Web-Assisted Career Counseling

JAMES J. KIRK

For the past 20 years counselors have used computer-based career information
systems to assist clients with career planning and job hunting. Much of the
same this information is now available on the Internet and can be accessed
without the aid of a counselor. Such developments are likely to have a major
impact on employment counseling practices. This article outlines selected Web-
assisted counseling issues that are likely to affect counselors over the next few
years and summarizes the career services currently available on the World
Wide Web.

Over the past 20 years, the use of computer-assisted career guid-

ance and information systems has dramatically increased (Harris-
Bowlsbey, 1995).There has also been a major growth in the adult
learner’s interest in returning to education, exploring career changes,
and pursuing new options. These adults need current career infor-
mation and assistance, but from where? One source is computer-
based career counseling programs and career services offered on
the Internet (Chapman & DiBianco, 1996; Davies &Turcotte, 1997;
Mariani, 1996; Murphy, 1998).
Beginning as a computer network for the military, the Internet has
evolved into a worldwide network of at least 13 million interconnected
computers and has grown from 130 Web sites in 1993 to millions to-
day. By the year 2000, over 100 million homes will have access to the
World Wide Web. This growth is a result of families and friends using
the Internet to communicate inexpensively and to access news and
information. For many, the Internet has become the vehicle of choice
for communicating, banking, shopping, and accessing various career
services. On-line career services and resources are available in the
areas of career planning, career advice and information. job hunting,
recruiting, salary negotiations, relocating, and entrepreneurship. Special
services are available for women, persons with disabilities, and mi-
nority groups. Many of the services are free.
Although some counselors fear that the availability of many new
high quality on-line career services may decrease the need for em-
ployment counselors. I believe that the opposite is likely to occur.

s a professor of human resource development in the Human Ser-

James J . Kirk i
vices Department at Western Carolina University. Cullowhee, North Carolina. Cor-
respondence regarding this article should be sent to James J. Kirk. Human Resource
Development, 21 0 KUlian Building, Western Carolina Unfversity. Cullowhee. NC
28723 (e-mail: kirk@wcu.edu).

146 JOURNALOF EMPLOYMENTCOUNSELlNG/SEPTEMBER 2000f VOL. 37

Personal counseling has remained and is likely to remain a n im-
portant element in helping the client to obtain maximum benefit
from the use of computer systems. Therefore, this article outlines a
few issues employment counselors are likely to face over the next
few years and summarizes the career services currently available
on the Web.

WEB-ASSISTED COUNSELING ISSUES

As counselors become more aware of the extensive career services

and information currently available on the Web, they may begin to
imagine the many ways they and their clients might use such infor-
mation. On the other hand, they may be overwhelmed by the vol-
ume of information, the time it takes to find it, and the effort to find
a means to incorporate selected on-line services into their current
counseling practice. What follows is a short list of questions that
may come to mind as counselors reflect on the matter of Web-
assisted counseling.

Are Clients Still Going to Need Me?

Technologically savvy clients with a strong sense of career goals and

direction may be able to use the Internet independently for career plan-
ning and job hunting tasks. However, individuals with limited technol-
ogy skills,who lack career identity and direction, and who have a high
need for approval are likely to be dissatisfied with job hunting ap-
proaches that incorporate little face-to-face contact with a counselor.
Furthermore, finding and effectively using appropriate career services
on the Web is challenging and time-consuming for the typical job hunter
(Gati, 1994). Hence, the need for technologically literate counselors
who can integrate computer-assisted career systems into their face-
to-face counseling practice is likely to grow. As more and more indi-
viduals go on line, technology may even allow counselors to reach more
clients than was previously possible.

Should I Incorporate Internet Use Into My Practice?

The various career-planning and job-hunting Web resources are

additional tools available to career counselors and job hunters. Such
tools are an extension of the various computer-assisted counseling
programs already in use. When combined with face-to-facecounseling
and coaching, these systems have been shown to be generally effective
(Garis, Niles, & Spencer, 1990; Hinkle. 1992; Kivlighan, Johnston.
Hogan, & Mauer, 1994; Marin & Splete, 1991).I t therefore stands

JOURNALOF EMPLOYMENTCOUNSELlNG/SEPTEMBER 2000/VOL. 37 147

to reason that counselors who use these Web-assisted tools effec-
tively within a comprehensive counseling program will guide the
workforce for the foreseeable future (Harris-Bowlsbey, 1997).

