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Job seeking is a skill. From crafting the perfect resume to nailing the interview to negotiating compensation, there are so many elements to job hunting that it can be overwhelming. DC Public Library can help! In addition to a collection of books about looking for jobs with some highlights below to get you started, DC Public Library offers free access to Brainfuse JobNow, Job & Career Accelerator, LinkedIn Learning, and more databases specifically designed to help you achieve in your career. Plus, stop by a location convenient to you to check out one of our many job readiness events.
Can’t make a scheduled event? We are here to help. Staff are often able to help one-on-one with quick queries and in some cases can even offer more extensive help on an appointment basis. Talk with your staff at your favorite location to see what’s possible!
Finally, many library staff – myself included – have benefited from local blogger Alison Green’s popular Ask a Manager blog, full of both excellent, contemporary advice and hilarious anecdotes from work life byway of an advice column.
Looking to get personalized reading recommendations from DC Public Library staff? Fill out the form linked below and a curated list will get sent directly to your inbox!
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Onto the books!
Recalculating: Navigate Your Career through the Changing World of Work by Lindsey Pollak
With expertise in generational diversity, Pollak contextualizes the world of work and job hunting in a society after the onset of COVID. Recalculating serves as your guide to recalibrating your personal brand, making the most of virtual connection, building an attractive and modern skillset, and more. Pollak serves up actionable advice while drawing from career development experts and real-life professionals in the workforce. Also available as an ebook.
Coming Back: How to Win the Job You Want When You’ve Lost the Job You Need by Fawn Germer
A favorite speaker of Fortune 500 companies and four-time nominated Pulitzer Prize author, Germer takes lessons of resilience and applies them to job hunting. Germer spells out the tips you need to find success after job loss with style and aplomb. With material generated from interviews with hiring managers across industries, Coming Back will most resonate with the mid- and late-career population, but has motivational and practical guidance for anyone looking to refresh their career.
The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table by Minda Harts
NYU professor and workplace consultant Harts delivers the reality women of color face in corporate America with pragmatic suggestions on navigating everything from networking to effecting change. Harts applies lessons from her own experiences in fundraising and, later, entrepreneurship to bring confidence and influence to professionals historically denied access to the good ol’ boys club. Pointed and thoughtful, The Memo provides the map to career progress. Also available as an ebook.
The Job Closer: Time-Saving Techniques for Acing Resumes, Interviews, Negotiations, and More by Steve Dalton
Director of Duke University’s MBA program and creator of The 2-Hour Job Search, Dalton shares his expertise in applying for and securing employment once you’ve found the right job. Using a series of models, The Job Closer makes it easy to implement Dalton’s wisdom from saying the right thing in a critical interview to getting the compensation package you deserve. Job seekers putting The Job Closer into action will find efficient results that empowers them to do more on their hunts – leading to a higher return of success.
What Color Is Your Parachute? Your Guide to a Lifetime of Meaningful Work and Career Success by Richard Nelson Bolles
A classic in the subject of job hunting and careers, What Color Is Your Parachute delivers its most updated information in this 2022 publication. With content on networking, crafting job applications, interviewing, negotiating, and more, your path to career achievement regardless of your current situation is paved by Parachute. Learn how to adapt to the market and make yourself stand out with this self-help standard. Grab recent previous editions here and here.
Ultimate Interview: 100s of Sample Questions and Answers for Interview Success by Lynn Williams
Practice makes perfect and career coach Williams gives you the tools for practice in this interview guide. Prepare for common and not-so-common questions as you learn to understand what hiring managers are looking for in interviews and to handle challenging questions on the spot. Pair with Ultimate Job Search: Master the Art of Finding Your Ideal Job, Getting an Interview, and Networking for Williams’s complete set of advice.
About the Author
Abby is a New-Hampshire-grown Assistant Branch Manager at Southwest Neighborhood Library. In addition to writing book lists for DC Public Library, she's written for Book Riot, School Library Journal, Library Journal, Booklist, and other professional library and bookish publications. She reads broadly, but often enjoys literary young adult fiction, contemporary young adult fiction, and young adult fantasy. She lives in Virginia with her husband and her cat, Oopsilon.