Resources Center
  From USAJOBS, the job site for U.S. Federal Government jobs, information for veterans on getting jobs within the U.S. Federal Government, including the specifics on veterans' preferences and access to the thousands of Government jobs posted. Thank you, veterans!!
  
  
• October 15, 2006 - JobCentral.com
  Run by the non-profit Direct Employers organization (200 member companies who post their jobs here vs. the "general sites"), you can search though all the member postings which are "harvested" from the member company Websites nightly, then you view and apply for the job on the member's Website. A pretty good deal for you and for them. Enjoy!
  
  
• October 9, 2006 - SiteAdvisor/Analysis
  The Internet can be a dangerous place with benign-looking Websites doing nasty things if you give them your e-mail address or download some great funny video or neat software tool. SiteAdvisor is one place to check to see if a site is "good" or "bad" before you trust it.
  
  
• October 1, 2006 - FindaFluShot
  Flu season is starting in the next few weeks, and this site helps you find a convenient location where you can get your flu shot. Hopefully, it will prevent you from getting the flu, thus saving you from postponing interviews, missing networking opportunities, and much more.
  
  
• September 24, 2006 - Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling
  The quickest way to sabotage your job search is to have grammatical errors in your resume, cover letter, thank you (of course write thank you's!), and other follow-up correspondence is to have a grammatical error. Purdue University's OWL (Online Writing Lab) offers a wonderful resource for everyone with this section of their site. This site provides exercises to test your skill and the information to improve your performance where ever you need a little help.
  
  
• September 18, 2006 - VolunteerMatch
  A job search can be a tough, demoralizing slog. Helping others is a great way to rebulid your own morale, regain your confidence, have some fun, and - amazing - do some networking while you do the world a good deed. Even, building some positive "karma" at the same time, maybe. What could be better?. And, VolunteerMatch is a great place to find opportunities for volunteering.
  
  
• September 11, 2006 - Ziggs.com
  Ziggs is a community site, along the lines of MySpace for grownups. People register their own profile for public viewing (protect your contact information!!!). There's a free basic listing, which seems to be all that most people would need. BEST: It's a great place to look for contacts - your former boss who moved on to Company X may be listed (and may now be at Company Y). You can search by company, location, or keyword.
  
  
• September 4, 2006 - Joyce Lain Kennedy
  Joyce is a syndicated career columnist and author of many books, including the first "Electronic Resume" book and "Hook Up, Get Hired" the first Internet job hunting book in 1995. If you aren't lucky enough to be in one of the towns where the local paper carries her column, you can ready several of them on this Website (click on "Columns" at the top of the page, and pick the title from the left column). Joyce is an amazing bundle of energy and wisdom. Enjoy!
  
  
• August 28, 2006 - OpportunityKnocks.org
  If you want a job with a non-profit organization, OpportunityKnocks is a great place to start.
  
  
• August 21, 2006 - Workforce50
  "Senior" is defined here as anyone over 50, and if you're over 50 you know a job search can be challenging. Employers who post their jobs here are looking for people over 50 - more mature employees are presumably experienced, reliable, and stable, just what smart employers want.
  
  
• August 14, 2006 - CoolWorks
  It's vacation time so maybe it's time to think about working in a fun place? This site has jobs in all sorts of great categories: national park jobs, resort jobs, ski resort jobs, jobs on water, ranch jobs, etc. Work AND have fun - what a great idea! Enjoy!
  
  
• August 7, 2006 - Best Places for Business and Careers
  Another great list from Forbes magazine, includes the best cites and worst cities, large "metros" and smaller ones and also includes data about crime rates and other relevant and important criteria.. If you are thinking of relocating, this gives you some insight.
  
  
• July 31, 2006 - Indeed.com
  If you haven't checked out Indeed.com, you should. It's one of the biggest "aggregator" site - visiting job sites and employers to gather job opportunities in one central location. The problem with most aggregators is that the jobs can be old and obscure, which does not seem to be a problem for Indeed. I even found some Craigslist jobs in their listings. Cool!
  
  
• July 24, 2006 - "You've got to find what you love"
  Steve Jobs, founder of Apple and Pixar, is an extraordinary entrepreneur, and, apparently also a very wise man. This link is to the text of a speech he gave at the Stanford University commencement in 2005 which I think is very inspiring. Enjoy!
  