What Internet Services Can I Provide for My Clients

As with the traditional computer-assisted counseling systems in

existence for the past 20 years, services on the Web can be loosely
classified into career -planning and career -information systems.
Career-planning sites offer services in self-assessment, occupational
information, career exploration, and career decision making. Ca-
reer-information sites provide information on employment trends,
educational opportunities, employers, and job hunting. However, on-
line career services take job hunters a step beyond career planning
and collecting career information. Many on-line services include
job agents that allow individuals to post and broadcast their resume
to thousands of potential employers. Counselors can provide clients
with these and many other Internet services (Warner & Keagy, 1997:
William, 1998).

How Can I IncorporateTheseWeb Services Into My Counseling and

Career Coaching?
Incorporating on-line career services into an existing career and employ-
ment counseling system should be done carefully and systematically.

0 Look at career counseling sites on the Web (e.g., Careers By

Design at http: //careers-by-design.com/).
0 Determine the career service needs of your clients.

0 Assess your clients' level of computer and Internet literacy.

0 Thoroughly survey the services available over the Web.

0 Bookmark high quality career service sites and match the ca-

reer service needs and computer literacy of your clients.

0 Organize the career service links according to your preferred

career planning/job search model.

0 Place the career service links into Web pages in the form of ca-

reer planning and job-hunting activities.

0 Publish your Web pages on a CD-ROM or on a Web server.

0 Assign specific activities to clients.

0 Discuss the results of the activities on-line or in person.

0 Provide assistance and psychological support to clients as needed.

0 Collect feedback from clients on the appropriateness and effec-

tiveness of the various activities.

0 Revise activities and services as needed.

148 JOURNALOF EMPLOYMENTCOUNSELlNG/SEPTEMBER 2000/VOL. 37

What Should ITell Clients About Career Planning and Job Hunting
Web Sites?

Counselors can help prepare clients to use on-line services by do-

ing some of the following:

0 Making sure that clients have the prerequisite computer and

Internet skills
0 Summarizing the advantages and disadvantages of on-line ca-
reer planning and job hunting
0 Advising clients on what personal information they should dis-
close on line
0 Explaining to clients that information found on the Web has vary-
ing degrees of accuracy
0 Telling clients that they should not restrict their job search to
on-line job hunting
0 Asking clients to monitor the time they spend on line
0 Informing clients that job hunting on line is not a quick fix for
their job-hunting woes
0 Informing clients that the effectiveness of on-line job-hunting ac-
tivities has not yet been thoroughly researched and documented

CAREER SERVICES ONTHE WORLD WIDE WEB

m i n g the words "career planning" or "job hunting" into the search

field of any search engine yields abundant career-related resources
on the World Wide Web (Grady, 1998). Furthermore, a visit to
Myjobsearch.com (http:/ /www. myjobsearch.com/) provides individu-
als with a quick reference to the best and most popular career ser-
vices available on-line. What follows is a brief overview of the most
interesting sites for employment counselors.

Career Planning and More

A variety of career planning services are becoming available in

cyberspace (Chapman & DiBianco, 1998; Epstein. 1997). For
example, at http: / /www. adm.uwaterloo.ca/infocecs/CRC/manual-
home.htm1, career planners can access a carefully prepared Career
Development Manual. Created by the Career Services Department
at the University of Waterloo (Waterloo, Ontario, Canada), this in-
teractive guide begins with self-assessment and continues with oc-
cupational research, decision making, employment contacts, work,
and career/life planning. The Career Development Manual may be
duplicated (with appropriate acknowledgment)for educational or non-

