Job Seekers' Guide
Suggestions and strategies to get the most out of your job search
Job Hunting
Job hunting is exhausting and can be overwhelming. With so many ways to search for a job, where do you start? Which search engines and organizations most closely align with what you're looking for?
Below you will find select resources chosen by BPL's Workforce Development Librarian to get you started.
- AtoZdatabases This link opens in a new window
AtoZdatabases is a leading job search, reference & mailing list database including 30 million business profiles & 240 million residents. Ideal for sales leads mailing lists, market research, employment opportunities, finding friends and relatives, and more.
Boston Resources
These resources have online and in-person resources for job seekers of all skill levels and abilities.
- City of Boston Career Center
Job board for open positions for the City of Boston
- HireCulture
Presented by the Mass Cultural Council, HireCulture is a free, searchable database of cultural employment opportunities throughout Massachusetts.
- JVS Boston
JVS’s mission is to empower individuals from diverse communities to find employment and build careers, while partnering with employers to hire, develop, and retain productive workforces.
- Massachusetts Nonprofit Network
MNN's Career Center features nonprofit jobs and internships throughout Massachusetts in every subsector and at every professional level. Whether you're looking for a specific role or your search is more general, the Career Center can help you. The Career Center also features opportunities at businesses that support the local nonprofit sector.
- MassHire - Downtown Boston Career Center
MassHire Downtown Boston creates and sustains powerful connections between businesses and jobseekers through a statewide network of employment professionals.
- Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts
The mission of ULEM is to enable adults in Eastern MA to overcome racial, social barriers, economic inequities, sexual and domestic violence to employment and economic development opportunities.
Internships
- BPL's Internship Seeker's Guide
Methods of finding, landing, and succeeding at an internship
- Chegg Internships
Chegg Internships brings students and employers together in one centralized location, providing tools and services for students to develop the real-world skills they will need upon graduation and for employers to find the best candidates.
- City of Boston InternshipsCity of Boston paid internships operate across many City departments for an inclusive, fun, rewarding professional development experience.
- MassHire JobQuest
Part of America’s Job Bank. This menu-driven search also contains links to other state employment agencies’ websites.
National Job Boards
Below you will find job board websites that are popular but lesser known or tailored to specific industries
- Career Builder
CareerBuilder.com is one of the largest online employment websites with more than 1,900 partners including AOL and MSN and 140 newspapers.
- Careerjet
Careerjet maps the huge selection of job offerings available on the internet in one database by referencing job listings originating from job boards, recruitment agency websites, and large specialist recruitment sites. Careerjet's job search engine network encompasses over 90 countries, featuring separate interfaces that are translated into 28 languages.
- ClearanceJobs
ClearanceJobs is a leading database of professionals with active government security clearances in the United States. With more than 1.5 million security-cleared candidates registered, professionals receive career advice, news and real-time connections with approved employers. Unique communication and engagement tools connect government contractors and government agencies with hard-to-find vetted candidates.
- Dice
Dice is the leading career marketplace for technologists, with 5.9M Dice Members in the United States. The platform helps technology professionals manage their careers and employers connect with highly skilled tech talent. Dice provides insights, data and career opportunities for technology professionals while putting state-of-the-art tools in the hands of recruiters and employers seeking tech talent.
- HigherEdJobs
HigherEdJobs is the leading source for jobs and career information in academia. More colleges and universities trust HigherEdJobs to recruit faculty and administrators than any other source. Each month our site is visited by more than 1.6 million higher education professionals who rely not only on our comprehensive list of jobs, but also on our news and career advice.
- Idealist
Searchable directory of 10,000 non-profit organizations in 150 countries. Search for employment, internships, information on events, resources, service, volunteering and employment.
- Mashable Job Board
The Mashable Job Board is your gateway to Mashable's community of leading digital talent. It’s the leading independent source for news, information and resources for the Connected Generation, (People who integrate innovation into all parts of their lives and are immersed in digital culture and are constantly connected, communicating, consuming, and sharing content across multiple devices and platforms).
- SimplyHired
Browse SimplyHired for jobs, view local and national salary information, discover companies, and learn about the job market in a specific city.
- USAJobs
USAJOBS connects job seekers with federal employment opportunities across the United States and around the world. As the federal government’s official employment site, USAJOBS helps the right people find the right jobs.
- ZipRecruiter
What started as a way to help small businesses find great candidates has grown into a leading online employment marketplace that connects millions of job seekers with companies of all sizes.
