Specialty Links
Resources For Your Job Search
A successful job search involves developing relationships, understanding your opportunities, and defining yourself as you meet with the stakeholders that help you find your next career.
Here are some of the resources that Career Prospectors encourages you to explore.
Weekly meetings cover different topics that include some of these resources. We encourage you to come join us and begin to build your network!
Marketing yourself with a Job Search Plan!
The job search plan is a snapshot of your career history and career ambition. Use it to focus your job search. You may be looking for work, but you want to create a career for yourself as well. Creating a job search plan helps you reach your target job.
Use it to help others help you. When you are reaching out to your network, have the plan ready. If the opportunity arises, sharing the plan provides your contact with the information they need to let you know if they can help you or not. The succinct way the plan captures your career interests and background makes the best use of everyone’s time.
Word Doc Template with Sample Information
Affirm Your Greatness!
One thing you should get in the habit of doing is remembering your accomplishments! When you are looking for that next job to continue your career, write down your accomplishments!
We at Career Prospectors want you to succeed so much that we have made this template ready for you to download!
Using Artificial Intelligence in the Job Hunt
Looking for work or making a career change can be challenging. However, artificial intelligence is a tool that can help you best to prepare for that job hunt. Career Prospectors members have taken the time to explain their lessons on what works best with AI and how you can also benefit from it. Everything from understanding your skillset to refining your resume to building a SOAR story to match the needs of any job before you is available through AI. Knowing how to use it will enhance your chances for success. Here are some resources for you to consider:
Tools to Prepare and Present
A good resume shows your work history and is your introduction to a hiring manager. While you may have done a lot in your time at your previous and current employers, please be mindful that hiring managers are people, too. This template is designed to tell your story without overwhelming the audience that will read it.
Keep in mind that each job emphasizes different skillsets. Multiple versions of the resume where you stress the skills in your work history will also be helpful to show you meet the needs of the job.
Tell Your Story
Maximize your confidence, competitiveness, and control in any job interview through the guidelines provided in this SOAR template. SOAR is the acronym for Situation, Obstacle, Action and Results and this template will provide you with typical SOAR questions for you to practice before an interview. Practice makes perfect, or it makes it easier in the job interview process.
Teamwork Makes The Dream Work
Looking for a new career is hard work, but it’s even harder when you do it all by yourself. A good strategy is to find a group of like-minded individuals who also want to set goals. Meeting with them regularly helps you stay focused and accountable. These accountability groups can help reinforce the things you say are going to do by meeting and reporting in. Talk about your wins, no matter how small. Talk about your to do’s, whether they are relevant to a job or just straightening out your life. The point is to share and hold each other accountable that when we say we are going to get something done, we get it done.
As you form your Accountability Group, use the template below to help you focus and to keep your meetings on task.
Accountability Group Report template
For 30 minutes each week, your commaraderie will make that difference in accomplishing your goals.
Presentations
Members of Career Prospectors contribute to our weekly meetings through conversations, news and presentations about job tool aids. Below are some of the presentations created by our members.
Career Prospectors: Effectively Aligning Your Skills
With Job Opportunities On LinkedIn
Presented May 21, 2024
by Justin Oster, Ralph Dewey and Mal Vance
How to Overcome Fear of Networking: Build Your Confidence and Connection
Presented October 8, 2024
by Peter Larsen
Generative-AI Powered Job Search
Presented March 11, 2025
by Beth Denson, Kathryn Deibler, and Alison Coops
Exploiting Your Passion
Presented April 29, 2025
by Amy Pugh
- Plus: Resources for following your passion
Survey Results
Read the results of the July 2024 survey socialized by Career Prospectors through LinkedIn!
NETWORKING RESOURCES
OTHER RESOURCES
Virginia Workforce Connection
Locations around Richmond
- Chesterfield Center: 304 Turner Road, Richmond, VA 23225 Phone: (804) 271-8510
- Richmond Center: 4914 Radford Avenue, Suite 101 Richmond, VA 23230
(804) 652-3240 - Henrico Center: 121 Cedar Fork Rd. Richmond, VA 23223
(804) 952-6116
Statewide list of Career Centers and the areas they serve: https://www.vec.virginia.gov/virginia-works-offices
Support and other assistance
- Filing For Unemployment Compensation in Virginia
- Virginia Employment Commission: www.vec.virginia.gov
- Central Virginia Foodbank (CVFB): feedmore.org/get-help
Business News
- Richmond’s premier source of business news and information: Richmond BizSense
- The Richmond Times-Dispatch Business section: https://richmond.com/news/local/business/
- Top Workplaces section of the Richmond Times-Dispatch: https://richmond.com/business/local/top-workplaces/
- Virginia Business (statewide business news): www.virginiabusiness.com
LiveAbout.com Resources
- Job Searching
- Top Social Media Sites
- Using Social Media to Job Search
- How to Use LinkedIn to Job Search
- Job Searching on Twitter
Other Popular Websites: