(last updated September 2010)
Week 1
www.bls.gov/lau
The Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program produces monthly and annual employment, unemployment, and labor force data for Census regions and divisions, states, counties, metropolitan areas, and many cities, by place of residence.
Local Area Unemployment Statistics
www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/laus.pdf
Regional state employment and unemployment statistics tabulated once a year in August. Data at the regional level are produced by the following programs: Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Consumer Price Index, Employment Cost Index, and Mass Layoff Statistics.
Economy at a glance for California
www.bls.gov/eag/eag.ca.htm
Labor Force Data and Nonfarm Wage and Salary Employment statistics tabulated once a year in August. Data at the State level are produced by the following programs: Local Area Unemployment Statistics, State and Area portion of Current Employment Statistics, and Mass Layoff Statistics.
Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment (PDF)
www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/metro.pdf
Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment statistics tabulated once a year in August.
Data at the metropolitan area level are produced by the following programs: Local Area Unemployment Statistics, the State and Area portion of Current Employment Statistics, and, for some metropolitan areas, the Consumer Price Index.
www.library.ca.gov/lds/librarystats.html
California Public Library Statistics FY 2007-08 Excel Data File
www.library.ca.gov/lds/docs/CAPubLibData200708.xls
Statistical information on all aspects of library usage including circulation and visitor’s hours asking for reference assistance for the year 2008.
California Library Statistics 2009
www.library.ca.gov/lds/docs/StatsPub09.pdf
Statistical information on all aspects of library usage including circulation, visitor’s hours and computer usage asking for reference assistance for the year for 2009.
Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN)
www.edd.ca.gov/jobs_and_Training/Layoff_Services_WARN.htm#ListingofWARNNotices
WARN provides protection to employees, their families, and communities by requiring employers to give affected employees and other state and local representatives notice 60 days in advance of a plant closing or mass layoff. Advance notice provides employees and their families some transition time to adjust to the prospective loss of employment, to seek and obtain alternative jobs and, if necessary, to enter skills training or retraining that will allow these employees to successfully compete in the job market.
Employment Development Department (EDD)
www.edd.ca.gov/Unemployment/
This website includes all the information regarding unemployment insurance.
Before You Start: Information You Need to Apply for UI
www.edd.ca.gov/Unemployment/Before_you_Start.htm
A list of critical information you must have immediately available, regardless of which option you select to apply for UI benefits.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=612kzjANu6w
After You Filed: Managing Your UI Claim
www.edd.ca.gov/Unemployment/Starting_and_Managing_Your_UI_Claim.htm#afteryouappl
Information on telephone interviews, completing the Continued Claim Form, and following up on a claim check by telephone.
Video: How to Complete the Continued Claim Form
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN9nskoS9PI
A video on how to complete the continued claim form.
www.edd.ca.gov/Unemployment/FAQs.htm
Frequently asked questions for claimants, employers, extended unemployment benefits, identity verification, 1099G, and overpayment
Health Coverage for Unemployed Workers
www.edd.ca.gov/Jobs_and_Training/Health_Coverage_for_Unemployed_Workers.htm
COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) provides eligible
individuals with the ability to continue group health insurance benefits during
periods of unemployment. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
provides a 65 percent federal subsidy for the costs of paying medical premiums for
a period of nine months. The subsidy program is available though December 2009.
COBRA Questions and Answers: Administration and Eligibility from the IRS
www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=205364,00.html
IRS website answers questions regarding COBRA administration and eligibility.
www.joblossguide.com/2009/01/survival-part-1-new-job-loss.html
Job Loss Survival Guide: “The deeper psychology of dealing with a Job loss” is an interesting article by Jim Davis. It offers interesting insight on the emotional aspects of job loss.
Week 2
Online Assessments Sources
www.quintcareers.com/online_assessment_review.html
This website offers brief descriptions and ratings of most of the online assessment websites along with the cost (if any) to take the test. If job seekers are looking for some career direction, or perhaps just want to learn more about themselves and their personality, then taking one or more of these assessment tests can give them a better idea of their attitudes and interests as they relate to discovering more about who they are, and their possible career choices.