  
• July 17, 2006: VocationVacation.com
  A walk on the lighter side of job hunting - this is a site which offers you the opportunity to try out a job (a.k.a. "vocation") while you're on vacation. And, as with most vacations - you pay them. It's not a job where anyone pays you. But, it's vacation season, and this might be fun for some.
  
  
• July 10, 2006: Marty Nemko
  Marty Nemko is an experienced West Coast career coach (2,500 clients!), and this Website is a little quirky, probably like Marty, but extremely useful. Marty is a writer and speaker on careers and job hunting with useful advice, much of it very different from the standard stuff (see "Offshore Resistent Careers" or "Slacker Careers"). Current articles are on the home page, and other articles and "fast fixes" are linked from the navigation on the left.
  
  
• July 3, 2006: Mini Business Plan Tool
  Wonderful help from StartupJournal if you are considering starting your own business. Includes sample plans for many different kinds of businesses, including consulting, as well as cash flow calculator, starting costs estimator, and many other aids for business startup.
  
  
• June 26, 2006: Wikipedia
  If you haven't visited Wikipedia, it's time to check it out. Wikipedia is a free, online encyclopedia, edited by everyone. And, it is amazingly accurate. Why is it a Job-Hunt Hot Site of the Week? Because it's a wonderful place to learn more about terms used in a job description, industries, even companies and individuals. Search for the term and learn what Wikipedia's editors have shared with the world.
  
  
• June 19, 2006: Veteran Employment & Training
  A great collection of information and resources from Military.com to help veterans find their way through the maze of government programs that are supposed to help them find employment in the civilian economy.
  
  
• June 12, 2006: NewsVoyager
  Newspapers are still very relevant to job seekers, and now you can often find those good old "Help Wanted" ads online and improved - searchable, readable, and clean (no ink on your fingers when you're done). NewsVoyager focuses exclusively on newspapers - by contintent, and country, and then by state (U.S.) or province (Canada). Happy hunting!
  
  
• June 5, 2006: JobStar's Hidden Job Market
  Excellent advice from this classic site. Lots of great information on where the jobs are really hiding and how you can get to them.
  
  
• May 28, 2006: E-Learning & Distance Education Guide
  From US News & World Report, a well-researched guide to online education, listing only accredited schools or degree programs, with information available by degree program (e.g. business, education, engineering, etc.) or more detailed information provided alphabetically by school. It enables you to compare the schools on costs per credit hour as well as professional accrediation, if appropriate.
  
  
• May 22, 2006: AARP/Careers
  Good advice and information for job seekers of any age, with special content for job seekers over 50.
  
  
• May 15, 2006: VolunteerMatch
  If you are employed, volunteering can be a great way to expand your network while helping your community or supporting a cause important to you. If you are not employed, volunteering can be a great way to feel like a useful, contributing member of society and maybe enhance a few skills while you are expanding your network and helping others. It's a win/win, and VolunteerMatch helps you find the places and the causes which interest you. Find everything here from Hurricane Katrina relief to the local Humane Socety. You can even find "Freedom Corps" opportunities including AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Peace Corps, and Citizen Corps.
  
  
• May 7, 2006: Industry Portals
  The best way to find a job is to target the best employers for you in an industry. VirtualPet.com's "Industry Portals" site is an excellent collection of industry portals - those sites that serve a specific industry with news, meetings, directories, etc. Think of them as good places for you to go recruiting for potential employers.
  
  
• May 1, 2006: HireVetsFirst.gov
  For veterans getting out of the service, this site offers job search support, including a "Military Skills Translator" which helps people translate their military experience into marketable civilian skills, a resume writer, and other useful information and links to more resources. Also, help for employers who want to hire veterans. Time for us to help those who have sacrificed for us!
  
  
• April 24, 2006: Craig'sList
  A unique, quirky kind of site (much like Job-Hunt), and one of our favorites because you can find so many job leads and help here. Craig's List is a GIANT online classifeds site, originally developed in San Francisco to help people find apartments and room mates, soul mates or dates, jobs, and much more. Fortunately for the rest of us, it has expanded to most of the rest of the world, including all 50 states in the U.S. and 35 countries. Browse through all the job listings by clicking on "Jobs" (some postings are misclassified so the categories aren't always reliable). Be sure to check out the "gigs" (short term jobs), and sign up to have new postings sent to you (click on "subscriptions" in the low in the left column of the home page and follow the directions). Craig's List contents change every minute as new items are posted and old ones disappear, so visit often.
  
