Jan 26, 2024 By Mark Hofmann 6 min read

Job seekers might consider looking to the local library in their search for new employment opportunities.

Programs vary by county, but many offer support ranging from resume building to job coaching.

One popular career-seeking support platform will continue for a second year throughout Fayette County libraries.

German-Masontown Public Library recently announced the launch of Brainfuse’s JobNow, a cutting-edge online career support platform.

Samantha Lambert, director of the German-Masontown Public Library, said the program started in 2023 and was funded by money from the American Rescue Plan Act.

“It was a wonderful platform, and I wanted to offer it again,” Lambert said.

However, no funding from the act remained for such a program, so Lambert decided to write a grant to the EQT Foundation and was awarded the cost of the annual subscription of $3,750.

JobNow offers a range of services including live job coaching that connects users with real people for personalized help, professional resume assistance and critique, interview preparation and an extensive library of career resources.

“JobNow is more than just a platform; it’s a comprehensive resource designed to support individuals at every stage of their professional journey,” Lambert said, adding that the live one-on-one coaching is one of the features that makes the program stand apart from others. “Whether you’re exploring new career paths, seeking employment, or advancing in your current role, JobNow is here to help you succeed.”

Not only is the free service available to patrons of the German-Masontown Public Library, it is also available to Fayette County library cardholders. Those cardholders can access the service from their computers or smartphones.

“We are thrilled to offer Brainfuse’s JobNow to the residents of Fayette County. In today’s competitive job market, having access to quality career resources is essential for personal and professional growth,” said Christy Fusco, director of Uniontown Public Library. “This initiative aligns with our mission to empower individuals through knowledge and support, and we are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with our fellow libraries in Fayette County.”

Lambert said about 20 to 25 patrons from her library have been using the program each month, but didn’t have county-wide figures.

“I’d love to know who has used it and what they think of it,” Lambert said.

Lambert wants to get the word out about JobNow and see how it continues to be used, and eventually seek funding to renew their subscription for 2025.

JobNow is offered in neighboring Greene County but is being dropped in the spring.

Kathy McClure, system administrator for the Greene County Library System and executive director of the Eva K. Bowlby Public Library, agreed that JobNow is a great tool for job seekers, as they’ve had the program for the past four years.

However, by April, the library won’t be renewing its subscription.

“It’s not by a lack of wanting,” McClure said. “The cost wasn’t warranting the usage.”

When they first started the program, McClure said it was a popular feature of the library system, which includes Eva K. Bowlby Public Library in Waynesburg and Flenniken Public Library in Carmichaels.

While McClure didn’t have early usage numbers available, she said the figures kept dropping until they were down to fewer than 10 users per month.

Because subscription costs are based on population, Greene County, like Fayette, was also being charged $3,750, but since the cost was coming out of the Greene County Library System’s budget, keeping the service for another year based on its usage wouldn’t be feasible.

“It’s a wonderful program,” McClure said. “It was a hard decision to let that go. I wish we had the money to continue it.”

McClure was unable to pinpoint any particular reason for the lack of usage, but noted a PA CareerLink is located downstairs in their building, and the libraries have other databases for job seekers to use.

She added if funding became available, she would pursue it.

In Washington County, the Peters Township Public Library sought out the program for its library.

Illyanna Logan, assistant library director at Peters Township, said even though the library is part of the Washington County Library System, not all programs are shared among the 14 libraries in the county.

JobNow will be available for Peters Township Public Library cardholders only, and because the population it serves is less than Fayette and Greene counties, the annual cost for the program will be $1,400.

“We currently do not offer the resource, but it’s something we budgeted for this year,” Logan said. “Late winter or early spring, we’ll bring it on board. We’re excited to get it.”

Logan said the library once offered an in-house resume service, but the staff member conducting the service could no longer do it.

For the short time the library offered the service, it had become popular, and the library wanted to fill the void with JobNow.

“It really was the resume review service portion,” Logan said. “The fact that you could submit a resume and have a person review it and actually have people to offer tailored feedback was something that really attracted us to it.”

Logan said they try to be careful stewards of the library’s budget and will be watching how successful the JobNow program is with patrons.

“If it’s filling the needs and people are using it, we will absolutely continue with it,” Logan said.

JobNow is not offered at other Washington County libraries, but similar options are available. Most libraries in the county offer access to PowerLibrary.org. Power Library has a bevy of resources for job seekers, including a resume builder and free online skills training.

At Bentleyville Public Library, members have access to an online program called Resume Maker Pro.

Acting Director Char Carpenter said the tool provides assistance in building a resume, and makes it easy for the user to get the document in whichever format they need.

They began offering Resume Maker Pro in 2020 through a grant from the Washington County Community Foundation. Carpenter said this is the final year they will have access to the program.

“It helps where we couldn’t help. With only four of us, it’s hard for us to be able to do that one on one,” Carpenter said.

Staff writer Jon Andreassi contributed to this article.