JOURNALOF EMPLOYMENTCOUNSELlNGlSEPTEMBER2OOO/VOL. 37 149

 profit uses. Career Planning Process (http://www.bgsu.edu/offices/
careers/process/process. html) at Bowling Green State University
in Ohio is another excellent on-line career manual. Sections of the
manual include self-assessment, academic/career options, relevant/
practical experience, job search/graduate school preparation, and
career change. The site contains a good list of transferable skills
and various hands-on practical exercises.
Another very good career planning resource is Mapping Your Fu-
ture (http://mapping-your-future.org/). The service is sponsored by
a group of agencies that participate in the Federal Family Educa-
tion Loan Program (FFELP) and are "committed to providing infor-
mation about higher education and career opportunities. " Mapping
Your FLLture's stated mission is "to counsel students and families
about college, career, and financial aid choices through a state-
of-the-art public service web site." The site offers information for
college students, middle and high school students, and parents.
Materials include help with planning a career, selecting a school,
paying for school, and managing one's student loan debt. The site
highlights services and programs offered by entities such as Ameri-
can Student Assistance, the California Student Aid Commission,
and the Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation. On-line college
applications and scholarship resources are also provided.
Other useful career planning guides on the Internet include Creative
Job Search (http:/ /www. des. state. mn. us/cjs/cjs-site /cjsbook/
contentshtm) at the Minnesota Department of Economic Security: b e e r
planning Manual (http://www.hsc.edu/stu/career/manua/~d~.html)
at Hampden-Sydney College in Hampden-Sydney,Virginia: Job Search
Guide: Strategiesforhfessionals [http://www.works.state.rno.us/tips/
index.htm) at the U.S. Department oflabor: and ?heRiley Guide(http://
www.dbm.com/jobguide/jsguides.html), which is supported by the
outplacement fmn of Drake, Beam, and Morin. The CreativeJobSearch
site contains a 74-page introduction to conducting job searches. The
popular Riley Guide offers an excellent s u m m a r y of the other job-search
guides on the Web. For additional information and linksto career planning
resources on the Internet, readers may go to About.com's Career
Planning pages at http: //careerplanning.about.com/mlibrary.htm?
PM=6 1-707-T&cob=home.
A critical aspect of career planning is self-assessment. To choose a
compatible career field, individuals need some knowledge of their ca-
reer interests, values, personality traits, and abilities. Although not
always easy to locate, there are several sites on the Web containing
self-assessment instruments. Some instruments are self-scoring and
provide participants with substantial feedback. Perhaps the most com-
plete collection of assessment instruments is on Monstor.com's Tool's

150 JOURNALOF EMPLOYMENTCOUNSELINGlSEPTEMBER2OOO/VOL. 37

& Quizzes page (http://content.monster.com/tools/).The site provides
links to personality tests, calculators, and 15 quizzes. Specific self-
assessment links include the University of Waterloo Career Deuelopment
Manual (http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infocecs/CRC/manual-
home.html), The Career Key (http://www2.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/
users/l/lkj/), and t h e m Career Competency Questionnaire (http://
www.psychometrics.corn/onlinetest/).In addition to Monstor.com, Test
J u n k i e (http://www.queendom.com/test-frm.html),Kaplan
Educational Centers (http:/ /www 1.kaplan.com/view/article/
0,1898,141l.OO.html), and Personality Tests on the WWW (http://
www.2h.com/Tests/personality.phtml)contain links to various self-
assessment instruments. m o of the most widely used instruments
include John Holland's Self-Directed Search (http://www.sdstest2.com/)
and The Keirsey Temperament Sorter I1 (http: / /www. keirsey.com/
cgi-bin/keirsey/newkts. cgi). The Keirsey Temperament Sorter is free
and provides results similar to the Myers-Brigs ?Lpe Indicator (Quenk,
1999).

Career Advice and Information

Do you want to refer clients to Web sites offering a second opinion
regarding a particular occupation or career management issue?
There are various options. Those looking for such information can
communicate with an expert in a particular field by visiting Ask
An Expert at http://www.askanexpert.com/.The on-line service
provided by Pitsco Inc., an educational technology company in Pittsburgh,
Kansas, offers free on-line access to information and advice in 12
categories, with over 300 links to Web sites and e-mail addresses
of experts in various fields. Including a search engine, the site
links to experts in science and technology, career and industry,
health, Internet and computer, recreation and entertainment, edu-
cation and personal development, international and cultural, money
and business, law, arts, and religion.
Many professional career advisors have personal Web sites or on-
line newspaper columns where they regularly discuss various career
matters. Many of these so-called career gurus invite readers to send
them their career problems or issues through e-mail. Perhaps the best-
known advisor is Richard Bolles, author of what Cobr Is Your Para-
chute? 2000 A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career Changers
(Bolles, 1999). Promoted as a supplement to his book, his Web site
JobHunters Bible.com (http://www.jobhuntersbible.com/index.html)
offers advice on career decision making, taking tests, job hunting,
and dealing with depression. Other well-known career advisors in-
clude Joyce Lain Kennedy, Margaret Riley Dikel. Marty Nenko, and