Review the following four Career Exploration and Assessment websites from the North Carolina State Library:
Occupations and Career Exploration
jobsearchtoolkit.pbworks.com/Getting-Started
General information on all aspects of the job search process.
Keirsey Temperament Sorter®-II (KTS®-II)
www.keirsey.com
The Keirsey Temperament Sorter®-II (KTS®-II) is a widely used personality instrument. The personality instrument uses 70 questions to help individuals discover their personality type. The KTS-II is based on Keirsey Temperament Theory™ developed by Dr. David Keirsey.
eslmi03.esc.state.nc.us/soicc/planning/c1a.htm
Holland Occupational Themes
Based on the theory of John Holland, Ph.D., people with the same or similar interests are often found in the same work environments. A short checklist activity provides you with a three-letter Holland code.
eslmi03.esc.state.nc.us/soicc/info/briefs.htm
You can then explore to learn about occupations with related Interest (Holland) profiles. Career Briefs offers results in English and Spanish.
Online Career Exploration and Preparation Sources
The following websites are available for job seekers to explore salaries, cost-of-living, personal budgets and paycheck deductions:
jobstar.org/tools/salary/index.php
Links to over 300 free online salary surveys for a wide range of professions and settings. The focus is on California and national surveys.
www.salary.com/home/layoutscripts/homl_defaulta.asp
Search the base salaries of thousands of jobs by job-title and location. It tabulates the low, average and high-end salaries for the area.
How far will my salary go in another city?
cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costofliving.html
financialplan.about.com/od/budgetingyourmoney/ht/createbudget.htm
A brief and clear explanation of how to create a budget.
financialplan.about.com/cs/budgeting/l/blbudget.htm
A simple budget worksheet for patrons to complete for a better understanding of what their monthly expenses are from Financial Planning at About.com
www.surepayroll.com/calculator/calc_paycheck_netpay.asp
Generate hourly net pay, or take-home pay, using a free calculator. This calculator is a fast and easy way to find out what your employee actual wages are per hour. Enter gross pay, federal withholdings, federal, state, FICA, and local deductions and exemptions as applicable; the Hourly Net Pay Calculator will do the rest.
These websites have useful information and examples of resumes for job seekers:
jobstar.org/tools/resume/res-what.php
Clear and detailed explanation on the importance of resumes.
susanireland.com/sampleresumes/format/index.html
Samples of resumes by format. Provides samples of the three different types of resumes.
Chronological Resume Format
Template: jobstar.org/tools/resume/tempchr.php
Sample: jobstar.org/tools/resume/samples.php
Functional Resume Format
Template: jobstar.org/tools/resume/tempfun.php
Sample: jobstar.org/tools/resume/samples.php
Combination Resume Format
Template: No template is provided because it varies depending on the job and the applicant.
Sample: susanireland.com/sampleresumes/format/combination.html
Plain Text/ASCII/Scannable Resume or Electronic Resume
www.susanireland.com/eresumework.htm
Definition of an electronic resume.
www.quintcareers.com/scannable_resumes.html
Instructions to convert your word-processed resume to an electronic resume.
University of Santa Clara Website
www.scu.edu/careercenter/students/prepare/resumes/electronicres.cfm
Step-by-step instruction to follow to convert your word-processed resume to an electronic resume.
Why Use Keywords in a Resume
www.job-hunt.org/resumeASCIIsample.shtml
There is an example of a resume with several keywords included in the body of the text (under the Skills Summary section). They are in the body of the resume to ensure hits.
Job Applications
jobsearch.about.com/cs/jobapplications/a/jobapplication.htm?r=et
This website explains why employers require job applications and the information needed to accurately complete them.
Privacy Protection on the Internet
www.job-hunt.org/privacy.shtml
What are the risks of not protecting your privacy?