  
• April 17, 2006: SusanIreland.com
  Susan Ireland is a very knowledgeable lady, Job-Hunt's Resume Pro, and author of several books about resumes, cover letters, and job hunting. Although she sells her books, do-it-yourself resume software, and resume writing services, her site is full of FREE useful information and more than 50 sample resumes. The samples either solve specific problems, like a gap in work history or a career change, address an occupation (admin, consulting, HR, etc.), or show the different standard resume formats (chronological, functional, and combination).
  
  
• April 10, 2006: Forbes 2000 - World's Largest Public Companies
  Just like the Fortune 500 & 1000 (below), this is the latest edition of this important annual ranking. Forbes offers you the list sorted several different ways, including by country, by industry, by sales (dollar value), and by profit (dollar value), so it's perfect for job seekers trying to track down that next potential employer. Remember, most of these companies are so large that they have offices and/or operations in many countries and states.
  
  
• April 3, 2006: Fortune 500 (and 1000) for 2006
  The latest edition of this important annual ranking is out, available for free on the Web. These are the REALLY big companies. They can be a good place to start a career if you are comfortable with large, somewhat impersonal organizations. The Fortune 500 offer many opportunities for job seekers. Once you are inside, you can usually move around over time (plan on at least 1 to 2 years in each position). Surprisingly, these companies are not usually where the job market growth is - in fact, generally they are getting smaller in numbers of employees in the U.S. Still, one of these names usually looks good on your resume.
  
  
• March 27, 2006: What Can I Do with a Major in...
  From the University of North Carolina Wilmington, pick your major from the list of majors, and this site will offer you a page containing related career titles, the associated skills, and Websites appropriate for the major, including organizations and associations.
  
  
• March 20, 2006: Oodle
  Pick your city (from a list of 105) or your college (from a list of 197), and select the category of jobs you want to see. This is another aggregator site that collects jobs from many other sites for you to see. Then, you apply for the job on the source site. The problem with this kind of site is that the jobs may not be very "fresh." But, the good news is that you will probably see jobs from sites that you wouldn't have visited on your own. So, worth checking out! And you can also find a pet, tickets and events, cars, and more.
  
  
• March 13, 2006: KHake
  This is an amazing site - a very comprehensive directory of links to vocational information. No matter what you're thinking of doing, I bet information about it is available here (assuming you want to do something legal - no information about how to live a life of crime).
  
  
• March 6, 2006: Franchising
  Running a franchise is one way of having your own business, but it is not without its risks, as is most of business. The Wall Street Journal's Online Small Business Channel (a Job-Hunt sponsor), provides this very useful report on franchising - picking out the "high performers" but also offering advice on the pitfalls, pros and cons, personality required, etc. If you're thinking about starting your own business, this is a very good resource.
  
  
• February 27, 2006: USAJOBS
  In the U.S. Uncle Sam is one of the biggest employers, with a very wide variety of jobs and "industries" inside the government. USAJOBS is the official job site for the U.S. Federal government, although always look for the agency's or department's Website, not only for more job listings but also for information about the department/agency. [For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Government industry section.]
  
  
• February 20, 2006: CareerVoyages
  Help figuring out what to do next (what jobs are growing in which industries) whether you are a student looking for their first job or a middle-aged career changer. This site is a joint venture from the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Education. Excellent information and resources (including Job-Hunt!).
  
  
• February 13, 2006: Fortune 500 for 2005
  Finally, this list is available online again for those who aren't Fortune subscribers, from CNN/Money! If you are looking for a job at a big company, this is your shopping list. Over the last few decades, small companies have accounted for most of the job growth, but these companies have lots of opportunities for specialists. Pick your state and see which companies are headquartered there. It's also sorted by profitability, for those hoping to avoid a layoff. [For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Pick Your Next Employer section.]
  