JOURNALOFEMPLOYMENTCOUNSELlNG/ SEPTEMBER2000/VOL. 37 151

 Mark Swartz. At Joyce Lain Kennedy's Careers (http://www.
sunfeatures.com/) visitors can access information about Joyce's best
career tips, her columns, and her suggested Web sites. Margaret
Riley Dikel's columns appear in the National Business Employment
Weekly (http://www.nbew.com/) and the careers section of The Wall
Street Journal Interactive Edition (http:/ /careers.wsj .corn/). Marty
Nenko, a career consultant and author of Cool Careersfor Dummies
(Nenko, Edwards, & Edwards, 1998), gives career and work life ad-
vice in t h e San Francisco Examiner (http//examiner.com/
careersearch/); Mark Swartz, career management consultant in
Canada, writes for the popular Internet site JobQuest (http//
jobquest.Madison.com). Kate Wendleton founder of The Five O'clock
Club and author of several career development books (e.g., Target-
ing the Job You Want,Wendleton & Rothman, 2000) gives career ad-
vice on a range of issues at her Five O'Clock Club Web site (http://
www.fiveoclockclub.com/index2.html).
When it comes to information and advice about colleges and uni-
versities, there is a plethora of outstanding sites on the Internet.
Almost every college and university around the world has its own
Web site. The information provided on these academic sites has
dramatically improved over the past 2 years. Most of the available
information in the past was about tuition and admissions. Now, not
only does one receive this information, but also statistics on almost
any topic. even campus crime. Sites may contain on-line cam-
p u s tours and viewing of school newspapers. Some have inter-
active components, which make it possible to sample admissions
t e s t s a n d request scholarship applications. Collegeview at
www.collegeview.com-posts free profiles of over 3,700 colleges and
universities. It contains electronic applications, virtual tours, and
financial aid information. Another excellent education resource,
Peterson's education center at www.petersons.com, supplies infor-
mation that is helpful to both traditional and nontraditional stu-
dents. It includes information pertaining to educational programs
at all levels and provides databases of colleges and academic pro-
grams. The U.S.News Online colleges and careers center (http://
www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/)presents information on college and
career planning. It includes college rankings, application information,
and an alphabetical directow of colleges as well as information on study-
ing abroad, graduate schools. financial aid, and job-interviewing tips.
Selected sites on the Internet provide advice on specific career
matters. Although it is not possible to list all of the sites in this
space, the following resources reflect the nature and variety of
what is available. For example, at Job Choices Online (http://
www.jobweb.org/jconline/interview/test/default. shtml), Valerie

152 JOURNALOF EMPLOYMENTCOUNSELlNGlSEPTEMBER2000/VOL. 37

Patterson provides readers with information on preemployment testing,
and, at The Polygraph Place (http://www.polygraphplace.com/docs/
information.htm), visitors can learn about polygraph tests. A site
providing excellent information on networking is Networking on the
Network (http://dlis.gseis.ucla.edu/people/pagre/network. html) by
Phil Agre, Department of Information Studies at the University of
California, Los Angeles. This site is a detailed guide to professional
networking both on and off the Internet. A unique networking-
related site is sixdegrees (http:/ /www.sixdegrees.com/). Sixdegrees
adheres to the concept that everyone in this world is connected to
everyone else through a path of only six people or less. Sixdegrees
has several tools to give access to a n extensive web of friends of
friends. In cooperation with PsychWeb, Mind Tools (http:/ /
www.mindtools.com/index. html) offers advice on how to think better,
manage stress, make efficient use of one’s time, engage in life and
career planning, and set and achieve goals.