Job-hunt.org, Make Your Resume "Cyber-Safe"
www.job-hunt.org/resumecybersafe.shtml
Job Search Correspondence
Online Job Search Preparation Sources (Resumes, Cover Letters, Reference Letters):
Review the following websites with examples of different types of job correspondence:
jobstar.org/tools/resume/index.php
Offers a great web site for resume writing and sample resumes.
jobstar.org/tools/resume/clet-ex.php
The Damn Good Resume Book author Yana Parker
www.damngood.com/sampleresumes/index.html
Sample resumes and cover letters
The Riley Guide, Sample Resumes
www.rileyguide.com/eresume.html
The Riley Guide, Sample Cover Letters and Other Correspondence
www.rileyguide.com/cover.html
Job-Employment-Guide.com, Sample letters of resignation
www.job-employment-guide.com/resign-letters.html
Online Sources for Information on Companies and Job Listings:
The following websites are directories listing other company or industry job search resources. Job seekers can search by type of industry and location to find very specific information on names of professional associations in a given field.
www.job-hunt.org/findingjobs/findingjobs_employers.shtml
Job search resources by industry, profession and/or location.
Rileyguide.com, Research and target employers by location
www.rileyguide.com/research.html
Find information on employers and organizations to prepare for an interview or before applying for a position.
Riley Guide, Sites with Job Listings
www.rileyguide.com/jobs.html
This page connects you to 50 pages of job resources, starting with the more general resources and moving through location or audience specific listings to the occupation and industry resources.
jobhuntersbible.com, Web Sites for Job Hunting Research
www.jobhuntersbible.com/jobhunting/sec_page.php?sub_item=019
Industry Research - Obtain news about a given field or industry, discover trends, professional pay scales, names of associations in the field, schedule of meetings or networking events, and so on.
Jobhuntersbible.com, Company Research
www.jobhuntersbible.com/jobhunting/sec_page.php?sub_item=147
Mega Job Sites:
These are the three biggest job sites on the Internet. Job seekers may register with each service to post their resumes, search for jobs, and get advice on every aspect of job searching.
www.monster.com
www.careerbuilder.com
hotjobs.yahoo.com
www.craigslist.org/about/sites
Search for jobs locally and nationally—especially good for finding jobs from small and mid-sized companies
www.indeed.com
This search engine searches job sites, newspapers, associations, and company career pages.
Traditional or Face-to-face Networking
Networking Your Way to a New Job, by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.
www.quintcareers.com/networking_guide.html
The art of job search networking
www.job-hunt.org/job-search-networking/art-of-job-search-networking.shtml
Social Networking Resources
www.linkedin.com
LinkedIn has over 48 million members in over 200 countries and territories around the world. Members are linked to potential clients, service providers, and subject experts who come recommended by other members.
www.networkingforprofessionals.com
Networking For Professionals is a dynamic business networking organization that powerfully combines online business networking and real life events.
www.facebook.com
Users can add friends and send them messages. They can update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves. Additionally, users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, or region.
jobsearch.about.com/od/onlinecareernetworking/Career_Social_Networking.htm
Career and social networking online resources. Where to network online as part of your job search and how to use a social network to help land a job.
Privacy Issues and Other Disadvantages of Social Networking:
tiny.cc/3gcib
philanthropy.com/free/articles/v21/i08/08t000601.htm
This is an interesting article on the pros and cons of using social networking in the job search.
Print and Media Sources on Traditional Networking and Social Networking:
Books
How to Succeed in Business Using LinkedIn: Making Connections and Capturing Opportunities on the World's #1 Business Networking Site. Eric Butow and Kathleen Taylor. AMACOM, 2008
ISBN-10: 081441074X
ISBN-13: 978-0814410745
I’m on LinkedIn, Now What? By Jason Alba. Happy About; 2 edition, 2009.