  
• February 6, 2006: Academic360
  Connects to the HR Department pages of colleges and universities across the world. Speaking from experience, I know that these organizations employ many more people than just professors and instructors - they need everyone from the grounds keepers and custodians to the IT department and the CFO.
  
  
• January 30, 2006: Idealist/Career Center
  Find for-pay jobs, volunteer opportunities, and internships here, as well as directories of consultants and organizations. Also, find events including job fairs. Go to the home page for more general information, including news.
  
  
• January 23, 2006: Researching Companies Online
  Identify potential employers with this step-by-step tutorial from Debbie Flanagan. Click on the links in each section and Debbie provides additional help in the "frame" on the left side of the page. Or, click on the same links in the bottom third of each page, below the "No Frames Links" heading, to have the new Website completely fill your browser window.[For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Reference Information Resources section.]
  
  
• January 16, 2006: CareerJournal PLUS
  A new service from our favorite sponsor - CareerJournal has teamed with TheLadders to offer subscriptions (not free) to exclusive executive-level job postings. These are the jobs paying $100,000 and up, and you don't often find them on job sites.
  
  
• January 9, 2006: Associations on the Net
  From the Internet Public Library, by the University of Michigan, a comprehensive directory of links to professional and industry associations, organized in categories (e.g. Business, Education, Entertainment, Health & Medical, etc.). Find an association which fits your needs, visit the Website, go to the meetings, and learn more about your specialty as well as meeting people with whom you can network.
  
  
• January 3, 2006: Creative Job Search Happy New Year!!
  Excellent, free advice from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. It takes you through the job search basics in a step-by-step well organized fashion, so, even if you've been job hunting before (or you've been hunting for a while), you'll pick up some good information here. The first chapter deals with managing the transition from employed to unemployed, including tips on managing your finances and your feelings. The last chapter gives you tips for succeeding in that new job.
  
  
• December 26, 2005: Wishcraft.com
  This free book in PDF format (also free)! Wishcraft, written by Barbara Sher (with Annie Gottlieb) in 1979, is one of my favorites. Don't be put off by the date. This book provides some help in figuring out what you want to do. It's strength is in helping you reach your goals by guiding you in the implementation of a "success team." Your team members help you reach your goal while you help them reach their goals. When I was laid off in 1994, this book and these ideas helped me found NETability which led to Job-Hunt. (And the rest is history?) [For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Reference Information Resources section.]
  
  
• December 19 , 2005: ZoomInfo
  "People, Companies, Relationships" is their motto, and, with a combination of free and for-a-fee services, that's what they do. More stuff is for a fee now, than last summer, but it is still a very useful site. They collect information from public sources (mostly Websites) and compile them into pages that can be searched. Search on "Person" to track down former colleagues and expand your network. Click on "Be Found" and you can create or edit your profile, again with free and for-a-fee levels of service. Even the free profile will be visible to Fortune 500 companies and recruiters. However, be careful what you include in your profile because providing access to recruiters is one of their revenue streams.[For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Reference Information Resources section.]
  
  
• December 12, 2005: JobHuntersBible
  From Richard N. Bolles, author of the classic "What Color Is My Parachute" books. A wonderful site that provides Dick's sage advice to job seekers, particularly helpful if you aren't exactly sure what you want to do. This site is an excellent adjunct to Dick's books, but it can stand on it's own too. If you're not sure what you do best or would enjoy doing, purchase the book (updated every year), or borrow it from the library. Dick is really one of the genuine experts in this field.
  
  
• December 5, 2005: Alexa
  Alexa shows you a rough estimate of the traffic level (popularity) of millions of Websites. The lower the Traffic Rank number; the greater the amount of traffic. A site ranked in the millions doesn't get much traffic. A site ranked in the thousands or hundreds has millions of visitors a month. Alexa also has additional information about who owns the site, where it's located, how long it's been online, etc. To see what a site looked like in the past - check out the Wayback Machine.
  
  
• November 28, 2005: Business Etiquette
  From the Emily Post Institute (where else?), business etiquette information from the "mother ship" of manners in the U.S. There's a good "Job Seeker's Etiquette Quiz," interview tips, and more. Poor manners can sabotage a job search.
  
