White CD LogoChoctaw Nation
Quick Links
Stay Connected!
Find us on Facebook
 

 
Michael Carney

I am a 21 year old member of the Choctaw Nation from McAlester OK. And with the help of the Choctaw Nation Career Development program was able to attend Southeast Oklahoma School of Welding in the Pipeline Welder Course. With the help and support of the Choctaw nation and school instructors, I was able to complete my training and enter the field of Pipeline Welding immediately after graduation from Southeast Oklahoma School of Welding, which has given me a great career that I enjoy and has allowed me the opportunity to travel to different places meeting new people and experiencing new things while making great money to support my family.

 

 




Tax Filing Tips

Eileen St. Pierre, The Everyday Financial Planner

 

Tax filing season began on January 31, 10 days later than originally planned due to the recent government shutdown. The tax filing deadline remains the same, April 15.  Last year, almost 85% of all individual federal tax returns were e-filed.  Here's a list of five tax filing tips.

Don't forget about VITA

For those making $51,000 or less, you can get your taxes done for free at a VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) site.  IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing.  Some sites offer assistance in Spanish and other languages. To find a VITA site in your community, use the IRS VITA Locator Tool or call 1-800-906-9887. Read more.

 

  

 

Tips for Attending a Job Fair:Boost Your Job Search at a Job Fair

 

When you're job searching, take some time to attend job fairs. You'll have the opportunity to meet with employers that you might not be able to access any other way. Plus, job fairs and career expos often offer networking programs, resume reviews, and workshops for job seekers.

  

What can you do to compete with the crowds attending job fairs? These tips will help you get ready to attend and maximize your opportunities while you're there.  View tips
 

 

 

 

 

 

Join Our Mailing List

Career Connection Newsletter

February 2014                              choctawcareers.com 

 

Mark your calendars....

 

   

  Click  here for a list of registered exhibitors!

 

 

cabheader  

Check out our newest Financial Independence webinars presented by Choctaw Asset Building: 

 Understanding Your Credit Report 

Calculating Your Debt to Income Ratio   

 

IHS SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION IS NOW AVAILABLE

The scholarship application is available now and will close on March 28, 2014.

Application is available at :  www.scholarship.ihs.gov

 

First time users will create a user name and password.  Returning users may sign in with established information.

Visit http://www.ihs.gov/scholarship/ , for information about eligible degree programs.

 


 

Employment Spotlight

 

As you prepare for the Career Expo, a priority is to develop Resume that will open the door to an employment interview.  Your resume is an important component of your job search, and there are a number of considerations to make as you develop your results-oriented resume.

 

--The Best Resume Format by Alison Doyle

When it comes to choosing a resume format, one size doesn't fit all. There are several different types of resumes and there really isn't one best resume format, but resumes with a profile and/or a headline are the ones that are going to get noticed.

Depending on your personal circumstances, choose a chronological, a functional, or a combination resume, and, regardless of which type of resume you choose, be sure it is a customized resume - specific to the job you are interested in.

Generic resumes don't work anymore. Instead, your resume needs to clearly show the employer why you should be selected for an interview. How you name your file is important, too. Here's how to select a resume file name.

The format you send your resume in will depend on what the employer requests. You may be asked to send a PDF or a Word Document. Here's how to save your resume and how to send it to an employer.

Here's more advice on how to write a resume including choosing a type of resume, using resume templates, resume writing tips, and where to get help with resume writing.

 

Related Articles:

What Recruiters Look For in a 6-Second Resume Scan

19 Reasons Why this is an Excellent Resume

Select the Best Format

Resume Tips from the Huffington Post

Resume Development Webinar - By Choctaw Career Development

 

 

Resume Builders:

OKJobMatch.com

OKCIS.org --  Career Development Login - UN: choctawcd PW: okcis699

Resume Builder site Reviews

 

 

 
 
 

 

 


 

5 Must-Have Tech Skills for College Students

Sharpening your typing and research skills will help reduce the time needed to complete assignments.

 

  

 

It may not seem immediately apparent, but possessing a solid foundation in using daily technology can greatly smooth a student's transition to college academics. In order to be successful, there are a few technical skills students should develop long before reaching college.

