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Job Hunting Resources

Are You Looking for a Job? Start Here!

Are you looking for a job, but having a hard time finding one?  New Castle County Libraries are a great place to start looking for a job.

Unemployment Benefits

Learn about unemployment benefits from the Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Unemployment Insurance
 
Guide to Unemployment Insurance Benefits in Delaware
 
Department of Labor Unemployment Insurance Offices in
New Castle County:
    
Wilmington Office     
4425 North Market Street                           
Fox Valley                                             
Wilmington, DE 19802                              
(302) 761-8446                                      
                                                                
Newark Office
225 Corporate Boulevard, Suite 108
Pencader Corporate Center
Newark, DE  19702
(302) 368-6600
         
Unemployment Insurance Information Hotline for New Castle County:
(302) 761-6576

Starting A Job Search

Starting your job search with newspaper classified ads and job postings can be a great way to see what jobs are available in your area. New Castle County Libraries subscribe to the following newspapers:
 
But remember, not all available jobs are advertised! 
  
Don't limit your job search to just the newspaper classifieds.
 
Your job search will be more organized and focused if you dedicate specific blocks of time to accomplish specific tasks.
 
Create a file for materials related to your job search - record contact information and the dates of meetings, take notes about phone calls, and keep copies of your sent resumes and cover letters.  This information can prove to be very helpful.
 
Also make sure you print out or save any online job postings you apply for. On-line job postings can disappear overnight and be gone without a trace.
 
New Castle County Libraries have helpful materials on organizing and conducting a job search.
 
If you are still not sure how to start your job search, or need some additional advice on job hunting, resumes, interviews, or the process of job hunting, check out the following websites:
Jobhuntersbible.com – site from Richard Bolles, What Color is Your Parachute, advice on all aspects of job hunting and lists of many websites
Rileyguide.com - The Riley Guide introduces you to the online job search process, listing many online sites and services that are useful for your job search.
Work Coach Cafe - a blog about job hunting.  Tips and advice from a job coach.
 
Additional resources on organizing your job search are available at Delaware's Department of Labor Unemployment Services offices.
 

Job Web Sites

Local Job Web sites
Delaware Joblink- Delaware JobLink is a free, self-service job matching system for job seekers and employers.  Try their  Job Spidering search engine to search for job openings; Job Spider searches other Internet job banks for job openings based on your search criteria and will save you lots of time!
 
Delaware Jobs.com-  DelawareJobs.com is a local employment website for job seekers and employers. The site is part of the LocalCareers.com network.  DelawareJobs.com is not affiliated with any state agency or staffing firm.
 
ChesapeakeJobSource.com The DeMarVa On-line job network
 
Office of Human Resources, New Castle County-  Employment opportunities with 
New Castle County
 
City Department Job Postings, Wilmington - Employment opportunities with the City of Wilmington.
 
 
PhillyJobs.com- The premier destination to quickly and easily identify the best local jobs in Philadelphia, Southern NJ, Wilmington and surrounding areas.  Part of the Beyond.com network.
 
National Job Web sites
Career Builder - Career Builder is an online job marketplace affiliated with 90 newspapers and is searchable by keyword, city, state, and category. Registered users can also post résumés and set up job alerts. The website also includes career resources, interview tips, and relocation information.
 
Careerjet - An employment search engine for the USA. It allows you to search jobs listed on company sites as well as job sites without having to go to each site individually.
 
Chronicle of Higher Education - Jobs in the field of education.
 
College Recruiter.com -  Internships and entry level jobs for recent college graduates
 
Dice.com - The leading career website for technology professionals
 
eFinancialCareers.com - The leading job site for careers in finance
 
HealthSearch USA - A large searchable selection of employment opportunities for healthcare professionals.
 
Indeed -  Indeed is a search engine with a radically different approach to job search. In one simple search, Indeed gives job seekers free access to millions of employment opportunities from thousands of websites.
Job.com - Job.com is your source for local jobs, career advice, and services to manage your job search, and, more importantly, your career.
 
Job Central.com - Provided by leading U.S. employers in alliance with the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) as a public service for all employers and all job seekers regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age or national origin.
 
Librarian's Job Search Source - Includes a keyword search option for jobs as well as a professional development source which lists scholarships, a guide to writing for publication, and much more.
 
Monster.com -  Includes national and international job listings plus information on writing resumes, relocation information, and self-employment opportunities.
 
Snag a Job -  Search for full-time and part-time hourly employment.  Users can register and post resumes online.
 
 
USA Jobs - The official site for jobs and employment information with the Federal Government. Lists current job openings and has some on-line applications.
 
Don't just rely on job boards and job posting websites!
Check company websites for employment opportunities.
 

