Student Guide to Erwin Library: Job, Career and Testing Databases

When you have:

• A personal development goal in mind about
• Or, an assignment that your instructor says must be about:
  • Test Prep
  • Job hunting
  • Occupational outlook
  • Certification/Licensure
  • Qualifications and salary range
  • Profession outlook
  • Resume, cover letter, interview
  • College prep
  • Apprenticeships, Internships, scholarships
  • In-demand jobs

Then you probably need one or more Job, Career and Testing Databases.

Access Job, Career and Testing Databases:

• From the Job, Career and Testing Databases links on this page of the Resource Guide
• Using Select Database Links:
  • Enter a search term into the WCC Single Search box and click the Search button

• Go to the Select Database Links list on the right side of the page

• Click the direct link for the database of your choice (all of the main Job, Career and Testing databases are in the Career and Testing section of the list)

Okay, Practice on These Sample Job, Career and Testing Related Questions! 

First, you might want to:

Decide which database(s) to consult for exploratory research:

• Do I just need to know about the job or career itself, i.e. duties, education requirements, job outlook, possible salaries
• Or, do I also need to focus in on educational requirements, i.e. find a school or degree program, get some study guides
• Or identify, find and practice entrance or certification exams?

Decide whether to Search or Browse first:

• Am I really lost and just want to browse a variety of jobs or careers
• Or, do I know exactly what type of job of career field I want to investigate right from the beginning, i.e. banking or nursing?

Decide that you might need something really specific:

• Such as help to prepare for the PRAXIS or NCLEX exams
• Or, advice on creating a Resume
• Or, pointers for participating in a Job Interview?

Job, Career and Testing Questions:

1.  I have to write an assignment about a job, any job, but am not sure what resource to go to first?  Can you help me get started?

Cast a wide net for this fishing expedition by searching or browsing generic job titles or interest areas in Ferguson's Career Guidance Center supplemented by the same process in the online Occupational Outlook Handbook until you find something that interests you enough to dig deeper. 

For instance, search "golf" and you can research jobs such as Grounds Manager (you might want to look at related categories for Exploring this Job and Tips for Entry) to.  With a job like this you can combine love of the sport and being outside with that monthly paycheck coming your wary. 

2.  What does a program director do at a television station? 

For a list of job duties, nothing is better than a Position Description; try a search in Ferguson's Career Guidance Center for "television director."  You'll notice a lot of other related positions in television that might also interest you.

3.  I’m interested in animals; what would I need to do to get a degree as a veterinarian?

Again, begin by finding out as much as you can about a career as a veterinarian by searching "veterinarian" in Ferguson's Career Guidance Center, since education requirements would also be listed in a Position Description. 

Then, noting that veterinary schools require you must pass entrance exams, you might then want to look up study guides and practice exams for some of these exams, such as the MCAT and GRE in the PrepSTEP database.

Hint:  If becoming a veterinarian doesn't seem to be the exact "animals" career you were looking for, search Ferguson's for "animals"  and browse those Search Results to locate similar jobs to investigate.  You can also use the free U.S. Department of Labor's online Occupational Outlook Handbook to explore other similar occupations.

4.  I need help studying for the Praxis, do you have any books I can check out to help me prepare?

A "Praxis" search of the PrepSTEP databases will return links to practice tests which you may take, but also ebook study guides that will help you prepare for your practice test.  Remember to set up you free Personal Account in any of these databases, so you can save items you wish to come back to, ebooks, guides, even unfinished practice tests!

5.  I have a job interview, how can I prepare for it?

Job interview tips and guides are scattered throughout the PrepSTEP (See "Career Preparation") database, especially for building or honing your resume, and business communication skills such as writing cover letters and after-interview emails.  A good place to start to prepare for the actual interview is Ferguson's Career Guidance Center "Launch Your Career" focus area. 

6.  Can you tell me anything about the history of Home Health Care and Hospice Nurses? 

Try a "home health care" search in Ferguson's Career Guidance Center to find not only Position Descriptions, but information about how this allied health field has developed and grown, especially in the last few years.  Personal accounts of people working in these jobs are included on this site, as are links to job ads sites and professional association websites you would want to become familiar with should you enter the field.

Who Needs To Know About Job, Career and Testing Databases?

You Do!  And Not Just for Writing Assignments . . .

All during your life, both as a student and out in the job market (sometimes as both at the same time!) you'll need:

• To plan your education, so that you make the best use of your resources, opportunities and aptitudes
• To take the next step you need to advance or transition from one career to another:
  • Find the best school or college, and the funds, to get that next degree or certification
  • Develop your study skills to maximize your efforts
  • Get an honest evaluation of how you might perform on that final exam to get into a new school or college, enter a professional degree program, or fulfil your certification requirements
• To prepare for that next job interview with a great resume, interview practice and workplace soft skills 

You'll be learning and growing the rest of our life, so make the best use of your time and resources by consulting Job, Career and Testing Databases always available from the Erwin Library webpage with your library barcode number, whether you are a student or a member of the community.