  
• November 14 & 21 (Happy Thanksgiving!), 2005: InfoPlease
  InfoPlease gives you quick, free online access to a thesaurus, dictionary, atlas, and several almanacs (from several countries). How many tires were sold in the USA in 2004? Which countries lead in the world's production of lead..of computer chips...of potato chips? Whatever fact or word you need for your resume, cover letter, thank you, and/or interview preparation, it's probably here.
  
  
• November 7, 2005: XPDNC / US
  If you're looking for a labor union, where appropriate jobs are often available for members, this directory will help you find one in the U.S., organized by state. The same information is available for the Canada, the U.K., and the rest of the world as well.
  
  
• October 31, 2005: USAJobs
  From the U.S. Federal Government's Office of Personnel Management, the umbrella job site for Federal Government sites. For more Government jobs, check out Job-Hunt's Government Jobs section.
  
  
• October 24, 2005: CraigsList
  The classic online classifieds site, originally in San Francisco, has branched out to over 110 cities in the U.S., 11 in Canada, and others on each continent. Browse through all the jobs by clicking on the "jobs" column heading, or click on the category of job that interests you (browsing can be very useful in case something wonderful is in a category you wouldn't check). Jobs are displayed in order by posting date, so keep getting new pages if you don't see what you want in the first 100 shown. If you need a short-term assignment to pay the bills and maybe build the resume a little, don't forget to check out the "gigs" section, which is usually below the "jobs" section in the same column. Keep coming back to the site, or subscribe to an e-mail update service on the homepage (click on "subscriptions" near the top of the left column to get started).
  
  
• October 17, 2005: LinkedIn
  An interesting site that combines networking online with online job postings. From a privacy perspective, it's a little unsettling, but I've been a member for a couple of years without any downside that I noticed, and it claims to offer "exclusive" job postings that you won't find elsewhere as well as postings from Oct. 3 Hot Site, SimplyHired (below), which collects job postings from hundreds of sites. The LinkedIn difference, apparently, is really the ability to possibly connect with other LinkedIn members who work in the potential employer's organization. There is a substantial Privacy Policy and terms of use which you should read before you join.
  
  
• October 10, 2005: PRNewswire
  The site is an excellent source of news about companies and industries. On many companies, you'll find several year's worth of information to peruse before you dazzle them in an interview or write a killer cover letter. The home page has a link in the right column for "ADVANCED SEARCH" which offers you several options - company name, keyword, industry, sector, etc. Poke around for a while, and you'll be amazed what information you can find. [For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Reference Information Resources section.]
  
  
• October 3 , 2005: SimplyHired
  A new site, still developing, and not perfect (are any of them?). It's a new twist on an the job aggregator site idea. They collect links to jobs posted on job sites, in classified ad sites, and on employer Web sites. You search on SimplyHired, and apply on the site where the posting originated. You can "browse" postings by category (location, industry, or occupation) with numbers beside each subcategory for the number of jobs listed. They also offer a job seeker the ability to "rate" their interest in a job posting, hopefully to refine the results offered to that job seeker. However, it doesn't allow you to explain your ratings - are you "not interested" because of the location, the age of the posting, the requirements, the employer, or what? They may jump to some wrong conclusions about why a job gets a given rated, and limit what the offer you in the future based on bad assumptions. Still, it's new and interesting, although not perfect. Connects to LinkedIn.com, too, and you can set up an RSS feed. SimplyHired does not collect resumes at this point, and they do have a privacy policy posted.
  
  
• September 26, 2005: Scams & Schemes
  This is an excellent collection of important information from Margaret (Riley) Dikel in her classic employment portal, the RileyGuide.
  
  
• September 19, 2005: CollegeJournal
  Another great site from The Wall Street Journal people so you know that the articles are great (and plentiful). CollegeJournal, a Job-Hunt sponsor, helps college students and recent graduates find jobs. Search the job postings, post your resume (2 levels of privacy are offered plus the no-privacy option we recommend avoiding), and read the excellent articles. [For more sites like this one, go to Employment Supersites.]
  
  
• September 12, 2005: True Careers
  From Sallie Mae, the college student loan people, find both plenty of jobs (in the U.S. and Canada) and plenty of information about companies, industries, and professions. They have their Privacy Policy posted, and offer job seekers 2 levels of identity protection (highly recommended by Job-Hunt, of course). A very good Web job site with a bonus currently available - if you register and submit your resume, you'll be entered into the sweepstakes to win $25,000 in student loan repayments or up to $12,000 cash (may be variable, read their rules). [For more sites like this one, go to Entry Level, Internships, and Seasonal Jobs.]
  
