Resources to Help Job Seekers Gain a Competitive Edge

Posted on June 25, 2020

by Daphne Bechrakis

Getting a job can take a lot of work whether you are applying for a part-time position after school or have 30 years of experience in upper management. It can be hard to know where to start looking or where to look for good advice to make you stand out, so we have compiled a list of resources to help you through every step of the process from finding a job to gaining an edge in the job market. Most of these resources are available on the library website for free at our College and Employment Resources and Digital Learning Resources pages! Please note that paid subscription services like Mango Languages and Cypress Resume must be accessed through the links below or through the links on the library website in order to be accessed for free with your library card.

 

Indiana Careers Connect

Search job openings from over 16,000 sources throughout the State of Indiana. This resource also has a feature that helps you create a resume and explore different careers. 

 

Hire a Slicer

Hire a Slicer strengthens the connection between La Porte Slicer seniors, alumni, and the local business community. You can search for a job or post your resume to the site to connect with people looking to hire La Porte High School alumni. 

 

WorkOne Northwest Indiana

WorkOne Northwest Indiana is a valuable one-stop for job seekers and employers when it comes to career and employment resources. It helps you find a job and find training, education, and scholarship opportunities. It also has toolkits for workers who have disabilities, are over 55, veterans, and people reentering the workforce. WorkOne also regularly holds events and workshops to help further job seekers’ skill sets and marketability. 

 

Career One Stop 

This website offers ways to search for jobs, explore careers, find training and education opportunities, and gives advice on job hunting and planning no matter if you are self-employed, a young adult, a veteran, have been laid off, have a disability, or have a criminal history. 

 

Cypress Resume (Library Card Needed)

Cypress Resume is an online resume and cover letter builder. The platform enables users to create very basic, but professional looking resumes in three steps, and it also automates simple cover letters and reference sheets.

 

Ask A Manager

In this entertaining and informative website written in the style of an advice column, a former manager answers the common and uncommon questions of readers looking for advice on things like acing cover letters and interviews, negotiating a salary, managing workplace conflict, and more.

 

Indeed 

Search jobs near you and find average salaries for certain job fields or companies. Indeed also has reviews for thousands of companies made by employees who have worked there, so you can better research the place you are applying too.  

 

Glassdoor

This website lets you search for jobs and compare salaries for the position you are applying to. It also has sample interview questions and interview advice. You can also research the company you are applying to by reading reviews from current and former employees so you know what kind of work environment the company has. 

 

LinkedIn

This website allows you to make your resume and work experience publicly available so that it is easier for job recruiters to find you. It also lets you digitally network with people in your field. 

 

Gaining an edge:

Few things make a candidate stand out like useful skills or expertise. The resources below can help you build up your skillset to help you stand out from the crowd. All these resources are either free or free if you have a library card!

 

Alison

Give yourself an edge by learning new skills or mastering one you already know. Alison is one of the world’s largest free learning platforms for education and skills training. It is a for-profit social enterprise dedicated to making it possible for anyone, to study anything, anywhere, at any time, for free online, at any subject level. All lessons are free to individuals and range from technology courses to language learning!

 

Goodwill Community Foundation (GCF) Learn Free

The GCFLearnFree.org program has helped millions around the world learn the essential skills they need to live and work in the 21st century. From Microsoft Office and email to reading, math, and more, GCFLearnFree.org offers more than 180 topics, including more than 2,000 lessons, 800+ videos, and 55+ interactives and games, completely free.

 

Testing Education and Reference Center (Library Card Needed)

Study for career certifications like Medical Assisting or Cosmetology, TASC or GED, SAT, MCAT, and many more. Build a resume and develop computer skills. Search for undergraduate and graduate school programs, find scholarship opportunities, and explore careers.

 

Mango Languages (Library Card Needed)
Knowing another language even conversationally can give you a huge edge in the job market and make even more jobs available to you. It’s never too late to learn or re-learn a language. Access the Mango Languages app through the library for free and get access to dozens of languages from Spanish, Mandarin, Polish, Japanese and more! Mango Languages apps for Apple and Android devices are available on the App Store and Google Play Store respectively. 

 

Daphne Bechrakis

Daphne Bechrakis

Daphne is a Public Services Librarian and Harry Potter enthusiast. In her free time, she enjoys reading, adding books to her ever-growing “to-be-read” list, hiking, and watching terrible movies with friends. One of her current life goals is to collect the entirety of the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. Her bucket list includes seeing the Aurora Borealis and going to Yellowstone National Park. She is the proud owner of a spider-plant named Skullcrusher III, first of its kind, which she has somehow managed not to kill yet.
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