Job-Hunting Sites

Among the most widely accessed career pages on the Web are the
job-hunting sites. In 1999, The Internet Business Network Elec-
tronic Recruiting Index (McShulskis, 1997) estimated that there were
over 28 million Internet job postings (on job banks, corporate Web
sites and Usenet) in 1998. The same survey noted that there are
over 2,500 sites offeringjob-posting services. These sites are in five
categories: one-stop job-hunting sites, selected job database sites,
sites providing resources related to a specific aspect of job hunting
(e.g., researching potential employers), sites directed at helping par-
ticular groups of individuals find jobs (e.g., women, minorities, en-
trepreneurs), and sites providing information on how to search for
employment on the Internet. Some of the most popular one-stop sites
include Net-Temps (http://www.americasemployers.com/),
BestJobsUSA (http://www.bestjobsusa.com/). JobBankUSA (http://
www.jobbankusa.com/jobs.html),Job-Search-Engine (http://www.job-
search-engine.com/), Monster.com (http://www.monsterboard.com/)
and the Online Job & Career Search of keeality Internet Search (http://
-.reverse-lookup.com/jobst.htm). Many of these sites contain
sophisticated search engines that enable job hunters to search
multiple job databases and direct users to job-hunting resources.
Some of the more widely used job database sites on the Web in-
clude CareerBuilder (http: / /www.careerbuilder.com/), CareerCity
(http://www.careercity.com/job/srch/), CareerMosaic (http://
www.careermosaic.com/cm/jobs.html), Careersite (http://
www.careersite.com/). Careerweb (http:/ /www.careemeb.com/jobs/),

JOURNALOF EMPLOYMENTCOUNSELINGISEPTEMBER2000/VOL. 37 *53

4Work (http://www.4work.com/),Headhunter.net ( h t t p : / /
www.headhunter.net/), HotJobs.com (http://www.hotjobs.com/), Job
Central (http://www.sftoday.com/enn2/jobcentral.htm), Joboptions
(http:/ /www.joboptions.com/esp/plsql/espan-enter.espan-home),
NationJob Network (http://www.nationjob.com/), Net-Temps (http:/ /
www.net-temps.com/). American Preferred Jobs (http://www.
preferredjobs.com/), and SearchEase.Com (http://www. searchease.
corn/. Sites like CareerPath.com (http://new.careerpath.com/)and
classiAeds2OOO'sexcite.classifleds (http://classifieds2000.com/cgicls/
display. exe?partner=c2k&path=Employment-SearchEmployment)
provide job-hunting resources and search engines for searching the
help wanted ads in several large newspapers, whereas the Newspaper
Association of America's HotLinks (http://www.naa.org/hotlinks/
index.asp1 simply links readers to major newspapers' and other
related media organizations' Internet sites. Some database sites
require users to register. However, clients should be advised not
to give out highly confidential information on-line (e.g., social
security number).

Specific Aspects of Job Hunting

Many of the general career planning and job-hunting services provide

links to other sites specializing in a particular career/job service. What
follows are a few sites that may be of particular interest to job seekers.
For example, some job hunters may be interested in attending on-line
job fairs. Hosted by companies with immediate recruiting needs, on-
line job fairs are a unique way of bringing job seekers and employers
to the same virtual space. To attend an on-linejob fair a person simply
clicks on a company's job fair banner. Once job seekers are there they
can find out more about the company, its opportunities, and even
respond right over the Web. An advantage of on-line job fairs is that
the job seeker and the employer can communicate from different loca-
tions. Examples include CareerCity (http: //www.careercity. com/fair/),
CareerMosaic (http://www.careermosaic.com/cm/cm35.html), and
careerShop.com(http://www.careershop.com/mainj~g.asp? Section=Hub).
Otherjob hunterswantingtoresearchpotentialemployersmayvisitHooveis
Online (http://www.hoovers.com/), CorpTech high tech database (http://
www.corptech.com/), Global Securities Information's GSI Online public
company Web site (http://www.gsionIine.com:SO/websites. htm). Yahoo!
Business & Economy kttp: //dir.yahoo.com/business-and-economy/
companies/), Company Lookup (http://rn.cornpanylink.com/
companylookup.cfm), The Boston Globe top 100 companies (http://
www.boston. com/globe/business/packages/globe- loo/ 1998/), or
Corporatehfoxmation 01%: //www. corporateinformation.corn/).

