BackTalk: Some Experience Necessary

There is a chasm in our society. On one side of it are jobs, resources, and education. On the other side is a growing number of people who lack the basic skills to access these opportunities. For me, this “digital divide” wasn’t a reality until I started working at the Job and Career Education Center (JCEC) at the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh. Every day we help people overcome obstacles that prevent them from accessing opportunities in the job market. What we do helps people put food on the table.

One of the most critical roles for libraries today is to provide computers and Internet access to the public. Still, for some job seekers, access is one thing, but actually using computers to find and apply for a job is another and can seem insurmountable.

Starting over

For example, one of our patrons is an ebullient medical assistant, well qualified to work in one of the many large hospital systems in the Pittsburgh area. Sunny and outspoken, she is exactly the kind of person you want to meet when you go to the doctor. The stumbling block for Janine was that the big hospital systems in the area all required applicants to use an online application, and she was simply not proficient with the computer. At the JCEC, we showed her how to complete the applications, and she now has at least a dozen applications pending.

Another of our library patrons built train engines for 27 years until his job was moved from Pittsburgh to Mexico. He had never touched a computer in his life but needed to use one to find work as a janitor. The going was slow, but with patience he has come a long way. Now he comes to the library periodically to search and apply for other jobs, and while he still often requires assistance, his facility with the computer is increasing.

Even college students need help. Oddly, four years in academia doesn’t necessarily prepare someone to write a cover letter. Just recently, a student from Pitt came in to get help applying for an internship. Even though she was a writing major, she simply didn’t know how to compose a standard business letter or résumé. She was thrilled with the professional-looking results we were able to deliver and promised to let us know if she got the job.

Another difficulty that many people encounter when searching for a job is a lack of information literacy. Many of the job seekers we see daily simply do not know where to look for jobs, or how to search online job databases, like HotJobs, or company web sites. These factors can cause them to miss too many opportunities for which they might be qualified.

Apply within

Basic literacy is also an obstacle. Some library patrons have trouble with spelling and simple sentence construction. Not everyone knows about the capitalization of proper nouns, or even that you should put spaces between words. Often, international job seekers and students come in to the JCEC for help with writing. For example, a Chinese woman who had just finished a master’s degree program in accounting came in to apply for work. Although she was highly educated, she needed help with writing in English in order to apply for these jobs. We also did practice interviews and gave her tips on pronunciation.

It takes sensitivity to help people put their thoughts on paper. People with limited literacy may feel embarrassed and mask their inabilities. This combined with the task of having to use a computer can be enough to cause some very emotional reactions. Recently, one woman asked to use the computer to do her résumé. After a couple of minutes, she got up and angrily demanded to see my supervisor. I sat down next to her and saw that she had simply scrolled down to the bottom of the page and didn’t know how to get back up to what she was typing. Together we sat and composed her résumé. She left smiling and apologized for getting so upset.

A little encouragement

Libraries can be key contributors to the community by offering remediation for job seekers in literacy, with computers and technology, or, most importantly, by just being there as a helping hand. Having knowledgeable and skilled librarians available for job seekers makes a critical difference in people’s lives. In providing job and career services, public libraries bridge the divide between unemployed workers and today’s job market.

It is important to let people know that, yes, this is hard, and they are not alone. We are here to help them without embarrassing them. Often job seekers are already feeling vulnerable and insecure. It is especially important to be kind, sympathetic, and discreet. Many of our patrons rely on us not only for basic help but often for guidance and support. I am often asked “Should I apply for this job?” Everyone, it seems, needs encouragement.