  
• September 6 , 2005: StartupJournal
  Many times, the best new job you can have is working for yourself. And, that's where StartupJournal, a Job-Hunt sponsor, comes in. It's from The Wall Street Journal people - the best source of business news in the U.S., maybe in the world. Whether you want information about franchising, ecommerce, attracting venture capital, hiring great people, etc., StartupJournal probably has it, and it's free.
  
  
• August 29 , 2005: Creative Job Search
  There's a wealth of knowledge here for all the stages of a typical job search, step-by-step -- from job hunting basics (like handling change, figuring out what you want to do, and getting organized) to writing thank you notes (samples provided), negotiating your starting salary, and dealing with rejection. Excellent, free advice from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, but it works for eveyone, everywhere.
  
  
• August 22, 2005: Net-Temps
  Net-Temps has both "temp" as well as permanent (as "permanent" as a job is these days) job opportunities PLUS contract opportunities - a job that lasts from a few weeks to several months and can sometimes develop into a permanent position. It's a good way to pay the bills and add experience to your resume at the same time. A Privacy Policy is posted. [For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Freelancing, Consulting, Contracting, and Temping section.]
  
  
• August 15, 2005: Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling
  The quickest way to sabotage your job search is to have grammatical errors in your resume, cover letter, thank you (of course write thank you's!), and other follow-up correspondence is to have a grammatical error. Purdue University's OWL (Online Writing Lab) offers a wonderful resource for everyone with this section of their site. This site provides exercises to test your skill and the information to improve your performance where ever you need a little help.
  
  
• August 8, 2005: AbyZNewsLinks
  Newspapers are a great source of job opportunities. Many have put their employment classified ads on their Websites, and you can find those sites here, organized by location. [For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Classified Ads section.]
  
  
• July 25 and August 1, 2005: Skills Profiler
  From America's Career Infonet (your tax dollars at work if you are a U.S. tax payer), a step-by-step process for identifying your skills. Great resource if you are stuck for what to put on your resume! Continue in the process to the Skills Explorer (jobs that use specific skills) and then the Skills Gap Analyzer to see where you might need to gain more experience or education/training
  
  
• July 18, 2005: Salary Expert
  pick a job and a location (100,000 different jobs in 200 countries), and they have the salary range for you. Only the data for Canada and U.S. is available for free, although additionally-detailed reports for every location are available for a fee. [For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Reference Information Resources section.]
  
  
• July 11, 2005: AnnualReports.com
  Great free research resource here - find annual reports, required of U.S. publicly-traded companies, here by company name, by ticker symbol, by exchange (NYSE, AMEX, NASDAQ, OTC, etc.), by industry (aerospace/defense, automotive, etc.), or by sector (basic materials, capital goods, energy, etc.). [For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Reference Information Resources section.]
  
  
• July 4, 2005: Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling
  Purdue University's OWL (Online Writing Lab) offers a wonderful resource for everyone with this section of their site. You don't want to sabotage your job search with grammatical and/or spelling errors in your resume, cover letter, and other correspondence. Brush up on your knowledge here. It can't hurt, and it will probably help. [For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Reference Information Resources section.]
  
  
• June 27, 2005: KnockemDead.com
  Lots of free advice and information from the guy who wrote the "Knock 'em Dead" job hunting books. Really extensive and helpful information about networking including the new "social networking" sites. And, of course, you can buy his books, but he's not in-your-face about them. [For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Reference Information Resources section.]
  
  
• June 20, 2005: ZoomInfo
  "People Information Summarized" is their motto, and that's what they do. They collect information from public sources (mostly Websites) and compile them into pages that can be searched. You can create or edit your summary, if there is one, or have it removed if you prefer. This is an invaluable research source for job seekers. Pick the Advanced Search, and search on a person or company name, a university, or a Website. Find former colleagues or learn about the hiring manager before you write that cover letter or go in for the interview. Be careful what you include in your profile because providing access to recruiters is one of their revenue streams.[For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Reference Information Resources section.]
  
