Job & Career Information Center Newsletter

Greetings!

It's back to school time!  Are you a new graduate looking for a job?  Or looking to learn new skills to help with your job search?  With August being a time for changes, you may want to make adjustments to your job search.  Some good tips for recharging your job search include:

• Be persistent!  Are you sending out lots of resumes and job applications without doing any follow up?  Make sure that you contact places that you have applied at with an email or a phone call.  Verify whether or not your resume has been received.  Showing that you are very interested in the position can help you stand out from other job applications. 
  
• Look to successful job seekers.  Do you know someone who has found a job recently?  What did they do differently?  How you can you learn from their success -- and then apply it to your job search.
  
• Send your resume in multiple formats.  Have you been applying to jobs that require you fill out an online job application or email in your resume and getting no results?  Try following up your electronic submission with a paper resume mailed.  Or one step further -- hand deliver a paper copy of your resume to the company.  You might even get a conversation (i.e. interview) on the spot!  Just make sure to dress appropriately.

I hope these tips help with getting your job search back in gear for the beginning of the new school year!

Best,

Rebecca Sullivan

August Classes

Check our calendar for the full listing of upcoming classes! 

Online Job Application Tutorial
Tuesday, August 17.  10-11 am
Central Library, Job & Career Information Center, located in the Business, Science & Technology Department 

 Registration is required for all classes; call 410-396-5317 to register.  

Featured Book: Working World 101: The New Grad’s Guide to Getting a Job

 by Bridget Graham and Monique Reidy

What are some of the non-verbal cues you use in an interview?  How can you tailor your language to sell yourself to a prospective boss?   Working World 101: The New Grad’s Guide to Getting a Job by Bridget Graham and Monique Reidy may focus on the new graduate but the real-life suggestions they provide in this book give solid advice on the importance of communication for every job seeker.

Graham and Reidy parallel many of the day-to-day activities of college life into concrete applicable skills needed for today’s job seeker.  The “real-life transcript” becomes a guide to self-assessment, the group project helps prepare for networking, and “the gift of gab” gives guidelines to telephone interviews.  Whether you are a recent grad or just trying to acquaint yourself with today’s work environment, this book has a lot of savvy advice in a simple format for developing professional skills and experience.

Résumé Review Service

Make your résumé work for you! Call the Job and Career Information Center (410-396-5317) for a free résumé review appointment.

Bring a copy of your résumé and get tips and suggestions to create a résumé that will help land a job.

Helping You Study for a Test: Learning Express Library

Want to prepare for a test?  Whether it is a school test like the SAT or the GED or an occupational test like the Praxis or plumbing license, the Learning Express Library database can provide you with practice tests! 

Learning Express Library is available on the computers at any Enoch Pratt Free Library branch or on your home computer with your Pratt Library card number.  Registration is required to use the online practice tests, which will allow you to save your progress on the online tests.

The Learning Express Library also provides help for students ranging in age from elementary school all the way through college.  Help with reading comprehension, math skills, and more will help students successfully pass tests at school! 

Adults can also find help with occupational tests and preparation with finding a job.  Online courses in business writing, resumes, interviewing, and job searching are also provided.

Everyone can find something useful in the Learning Express Library database!