1. Typing ability: You will type a great deal at college while searching the Internet, sending emails and writing papers. Accurate and swift typing is essential as the more time you require at the keyboard, the longer you will take to complete assignments. 

Learn to type correctly by purchasing a software program and practicing daily. Understanding the home keys, keyboard shortcuts and correct keystrokes will greatly improve your speed and accuracy in the long run. 

[Remember to practice college study skills in high school.] 

2. Online etiquette skills: You will frequently need to communicate through platforms such as email, online forums and social media during college. Learning how to use appropriate etiquette in online communications is essential for your success. 

A good rule of thumb is to always remain formal, such as addressing a professor as Dr. if they have a Ph.D. or otherwise as Mr. or Mrs. In your use of social media, never post anything that you would be embarrassed to show your grandmother. Keep any bashing, berating or other negative opinions to yourself. 

Practice appropriate formats for contacting professors by drafting emails with correct grammar and punctuation, no emoticons and a more professional tone. Make sure you know how to differentiate your writing style when reaching out to instructors from what you use to instant message your friends. 

If you are unsure of what a respectful email to a professor should look like, use Purdue's Online Writing Lab. There you can find stellar tips for email etiquette that you can apply to future communications. 

[Get 18 etiquette tips for emailing your professor.] 

3. Software suite basics: In most university course work, no matter your field of study, you must be able to navigate through a word processing program, a spreadsheet program and a presentation program. 

While there are a multitude of options available, the best known is Microsoft Office. If you master simple skills in Microsoft Office, this knowledge base easily transfers to other suites like Google Drive or OpenOffice. Set aside an hour to click through each drop-down menu and discover your chosen program's wide array of functions. 

If you are composing a paper, practice your typing skills while simultaneously broadening your knowledge of Word. If you are performing basic math calculations for homework, verify your answers with the functions in Excel. If you need to create a school presentation, develop a visual aid or slideshow using PowerPoint rather than a poster. 

4. Online research chops: 

If you do not have a school reference database, use Google Scholar to ensure you are searching through credible material. Make sure you use nouns instead of pronouns and action verbs when entering search terms. 

The more specific your search phrases, the better results you will get. For instance, searching the term "music" will give much broader results than "rock music from the 1990s." 

In addition, make sure the websites you use are credible. Do this by checking the references listed in the provided article, as well as the domain name. Websites ending in .gov, .org and .edu domains are generally more reliable than other extensions. 

[Learn strategies for doing college online research.] 

5. Privacy and security awareness: Consciously practice privacy on the computer and Internet at all times. Recognizing what information you are making public is important, whether online or on a shared desktop. 

When utilizing social media, remember to thoroughly review all privacy policies. Steer clear of websites that share private information such as your address or telephone number. 

Additionally, choose unique passwords and periodically change them. Following through on regular online privacy and security now will not only protect you and your computer, it will aid you in forming a positive, lifelong habit. 

Meghan Moll is a professional science, math and ACT tutor with Varsity Tutors. She has a degree in biomedical engineering from St. Louis University.

 

It will be essential to your success in college to know how to properly use the Internet 

 

. Making the most of search engines, online reference materials and databases can help reduce the time it takes you to find the articles and research papers to support your projects. 

 

How to prepare for applying on a form application

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 01:00 PM PST

 


Form applications may bring back memories of jobs you had in high school or college. But the truth is that many jobs you'll apply for today will require applications. It's a company's way of getting standard information from every applicant and ensuring uniformity and fairness for all who apply.

While filling out a job application often seems like the easiest step in the hiring process, if you aren't prepared or don't fill out the form accurately you could end the process before it even begins.

Here are some tips to make sure you ace the form application step:

Prepare common answers ...
Submitting an application may be the first thing you do for some job opportunities, but other times you might not get the application until you go in for an interview. If that's the case, make sure you're prepared so you can fill out the form quickly and completely.Read more.

 
Offices located in: Antlers-Ardmore-Broken Bow-Durant-Hugo-Idabel-McAlester-Oklahoma City Stillwater-Tishomingo-Tulsa 
Denison, TX-Paris, TX
(866) 933-2260