Employment and Career Resources

If you are ready to enter the workforce, the Youth EmployAbility Services (YES) program can help you sharpen your work skills, explore careers, gain work experience, and prepare for a successful job search.

Career Exploration

If you are unsure of what career to pursue, or would like to learn about different professions, we encourage you to take advantage of opportunities offered by YES program’s business partners.

• Job shadowing is an opportunity to accompany a professional at his/her place of employment throughout the work day to find out what the work environment is like, what kinds of tasks are performed, what interactions take place, and what skills and knowledge are necessary to function effectively.
• Work site visits enable youth to tour various businesses and facilities to learn about specific companies and industries. Site visits are conducted by knowledgeable employees who can tell about company specific training requirements and career paths, and answer questions about the industry and employment opportunities in general.
• Unpaid and paid work experiences or internships are available to a limited number of youth who wish to gain hands on work experience to build their résumés. These work opportunities may be full-time or part-time depending on employers’ needs and individual circumstances. The majority of the work experiences are offered during summer.
• Volunteering is an excellent way to gain hands on work experience, make personal connections, and explore different professions. Many businesses accept volunteer work experience as equal to paid work experience counting it toward job requirements. In addition volunteer work may lead to paid internships or even permanent employment opportunities.

Job Searching Tools

While the YES program is not an employment agency offering you a job, we do help you develop tools and skills that will prepare you for a successful job search.

• Résumé
  Your case manager and other YES program staff will help you analyze your skills and experiences so they can be used effectively to build a résumé. Your résumé may be comprised of educational and extra curricular activities (special projects, school clubs, scouting, etc.), volunteer experiences (YES Leadership Program, service learning activities, etc.), and unpaid or paid internships and work experiences. We will also help you formulate and write the document so that it presents your qualifications professionally.
• Cover Letter
  A cover letter typically accompanies a résumé as an important part of your employment application. Its purpose is to introduce you to a potential employer, and elaborate on your interest in and qualifications for a particular job. Our staff will teach and help you to write an effective cover letter.
• Job Interview Skills
  Many qualified candidates may not be considered for the job because they are not successful in the job interview. Reasons for their lack of success may include being unprepared, wearing improper clothing, being inappropriately groomed, being inarticulate, or lacking self-confidence. We want to make sure that you are well prepared and successful when you go to a job interview. For this reason, the YES program staff will help you learn job interview skills and appropriate behaviors by conducting mock job interviews, and discussing them with you in order to identify your strengths and opportunities for improvement.

Job Searching and Placement Connections

The Internet offers access to many job searching and placement resources. Please feel free to check out the following local and national web sites.

• Utah Department of Workforce Services (DWS)
  The Department of Workforce Services’ web site links you to dozens of company employment/human resource web sites in the Salt Lake metropolitan area. It also offers information on employment trends, salary data, skill development workshops, and other resources for job seekers. You may want to visit the following pages specifically:
  
  • - Utah Employer Job Listings
  • - Job Seeker Services
  • - Workshops for Job Seekers
• Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce
  The Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce offers information on local member businesses and employment opportunities throughout the Salt Lake Valley. You may wish to check out the Business Directory to identify potential employers in particular business categories, such as Banks, Construction, Employment Services, Hospitals, Manufacturers, Medical Laboratories, Restaurants, etc.
  
• Tooele County Chamber of Commerce
  The Tooele County Chamber of Commerce offers information on local member businesses.
  
• Murray Area Chamber of Commerce
  The Murray Area Chamber of Commerce offers information on local member businesses. The Member Directory makes information available by business category and by business name, and contact information. As an added benefit, you may view a member’s business record, which gives a map of the business’ location and, when available, a link to the business’ web site.
  
• Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce
  The Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce gives information on businesses located in the south end of the Salt Lake Valley, including West Jordan and South Jordan cities. It provides information by business category, alphabetical business listings, and alphabetical contact listings. The site also provides links to businesses that have a web site available.
  
• The Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is located at 3565 South Main Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115. Please contact it by calling 801 287-9300.

• Youth-oriented job hunting tips,
  employment database, and other resources

• General information on careers
  (especially with the military)
• More information on job searching tools
• Learn more about the benefits of job shadowing