Suggested eBooks and Audiobooks
50 Ways to Get a Job by
In today's endlessly fluctuating job market, it's becoming more and more difficult to get hired. 50 Ways to Get a Jobaims to fix that. Job search expert Dev Aujla created 50WaysToGetAJob.com as a way to offer practical, tangible steps to finding (and getting) the right job for you. Within only a few months, over 400,000 people used the site, and Aujla was able to gather data from thousands of individual job searches. In this cleverly constructed guide, Aujla presents the tried-and-tested steps to not only getting hired, but also the secrets to staying motivated and energized throughout the job hunting process. Filled with practical quick-step exercises, this book is designed so you can pick your path through the process, starting where it feels the most natural- - Feeling stuck? Start by sending a "looking for a job" email to five close friends. - Not sure what sort of job you want? Write some creative nonfiction about yourself. - Feeling overwhelmed? Learn the benefits of forty-five minutes of unplugged bliss. - Going on an interview? Practice with a conversation guide. Whether you've just decided to start the hunt or you're gearing up for a big interview, 50 Ways to Get a Jobwill keep you poised, on-track, and motivated right up to landing your dream career.
Publication Date: 2018
Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building your Brand by
As a professional, your reputation is your most valuable career asset. Whether you're climbing the ladder at your current company or seeking a new job, in today's fast-paced work environment, you must proactively and continuously position yourself for success. Your credibility, visibility, personality, and personal style all make up your brand. Build and nurture your personal brand and you'll make yourself a must-have, can't-fail professional-and you'll do it without having to be someone you're not.Career Distinction outlines the proven personal branding process and provides case studies of successful professionals that will help you not only survive, but thrive, in today's dynamic and ultracompetitive workplace. You'll learn to manage your brand with innovative tools that enable you to differentiate yourself and stand out from your peers.In this definitive step-by-step guide, career and personal brand management experts Arruda and Dixson show you how to:Brand yourself for career successDetermine how others perceive youDevelop your unique value propositionDefine your target audienceTell your brand storyExpress yourself clearly and consistentlyBuild and manage your online identityStay on-message and on-brand every dayIncrease your "career karma"The increasing pace of change in the business world gives you less time than ever to make your professional mark. Career Distinction demonstrates how to express who you are and the value you bring to your organization-branding you as an indispensable, memorable, and unique professional. Success takes more than just hard work; brand yourself and watch your career soar.
Publication Date: 2018
Career Match: Connecting Who You Are With What You'll Love to Do by
For some, a job is just a way to pay the bills. For others -- those whose careers fit their passions and personalities -- it is a source of great satisfaction and success. Career Match is designed to help people discover their ideal work. Using the author's revealing ten-minute self-assessment, the audiobook helps listeners determine their personality style, then walks them through the range of career choices best for them. This indispensable guide will enable anyone to:* identify the type of work that will inspire and exhilarate them* recognize the type of boss and work environment they need to thrive* confirm the rightness of the path they are on -- or help them find a better one* speed up their job searchThe audiobook includes in-depth chapters for each personality type, detailed explanations of career options, and inspiring real-life stories of people who have found fulfillment in work that suits their personality. This invaluable resource will help anyone in need of direction match who they are with what they should do -- for a lifetime of gratifying work and greater success.
Publication Date: 2018
Career Courage: Discover your Passion, Step Out of your Comfort Zone, and Create the Success You Want by
What do you want to be when you grow up? That question nags at us long after childhood. Why is it so hard to figure out? Because finding your true calling takes courage. It means conquering fears, shedding misguided ideas, and mustering the strength to let go of a safe job and stage your next act.Career Courage serves as a personal coach through the soul-searching and planning process ahead, whether you're a college grad contemplating choices, a seasoned professional seeking new directions, or a stay-at-home mom preparing to reenter the workplace. Packed with exercises and stories of inspiring second acts, the book poses tough questions about motivation, confidence, character, risk tolerance, and more. The answers will power your journey forward as you learn to:Clarify what really matters * Express your point of view * Build strong relationships and a robust network * Stay focused on finances * Think like an entrepreneur * Prioritize a truly fulfilling life * And moreA career that seemed promising can feel like a dead end today. Career Courage helps you break free and create your own brand of success.
Publication Date: 2016
The Bliss List by
Most people spend the majority of their lives at work, and many not happily. Here's a way to find your inner spirit -- what you truly desire to do in life -- this book illuminates the path leading you to ultimately achieving your goals. Hansen will help you get there through exercises such as building a great resume, nailing the interview, and knowing whether or not to accept a particular job offer when it comes along.
Publication Date: 2013
