With your library card, you have access to free programs like LearningExpress Job & Career Accelerator, which you can use to find and explore career paths that fit your interests and skills; search for jobs and internships; create a resume and cover letter; master interview techniques; and more.
Job and Career Accelerator is great for high school and college students who want to find and explore careers they might be interested in pursuing. It is also helpful for people who already have a few years of work experience and would like to explore other careers based on their skills and interests.
You can access Job and Career Accelerator through GALILEO. You can usually also find a link to Job and Career Accelerator under “digital resources” on your library’s website, but ask your librarian to be sure. Remember to sign in or register for free to save your progress. You can use the Interest Matcher or the Skills Quiz to find jobs that match your skills and interests. With Job and Career Accelerator, you can also build a resume and cover letter; search for jobs and internships; and prepare for interviews.
EXPLORE TYPES OF JOBS AND FIND A CAREER MATCH
Whether you have a particular job in mind or are undecided, Job and Career Accelerator has tools to help you narrow down potential careers based on your interests or skills.
The Interest Matcher quiz presents you with 60 work activities or duties some people do at their jobs. You’ll then be asked to respond with how much you like or dislike the activity.
After you submit your answers, click “View Matches” to see a list of occupations that match your interests.
You can change the Preparation Level for your job matches, which will show you results based on how much education, training, and work experience is typically required for a certain job.
Click on an occupation to learn more about their general work tasks, as well as the following:
- Wages and trends
- Task and activities
- Knowledge, skills, and abilities
- Tools and technology
- Education and training
- Related occupations
- Current job openings
Select “Save Card” to save the occupation information for future reference. You can view your saved occupation cards in the career dashboard, which you can find on the Job and Career Accelerator homepage. From your career dashboard, you will also find recommended resources based on your saved occupations.
Job and Career Accelerator also has a skills matcher quiz you can use to help you find jobs and careers that match your skills and abilities. Use both quizzes to help you learn about possible careers that align with your interests and what steps you need to take if you would like to pursue a particular career. These quizzes are available in both English and Spanish.
BUILD A RESUME AND COVER LETTER
Need help building a resume that stands out to employers? Job and Career Accelerator has a step-by-step resume builder that guides you through each section and can help you make a resume tailored to a specific career field. You can also view sample resumes which you can save and customize, which makes it easy to build an effective resume.
On the resume builder, you can click “More About How to Complete This Section” to learn more about what to include, and what not to include, in each section of your resume, as well as see helpful tips.
At the top of the resume builder page, select “Preview Resume” to view your resume. From this page, you’ll also find options to download, print, and email your resume.
Use the cover letter builder to help you create a letter that effectively highlights your skills and accomplishments. You can upload an existing letter you’ve started or create a new one. You can even view and use sample letters which you can customize and tailor to your needs.
You can also view a list of action words you can include to help you effectively describe yourself and your experience. There is even a list of keywords that are geared toward specific jobs. Use these to help you stand out and connect with employers.
SEARCH FOR FIND JOBS AND INTERNSHIPS
Looking for your next opportunity? Job and Career Accelerator job search engine has over 5 million jobs pulled from popular job boards; government and corporate sites; recruitment sites; and more, all in one place. Similarly, students and recent graduates looking for an internship can use Monster USA Internship Search to search for their next opportunity.
The job and internship search section also offers a course that guides you through the job search process and has lessons on why resumes and cover letters are essential; tips on how to network and connect with potential employers; where to find skill-building opportunities; and the best practices for finding a job that suits your needs and skills. You can find this course under the “Find Your Next Job” heading and clicking “Start Tutorial”.
PREPARE FOR INTERVIEWS
Job and Career Accelerator also has resources to help you practice and master interviewing skills.
View the “Interview with Confidence” tutorial to learn about what to expect and how to succeed during job interviews. The tutorial also teaches you about common interview etiquette; what to research before attending an interview; and how to prepare for common interview questions.
Before you accept a position from an employer, you can use the “Job Offers and Salary Negotiation” tutorial to learn how to evaluate the job offer; accept or decline the job offer; and negotiate for better benefits or pay.
SAVE AND CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
From the Job and Career Accelerator homepage, select “Full Career Dashboard” to see all your saved jobs, resumes, letters, and quizzes. On this page, you’ll also find recommended resources based on your saved occupation searches. You’ll find resource recommendations for skills improvement including ebooks, tutorials, and more.
Job and Career Accelerator has many tools to help you find your next job or advance your career. No matter what stage of the job searching process you are in, there are resources that can make it easier to prepare for your next opportunity.
HOW TO ACCESS JOB AND CAREER ACCELERATOR
To get started, go to www.galileo.usg.edu, or look for the link on your local library’s website.
On the GALILEO homepage, type and select the name of your public library, then use your library card number and PIN to log in.
Your PIN is the four-digit code that you set up when you received your library card. PINES cardholders can log into their account at www.gapines.org and select “GALILEO Virtual Library” at the top of the webpage.
To find Job and Career Accelerator on GALILEO, with “Bento Search” selected on the homepage search bar, type and enter the name of the resource you would like to explore in the search box. The link to each resource can be found in the “Databases” column.