I54 JOURNALOF EMPLOYMENTCOUNSELlNG/SEPTEMBER 2000/VOL. 37

 One of the most sought after career information items is salary
(Cage, 1998).One of the best sources for such data is JobStar. JobStar
(http://jobstar.org/index.htm)gives individuals access to more than
300 on-line salary surveys. Another excellent source of salary
information is Salaries & Profiles (http://public.wsj.com/careers/
resources/documents/cwc-salarieshtm).Here readers will find an
in-depth review of hiring activity, salaries, and trends from the National
Business Employment Weekly and The Wall Street Journal Interactive
Edition. America's Career InfoNet: Wages and Trends (http:/ /
www.acinet.org/acinet/occ-seal .htm) also publishes salary ranges
for hundreds of occupations by state. Furthermore, job hunters should
not overlook a traditional source of salary information The Occupa-
tional Outlook Handbook (Barkume. 1998/ 1999; http://www.bls.gov/
news.release/ooh.nrO.htm).Armed with accurate salary data from
these and other on-line sources, job seekers are better equipped to
make many career decisions.
Newsgroups are a n additional source of salary information and
can be an effective means of networking. They are basically elec-
tronic bulletin boards allowing peers to interact on-line. Dropping
in on these discussions can be a good way to learn about concerns
and issues facing individuals in particular career fields. Newsgroups
can be found through professional associations or special interest
groups. Many newsgroups also offer resume posting and interview-
ing services. Associations like the American Society of Association
Executives (www.asaenet.org/careerheadquarters) have Web sites that
allow member viewing of informational interviews and provide resume
and interviewing tips. Two sites where job hunters can go to search
for appropriate newsgroups are Deja.com at http: //www.deja.com/
and Talkway Communications at http: //www.talkway.com/.
As with salary, the matter of relocation frequently enters into ca-
reer decisions. Deciding whether to move and choosing a location
requires the job seeker to have a wide range of information. Such
information includes cost of living, crime rates, availability of health
services, a n d t h e quality of t h e public school system.
VirtualRelocation.com (http://www.virtualrelocation.com/index.html)
offers an on-line information index aimed at people and businesses
considering relocation to different areas of the United States. Or-
ganized on a state-by-state basis, the site contains links to such
categories as arts and entertainment, building and construction,
career resources,corporate relocation, economic development, education,
financial resources, legal services, insurance, mortgages, newcomer
information, and real estate. A Best Jobs USA Relocation Guide is
available at http: //www.bestjobsusa.com/careerguide/relocation/
relocation. htm. The guide offers information about cost-of-living

JOURNALOFEMPLOYMENTCOUNSELING/SEPTEMBER2000/VOL.37 155
statistics, local employers, and area colleges. At CareerMagazine
(http://www.careermag.com), job hunters will find a collection of useful
relocation tools (http://www. homefair.com/homefair/newstool.html?
NETSCAPE-LIVEWIRE. src=careermag). The tools include a salary
calculator, moving calculator, and a relocation wizard.

Services for Special Populations

A number of Web sites provide information and services intended to
meet the needs of selected populations. For example, Home-Based
Working Moms (http://www.hbwm.com/) is a national association
for parents who work at home. I t provides its members with sup-
port, networking information, a monthly newsletter, e-mail discus-
sion list, a panel of experts, a member's showcase on the Web, and
discounts on computers, office supplies, and travel. Womens Work
(http:/ /www.wwork.com/) offers women free Web sites, directory list-
ings, one-of-a-kind press release services, and articles on career
related issues. At Women's Wire (http://www.womenswire.com/work/
work.htm1) women can search a database of the best companies for
women and search a national database of job listings. Similar services
a r e available from t h e Feminist Career Center ( h t t p : / /
www.feminist.org/911/91 ljobshtml). The BlackVoices.com (http://
www.blackvoices.com/) maintains an on-line career center providing
African Americans with various career information and services. The
Black Collegian Online (http://www.black-collegian.com/)offers an
on-line edition of The Black Collegian, a national career opportuni-
ties magazine for African Americans. The site also permits users
to post resumes and search open positions. Hispmic Online (Brooke.
1998) (http:/ / m . h i s p . c o m / ) maintains a Cyber Career Center
along with other career services directed at Hispanics, and
Saludos.com (http://www.saludos.com/) presents information about
Hispanic careers and education. Users have access to on-line ar-
ticles about careers that have been published in the Saludos
Hispanos magazine, a bilingual, national Hispanic career and em-
ployment journal. Users also have access to national job listings
of use to Hispanics looking for employment, researching job fields,
and exploring new careers.
Other sites providing information to selected populations include
the Minorities Job Bank, the National Diversity Newspaper Job Bank,
Disability Services at University of Minnesota, the Gay Workplace
Issues Homepage, Corporate Gray Online, and Cool Works. The Mi-
norities Job Bank (http://www.minorities-jb.com/sitechar.html)and
t h e National Diversity Newspaper J o b Bank (http: / /
www.newsjobs.com/) provide career services to African Americans,