Applying Online/Online Job Hunting

More and more employers are requiring people to apply online.  Try these books and websites for tips and advice on how to make your online application process as successful as it can be.
 
New Castle County Libraries have a number of books that will help you with your online job search:
 
Tips for applying online - Make your unique talents and strengths stand out.
 
Advice on applying online - Advice & privacy protection advice for online job hunting and resume posting.
 
Job hunting online - From Fortune.com, the tips that online job hunters need to know.
 
Weddle's Tips for Success - An in depth discussion about online job hunting.
 
The top 12 mistakes online job searchers make - Don't make these common mistakes!
 
 
Online Job Hunting Ideas from LocalCareers.com - An in depth guide to job hunting online.

Résumés and Cover Letters

New Castle County Libraries have many resources that will help you write your resume.

New Castle County Libraries have a large collection of books on resumes and resume writing:
Library books on resumes and resume writing

All New Castle County Libraries have public computers with Microsoft Word and Resume Wizard.  All computers are networked to black & white and color printers.

Delaware Department of Labor Unemployment Insurance Offices offer workshops on resume writing that will assist you in creating your resume.  They also have print resources, and computers with Microsoft Word and WinWay Resume available to the public.

The Enoch Pratt Free Library has a great tutorial on writing a resume that will highlight your work experience, education, training, and skills.
Create a résumé

You may want to write a mini-resume in addition to your regular resume.  A mini resume is a brief summary of your career highlights and can be used for networking purposes or shared upon request when someone just wants an overview of your qualifications.
Mini-résumé

Resume Turorial from CareerOneStop.org

Your cover letter is usually the first thing the person who screens your resume looks at.  It is your chance to make a good first impression.  It is your chance to direct attention to specific skills that will be of interest to your potential employer, and an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge about a company or industry.

Take the time to make your cover letter as professional as your resume.

You want your cover letter to make the reader:

  • Focus on two or three key points in your resume,
  • Ignore the fact that you may not be an exact fit for the position,
  • Ignore the fact that you may not be an exact fit for the position


For additional help with writing your cover letter try the following books and websites.

New Castle County Libraries have a variety of books that can help you write your cover letter:
Library books on cover letters

Writing effective cover letters

Careerzone Resume Generator - Fill in the online form and export your resume as a Word document, an Adobe PDF document, or an HTML document.

Cover-Letters.com - A site with a collection of over 1000 cover letters you can view.

Cover letters and thank You notes - Advice on cover letters and thank you notes from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

Additional help with Resumes and Cover Letters can be found at both the Wilmington and Newark branches of the Department of Labor's Employment Services Offices.  Both offices have computers with Microsoft Word and WinWay Resume Builder.  Assistance is available in their computer labs.  They also offer a resume writing workshop.

Wonder How To - over 700 video tutorials on Resume-writing and job interviews.

E-Mail

Do you have an e-mail account?  You can't search for a job today without one.  If you don't have an e-mail account there are a number places you can go to sign up for a free account.
 
Yahoo! - One of the most popular free e-mail sites.
 
Gmail.com - Recommended by NCC Libraries.  Works well with the library's computer system, and is the only e-mail system accepted by the DE Department of Labor.
 
Hotmail.com - This is another popular free e-mail provider, but if you are going to check your e-mail at the library be warned that our computer system has issues ith it, and you won't be able to view attachments.
 
Yahoo E-Mail Tutorials - Learn how to get more out of your Yahoo! e-mail by exploring these step by step tutorials.
 
New Castle County Libraries have a number of books that will help you with e-mail:
 

Networking

Be prepared to network anywhere at anytime. Always have an up to date copy of your resume and a business card with you.
Network anywhere
 
Create a commercial about yourself to use while networking.  Focus on who you are and what you can do for a potential employer and practice it!
 
Develop relationships with people.  Follow up on any suggestions they offer.  You can also focus on what you have to offer them.  Networking can be a two-way street.
 
Business cards are essential for networking.  Even if you don’t have a job title, you can still get business cards made up.  Free business cards
 
New Castle County Libraries have materials that can help you network.
There are a number of networking organizations and websites that can get you started.
 
Delaware Organizations
Business Women's Network- meet in Wilmington & Middletown, DE
 
Delaware/American Society of Training and Development- meet in Newark, DE
 
Delaware Society of Certified Public Accountants- events, continuing education, and news for Delaware CPA's
Financial Executives International (FEI)- Delaware chapter
 
 
 
Networking Websites
 
BrightFuse.com - A networking site launched by CareerBuilder.com to give professionals a tool to network and interact easily with other professionals.
 
LinkedIn.com - An on-line networking tool with more than 35 million experienced professionals from around the world representing 130 industries.
 
LinkedIn Learning Center - The place to go to learn how to use LinkedIn.com.