ISBN-10: 1600051367
ISBN-13: 978-1600051364
Internet Articles
7 Secrets to Getting Your Next Job Using Social Media, by Dan Schwabel
mashable.com/2009/01/05/job-search-secrets
Don’t Search for Jobs; Search for People!, by Meg Busse/Idealist.org
www.idealist.org/if/idealist/en/blogs/3/2380
How to: Find a Job on Twitter by Sarah Evans
mashable.com/2009/03/13/twitter-jobs
How to Get the Most Out of LinkedIn, by Brian Wallace
mashable.com/2008/11/02/reexamining-linkedin
Leveraging Social Media in a Nonprofit Job Search: Q&A with Beth Kanter, Author of Beth’s Blog, by Bridgestar and Beth Kanter
www.bridgestar.org/Library/LeveragingSocialMedia.aspx
Professional Social Networks That Take on LinkedIn, by Don Reisinger
news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10296752-2.html
Search Me, by Scott Westcott
philanthropy.com/free/articles/v21/i08/08t000601.htm
To Blog or Not to Blog: How Blogging and Social Networking Can Impact Your Job Search, by Alison Doyle
jobsearch.about.com/od/jobsearchblogs/a/jobsearchblog.htm
Twitter, Facebook, Digg: Can You Join too Many Networks? by Dan Schwabel,
mashable.com/2008/12/16/choosing-social-networks
Online Resources on Interviewing
jobsearchtoolkit.pbworks.com/Interview%C2%A0Tips
An extensive list of resources including a video on interviewing.
Handling Questionable Questions
www.rileyguide.com/dob.html
Successful Interviewing: What Candidates Need to know by Jeff Lipschultz
www.job-hunt.org/guides/Job-Hunt-successful-job-interviewing.pdf
Thank-You Letter after the Interview
Careerperfect.com, Interview Advice
www.careerperfect.com/content/job-interview-questions-delay-accepting-offer/
To Thank or Not to Thank, by Sally Kearsley
www.jobweb.com/resumesample.aspx?id=802&terms=thank
Evaluating a Job Offer
Job-Offer Evaluation Checklist by Paul W. Barada
career-advice.monster.com/salary-benefits/Negotiation-Tips/Job-Offer-Evaluation-Checklist/article.aspx
Letter of Acceptance
Letter Accepting a Job Offer by Alison Doyle
jobsearch.about.com/od/careeradviceresources/qt/jobaccept.htm
Letter of Resignation
How to Write a Resignation Letter
www.job-employment-guide.com/how-to-write-a-resignation-letter.html
www.job-employment-guide.com/sample-resignation-letters.html
Week 3
Mental Health Organizations by State
www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/state_orgs.htm
Provides information on mental health agencies and private mental health organizations in each state.
Mental Health Services Locator
mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/databases
This locator provides you with comprehensive information about mental health services and resources and is useful for professionals, consumers and their families, and the public. You can access this information in several ways by selecting a State or U.S. Territory from the map or drop-down menu.
One Stop/Career Centers by State
www.servicelocator.org
A locator service for local employment and workforce services.
www.cvm.org
A national network of free voice mail providers.
Job assistance programs at the Wake County Public Library
www.wakegov.com/libraries/events/jobassistance.htm
A monthly listing of programs provided by volunteers from
SCORE and Job Link/AmeriCorps.
Fairfield (CT) Public Library, Jobs 2010
www.fairfieldpubliclibrary.org
Provides job and career resources, programs, networking
opportunities and podcasts.
Cuyahoga County Public Library Career Page
www.cuyahogalibrary.org/careerexpert.aspx
An extensive listing of career resources and information about the Maple Heights Branch Career Center.
Workforce Resources compiled by Project Compass
www.webjunction.org/workforce-resources
Finding Jobs and Careers on the Internet
www.sfpl.org/index.php?pg=2000011601
A web page that serves as the syllabus for a class taught at the San Francisco Public Library.
Partnerships and Collaborations in Tough Times
infopeople.org/training/webcasts/webcast_data/364/index.html
An Infopeople webinar presented by Joan Frye Williams and George Needham.
