The following example illustrates how following our 5 steps can more easily connect you with a job or career:

Mary was fresh out of college, having majored in Graphic Arts, but was unsatisfied by the traditional careers in that field and was having trouble finding the right occupation...

Step 1: Find an Occupation that is Right for You

By using one of the self assessment tools provided in Step 1, Mary determined that while she does have a flair for design, her analytical thinking and previous exposure to computer programming could open the door to a career in web site design/computer programming.

Armed with this new information, Mary was now ready to explore her options in that field...

Step 2: Learn About an Occupation

By using the Job & Career ConneCTion's School to Career Guide, Occupation Explorer, or Keyword Search, Mary found some useful information about the Computer Programming occupation. These tools let her know that the pay was adequate for her needs, that her education and experience was sufficient for an entry-level position, and that the outlook for the future of that occupation in Connecticut looked quite bright.

Mary felt, however, that if she were to get some basic training in web site design, her chances of landing the perfect job would improve...

Step 3: Search for Education and Training

Using the Connecticut Education & Training ConneCTion in Step 3, Mary learned that a 5-day course in Web development offered at a nearby provider would give her the edge she needed to break into this profession. Encouraged by her new knowledge, but still unemployed, Mary was concerned about the high cost of training. The links to Financial Aid sites in Step 3 provided her with valuable information about assistance programs. She was able to get her training, and the added confidence that came with it.

Now all Mary had to do was find and get that job...

Step 4: Search for Jobs & Employers

Knowing which occupation she wanted to pursue and how to qualify for it, Mary used the Potential Employer Search tool and the link to Connecticut's Job Bank in Step 4 to find employers and jobs in her desired region of Connecticut. She was able to print out information about potential employers of her occupation including addresses, phone numbers, contact names, and maps to their location.

Before contacting any of the employers she found, however, Mary needed some assistance with her résumé writing and interviewing techniques, as well as how she could get transportation to the job site...

Step 5: Job Seeker Resources

Here Mary found links to sites with tips on compiling the perfect résumé package for presenting herself to Web site design firms. She used the Search for Local Services tool in Step 5 to find bus routes near the employers. Mary also learned that once she got a job, Step 5 could help her in finding a nearby daycare provider, as well as providing links to sites that give tips on how to grow in her career.

End Result:

By arming herself up front with:
  1.) The knowledge of what occupations would best suit her skills and personality,
  2.) Detailed information about those occupations,
  3.) How to prepare or train for a job in that occupation,
  4.) Knowledge of where the jobs and employers were and how to contact them, and
  5.) Information on how to get, keep, and grow in her chosen job;
Mary was on her way to landing the perfect position in a Web development firm that offers competitive pay in an exciting and cutting edge environment.