  
• June 13, 2005: ThomasNet
  Thomas' Register has been used for decades (maybe centuries) by manufacturers, dealers, and exporters to find the items they needed to build their products or to sell to their customers. Now, ThomasNet is online with over 650,000 suppliers in 67,000 searchable categories. Think of this as a giant searchable catalog of potential employers since it now includes services, like consulting, as well as products. [For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Reference Information Resources section.]
  
  
• June 6, 2005: Oodle
  Another aggregator site - Oodle aggregates online classifieds. Currently in "beta" (aka, not ready for prime time), this site covers 7 cities in the U.S. -- Boston, Chicago, Dallas, LA, Miami, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. Pick your city and then troll through the jobs, or pick jobs and then location. Don't just pick a sub-category of jobs, like accounting, or a specific location, like Cambridge, and only look at those listings. You may find the jobs you are seeking in an unexpected category - so don't miss them by being too focused here. As with all aggregators, the issue is "freshness" of the entries - how quickly after they were posted on the original site, are they pulled into Oodle? [For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Classified Ads section.]
  
  
• May 30, 2005: World Chamber of Commerce Directory
  Think of this as a catalog of small and medium sized businesses, organized geographically. Most "real" businesses in the U.S. (and some "un-real" ones) belong to their local Chamber of Commerce - for networking and for member benefits, like group-type rates on medical insurance, etc.[For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Reference Information Resources section.]
  
  
• May 23, 2005: Workforce50
  If you're over 50, this is the site for you. The employers here are looking for people with experience, both full-time and part-time, careers and jobs. Lots of good information about resources for "seniors" too. Take advantage of your seniority!
  
  
• May 16, 2005: Wishcraft.com
  Discover your strengths and skills and use a buddy group to help you reach your dream with this free book in PDF format (also free)! Wishcraft, written by Barbara Sher (with Annie Gottlieb) in 1979, is wonderful. Don't be put off by the date. It's excellent advice and free! [For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Reference Information Resources section.]
  
  
• May 9, 2005: StudentJobs.gov
  This is the recruiting center for student jobs and internships with the U.S. Federal Government. [For more sites like this one, go to Entry Level, Internship, and Seasonal Jobs.]
  
  
• May 2, 2005 : Hoovers
  They call themselves "The Business Information Authority" and they may be right. Excellent free information - even more detailed information for a fee. Look up a company name, an industry, an executive, etc. or just browse through the companies by industry or alphabetically by name (companies by location is available for a fee). Once you've identified a company, you'll see the company facts, the company Website, the industry, financial facts, some of their competitors (more available for a fee), key personnel (more info available for a fee - you get the idea). But, the free stuff is very good, and you probably won't need to pay for anything. [For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Reference Information Resources section.]
  
  
• April 25, 2005: Craig's List
  A unique site - combination classified ads (jobs, personals, apartments, vacation rentals, cars for sale, etc.), newsgroup/forum, and resume posting site by city. Seventy cities in the U.S. plus 7 in Canada, and nearly 70 on other continents are currently covered. Find your city from the list by city (Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, etc.) or by country/continent (Canada, UK, AU & NZ, Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Then browse through the job postings by category (accounting/finance, admin, art/media, biotech, etc.). Be careful when posting your resume, of course. [For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Classified Ads section.]
  
  
• April 11 and April 18, 2005: Indeed.com
  A gateway site that allows you to search through the postings on literally hundreds of Websites at one time. Then, you apply for the jobs on the sites where they originated - so watch out for privacy practices before you submit your resume. The job posting date maybe quite inaccurate since it usually refers to the date the job was added to Indeed. You can set up an XML feed, if you're a techie, or sign up for the traditional e-mail notices. [For more sites like this one, go to Employment Supersites.]
  
  
• March 28 and April 4, 2005: Vault.com
  I've always viewed Vault as primarily a research resource which sells comprehensive reports on many different industries. But, the amount of free information (by industry) available now is impressive, and there is also an extensive set of (free!) job boards for consultants, attorneys, etc. even one for internships. A privacy policy is posted.
  
  
• March 21, 2005: PamDixon.com
  Pam is a journalist and radio "columnist" who has done very impressive research about online privacy, including important resume-privacy tests on over 500 job sites. Check out the reports and information available here, particularly about scams targeting job seekers. [For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Reference Information Resources section.]
  
