Amanda Armstrong, one of our Career Coaches in Residence, shares her tips and strategies for a successful job search. We deserve an amazing job that makes us feel happy, healthy and fulfilled. We deserve an amazing job that we are excited and passionate about. We deserve an amazing job with an incredible employer who shares our values. We deserve an amazing job with our dream boss, dream team, and an excellent salary. Most of us have been in at least one or two toxic, terrible or low paying jobs. Most of us have settled — or had to settle — for jobs that are less than our dream job and less ..read more

Esther Shin, one of our Career Coaches in Residence, shares her resume writing tips. Making a good first impression with your resume is vital, especially since hiring managers only look at resumes for six to eight seconds while deciding whether to invite the candidate for an interview. So, you need to make a great sales pitch on your resume. When employers hire new employees, they are searching for a candidate with a specific set of "features" (knowledge, skills and attributes) required for the job. Similarly, if you plan to make a big purchase, such as a car, you will likely look for specif ..read more

Kadine Cooper, one of the Career Coaches in Residence, shares her tips for getting career clarity. Career clarity is an essential aspect of career development that is often overlooked. Understanding your strengths, interests, values and skills is necessary for choosing a career that aligns with your goals and aspirations. Without career clarity, it is easy to feel lost and uncertain about the direction of your career. Here are ways to achieve career clarity. Identify your strengths Take the time to reflect on your strengths and talents. What are things you're good at? What comes naturally t ..read more

Our Career Coaches in Residence offers free one-on-one career counselling and job search help for young adults aged 18 to 29. The spring/summer session runs until August 2023. We had a chance to catch up with the coaches and ask them a few questions. Toronto Public Library Career Coach in Residence Amanda Armstrong   Amanda, welcome to the program! What are you most looking forward to as a career coach for TPL? I am most excited about coaching, inspiring and making a big impact on dozens of diverse young adults in Toronto. I love meeting new people and teaching them my secrets to succes ..read more

Kadine Cooper, one of our Career Coaches in Residence, shares tips on making your dream job a reality. At some point in your life, it is common to dream of something bigger and better when it comes to your career. No matter how comfortable a job may seem, you may find yourself wishing that you were working somewhere better or doing something different. The good news is that you can go out and make your dream job a reality! Whatever the field, you can find a way to turn something you enjoy into a career. By following the tips below, you can be on your way to a happier and less stressful work ..read more

Tinu Olawuyi, one of our Career Coaches in Residence, shares her tips for writing effective an accomplishment statement. Learning to write an accomplishment statement is a skill every job seeker must learn. It demonstrates to the employer what differences and contributions you have made in your current and past roles. Accomplishment statements are those short, bulleted sentences listed under each experience section on a resume. These sentences are more than just listing your duties and tasks. They include a set of strong and concise statements that describe your contribution and the impact y ..read more

Esther Shin, one of our Career Coaches in Residence, discusses the concept of job crafting to help make your current job more meaningful for you. Do you dream of finding your "perfect" job one day? Meaningful and satisfying work has a great impact on one’s happiness and well-being. This is especially important since many people spend so much time at work. Rather than jumping from job to job in hope of finding the "perfect" job, you can change how the work is completed to better align with your interests, values, and strengths. This is known as job crafting. All jobs, to various degrees, offe ..read more

Kadine Cooper is one of Toronto Public Library's Career Coaches in Residence. Compared to previous generations, entry-level job seekers today have more flexibility in some ways and less flexibility in others. On the one hand, many recent graduates have higher student debt. It’s natural to feel pressured if you are tired of living with your parents and concerned about your finances. However, you also have more choices. Social media makes it easier to find information and make contacts. You also have more options when it comes to creative working arrangements. As you might expect, you’ll make ..read more

Kadine Cooper, one of our Career Coaches in Residence, offers her tips for setting effective career goals. What do you want to get out of your career? We all have dreams of what we would like to accomplish in our career. Some people imagine being at the head of a business, leading the rest of the team to success. Others just want a job where they feel like they are making a difference. One of the best ways to make your dreams a reality is to set effective goals and intentions. Setting realistic career goals is how you visualize your target and come up with a solution to help you achieve it ..read more

Toronto Public Library's Career Coach in Residence Catherine Crawford. First, it was the Great Resignation where workers were driven by lockdowns or burnout from the pandemic to quit their jobs in record numbers. Now, the employment landscape has shifted into something more nuanced. Millions of workers are leaving their jobs in search of roles with a better work-life balance and a workplace more aligned with their values – and it’s shaking up the labour market. As reported in LinkedIn News, a recent survey by Robert Half Canada showed: 28 per cent of professionals plan to find a new job by ..read more