Library websites with extensive resource pages for job seekers:
www.fresnolibrary.org/ref/emp.html
Fresno County Library
(CA)
explore.bcls.lib.nj.us/content.php?pid=4657
Burlington County
Library System (NJ)
statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/ld/jobsearchtoolkit.html
North Carolina State
Library (NC)
www.columbuslibrary.org/jobhelp
Columbus Metropolitan
Library (OH)
www.carnegielibrary.org/research/jobsedu
Carnegie Library of Pittsburg (PA)
ibrary.ohio.gov/toughtimes
State Library of Ohio (OH)
www.camden.lib.nj.us/lifeline/default.htm
Camden County Library System (NJ)
www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=collection_db_jobresources
The Seattle Public Library (WA)
www.queenslibrary.org/index.aspx?section_id=5&page_id=82
Queens Library (NY)
WebJunction: Workforce Resources
www.webjunction.org/workforce-resources
Workforce resources include programs, services, and tools that libraries can use to assist the unemployed in their community. Also includes information about statewide initiatives and partnerships that help local libraries provide these resources.
WebJunction Workforce Resources Wiki
wiki.webjunctionworks.org/index.php/Workforce_Resources
Provides a list of state and local libraries that have created or enhanced their websites to provide ready access to a variety of online resources to help job seekers.
Libraries and Economic Development series
www.webjunction.org/workforce-resources/articles/content/103122377
Resources for how libraries can support small business development and local economies.
Week 4
Image, Branding, Positioning, Vision
www.olc.org/marketing/4image.htm.
Ohio Library Council, Marketing the Library.
adage.com/century/slogans.html
A marketing history reference resource.
www.camden.lib.nj.us/lifeline/default.htm
Career Fridays, La Pintoresca Public Library, Pasadena, CA
ww2.cityofpasadena.net/library/career-fridays.asp
Library staff has partnered with community organizations to establish a “Career Fridays” programs offer FREE career development and lifelong learning workshops. These classes empower individuals with educational, vocational, and technological skills that will make a difference to the Pasadena community.
Fresh Start Tuesdays, La Pintoresca Public Library
www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/EkContent.aspx?theme=Olive&id=3338&bid=3008
Library staff has partnered with Women At Work to establish a “Fresh Start Tuesdays” program which provides one-on-one career counseling. Attendees receive free guidance with resume writing, interviewing skills, networking, and other career development assistance. All are welcome. Services available in Spanish.
How did our job resources help you?
www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=collection_db_jobresources_feedback
Patrons using the Seattle Public Library are asked to provide feedback on how the library’s job resources assisted them in finding a job.
Peggy Barber and Linda Wallace, Building a Buzz: Libraries and Word-of-Mouth Marketing, ALA Editions, 2010, in Library Marketing: Beyond Bookmarks and Brochures, an Infopeople online course.
Peggy Barber and Linda Wallace, “The Power of Word-of-Mouth Marketing,” American Libraries, November, 2009, p. 38.
oh.webjunction.org/oharra
floridarecovery.pbworks.com
ARRA Grant Money Available for Rural Libraries
www.cde.state.co.us/cdelib/LibraryDevelopment/PublicLibraries/download/pdf/ARRAGrantMoney.pdf
In New Jersey, Teens, Parents Alerted by Text to Library Programs
www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6671482.html
The New Jersey State Library (NJSL), no stranger to innovative programs (read about LJ's 2008 Librarian of the Year NJ State Librarian Norma Blake), has launched a six-month pilot using mobile communications to promote library services. Libraries will use text messaging, averaging two messages a week, as a tool to reach out to teens and the parents of younger children.
twitter.com/skokielibrary
Twitter is a rich source of instantly-updated information. It's easy to stay updated on an incredibly wide variety of topics.
Kansas City Public Library's Facebook page
www.facebook.com/kclibrary#!/kclibrary?v=wall
Kansas City Public Library uses Facebook pages to promote job search programs.
Cuyahoga County Public Library's Career Centers
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU3LCQAgfDY
NJ Libraries helping the unemployed
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4XZxks97c8