Capital Gazette
Kachevas, Sarah
Last spring, many residents found themselves out of work as businesses closed due to the pandemic. Still others, after the self-reflection only quarantine can bring, recognized they wanted more out of their careers while many business owners struggled to build a workforce for the next century. Where can a job seeker, career builder and small business owner go for help? The library, of course.
The resources and staff of the Anne Arundel County Public Library can help you find the job of your dreams and equip you with the skills to secure long-lasting success in the workforce – for free!
If you are looking to land the perfect career, the library offers free access to JobNow. With live online assistance and tips, this service is designed to help with every stage of job hunting. You can complete a career assessment, search for jobs, create a resume from templates with award-winning software, brush up on your interview techniques with a real person and get expert feedback in the writing lab.
This service also helps you refresh skills and knowledge with their Adult Learning Center, where you can access high school equivalency and US citizenship test prep along with providing Microsoft Office support.
In addition, AACPL offers Peterson’s Test and Career Prep brought to you by the world’s leading educational services company. Take advantage of Peterson’s to receive personalized career and college recommendations, explore schools and training programs and obtain advice on both finding a job or advancing an existing career. Peterson’s can help you discover, prepare for and fund your education.
Want to start a business? The library’s free resources can help in every stage of development. Every entrepreneur knows success only begins with a promising idea or useful product. Launching and maintaining your business is much more complicated. Where else can you find free computers with internet access, Chromebooks and Wi-Fi hotspots for checkout, copiers, printers and even space for meetings and training? The library!
AACPL also offers Gale Business: Entrepreneurship, a digital tool with an intuitive dashboard that transforms the complex business planning process into a guided, step-by-step experience. Key elements include market research, business plans and a host of how-to guides walking you through important topics such as funding and financing your business, creating employee policies and much more.
Another exciting opportunity for entrepreneurs is on the horizon this fall. AACPL is partnering with Prince George’s County Memorial Library System to launch an Entrepreneur Academy. The program will provide networking opportunities and cover topics such as market research, business plan creation, bookkeeping and marketing.
For employers and prospective employees, AACPL provides free access to LinkedIn Learning and Udemy, both offering high-quality, on-demand video skill-building courses taught by world-class instructors. These invaluable resources teach you how to manage time and projects, be more productive with business software and technology, learn new creative skills and lead yourself, others and your business over the span of your entire career. These carefully curated courses keep your business relevant and for those striving to get back into the workforce, provide the tools necessary to make the next step.
So, if you are preparing to enter the workforce for the first time, contemplating a career change, looking to be your own boss or building your workforce, the library is here to help. Visit us online at aacpl.net or at any of our 16 locations for hands-on assistance.