  
• March 14, 2005: Gateway of Associations
  From the American Society of Association Executives, a searchable database of over 6,000 associations. Search by type, location, and/or keyword to find associations to help you with your networking. If you need advice about leveraging associations, see Job-Hunt's Tapping the Hidden Job Market article. [For more information see Job-Hunt's Associations and Societies section.]
  
  
• March 7 , 2005: Craig's List
  A unique site - combination classified ads (jobs, personals, apartments, vacation rentals, cars for sale, etc.), newsgroup/forum, and resume posting site by city. Originally based in San Francisco, Craig's List now covers 65 cities in the U.S. (Albany to Washington, D.C.) with 7 in Canada (Calgary to Winnipeg) and dozens more on all the other continents. Pick your city from the list (Albany, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, etc.) and then browse through the job postings by category (accounting/finance, admin, art/media, biotech, etc.). Be careful when posting your resume, of course, because everyone will be able to see it. [For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Classified Ads section.]
  
  
• February 28, 2005: WAHM.com (WorkAtHomMoms)
  I've been searching for a good site for women looking to work from home, and I think I finally found it. Full of advice and information as well as job postings (mostly from Craig's List, above, a good source), this site finally fills the void. Read the forums, ask questions, help someone else. Enjoy!
  
  
• February 21, 2005: GrooveJob.com
  This is a site for students (high school and college) and others interested in part time jobs. Search for a job by city, state, or Zip Code. If you post your resume, it is provided to a potential employer only when you have indicated that you are interested in a job with that employer. After you've built your resume on GrooveJob, you can print it to use elsewhere. A privacy policy is posted.
  
  
• February 14, 2005: Career OneStop
  For the US, from the Federal government, this site is a portal for all of the career services, information, and other resources provided for job seekers (and employers), from the phone number of your local OneStop Center to the skills required for chefs (also where to get trained as a chef and how to get financial assistance to pay for that training). Of course, after you've been trained, this site connects you to America's Job Bank where you can find employment, too.
  
  
• February 7 , 2005: Researching Companies Online
  Identify potential employers with this step-by-step tutorial from Debbie Flanagan. Click on the links in each section and Debbie provides additional help in the "frame" on the left side of the page. Or, click on the same links in the bottom third of each page, below the "No Frames Links" heading, to have the new Website completely fill your browser window.[For more sites like this, see Job-Hunt's Reference Information Resources section.]
  
  
• January 31, 2005: Online Job Search Companion
  Pam Dixon, journalist and author, has done very impressive research into the subject of online privacy and online scams, and I strongly urge you to read the articles on her Website. The Internet is not a friendly place, but Pam helps you be a wise consumer.
  
  
• January 24, 2005: Step-by-Step Hidden Job Market
  The California Library System's wonderful JobStar site provides a step-by-step plan for getting a job in that infamous "hidden job market" where 75% or more of jobs are supposed to be lurking. Even if you don't live in California, JobStar is a treasure. Explore, learn, enjoy!
  
  
• January 17, 2005: 100 Best Companies to Work for in America
  The Great Place to Work Institute puts together this list every year, and it is published in Fortune magazine (which limits access to subscribers). Here you can see them all, and there are also similar lists for Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
  
  
• January 10, 2005: DirectEmployers
  This site is from an association of employers, with the list of charter members including G.E., IBM, Sprint, and Xerox. You search here (by location, by company, by keyword, and/or by job posting date), and view and apply for the opportunities at the employer's Web site. The Advanced Search option allows you to exclude jobs posted by staffing firms (pick "Employers Only" on the "Include Jobs From" selection). [For more sites like this one, go to Employment Supersites.]
  
  
• January 3, 2005: Creative Job Search Happy New Year!!
  Excellent, free advice from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. It takes you through the job search basics in a step-by-step well organized fashion, so, even if you've been job hunting before (or you've been hunting for a while), you'll pick up some good information here. The first chapter deals with managing the transition from employed to unemployed, including tips on managing your finances and your feelings. The last chapter gives you tips for succeeding in that new job.

The "Golden Oldie" Hot Sites (January, 2002, through December, 2004)

The OLD "Golden Oldie" Hot Sites (October, 1999, through December, 2001)

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