Planning and Practice will ensure your Progress!

These Job, Career and Testing Databases are Great for Preliminary Research!  They can even help you find out more about a wide variety of jobs or careers to explore, as well as provide practice tests and exams at every level, High School, College, Graduate School, and Professional Certification.

Ferguson's Career Guidance Center

Ferguson's Career Guidance Center: Known among librarians and guidance counselors as the premier resource in the career education field, the acclaimed Ferguson's titles—including eBooks and a reference database—provide comprehensive, up-to-date information on a wide variety of career fields, as well as guidance on essential career skills and professional resources. Ferguson's career education titles have long been essential resources for the middle school, high school, and public library markets.

Functionality lets you:

• Search by keyword or browse by Job title
• Browse focus areas to Explore Careers, Plan Your Education, Prepare For Your Career, or Find A Career
• Search for open or available jobs, apprenticeships or internships

Content topics:

• Explore Careers
• Plan Your Education
• Prepare For Your Career
• Find A Career
• Career advice videos
• Resumé skill development
• Writing cover letters
• Interview preparation
• Career focused Q&A videos
• Career Interest Assessment

Personal Account Set-up allows you to:

• Save and review practice tests and courses
• Save Job searches linked through Indeed.com
• Save Career Interest Assessment showing matches of occupations to your interests

PrepSTEP

PrepSTEP: PrepSTEP provides academic skill building in reading, writing, math, and science, standardized test preparation, soft skills training, job search and career advancement, college admissions test preparation, professional licensing and certification test preparation, high school equivalency test prep, and much more. PrepSTEP is a comprehensive online solution for academic and career success. Targeted learning centers provide patrons of all ages with easy-to-use, intuitive online navigation to interactive tutorials, test preparation, and eBooks.

Functionality that gives you the ability to:

• Search by keyword or browse by test name
  • From the College LIbrary division
  • Browse within categories:  Career Preparation, Basic Computer Skills, Grad School Admissions Preparation, Placement Test Preparation, ACT and SAT Test Preparation, High School Equivalency Center, Recursos Para Hispanohablantes (for Spanish speakers)
• View Alt Tags on all tables and images (to assist visually impaired users)
• Access scripts available with most audio components of tests and tutorials (to assist hearing impaired users)
• Use resource with all its functionality on mobile devices

Content features:

• Video guides for using the database and its resources
• Practice tests and exams:  ACT, SAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, etc.
• Ebook study skills guides tailored for each resource “Center”
• Interactive multimedia tutorials including lessons, tests, pre-tests, and quizzes, followed by detailed feedback on scores to help users create further study plans for improvement
• Job Search and Workplace Skills aids

Personal Account Set-up so you can:

• Take practice tests (or save to finish later)
• Save and review test results with feedback on scores and further study plans
• Download unlimited ebook study guides
• Access unlimited video tutorials

BoardVitals

BoardVitals: Healthcare practitioners require access to the most up-to-date information possible - lives depend on it. Yet textbooks, articles, and even many digital resources are often outdated the moment they are published. BoardVitals helps practitioners prepare for licensing and initial certification exams, maintenance of certification (MOC) requirements, and continuing professional education, covering more than 50 specialty areas and exams. BoardVitals brings together the best content from major publishers, faculty at top teaching programs, and leading specialists to create the largest and most up-to-date training ecosystem in healthcare.

Functionality that allows you to:

• Search by Allied Heath Occupation along with either career Specialty or Exam name to access five test Question Banks:  AART Radiography, NBDHE, NCLEX-PN, NCLEX-RN, and Surgical Technology
• Create customized sample interactive exams using questions from one, or any combination of the Question Banks
• Enter your own feedback on the usefulness of each question
• Use resource with all its functionality on mobile devices

Content composed of:

• Question Banks created and updated by medical experts to help prepare for the NCLEX RN, NCLEX PN, NBDHE, NBSTSA Surgical Technology Board Exam, or ARRT Radiography Board Exam
• Instant feedback to each question answered includes detailed explanations, links to reference materials, and evidence-based rationales
• Access to advanced statistics so the user can evaluate his/her performance against others in the same field

Personal Account Set-up so you can:

• Use to save your customized test(s), either completed, or paused and available to finish later
• Share created and saved test(s) with others so they can take them too
• Share the results of your finished test with an instructor as an completed assignment