156 JOURNALOF EMPLOYMENTCOUNSELINGISEPTEMBER2000/VOL. 37

Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans. Dis-
ability Services at University of Minnesota ( h t t p :/ /
disserv3.stu.umn.edu/index2.html) provides job related services to
workers with disabilities. The Web site also contains a collection of
links to other services on the Web of particular interest to Ameri-
cans with disabilities. They include job listings, internships,
mentoring resources and more. Gay Workplace Issues (http://
www.nyu.edu/pages/sls/gaywork/)directs gay workers to various
services of interest to individuals with "straight jobs and gay lives."
Resources encompass gay business and professional associations
with policies against discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Corporate Gray Online (http://www.greentogray.com/) is a career
transition service for military personnel, and Cool Works (http:/l
www.coolworks. com) posts job opportunities for persons interested
in outdoor sports related jobs.
Sometimes finding a new job involves hiring yourself (i.e., becom-
ing an entrepreneur). American Express Small Business Exchange
(http://www6.ameticanexpress.com/smallbusiness/),Entrepreneur-
ial Edge (http://edge.lowe.org/), the United States Small Business
Administration (http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/), and The SOH0
Guidebook (http://www.toolkit.cch.com/scripts/soho-toc.dl1)pro-
vide the would-be or practicing entrepreneur a wealth of informa-
tion, business financial templates, and business contacts. The
services include questionnaires to help individuals decide if busi-
ness ownership is the right career choice for them, how to create a
business plan, how to secure venture capital to begin a business,
and expert advice on taxes and legal matters. Collectively the sites
provide detailed instruction and guidance on almost every aspect of
running a small business.

How to Search for Jobs on the Internet

The Internet is a new career planning and job search tool (Saftner,
1997; Smith, 1995; Steers, 1998; "Surfing for a Job," 1998). Persons
interested in learning how to use this new technology may want to
visit such sites as the following: "35 Ways to Land a Job On-Line"
(http://www. fastcompany.com/online/ lG/webjobs. html) by Gina
Imperato; "How to Find Any J o b Via the Internet" (http://
www. townonline. com/working/careerres/findj ob.html) and "Using
The Internet in Your J o b Search" in The Riley Guide (http://
www.dbm.com/jobguide/jobsrch.html); and "Job Searching Online"
(http://jobsearch.about.com/library/weekly/aaO42599.htm?
pid=2772&cob=home)at the About.com Web site. These sites cover
such topics as the Internet and your job search, researching em-

JOURNAL OFEMPLOYMENTCOUNSELlNG/SEPTEMBER2000/VOL.37 157

ployers, networking, posting a rksumk on-line, how to select only
the right stuff, and managing your time on-line.

CONCLUSION

The Internet has the potential to revolutionize the career planning

and job search process. Instead of reading pages and pages of em-
ployment ads to find only a few positions that meet their criteria,
job candidates can now find dozens of positions using the Internet.
With just a few clicks, candidates are reaching and targeting prime
opportunities and applying on-line. On the downside, the Internet
is so expansive that it may be intimidating, particularly to new us-
ers. Without direction, searching the thousands of employment Web
sites to discover the best resources can be extremely time-consuming.
Furthermore, the typical job seeker may have difficulty sorting the
quality from nonquality sites on the Web and processing the vast
amount of information available to them. Hence, there are several
areas in which job hunters are likely to need the services of an
employment counselor. This article addresses a few of the issues
and potential resources counselors might want to consider as they
expand into Web-based counseling.

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