Tag Archives: idaho career information system

Labor Programs Help Youth Looking for Work

The Idaho Department of Labor has many youth services available to help young people who are starting to think about their future and where they want to work.

It’s not too late to go after the summer job you want, and people in your local Department of Labor office can be a big help. They’ll show you how to put a good resume together, even if you don’t have much or any past work experience. Since they work with employers every day, they know what the people who do the hiring look for in an applicant, and they know that things like dressing for interviews and being on time can be just as important as anything you say during an interview. Call the office, ask for an appointment with a workforce consultant and take advantage of her expertise.

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Starting Your First Job: Understanding Wages

Know About Wages

“How much does this job pay?”

firstjobAlthough you hold back the urge to blurt this question out during an interview, it is top of  mind as you scan the employment ads, consider a career change or prepare for the first leap from school to work.

There are two main types of compensation, or “earnings,” employees receive for their skills, efforts, production and time – wages and benefits.

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Are You Ready for a Career Change?

You don’t have to be in a dead-end job to feel that you’re in a career sleeper-hold.  Do you show any of these signs of being in a career rut?

  • Are you losing skills (for example writing, speaking to groups or using math) because you don’t use them on the job?
  • Have you lost ambition or motivation because there doesn’t seem to be an outlet for it?
  • Do you have great ideas but are not in a position to implement, or even communicate them?
  • Could you do your job blindfolded with one hand tied behind your back?

close up woman at copier

If your career progress is veering off course, or going nowhere at all, it may be time to review your career vision and examine your options.
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Career Information is For Adults Too

Idaho’s Career Information System is not just for kids. The free, customized online tool also helps adults stay on a solid path toward a successful future while they are in school, training or pursuing a new career.

AdultCISUser copyStudents and adults with career plans are more likely to stay in school, pursue a higher education and once they enter the world of work, see greater promotional opportunities. Accessing Idaho’s Career Information System is free and can help both parents and children:

  • Understand how interests and strengths connect to the world of work
  • Define a career path
  • Decide areas of study to pursue in middle/junior high, high school and college
  • Find the training, education, knowledge – and money – necessary for following their dreams.

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Focus on Your Goals During Career Development Month

Career development is a lifelong process of learning, exploring, making decisions and preparing for the future. The answers to the questions “Who am I?” “Where am I going?” and “How do I get there?” change as our lives progress.

Career development begins in early elementary years when we first decide what we will be when we “grow up.” However as we learn more about ourselves and what opportunities are available to us, our career goals evolve.

Career Development Month, beginning Nov. 1, brings awareness to this process and celebrates the mentors, educators, advisors and others who help us every step of the way. On Nov. 15, Lt. Gov. Brad Little will formally announce Gov. Butch Otter’s proclamation of November as Idaho Career Development Month.

At the same ceremony, the Idaho Department of Labor and the Idaho Career Development Association will present the Leadership in Career Development award to Idahoans who make a significant difference in helping others progress in their career development.

You can increase your understanding of your career goals and the steps for achieving them by:

  • Improving your current job skills. Find out about training at your workplace, online or in a class that will help you do your current job better or prepare you for a promotion.
  • Learning about an occupation that might be a great fit for you. Use the Idaho Career Information System (CIS) to find out about the skills, preparation, wages and outlook for any occupation that interests you.
  • Clarifying your goals. Work with a school counselor or Idaho Department of Labor workforce consultant to plan your next steps.

— Terry Mocettini, technical & support materials coordinator, Career Information System

Investing in Education and Training is Still a Great Deal

A lifetime of big returns.

With the burgeoning costs of education, many students and families are wondering whether this investment will pay off in the long run and just how much of a return they will see.

According the data collected by the Idaho Department of Labor and the National Center for Education Statistics, investing in education still just might be the best deal on the block, and it may be a necessity for Idahoans who want to acquire wealth to improve their quality of life.

While the costs of a college education will often burden both students and their families with hefty student loans, over a lifetime the investment in a college education can return millions of dollars to their bank accounts.  Bachelor’s degrees can cost on average $127,000 if you include tuition, living expenses and interest on student loans. A Ph.D will cost around $307,000 on average. Sometimes these heavy price tags cause many to delay their education or simply avoid college altogether.

But the statistics also show that on average, workers with bachelor’s degrees who gain jobs in fields that require bachelor’s degrees will make an additional $1.1 million in their lifetimes for their $127,000 investment. For occupations requiring a Ph.D, workers will earn an additional $2.7 million over a lifetime from their $307,000 investment. In today’s competitive labor market an education is vital when competing for a job, acquiring wealth and improving the economic well-being of Idahoans.
college education

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Let’s Work: How Skill Assessments Boost Your Job Search

Scott Weyerman was discouraged with his job search. After being unemployed for nine months he primarily used online resources in his search with no success.career information system planning

Since Scott was receiving extended unemployment benefits, he was randomly selected by the Idaho Department of Labor to meet with a workforce consultant and see how the consultant could help him in his job search.

Scott was frustrated because he did not know what he wanted to do or what skills were marketable in this economy. During his meeting with an Idaho Falls local office consultant, Scott was advised to take some assessment tests offered through the department’s Career Information System to help him discover occupations of interest. He was leery of taking the assessments because he had taken similar tests in the past, but the consultant encouraged him to give the assessments a try. Continue reading →

How Will You Pay For College?

Most college graduates earn twice as much in their lifetime as high school graduates. And while college or training can be expensive, there are programs designed to help you cover the cost.
applying for financial aid for college
February is Financial Aid Awareness month – a perfect time to get your financial information together. If you are applying for FAFSA (Free Application For Federal Student Aid), you can watch a video which will take you through the 7 steps to filling out the form —  from log-in to submitting and confirmation. The video also will show you what documents you need to have handy to apply (such as federal income tax returns and bank statements).

You can use this calendar to see if there is a Financial Aid night in your area.

Looking for scholarship options? There are thousands of awards out there – from those for Idaho residents to scholarships for your area of study (such as nursing). Scholarships are organized by category or title on the Idaho Career Information System website to make it easier for you to find what you want.

Many schools offer work-study programs and state and federal grants are often available based on need.

Take the time to check out all the options available to you.

Seven Ways to Launch a New Career

These days there are lots of tools to choose from when considering a new career.

New this year, the Healthcare Virtual Career Network provides career exploration and training tools to help job seekers prepare for careers in healthcare. Job seekers can explore healthcare careers, identify education and training programs, access online courses, get credit for prior learning, and search for local healthcare jobs.

Idaho’s Career Information System (click on Guests for the free version) has added or improved several new information files including About Programs of Study, About Schools (also available in Spanish) and Financial Aid Sort. All of these pages contain Idaho-specific information and are designed to help students make wiser choices about what schools can help them reach their career goals.  Life After High School is a tool designed to help younger students learn that training beyond high school is appropriate, sensible and affordable. Workshops on how to use this system are held throughout the state each fall and are for anyone who works with or helps students or clients develop career plans. Click here to find the workshop closest to your area.

The Worker Reemployment Portal is designed to assist impacted workers following job loss and to connect them to resources for training, reemployment, career planning, financial and emotional help during the process of job transition. The site also now includes a job search by location feature.

CareerOneStop helps job seekers explore careers, investigate salary and benefit information, research education and training opportunities, plan a job search, browse job sites, write and improve resumes and cover letters, prepare for a job interview and search for jobs. The site’s new Certification Finder  houses information on thousands of certifications and allows users to search for certifications by industry, occupation, or keyword. A new feature includes icons that highlight certifications that have been recognized, endorsed, or accredited by third-party organizations.

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