Job Seeker’s Toolkit

This toolkit is designed to support job-seekers and those who assist job-seekers. 

Librloary customers of Enoch Pratt can attend Career Clinics or  sign up for appointments with job-seeker coaches at Central Library and select branch libraries.

Career Clinics and One-on-One Appointments

Call the branch listed in the calendar or the Job and Career Information Center at Enoch Pratt/State Library Resource Center for more information or to make an appointment.

410-396-5317

Planning and Researching

Register for an Email Address

• Two popular providers of web-based email accounts are Google Gmail, and Yahoo.
  • For help registering for a web-based e-mail account, read the Gmail and Yahoo registration help documents (PDF) from Enoch Pratt Free Library
  • Gmail and Yahoo ask new registrants for a cellphone number, so if you do not have a cellphone that can receive text messages, please select another email service.
• Two email providers that do not require a phone number to register are ProtonMail and Mail.com.
  
• Note: If you will be using this email account to contact employers, consider selecting a professional-sounding email address.

Develop Your Computer Skills

Attend computer classes in the Public Computer Center at the Central Library. Available classes include beginning computer classes as well as introductions to Microsoft Office and using the Internet. No registration is necessary. Calendar of upcoming classes.

Research a Career

Use these resources to research a career before you submit an application and to evaluate a position after you have received a job offer. 

• The Occupational Outlook Handbook from the Bureau of Labor Statistics contains information about specific careers. Entries describe what the work in a particular field is like, what compensation and benefits can be expected, and what qualifications are required. The “Job Outlook” section of each job entry shows projections about the number of jobs in that field in the years to come.
• O*Net, produced by the U.S. Department of Labor, describes what a job or career is “really like” by exploring the common features of different careers. 
  
• MyNextMove.org, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, can be accessed either by a keyword search, browsing known industries, or answering survey questions. The site is also available in Spanish.
• Career One-Stop, also sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, can be used to research a career, look at detailed, state-specific occupation and industry profiles, use self-assessment tools, and learn more about salaries & benefits, education & training, and resumes & applications.

Research a Potential Employer

• Visit the company’s website. Review the annual report, strategic plan, or financial disclosure documents about the company prior to an interview.
• Use Business Source Premier or Regional Business News to find information about the company.
• Look for the company’s listing with the Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland.
• Use Mergent Online to find company information including financial details, affiliate companies, executives, and competitors. Select D&B 20 Million Plus Private Company Search to search for private companies.
• Private companies are more difficult to research. Visit the Business, Science and Technology Department at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Maryland’s State Library Resource Center, to access Hoover’s Handbook of Private Companies 2020.
  

Avoid Employment-Related Scams

• Protect your personal information.
• Be On The Lookout For Job Scams, from the Maryland Workforce Exchange, details some common employment related scams and the steps you can take to protect yourself from them.
• Learn more about how to avoid job scams from the Federal Trade Commission.
• The Maryland Attorney General maintains a page detailing how to protect yourself from identity theft.

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Looking for a Job Opening

Find a Job Opening Online

• America's Job Exchange focuses on diversity. Includes:  veterans job exchange, disability job exchange, diversity job exchange.
• Baltimore Craigslist Postings are broken up into categories.  Job search can be limited by different categories, including part-time, telecommute, contract, internship, or non-profit.
• Baltimore Sun Classified Ads through Career Builder. Baltimore City jobs are included, and the Web site can also be searched for jobs nationwide.
• Career Builder is an online job marketplace affiliated with 90 newspapers, including the Baltimore Sun. Registered users can also post résumés and set up job alerts.
• Career One-Stop includes a nationwide job-search tool.
• Craigslist search for location by state and city or region.
• Enoch Pratt Free Library’s listing of Employment Services can help you find a work placement.
• Idealist   connects "idealists with opportunities for action"   Includes NGOs (Non-governmental Organizations), non-profits, educational institutions.
• Indeed collects job listings from many different websites of all kinds, presenting you with a wide range of vacancies from multiple sources.
• LinkedIn  is good for networking and learning from colleagues in your field.
• Job Fetch includes job ads from local newspapers in DC, MD and VA. JobFetch includes information on continuing education, company profiles, and career resources.
• LinkUp is a job search engine that focuses on job postings on company websites.
• Maryland Workforce Exchange lists jobs in the State of Maryland, and includes quick links to areas of the workforce with a high profile or demand, such as green jobs, jobs in cyber security, and jobs at BWI Marshall Airport. 
• Monster is a large site listing multiple vacancies. Sign up to upload resumes & apply for jobs. 
• SnagAJob lists part-time and full-time hourly jobs and is a great place to look for customer service work, and if you want to start work immediately.
• Jobing is a site connecting job seekers in the Greater Baltimore area with local employers.

