For some graduates, working with families in direct services is the most satisfying possible job option. Others will be most excited by being involved with policy shaping or program evaluation. Some students will choose the "student career" a bit longer and enter social-work or other graduate programs. Some will go directly to work in county or state agencies while others will use their education as a background to understand how social institutions, such as public education or business organizations, interact with individuals and families. Yet others might seek education or training in areas quite different from direct service, such as management or marketing in the health field.

Each of these careers can be investigated using the Internet, and in each of these careers you will need to be skilled with Internet use, both as an information-gathering tool and for networking.

Let's say that you have graduated with a degree in the social sciences and possess a calling to work with disadvantaged children. Even though you have a focus, your options are very broad. Perhaps you are not ready for graduate work, but recognize that you need some practical experience in the field. Some corporations and universities have arrangements for post-baccalaureate internships, in which you are paid a minimum wage in exchange for some special on-the-job training. Alternatively, you might want to work in a community health clinic, an after-school program with foster care kids, a social welfare program, or a group home; as a teacher; or for an agency supervising programs for children. The list could go on and on. How do you discover where you want to begin your career and how to get there?

The Internet is an outstanding instrument to expose you to the huge world of "what's out there." For starters, the Library of Congress can give you lists of websites of professional organizations. Peruse those sites. Find out about the different groups of professionals with backgrounds or interests similar to yours.

Check out listserv subscriptions. These are interactive sites in which people discuss particular topics. There are numerous professionally related listservs. Do a search on "listserv" and check out what's there. You will find many listservs that are specifically intended for professional networking. A great place to locate Sociology listservs can be found at http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/soc-sci/soc/soc-maillist.html.

Use the Health and Human Services site to look for research grants and special programs dealing with your area of interest. Make connections with people associated with programs you are especially interested in, particularly those at local or regional levels. Those folk are often people just like you, with a bit more experience in the field. Students are often surprised to discover how many professionals in the field are open to sharing information and providing suggestions. Networking, or making connections with others in your area of interest, can be very valuable professionally, as well as personally rewarding.

Definitely look for job postings on the Internet. Public agencies and private corporations increasingly use the Internet to post work positions. From their perspective, it gives them far broader exposure than strategically placed newspaper ads, plus they know that anyone responding to an Internet job posting has at least some Internet skills.

You will want to use the search strategies outlined in our Internet Guide to find corporations of interest to you. Businesses are using the Internet to advertise their existence to prospective employees and prospective investors, as well as to customers. In fact, one of the best ways to find out about a company is to use the Internet.

In addition to the corporate websites, academic organizations have some fabulous meta-sites to help students in their next step. The site sponsored by the Humanities Net at the University of Michigan, for example, is incredible. Find out what resources various academic organizations have for graduate schools, career programs, and corporate links. You don't have to be a graduate of a particular university to use the resources they make available to the public.

The following Internet addresses are good places for you to begin your career investigations. The list covers job banks, resume-writing tips, internships, and graduate-school possibilities. This list is only the beginning, however. Spend time surfing these sites. Develop your own list of addresses that focuses on your specific interests, and check these sites often for changes.

Use the Internet as a tool to stay informed and connected. Make the kind of connections that fuel your intellect and your professional passions. Develop and maintain contact with interesting programs or agencies; continue to search for new sites as they appear. Learn to use the amazing resources available through the Internet to enhance your understanding of your chosen career field.

America's Job Bank
http://www.ajb.org/
When you commence your search for employment, it's important to remember that there are many international, national, and regional online job banks you can access using the strategies learned from our Internet Guide. America's Job Bank, an online service of the US Department of Labor, is one of the best first stops available. In addition to providing access to nearly one million employment opportunities of all types, this site contains a "Career Infonet" that provides information on economic prospects for diverse employment sectors, as well as links to career assessment tools, meta-search tools, and much more. A must see.

Yahoo! Employment
http://careers.yahoo.com/
The Yahoo! Employment site is another valuable first stop in your job searching expedition. For example, the Advice hyperlink offers access to resume-writing tools as well as tips to improve your interpersonal communication skills. The site also includes access to sources for pursuing graduate studies and landing an internship.

Career Tips
http://www.resumesystems.com/career/Default.htm
The advice found on this site, sponsored by Advanced Career Systems, will help you maximize the results of your job search and land that job you're after. Among other helpful tactics, learn how to market yourself and ace the interview.

The Vault
http://www.vaultreports.com
"The truth is in the Vault." Or so they say at this site, which houses such valuable job search information as news articles on hot career topics, career fairs near you, and more than 200,000 job postings.

Internships and Graduate Studies
Anyone involved in the Social Sciences will tell you that internships and graduate studies are excellent springboards to a new career or advancement towards a higher degree. The websites below offer good starting points to finding an internship or graduate program that interests you.

Rising Star Internships
http://www.rsinternships.com/
This is the best free national internship resource available on the Internet. The site contains access to public and private organizations, including corporate profiles and the types of internships available, and is searchable by job sector or alphabet. A must see.

The Washington Center
http://www.twc.edu/
This website provides information on semester internships in Washington, DC.

Career Directory
http://feminist.org/
This site is sponsored by the Feminist Majority Foundation and contains links to many great nonprofit and public sector opportunities (not just for women).

Corporation for National Service
http://www.cns.gov/
Don't forget that volunteering is a great way to learn while performing public service. This website provides links to numerous volunteer opportunities available in the United States, including the AmeriCorps program.

Peace Corps
http://www.peacecorps.gov/
This is the official website for the U.S. volunteer-abroad program devoted improving the lives of people throughout the world.

Psychology Internships and Training
http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/intern.html
Sponsored by the American Psychological Association, this site is designed to help you land a postdoctoral internship in the field.

Marriage and Family Counseling Graduate Schools
http://www.gradschools.com/listings/menus/marr_fam_cnsl_menu.html
If you are considering jump-starting your career in marriage and family counseling through graduate studies, check out this site. It provides comprehensive access to Graduate Studies Courses throughout the U.S. and beyond.

GradSchools.com: Sociology
http://www.gradschools.com/listings/menus/sociology_menu.html This website provides a very large list of graduate programs for Sociology in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and beyond.