Blog Posts tagged as: advice

Resource Spotlight: Career Cruising’s Matchmaker Feature for Choosing a Career

Ellen, Business & Career Center, Business & Career Center

In addition to many other career and job search resources and services, the Business & Career Center has online resources you can access 24/7 for free with your library card. Career Cruising is one of these; an interactive database available in Spanish and English, for people who are choosing a career, changing careers, and/or choosing a school. It also has information on financial aid and scholarship opportunities. In this post we’ll take a look at Matchmaker, their survey for those deciding on a career.  In the B&CC we regularly assist patrons who are switching careers,…

College Talks

College Talks #1: Thinking About College

Lisa

Hello! If you’re reading this, you’re probably thinking about college, and have no idea where to start. Well, I have good news for you! This series called “College Talks” will help you and guide you on where to start when thinking about college. I’m a high school senior as of right now and will be attending Baruch College in the fall of 2021  so I can totally understand the stress that comes with choosing colleges. If you want even more help, Brooklyn Library has its own service called College Connect where you can ask questions about college as well as get help with doing applications…

Into the Details: Virtual Interviews

Ellen, Business & Career Center, Business & Career Center

Photo by Daniel Thomas on Unsplash
It remains to be seen when and if face-to-face job interviews resume as the norm, or whether virtual interviews become employers’ first choice even after the pandemic ends. In some ways interview prep is the same whether the interview is virtual or in-person, and in other ways it is, of course, very different when you are not meeting your interviewer(s) in person. These things haven’t changed: · Do some research on the employer, so you can answer their questions and demonstrate what you know…

Dishonesty During the Job Search - Part 2

Ellen, Business & Career Center, Business & Career Center

Photo: Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash
In Part 1 of this two-part post, we talked about some ways in which job seekers lie during the job search. Here we discuss what is likely to happen if you are dishonest when job hunting.  Getting caught and consequences Employers don’t want employees who are dishonest; they are a liability. Employers will assume that job applicants are on their best behavior during the job search, and if that includes lying or other deceptive behavior, they can only expect more of the same from the applicant if they…

Dishonesty During the Job Search - Part 1

Ellen, Business & Career Center, Business & Career Center

This is Part 1 of a two-part post, where we discuss some of the ways people lie and misrepresent themselves while looking for work.  

Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash
The continuing Hilaria-Baldwin-pretending-to-be-Spanish scandal, which is both entertaining and disturbing, got me thinking about dishonesty in the job search. Presenting yourself as something you’re not, or as having knowledge and skills you don't actually have, in order to find employment, make money, and/or promote yourself, can be very tempting. This is especially…

Jumping to Where the Jobs Are

Mark

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash
This post is by guest writer Mark Daly, who is a Job Information Resource Librarian in the Business & Career Center, and recently gave a presentation on "Where the Jobs Are" for our patrons. “How did you go bankrupt?” Bill asked.  “Two ways,” Mike said. “Gradually and then suddenly.”  -- The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway The rapid outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the United States this spring forced equally rapid changes in how many of us earn our living. Ways of working…

Interested in finding what do you like to do?

Christina

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.  Steve Jobs, Former Apple CEO I worked in my neighborhood library when I was 17 (late ‘80s) and I loved it! I learned how to research for my school reports, and I was able to show other kids how to do their own research. I felt like I was being helpful, and I did something valuable.  I loved it so much I wanted to become a librarian, so I looked it up in the OOH. The Occupational…

Into the Details: The Resume Summary

Ellen, Business & Career Center, Business & Career Center

This is the first of a series, “Into the Details”, where we discuss a specific aspect of freelancing, job hunting, entrepreneurship, or other work-related topic. For this post we’ll be covering do’s and don’ts and tips for writing the Summary section of your resume. Summary vs. Objective Resumes used to begin, right after the applicant’s name and contact info, with a brief Objective statement, which either gave the reader information they already knew (“Seeking a position as a [title]”) or were so general that they offered no useful information at all (“Seeking a position where I may…

​Holiday Hopes & New Year Beginnings ​

Christina

I like the winter holidays. Many multicultural celebrations are meant to purge the misfortunes and mistakes of the old year and to have hope and goodwill for the new year. The winter holidays can be a time of contemplation, to re-center yourself, and to strengthen your beliefs and goals. You can look back on the past year, determine what things that were favorable or unfavorable to you, and decide what you are going to do differently in the new year. Whether you are symbolically casting off the sins of the previous year by tossing pieces of bread, food, or stones into a…

Cover Letters: Beyond the Basics

Ellen, Business & Career Center, Business & Career Center

Cover Letter Writing: Beyond the Basics “Is a cover letter really necessary?” “If I am sending the resume, why do I have to send a cover letter too?  Doesn't the resume have all the information the employer needs?” “Do employers actually read cover letters?” “What is a cover letter for, anyway?” Cover letter writing can be mysterious and confusing, and job seekers are often unclear on what would make a cover letter “excellent” as opposed to just “OK”. First, you want to keep in mind the purpose of the cover letter (along with the resume, as they are usually submitted together): to…