The prospect of facing your first “real” job search is a daunting one. So much is on the line: your future livelihood, your self-esteem, and quite possibly your financial investment in education or training. With the current unemployment rate for Americans ages 20-24 at nearly 13 percent*, it’s probably hard to remain optimistic that you’ll land a suitable job within a reasonable timeframe.
But there’s a great free resource provided by the HR Policy Association as a public service for new entrants to the workforce called jobipedia.org. This website lets you ask questions and get answers from a panel of HR experts at leading companies like Gap, Inc. and American Express.
About 10,000 visitors per month browse and search jobipedia’s Q&A database, which contains hundreds of topics such as career planning, interviewing, networking, salaries, and more.
According to Jaime Fall, vice president of workforce and talent development policy for the HR Policy Association, the site was developed by students, interns, entry-level employees, and recruiters who were frustrated by the volume of inaccurate information online. “There is no advertising on the site,” he said. “We collect no data from individuals who submit questions, and we do not sell or distribute personal data. It’s strictly a public service!”
According to Fall, most questions are responded to within 24 hours, and they’re typically related to preparing for a first interview: Will employers really look at my Twitter account and Facebook page? What are the key things to avoid saying or doing during an interview? Questions are also plentiful from newly minted members of the workforce: What is the classiest way to leave a first job? Is it OK to have a drink at a business lunch?
Fall hopes visitors take advantage of the site’s additional resources, such as the secure job board WeHireAmerica.jobs, which contains employment opportunities at some of America’s largest companies: “Our members post their openings on it, so unlike a lot of other job boards, you don’t have to worry about phishing or scams!”
*Bureau of Labor Statistics: Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey; November 8, 2013
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