Free Tools Every Job Searcher Should Know About

Guest Post By Teresa Vorce, Materials Manager at Frederick County Public Libraries

Staying up to date on the latest technologies and information is a critical strategy when entering the job market, but few people know the extensive amount of tools available at their disposal—all of which are available free of charge with a library card to Frederick County Public Libraries (FCPL). 

FCPL has changed dramatically in the past few years to adapt to the changing needs of the community. No longer a place to just check out books, the library has embraced technology with an extensive amount of electronic resources which can be particularly useful. Here are just three of the services available to job seekers in Frederick County. 

Business Classes from the Comfort of Your Couch 

Looking to enhance your skills to be more competitive in the job market? Look no further than Lynda.com, an online resource for library card holders that opens the doors to e-courses taught by industry professionals. Courses range from business and technology to creative software tutorials.  

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Lynda.com also presents its courses in multiple formats, from bite-sized tutorials that are done in 5 minutes or less to full educational classes that give viewers a deep dive into a particular topic.  

In April, Lynda.com will be upgraded to LinkedIn Learning and will offer its entire library of over 16,000 courses in seven languages. LinkedIn Learning delivers high-quality, expert-led courses that engage learners and help you reach your career goals. Already using Lynda.com? No worries, all your learning activity and history will transfer seamlessly to LinkedIn Learning. 

Their most-watched courses include topics like Excel 2016 Essential Training, Project Management Foundations, Strategic Thinking, Body Language for Leaders, SEO Foundations, and Photoshop One-on-One. 

Know Your Target Industry 

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Before applying for a job, consider using Reference Solutions to better understand the organization, industry, and area.  Reference Solutions is a comprehensive data provider that offers accurate and updated business and consumer data in multiple formats. This site can pull consumer data by zip code, city, neighborhood, or radius, giving you the publicly-accessible information that can power your marketing campaigns for new business. 

Reference Solutions can also help local start-ups as they create their business plans by offering a historical database of businesses going back to 1997. This feature allows users to create individualized charts, graphs, and heat maps to visualize industry trends as they forecast their own development opportunities within a specific city or neighborhood. 

Get Job Search Help with Brainfuse JobNow 

Brainfuse JobNow is a suite of services and powerful tools to help users in every step of their job search.   

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  • Resume Assistance – First impressions count, and in many cases, a resume is the first document a hiring manager reviews.  JobNow features powerful tools and live experts to help you create an effective, refined resume. 

  • Career Planning – JobNow provides live job coach assistance to help you determine your strengths and career objectives. 

  • Interview Preparation – JobNow provides live one-on-one interview coaching from online instructors includes simulated interview practice in a virtual classroom setting. 

  • Adult Learning Center – This resource offers test preparation and writing assistance for business letters, term papers, job resumes, and other forms of writing. 

  • Job Coaches – Brainfuse JobNow employs thousands of job coaches nationwide.  All coaches are required to have HR experience and undergo a multi-step evaluation and training process, all to help you find that job. 

With all of these great tools for job seekers, there has never been a better time to be a library card holder. This list merely scratches the surface of what Frederick County Public Libraries offers all card holders and with regular online programming from our library staff and community partners you are sure to find even more resources that can help you thrive. Locate all this and more by visiting www.fcpl.org.  

Teresa Vorce evaluates and selects both electronic and print materials for Frederick County Public Libraries. She has 25 years of experience working in this capacity for FCPL. Teresa has seen firsthand the positive impact that FCPL’s digital collections and electronic resources has on individuals and the community. 

Jessica Mills