Finding University, Federal, and Medical Jobs in Maryland

Many of Maryland’s largest employers are Educational, Medical or Government agencies. Review this list from the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development.

Educational Institutions

Explore vacancies advertised by public and private universities in Maryland. Employment opportunities are listed on the following pages:

• Coppin State University
• Goucher College
• Johns Hopkins University
• Loyola University of Maryland
• Maryland Institute College of Art
• McDaniel College
• Morgan State University
• Notre Dame of Maryland University
• Stevenson University
• St. Mary’s College of Maryland
• University System of Maryland listings include jobs at Coppin State University, Universities at Bowie, Frostburg, Salisbury, Towson, The University of Baltimore and University of Maryland Institutions.

Federal Employment

• Federal jobs are listed at USAjobs.gov.
• The United States Department of Labor provides additional information about the Federal Job application process.

Explore vacancies listed by major Federal employers in Maryland:

• Aberdeen Proving Ground
• Fort George G. Meade
• Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility Washington
• National Institutes of Health
• Naval Air Station Patuxent River – Listed with other vacancies in Naval District Washington.
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• U.S. Social Security Administration
• Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

State Government Jobs

• Jobs with Maryland’s State Government
• Jobs with the Maryland Judiciary

Medical Employment

Find information about Health Care Careers using this guide published by Enoch Pratt Free Library.

Explore vacancies listed by major Medical Employers in Maryland:

• Johns Hopkins Medicine
• LifeBridge Health
• MedStar Health
• University of Maryland Medical Center

Private Employers

Look for a career with one of the major private-sector employers in Maryland:

• Constellation Energy
• Giant Food
• Home Depot
• Lockheed Martin
• Marriott International
• Northrop Grumman
• SAIC
• Target
• United Parcel Service
• Verizon Maryland
• WalMart
• Wegmans
  

Read insider information on companies regarding jobs, salaries, company reviews, and interview questions through Glassdoor.

Employment for Teens

• Are you a teen looking for work? These sites from the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s Job and Career Center are a good place to start.
• Information about work permits for minors ages 14-17 in Maryland is available from the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.

Employment for Justice Involved/Ex-Offenders

Sample Resumes for Criminal Background

The Federal Bonding Program provides fidelity bonding for the first six months of employment for hard-to-place job applicants. Eligible employees receive their bond letter from a local bonding services coordinator at a One-Stop Career Center. The Bonding Services Coordinator for the State of Maryland can be reached at:

Bonding Services Coordinator
1100 North Eutaw Street, Room 616
Baltimore, Maryland  21201
410-767-2018
410-333-5162 fax

Information sheets from the Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation, Maryland Re-entry Initiative:

• Procedure for Obtaining Federal Bonding Letter of Eligibility
• Federal Bonding Instructions to Job Seekers

Expungement Information from ExpungeMaryland. 

See if you qualify for expungement:

http://www.expungemaryland.org/

Maryland Judiciary Expungement Information

Reentry Resources by County

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Preparing Your Application

Completing an Online Application

• Review Steps to Applying for a Job Online, an Enoch Pratt Free Library quick-start guide for online applications.
• Purdue University Job Applications Worksheets.
   Stratford, CT Library Practice Employment Application.

Note: Write down and remember usernames and passwords for job sites and email, and remember the answers to security questions. Without this information, you will not be able to recover passwords to access email or profiles on employment websites.

Note: Allow enough time to complete an online application, and be prepared to be directed to a follow-up evaluation or assessment after submitting an application.

Writing a Resume

Collect and organize information about your work history, education and references prior to writing a resume.  

