For more info:  330-762-8666  ext.174

Different sources will offer various advice, but most of them  stress how important a cover letter is and that your message needs to be an informative summary of what you can offer  the company

In the book, Knock ‘em Dead Cover Letters by Martin Yate you can learn what it is employers are looking for and how you can cater to those needs.

Books such as Cover Letter Magic by Wendy Enelow give you examples and then how to improve on those.  Some authors even go as far as to say that there is a trend towards employers not even wanting a resume, just a cover letter! 

Try taking some time and looking at a few of the links that are listed on the Joblog under “Job Tools.”   The Riley Guide, LearningExpress and About.com all have some wonderful advice and examples.

There are a multitude of articles and blogs out there with free advice on cover letters, all with their own spin.  Here are a few that you might find helpful or at least interesting.

Her Campus  offers some great pointers on cover letter writing.

Mastermind  another link with some helpful tips

Quintessential Careers this site explores some of the biggest cover letter mistakes that may keep you from getting hired.

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First rule of Job Club….. DO talk about Job Club!    Mature Services in Summit County has many wonderful services for those over 55 and the Job Club is one of the best.   The knowledgeable staff will help you with various skills that will make your job hunting more successful.  Please visit their website by clicking on their logo above.

They are also hosting a job fair:

May 17th 9am-2pm
 Akron Fairlawn Hilton                  For more information call:  330-762-8666 x174
  3180 West Market St.,
  Akron, OH 

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Thanks to everyone who participated and showed up at the Job Event posted below!   We hope that some great employers got matched up with some great employees and that job hunters ended up with some helpful information and advice.

The Akron Beacon Journal and Jobs.ohio.com are holding a Career & Resource Job Fair here at the Main Akron-Summit County Public Library downtown on April 11th.   Click on the icon to register.

You can also register at  jobs.ohio.com  or call 330-996-3320

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Have you ever attended a job fair???  They can be overwhelming, but also a wonderful opportunity to market yourself to different companies in an efficient way.  Here are a couple of links to articles that discuss some strategies and offer advice on how to approach job fairs.

http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/jobfairs1/a/jobfair_2.htm

http://www.quintcareers.com/job_career_fairs.html

If you look on the left hand side of this blog under “job tools” you can click on the big red circle that reads “find help in tough times.”  On that page you can go to “create a resume” and then simply type in your information and get a nice resume.

Our newest addition to the joblog is Cypress Resume, which is a great resource that helps you create a wonderful looking resume.  There are also other websites under Job Tools that have articles and advice on what should go in your resume, how it should look and specific tips on individual issues (such as no experience, background issues, age, etc.)

If you don’t see what you need, don’t hesitate to call the Business & Government Division of the Akron-Summit County Public Library at 330-643-9020 to see if we might have a book that covers your topic.

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Waiting, waiting, waiting……..

You’ve been pounding the pavement AND the keyboard, trying to find a job.  There is still some inevitable down time,  which you could consider using for improving  your skills.

If you need to get up to speed on computers check out the library’s free computer classes  http://es.akronlibrary.org/computer-training-classes/    or check to see if other  nearby organizations offer free classes as well.

It might be a good time to learn a new language or brush up on one.  You could take a class or even check out “Mango” which is a database the library subscribes to that you can easily access  http://www.akronlibrary.org/databases/index.html#languages

LearningExpress Library (which is linked off to the left of this post) offers tutorials and practice exams for a variety of skills and professions.

The point is…use the time wisely.  It might even help when you land an interview and they ask, “what have you been doing since your last job.?” It certainly sounds better to say that you were brushing up on your computer skills rather than the high score you achieved in your Black Ops XBox game.

Here are a few articles that talk about various activities to do in between your job search.  http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/how-to-keep-your-skills-fresh-when-unemployed.html

http://jobcircle.com/blog/?p=1540

http://www.job-hunt.org/boomer-job-search/beating-boomer-bias-learning-new-skills.shtml

Whether you spend your down time taking classes, volunteering, or even helping someone out…it will benefit you in more ways than one.

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The best way to learn about it is to jump right in and explore…your child can practice for a 4th grade exam, while you practice Microsoft Access.   Just look on this page down the lefthand side under “Job Tool Links” and click on LearningExpress Library.   Have fun!!!

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Trucking Job?

