I was laid off
Start with Worker ReEmployment for unemployment, financial-help, skills and job-search guidance after a layoff.
I was laid off →← National Job Services
You do not have to know the job title yet
Begin by discovering what you already bring.
Free Local Job & Training Help →Learn how American Job Centers can help with local openings, employer referrals and eligible training.Interests, values, responsibilities, life experience and abilities can point toward work you may never have considered. Use these tools as clues—not as labels that limit your future.
Free career-discovery tools
Use more than one assessment.
No assessment can decide your career for you. Compare the patterns that repeat across several tools, then research the actual duties, qualifications and local openings.
01
O*NET Interest Profiler
Answer 30 questions and discover work activities and occupations that fit your interests.
Career GuidanceTry O*NET Interest Profiler ↗02CareerOneStop Skills Matcher
Rate everyday workplace skills and see occupations that use them.
Career GuidanceTry CareerOneStop Skills Matcher ↗03CareerOneStop Work Values Matcher
Rank 20 statements to identify what matters most to you in a workplace and compare related careers.
Career GuidanceTry CareerOneStop Work Values Matcher ↗04mySkills myFuture
Enter a current or former job to discover different careers that use similar transferable skills.
Career GuidanceTry mySkills myFuture ↗05My Next Move
Explore more than 900 occupations by keyword, industry or the kind of work you may enjoy.
Career GuidanceTry My Next Move ↗06CareerOneStop Interest Assessment
Connect your interests with possible occupations through 30 quick questions.
Career GuidanceTry CareerOneStop Interest Assessment ↗Ways to begin while deciding
Movement can create clarity.
A temporary role, apprenticeship, workforce program or volunteer assignment may reveal strengths that an online assessment cannot see.
I am retired or 50+ and seeking work
Explore free coaching, job-search support and work-based training designed for experienced older workers.
I am retired or 50+ and seeking work →Talk with a workforce counselor
American Job Centers provide free local guidance, training referrals and job-search assistance.
Talk with a workforce counselor →Consider temporary-to-permanent work
A reputable staffing firm can help you test a work environment and build recent experience.
Consider temporary-to-permanent work →Explore paid apprenticeships
Earn wages while learning an occupation under a structured program.
Explore paid apprenticeships →Review your state resources
State and local programs may provide counseling, training funds, job fairs and direct employer connections.
Review your state resources →Search entry-level and trainee roles
Try titles containing trainee, assistant, helper, apprentice or paid training.
Search entry-level and trainee roles →Build experience through service
Volunteer work can demonstrate current reliability, communication and practical skills.
Build experience through service →Do not call yourself “unskilled.”
You may need a credential, current experience or help explaining what you already know how to do. That is different from having no ability. Begin with what is present and build from there.