By Amy Mazur, Career Moves @ JVS Career Counselor

The Department of Labor recently created Tools for America’s Job Seekers. In January 2010, over 16,000 people voted for the tools they preferred, the winners of which were posted on the website. The list, which is extensive, includes websites that fall into the following categories: General and Niche Job Boards, Career Planning and Exploration Tools, Social Media Research Tools, and Other Tools.

While I applaud the Department of Labor’s efforts in compiling this information, which can be helpful for career planners and job seekers, I have two concerns:

1) Because I am a career professional, I was approached via e-mail by one career assessment company and encouraged to vote for their product on this survey. Do I use their tool? No. Do I recommend their assessment tool to others? No. Am I in their database, which I imagine is quite large? Yes. I don’t have anything against this particular product, but I certainly wouldn’t have voted for them as one of the top job search tools. I wonder how many others voted for them, and what that might say about the lists’ integrity. I am not convinced that a popular vote is the best way to determine if a job search or career planning tool makes it to the top of a list.

2) In my work with clients on career planning and management, one of the factors I emphasize is the hard work involved in the process: engaging in self-assessment, exploring options, making decisions, and then taking action. One of the concerns I have about a tools list like this is that individuals will be under the false assumption that they can just go to a list, find a tool, click on some icons, and behold – their dream job will be decided (career planning list) and then appear (job board list). They won’t have to think and reflect and work to make this happen.

I am not saying that a list is bad, or that I won’t use it. I already have used it with clients. I hope though, that a list like this will be used to start a process that takes time and effort, and that people will take the time and effort required to engage in a very important, at times trying, and ultimately gratifying process.