Research Potential Employers

Once you have an interview scheduled, you will want to find out more information about the company before you interview with them.  Alternatively, you may want to identify potential employers in a particular area.  For either case, the library has a number of resources that you can use to research potential employers.
 
Business Directories - New Castle County Libraries have both local and national business directories in our Business Reference Sections.  (Not all branches have these.  Call your branch before you come in.)
 
On-Line Databases - New Castle County Libraries and the Delaware Division of Libraries maintain paid subscriptions to several licensed electronic databases that can be used to do research in business, marketing, and competitor intelligence.  These databases are free to patrons using library Internet computers and to library members using their own computers from home or the office.  When using these databases remotely, you must enter your library card barcode and your PIN.
 
Ask at the Reference Desk of any library for more information on these databases, especially those of interest to job seekers such as ReferenceUSA (a directory of over 200 million households and 14 million US businesses searchable by name, location, and type of business) and databases for accessing magazine and newspaper articles about companies and industries such as Newspaper Source Plus and EBSCO MasterFile Premiere.
 
Career Infonet Employer Locator - From CareerOneStop.org

Interviewing

Preparing for an interview is essential if you want to land the job.

Practice answering the most commonly asked questions with a friend or family member before the interview.

Commonly asked interview questions

Use the STAR technique when creating stories to show off your skills and problem solving abilities.  Stories

Be prepared to talk about any red flags in your employment history.  Red flags are things in your employment history that give potential employers pause or raise questions.  Examples of red flags include:

  • You have been fired
  • You have changed jobs a lot, or worked a number of unrelated jobs
  • You don't have a lot of experience
  • You have been out of the workforce a long time
  • You have a criminal record
  • You don't have the required degrees or exact qualifications
  • You don't have good references.

 

If you have red flags in your employment history you will want to take time before your interview to prepare and rehearse well thought out answers that provide an explanation, convince the interviewer that you have changed or learned from the experience, and move the discussion back to your qualifications and skills.

Answering red-flag questions

New Castle County Libraries have numerous books on interviewing, interview strategy, and how to answer tough interview questions.  Library books on interviewing

Wonder How To - over 700 video tutorials on job interviews and writing resumes.

Job Offer

Congratulations!  You’ve done your job search steps, written a great résumé, and had a successful interview.  Now you’ve got a job offer.  What do you do?
 
Ask for some time to think about it, even if you want the position.  Allow yourself time to make a decision, but don't stretch it out for more than a couple of days.  evaluate the position
 
Don't take too long to make a decision!  And if you decide you don't want the position tell the employer as soon as possible.
 
Some questions you will want to ask yourself while thinking about the job offer are:
Do you want to leave your current job?
  • Why do you want this job?
  • Do you have any questions about the job offer?
  • Do you have all the facts and details?
  • Are you happy with the salary, or do you want to try and negotiate?
     

Make sure that you get the job offer in writing.

Hold off on quitting your current job, turning down other job offers, or making moving arrangements until you have the job offer in writing.

Other Places to get Help

There are a number of agencies, community groups, and organizations that can provide help with the job hunting process.
 
Job Clubs
Talent in Transition Support Group - Brandywine Valley Baptist Church has formed a new support group for people who are in transition between jobs.  The group meets at the church on Sunday evenings beginning at 7pm.  See their website for more information.
 
DE Community Matters Networking - A career transition, job search, and networking group that meets at 9:30 am Friday mornings at Hockessin Baptist Church.  The group also covers resume writing, interviewing tips, computer software and internet / social media. See their website for more information.
 
Organizations and Agencies
Back On Track A-Z - A community resource center to connect underemployed and unemployed Delawareans with job hunting tools they may not have on their own. The center is housed in AFL-CIO Community Services building in Newark and is the result of collaboration between AFL-CIO Community Services, United Way of Delaware and AstraZeneca. The center provides internet access, information and referrals, peer-to-peer counseling, and weekly scheduled classes on financial stability, résumé development, skills assessment and job search/interviewing skills. The center will be open Mondays and Wednesdays 9:00 a.m. to 2 p.m., and is available to all underemployed or unemployed Delawareans, regardless of profession.
 
For more information about Back on Track A-Z, call (302) 456-3500.
 
Delaware Workforce Investment Board - The Delaware Workforce Investment Board ensures that the citizens of Delaware are provided with occupational training and employment service opportunities to help them achieve employment that will sustain them and their families.  They are located within each of Delaware's Department of Labor locations.  For more information see their website, or call them at (302) 761-8160.
 
RSVP New Castle County - RSVP is the largest organized senior volunteer effort in the nation that places adults in volunteer positions at local non-profit, public and governmental agencies.  To find out what programs they have available check their website, or call them at (302) 255-9882.