Did you know there is a shortage of qualified truck drivers??   Akron Beacon Journal writer Jim MacKinnon recently wrote an article about the difficulty that trucking companies are having finding qualified drivers.

http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=NewsBank&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=1397834D4F04F0B0&p_docnum=2&p_queryname=1

According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook the job opportunities for truck drivers is favorable and the handbook also offers  wage information at their website:

http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes533032.htm

If this is a career you think you might be interested in, call the Akron-Summit County Public Library for information on trucking careers,  truck driving schools, CDL test books, job websites and more.          330-643-9020 (Business & Government Division)

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These social sites and others are an opportunity to inform an extended network of people to become aware of the fact that you are looking for a job.  The more people out there that know you are looking…the more chances you have of finding a job. 

An upside AND a downside is that many companies DO check these websites to see your page.  You might have had a great interview expressing your hard work ethic and dedication, but then the prospective employer comes across 200 photos of you drinking and carousing at various parties on your Facebook page.  They decide not to call you back.  Perhaps it’s not fair that you are judged by those pictures, but in real life…it happens.  Employers have so many applicants…they are looking for a way to weed some out.

So be smart when using the social media sites.  Make them work for you not against you.

Listed below are several articles concerning social media and job hunting.

Here is a recent article from the Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903885604576490763256558794.html?mod=WSJ_Careers_CareerJournal_4

This is a USA Today article talking about ways to use Facebook for job searching:  http://www.usatodayeducate.com/staging/index.php/blog/job-search-2-0-using-facebook-to-find-a-job

The University of Texas at Austin posted this helpful articles: http://www.utexas.edu/its/secure/articles/social_networking.php

Click on the link and then go exploring.  There may be something that will help you or someone you know with one of the many challenges that today’s economy is confronting us all with.

There are articles stating that it is tougher than ever due to the fact that so many people who are out of work,  are taking on 2 and 3 minimum wage jobs that was previously the domain of the student.   That doesnt mean that you wont find a job, but you might have to search a little harder, be more persistent and be smart about your job hunting.

 Make use of this Joblog, use the job search links to search for jobs, use the tools to research the target company and to get some tips on resumes and interviews.  There are some links to articles posted below…take a look and maybe you’ll learn something that will give you that extra something that convinces an employer to hire you

http://www.snagajob.com/summer-jobs/summer-job-hunting-101.aspx

http://www.usnews.com/education/articles/2010/04/16/10-tips-to-find-summer-jobs-in-a-tough-economy

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/summerjobs/a/summerjobs.htm

http://www.usajobs.gov/studentjobs/

http://www.quintcareers.com/grad_internships.html

If you look over to the right side of this Joblog page, you will see some links under the heading “Job Research.”  These links will take you to various websites that will help you gather some information about the business that you are interested in.   Give them a try and see if you find out any information about the company you are researching.  A couple of favorites are:

ReferenceUSA : a database that you can access through our library website and the link provided here.  You can quickly get a wealth of information from just this link alone.  You can find out what the company does and often find out sales, when established, names of key officers, whether there are other branches, competitors, etc.

Akron Beacon Journal: you can look up a company by going to the Akron Beacon Journal website through the Joblog link posted here and get full access to previously printed articles.  If there’s been something written about the company it may be helpful to be aware of it.

 There might not always be much to find,  but you never know… it could be more than the other applicants/interviewees were able to find out and make you that stand out candidate.

You are also welcome to call THE LIBRARY   We will be glad to look up information about a company that you need.   We  use the databases shown here, along with many print sources.  It may be a case of finding out what that company produces or what it’s service is…or maybe an article about that company’s community involvement.  This helps you determine what to emphasize in your resume, your cover letter and maybe what to bring up in an interview.

Best of luck with job hunting and take some time to check out the helpful links listed here >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

If you need to call us, you can reach the Business & Government Division at 330-643-9020.

From MSN Careers: http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-2457-Job-Info-and-Trends-Hot-Fields-for-Hiring-in-2011/

This article from the Wall Street Journal lists good and bad jobs for 2011: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704723104576062173458318658.html

From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is projected growth for various job: http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_104.htm

We also have some great books that focus on jobs that have a good outlook.

100 fastest-growing careers : your complete guidebook to major jobs with the most growth and openings / Michael Farr

Top 100 careers without a four-year degree : your complete guidebook to major jobs in many fields / Michael Farr

Green careers in energy / editor Jill C. Schwartz

Dont forget to look at some of the links that we have under the “job tools” section (bottom left hand side of the blog) such as “O*NET,” “Occupational Outlook Handbook,” and “LearningExpress.”

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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124510378792116513.html?mod=WSJ_Careers_CareerJournal_5

http://career-advice.monster.com/job-search/career-assessment/return-to-work-after-retirement/article.aspx

http://www.navytimes.com/community/ask_lawyer/military_askthelawyer_070730pw/

http://careerplanning.about.com/od/stayathomeparents/a/return_to_work.htm