Your state's Career One Stop Center is a valuable employment resource that you might have overlooked. State Career One Stop Centers offer a wide range of free services to job seekers. Some Career One Stop Centers within each state offer all services, while others offer selected services. Services include:
- Employment opportunities
- Job-match notification by email
- Job training
- Employer research
- Resume writing tips and online posting
- Interview tips
- Career and occupation resources
- Computer access
- Unemployment benefits
- Disaster Unemployment Assistance
Career Employment opportunities offered through Career One Stop Centers typically include:
- Private-sector jobs
- Public-sector (government) jobs
- Temporary jobs
- Union jobs
- Entry-level jobs
- Internships
- Apprenticeships
Each state's Career One Stop Center is located in offices spread among municipalities, and typically has a centralized Website as well. Consequently, you may reap the benefits by walking into an office near your neighborhood, via the Web, or both.
Career One Stop Centers are administered by the same state agencies that administer unemployment insurance benefits, commonly called unemployment offices. But you don't have to be eligible for unemployment benefits to take advantage of most of the services. (In fact, you may use any state's Career One Stop Center to job search outside your state of residence.) The Career One Stop Center in each state is a free public service, open to all. Although free to use, you're likely paying for the services in your state taxes or unemployment insurance paycheck deductions. So, you might as well take advantage of them!
To find the Website of your state's Career One Stop Center and discover which free services the nearest branch offices offer, start at CareerOneStop or call 877-US-2JOBS (877-872-5627). For TTY, dial 877-889-5627. CareerOneStop also provides a link to America's Job Bank, the central Career One Stop Center for all states. You may search for a job in any state at America's Job Bank or link through to the Website of any state's Career One Stop Center.
The Career One Stop Center system across all states is overseen by the Division of One-Stop Operations of the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration. The Career One Stop Center system serves the employment needs of both job seekers and businesses. Your state might call offices that are part of the system by a name other than Career One Stop Centers, such as Job Centers.