• New York State Career Zone’s Quick Resume Builder
• Anne Arundel Community College Resume Builder
• Resume Samples
• More Resume Samples
• Use O*NET Occupation Quick Search for ideas for your resume. The skills section has good action verbs and descriptions for most professions
• University of Maryland Career Center’s guide to resume preparation.
  
• Career One-Stop’s resumes and interviews.

Writing a Cover Letter

A cover letter should:

• Be written specifically for each application.
• Amplify and reinforce (but not repeat) the sections of your resume that are relevant to the vacancy for which you are applying.
• Positively connect your previous experience to the open position.
• Explain why you are the best candidate for the position.

• Cover Letter Sample/Outline
• Virginia Tech’s Cover letters: types and samples.
• Purdue University’s how to write a cover letter.

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Interviewing

Interview Preparation

• The University of Maryland University College’s Interviewing Guide
  
• Purdue University’s What to Do During and After a Job Interview.
• Quint Careers’ Typical Job Interview Questions

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Benefits, Permits, and Licenses

Vocational Training

• Vocational Schools are listed on this page from the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s Job and Career Center.
• The Maryland Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation  maintains a list of approved occupational training programs and providers. Qualifying individuals registered through a One Stop Center can get funding through the Workforce Investment Act to enroll in one of these programs:
  • Allied Health Professionals
  • Tourism/Hospitality/Culinary Arts
  • Information Technology
  • Design & Applied Arts/Communications
  • Business Management & Admin. Services
  • Law Enforcement/Legal Studies
  • Trades
  • Cosmetology/Barber
  • Engineering & Related Technologies
  • Commercial Vehicle Operation
  • Child Development / Education
  • Other Types
  • Adult Education and Literacy Training

Taking a Vocational Exam or Test

• Practice taking tests online with the Learning Express Library database from Enoch Pratt Free Library.
• Test Study Guides, available at the Enoch Pratt Free Library/State Library Resource Center, are available to be checked out through the MARINA system of inter-library loan.

Applying for Maryland Unemployment Benefits

• Learn about unemployment benefits from the Maryland Division of Unemployment Insurance.
  
• File for unemployment insurance benefits online through the NetClaims System.
  
• What You Should Know About Unemployment Insurance in Maryland (PDF).

Completing a Web Certificate for Maryland Unemployment Benefit

• A WebCert is filed with the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation every week to confirm that an individual is still eligible to receive Maryland Unemployment Insurance.

Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation Licensing

• Maryland’s Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation handles licensing for 24 occupations and professions, including barbers, cosmetologists, and home improvement and HVAC contractors, among others.
• Childcare Program Professionals are licensed by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. 
• Health Professional Licensing 
• Day and Residential facilities, substance abuse centers and laboratories are inspected by the DHMH Office of Healthcare Quality.  
• Teachers and library staff are certified by the Maryland State Department of Education. 
• If you are seeking jobs in these fields, explore the current State Licensing or Certification Requirements.

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Further Assistance

Job and Career Center Classes

Job and Career Center classes are scheduled regularly at the Central Library. Check the schedule of Classes

Career Clinics and One-on-One Appointments

Library customers of Enoch Pratt can attend Career Clinics or sign up for appointments with job-seeker coaches at Central Library and select branch libraries:

Career Clinics and One-on-One Appointments

Call the branch listed in the calendar, or the Job and Career Information Center at Enoch Pratt/State Library Resource Center for more information or to make an appointment: 410-396-5317

Workforce Development Agencies

• The Governor’s Workforce Investment Board sets workforce-related policy statewide. 
  
• County/Regional Workforce Investment Boards direct workforce-related activities in Maryland’s counties and regions. Find the Workforce Investment Board near you.
• One Stop Career Centers are a statewide network that provides employment, education, and training services to both individuals and employers, all in one place. 
  
• Maryland Workforce Exchange is specifically designed for job seekers, students, case managers, employers, training providers, workforce professionals, and others seeking benefits and services. The system provides fast access to a complete set of employment tools in one website.

Ask Us

If you would like more assistance with your job search, please visit us, call, or email us at:

(410) 396-5317 or mail your question to:

Job and Career Information Center
Enoch Pratt Free Library
State Library Resource Center
400 Cathedral Street
Baltimore MD 2120

Interested in working for the library? Check the Jobs @ Pratt page for current listings.

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