Looking for Potential Employers: Can Reference U.S.A. Help?

OK, I have to admit that I am late in deciding that ReferenceUSA database is a good resource for our patrons. I've tried to like it for quite a while, but I just found the interface too confusing for beginning (and sometimes, advanced) users.

All is better now!

As of July 14th, RefUSA updated their interface, and the result is a much more usable resource. By using the Custom search option, I was able to generate "real" data. Not overly complicated data, instead; lists of people, phone numbers, and addresses that could really help my patrons explore business close to their homes.

I had tried to do this many times before with the Illinois workNet Potential Employer tool (For more information about Illinois workNet, click here). It uses the North American Industry Classification System codes to pointpoint specific types of employers. The data is provided by InfoUSA (which is the larger umbrella group of ReferenceUSA) After attempting to assist many patrons with this type of search, I've noticed two big concerns when using Illinois worknet:

• The Illinois workNet Potential Employer tool offers no keyword searching. For a patron who is beginning to be comfortable using the internet, keyword searching is representative of her comfort zone. Having to choose extremely BROAD categories from the NAICS makes many patrons feel like they just don't "get it." Figuring out which initial category to begin with can also be very "hit or miss." What category does someone choose if he wants a job working in a warehouse? Hint, it's actually under "Transportation, Distribution and Logistics," but trying to figure that by one's self can be a bit intimidating.


• The other concern is that the result set is too large to be helpful. One of the problems is that one can only limit the search radius to 10 miles or more. Not helpful. This is especially an issue if someone is using public transit. Try searching for a potential teaching job with this radius--even if I limit it to "Primary School Teacher" and only "Religious Organizations," I still get a result set of 3317 schools--without any additional limiting tools.

So, back to ReferenceUSA What makes this such a great resource is that it has the two things that the Illinois Worknet Potential Employer lack--keyword searching, and great geographical refine options. For the beginning user, I would suggest sticking to using the Keyword/SIC/NAICS option + a geographical refine by City, State. Once the user types in the keyword, the search engine then offers various options to limit it even more. After the options have been chosen and the geographical refine is complete, the user only needs to click the "View Results" button to get a list of real data. Wow. It works. (But only for those of you who have access to the database through your library system).

I'm going to have to try this in real life today, and I'll update if needed. I think, however, that ReferenceUSA just proved their worth. So far, nice work.

UPDATE:

This worked out really well for a patron today. The only issue was that the results set cannot be emailed to him--it must be downloaded. Unfortunately, the downloads were not available in pdf format, so this makes things a little bit more restrictive.

Indeed I do...

When it comes to recommending job websites for patrons, I find that simple is often the best option. Hands-down, the job search website, Indeed, is just that--simple, clean, and easy to explain. Many of us have used this resource ourselves, or have helped others with it due to its google-like interface and powerful search tools. Unlike other online job searching sites, Indeed is an aggregator--That means that job postings do not have to be submitted to the website manually. Instead, the search engine crawls the web and pulls in job postings from across the internet. Additionally, the intuitive design of the results page allows for easy linking to the company's website, as well as to career information. For this reason, when working with someone who is just learning to navigate his way around the web, Indeed is a terrific tool and a one-stop-shop.

Basic User Navigation:

The main search screen is simple, and consists of the two search boxes "what" and "where." If someone would like to broaden the search, she could leave one of the boxes blank. When the search results are loaded on the next screen, the layout is still easy to follow. By using the refine options on the left side of the screen, the user can easily limit the search based on salary, job title, location, other options. When she is satisfied, she can review the results easily. An example of a result is below:

Nursing Assistant Saint Joseph Hospital - Chicago, IL
duties to assist the nursing staff in meeting patient... Diploma or equivalent. * Certification as a nursing assistant required after January 2008 OR One semester... From Resurrection Health Care - 19 hours ago - save job - more
block - email -


View all Saint Joseph Hospital jobs
Salary Search: Nursing Assistant salaries in Chicago, IL
More information about Saint Joseph Hospital
Related forums: Nursing Assistant - St. Joseph Hospital - Chicago, Illinois
Permanent link to this job

Notice how much information is actually packed into this summary? The user can obviously see the "what," "where," and "when" of the job, but she can also dig a bit deeper. She can choose to view more jobs at the same hospital, she can research salaries, read forum posts and more. All of this without creating a profile or login.

And then there's "more."

If she clicks on "more," some of the same choices are offered, as well as options to "Research the Company on Google" and to use social websites like Facebook to use the power of networking. See example below:

View all Saint Joseph Hospital jobs
Salary Search: Nursing Assistant salaries in Chicago, IL
More information about Saint Joseph Hospital
Related forums: Nursing Assistant - St. Joseph Hospital - Chicago, Illinois
Research company on Google
Find my contacts: Facebook - LinkedIn
Map of Chicago, IL
Permanent link to this job



More advanced users can use the Advanced Job Search to refine the search again. I especially like to choose the option "with none of these words" to eliminate some repeated or incorrect searches.




Deciding to create a profile:

Like I mentioned before, Indeed can be used without creating a profile, but if the user would like, it is easy to set up. Doing so allows for the user to save jobs and searches, set up job alerts, and post on the job forum.

Things to Watch out For:

Unfortunately, there is no perfect solution to helping people find a job. With this particular website, the "devil is in the details"-- meaning that users have to be smart about choosing their search terms. Using the keyword "teacher" lends itself to a more clear-cut job search than other search terms might. For example, compare the difference in results when one chooses to look for a job as a "secretary" or "administrative assistant." Not only are the results different, but the sheer number of postings is different as well. At the time of this search, "secretary, Chicago" only resulted in 277 results whereas "administrative assistant, Chicago" resulted in over 900 results. The lesson here is that beginning searchers might need some help in focusing and expanding their job search.


An additional concern is that while Indeed is a great place to find jobs, it can be frustrating for the beginning searcher to apply for a posting. This is because once the user clicks on the result, it takes them to the website it was originally posted. This means that she might also have to create a new username or profile for that website as well. Additionally, some of these original postings could be dubious posts or even a scam. As always, it's best to search diligently and use one's gut instincts about a post or website.

Although there are a few concerns, this is still hands-down, my favorite website to use when assisting patrons with basic searches.