Job Skills and Careers

Looking for a new job or seeking a career change? About to graduate? Need to gain new skills or update old ones? Interested in networking with other job seekers? This is the place for you. If you need assistance using the databases or navigating internet resources, please contact us at the 2nd floor Information Desk or by phone, chat, or email. We’re happy to help.

Want to take things step-by-step?

Check out our Getting Started Guide for job seekers.

Check out our First Steps Guide for starting a business.

Technology Services

Printing and photocopying, both black & white and color, plus scanning and saving via email and flash drive are available in our Business Center. Faxing is free from our scan stations.  Computers, PCs and iMacs, are available for public use. Click here for a complete list of services, printing fees, available software and more. WiFi is available throughout the library building and in Hinds Plaza.

Library of Things

Build your business and get the most out of your library card by checking out Chromebooks, computer media kits, mobile hotspots, portable power stations and more.

Meeting Spaces

Spaces are available for meetings, interviews and more. Explore our study rooms for smaller, quicker sessions and our room rentals to accommodate longer sessions and more people.

Resume Writing

Find resume templates in Word on the library’s computers or through  Gale Presents: Peterson’s Test and Career Prep, Ferguson’s Career Guidance Center, and the State of New Jersey’s Career Services.

Resume resources and live assistance are available through JobNow from Brainfuse (for PPL cardholders).

Consult the resume writing books in the booklist below and in the Business and Career neighborhood on the 2nd floor.

Events, Networking & Webinars

Check our Events Calendar for the complete listing of our current programs for job seekers, which are free and open to the public. Access an archive of our business programming on YouTube.

PSG of Mercer County: The Professional Services Group offers Friday morning presentations with a guest speaker and a chance to network with others. Topics vary. You can also access an archive of their virtual sessions.

SCORE Princeton: Interested in starting your own business? Through SCORE, local business mentors are available to meet to discuss your ideas. By appointment only through their website. SCORE also hosts online and in person programs.

NJ State Library: Find a schedule of upcoming webinars, with topics including resume tips and retirement strategies.

NJ Career Network Job Seeker Community: A job search community that offers participants opportunities to connect with other job seekers, volunteer coaches, and other resources.

Job Search Websites

JobNow from Brainfuse (connect with your library card) lets you complete a questionnaire and be matched with available jobs by “Brainfuse Job Matching experts.”

Glassdoor, Indeed, and Monster are just a few of the many job search websites currently popular with job seekers.

For niche job listings, check out CoolWorks for jobs in interesting locations, Idealist for jobs in nonprofit and similar sectors, and Dice.com, which specializes in the tech industry.

Check out The Balance and The Muse, which include expert advice, job seeker resources, and career help.

If you have an industry in mind, check out professional organizations within that field, which may offer job postings.

Online Courses

Brainfuse: Build your Microsoft Office skills through the Brainfuse Adult Learning Center. Library card required. Through the JobNow portal, access live assistance from resume, interview, job search, and life skills coaches.

Gale Presents: Peterson’s Test and Career Prep: Prepare for standardized tests with eBooks, online courses, and full-length practice tests for GED, SAT, ACT, AP, PSAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, TOEFL, U.S. citizenship, and more. Research undergraduate and graduate programs, finding tuition assistance, and exploring and preparing for careers whether you’re entering the workforce for the first time or searching for new opportunities. A variety of interactive methods prompt personalized career recommendations and insight on programs, knowledge, skills, and ability. Search for jobs and create visually interesting résumés, cover letters, and websites that can be externally shared with prospective employers, using prebuilt templates.

Goodwill Community Foundation: Build job seeking, technology, and other core skills. Some multilingual courses are available.

Grow with Google: Build your skills with Google products via tutorials or webinars.

LinkedIn Learning: (Formerly Lynda.com) Through video tutorials, develop new skills and update old ones such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Learn Google Drive, Mac essentials, Outlook, LinkedIn and more. Classes are available in English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Mandarin, and Portuguese. Library card required.

Language Learning: Use library databases to brush up on or learn a new language. Library card required.

Northstar Digital Literacy: Test yourself and learn new digital literacy skills with these self-guided modules. Included are essential computer and software skills, and using technology in daily life. 

 

Databases Overview

Access Video on Demand:  Use the keywords “resumes,” “career planning,” and “employment” to find job-related films.

Business Source Complete: Provides full-text articles from more than 2,200 journals.

Consumer Guides (Weiss): Navigate through areas that include health savings accounts, long-term care insurance, Medicare prescription drug coverage, term life, homeowners, automobile, and Medicare supplement insurance, and variable annuities. 

Ferguson’s Career Guidance Center: Great for detailed profiles of more than 3000 jobs and 90+ industries, career skill advice and more.

JobNow: Powered by Brainfuse, JobNow provides live interactive online help combined with online resources to guide you through the necessary tasks to get a job. Funding provided through the American Dream Literacy Initiative of the American Library Association made possible thanks to the generosity of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

Legal Information Reference Center (EBSCO): Provides exclusive online full text for many of the top consumer legal reference books, hundreds of full-text publications and thousands of legal forms.

Regional Business News: Provides full-text articles from 75 business journals, newspapers and newswires

Research a Company

Use these library databases to specifically search for company information.

Reference Solutions by Data Axle (formerly Reference USA): Includes US and Canadian businesses. Ability to search by name, SIC code, keyword, industry, size, geographic location, etc. to create lists of similar businesses.

Value Line Investment Survey: Search company data and much more.

And don’t forget this local directory: Princeton Online Business Directory

 

Government Websites

New Jersey Career Services: New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce’s website for job seekers. Create resumes, enhance existing resumes, access real-time job openings, and receive job search and training assistance through the One-Stop Career Centers.

State Business Portal: The State’s Business Portal has everything you need to know to run a business.

State Resources for Displaced Homemakers: From the NJ Dept. of Children and Families. Provides short-term educational or training grants to help individuals become economically self-sufficient.

Career One Stop: From the US Dept. of Labor. Of particular interest are the sections focusing on salaries and trending professions.

New Start Career Network: Webinars and virtual career coaching for long-term unemployed New Jersey job seekers aged 45+. Also hosts a calendar of local events for job seekers.

Occupational Outlook Handbook: From the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Search here for a wide variety of career information including the most popular careers, industry outlooks, and salary guides. Also available in print in the Reference neighborhood on the 2nd floor.