by Diane Rogers

At a time when the unemployment rate for Douglas County has climbed to a discouraging 9.6 percent, the Douglas County Public Library has some encouraging words.

JobNow, a new online resource powered by Brainfuse, offers job seekers immediate—and very practical–help 24 hours a day. With the number of a library card, available at the circulation desk of the Minden library, and a password, would-be employees can brush up their interviewing skills. Job seekers also have access through JobNow to business experts who are available to read and critique resumes.

Say you’re applying to be the assistant to the owner of the local construction company. You haven’t worked outside the house for some time and you’re understandably nervous. By clicking on a JobNow heading that reads “Get Prepared to Get the Job,” you gain access to such helpful links as “Write the Resume,” “Ace the Interview,” and “Links and Tips.”

Clicking on “Ace the Interview” takes you to pages that address commonly asked questions and provide sample responses, as well as suggestions for how to prepare for an interview and how to avoid the “don’ts” of interviewing. For example, when an interviewer asks, “What are your strengths?” you will want to come up with an answer that shows how your skills make you particularly qualified for the job. Such as, “I work hard, I’m not afraid of challenges, and I like to learn new things.”

Then there’s the classic interview question: “What is your greatest weakness?” Here again, JobNow counsels, is an opportunity to highlight your strengths. You might respond by saying, “I am sometimes too hard on myself,” or, “I am a perfectionist and it sometimes drives me nuts.”

Overall, JobNow shows job seekers how to convince employers that they are worth hiring.

Perhaps you are looking at a job that is a radical career change? Provide a positive answer that shows that the change you are making is not so radical as it appears, and that you are making it for informed and mature reasons.

If you are applying for a marketing position after having worked as a cashier for 10 years, for example, you might want to say something like: “I actually see this career change as a natural progression of my interests. As a cashier, I worked closely with people for years and was a first-hand witness to their purchasing decisions and preferences. I gained an appreciation for why people place their confidence in certain goods and services, and I want to pursue this interest at a higher level.”

Perhaps you took time off from school or work? Then be prepared to explain why you did and what you gained from the experience. Then show how that insight led you to this interview.

JobNow also provides downloadable templates for four of the most common types of resumes. You can connect online with business experts who will read your resume—and will get back to you within 24 hours with their analysis.

To connect with JobNow, start at the Douglas County website: www.douglascountynv.gov. In the left-hand column, click on “Digital Branch.” Then click on the “A to Z” list, and scroll down to the “Brainfuse JobNow” link.

All you need? Your library card number and a password.

---