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Step 1: Research Your Field

Where do you start your job hunt? That depends on whether you're ready to pursue a new career or plan to stay in your current field. If you're looking for an entirely new career path, start by taking some free aptitude tests on the Web to see what your talents are. Try several different tests, since no single test is perfect. For starters, check out the registration-required Princeton Review Online and the Career Key. Remember: These tests only give you suggestions. Just because one tells you that you'd make a great electrician doesn't mean you would not be an equally successful accountant.

If you're looking to stay in your current career--or if you've already settled on a new one--bone up on the latest events in the field. What are the current trends? Who are the major players? Researching your field online can give you useful data for determining where to apply--and it can also help you look knowledgeable during an interview: "Oh, yes, I've heard about the recent developments in Slinky technology. It seems to me that..."

Reading up on the latest industry gossip could save you from joining a failing company. One place to get up-to-date information on your industry is at Vault.com. Another possibility is to join a discussion group at WetFeet.com. Or find out about salaries at CareerJournal.com. One-stop shoppers can do many of these same things at job megasites such as Monster and CareerBuilder, which have research tools, discussion groups, and advice.

If you're Web savvy, you probably already use the best research tools on the Internet--search engines. AltaVista, Google, and HotBot are three great places to start looking. Search for a company name and keywords associated with the field. You can also use metasearch tools, such as BullsEye and Copernic, which prowl through several search engines and newsgroups simultaneously and then list the results in one tidy screen. In addition, job boards--formerly just places to see want ads--have expanded to include news databases. When you search for a company at Monster, for example, the site pulls press releases from PR Newswire, Business Wire, and other news sources.