Monthly Archives: October 2018

10 30, 2018

The 4 Elements of a Good Resumé

By |2018-10-30T06:00:16-04:00October 30, 2018|

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There are four things that every resume requires.

Our friends from Ohio Means Jobs are hosting a Job Fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 14, at Manry Park Community Center in Willowick.

More than 50 employers are attending, all of which have full-time, permanent, direct-hire opportunities available.

Please dress professionally, bring resumés and professional references. For more information, call (440) 350-4000 and choose the “Job Seeker” option.

By the way, Ohio Means Jobs visited us earlier this month for a resumé workshop at our Lake Branch.

And, even if you weren’t able to attend the workshop, Ohio Means Jobs can still share the for key elements of every good resumé.

1. Careful Planning

The goal of any resumé is to win you a job interview. And that starts with being prepared.

Collect information about yourself, including your previous positions, responsibilities, skills, and education. Also, take time to consider your skills. Analyze how they might translate to another job.

Write your resumé with your prospective employer, not yourself. Demonstrate how you can contribute to their bottom line.

Also take time to consider your objective. What type of work do you want? Write your resumé with that in mind.

2. Design & Presentation

Not to be superficial, but it matters how your resumé looks.

Your employer may only skim your resumé initially, so it has to be easy to read.

  • Use black text on white or off-white paper
  • Keep it to one-page if possible. The goal is to entice an employer, not to share your autobiography.
  • Use no more than two type styles — one for headings, the other for body. Type should be 10 points or larger. Avoid underlining or unusual fonts. Keep boldface and italics to a minimum.
  • Paper should be 8 1/2″ by 11″. Margins should be at least 3/4 of an inch.

3. Proper Content

Make sure to include:

  • education or training background, special courses or skills, and academic honors that are pertinent to your desired job.
  • relevant occupational licenses, certifications, and memberships to professional organizations
  • contact information so the employer can find you easily.

Don’t include:

  • personal information like Social Security number, age, marital status, race or family background

And make sure to proofread your resumé repeatedly! If you’re bad at spotting typographical and grammatical errors, ask someone else to scour your resumé.

4. Right Format

There are three kinds of resumés:

  1. Chronological, which lists your work experience from most recent and concludes with your education
  2. Functional, which emphasizes skills and abilities as opposed to previous positions
  3. Combination, which use aspects of both chronological and functional resumés

Each kind of resumé is appropriate for a different situation. Combination resumés are typically most effective..

However, if you have holes in your employment history or are trying to change careers, then you should draft a functional resumé that focuses on your skills.

Three final tips from Ohio Means Jobs:

  1. Many employers filter resumés for certain key words. So make sure to include key words pertinent to your industry in your resumé.
  2. Use a cover letter to highlight key points in your resumé.
  3. A follow-up phone call or letter can demonstrate your interest in a position. (However, some job listings instruct you not to follow-up. Disregard that at your own risk.)

If you want more help in your career hunt, check out Ohio Means Jobs’ tips for writing a resume and searching for jobs online.

10 26, 2018

‘Dopesick’ author Beth Macy recommends the best books on opioid epidemic

By |2018-10-26T06:00:47-04:00October 26, 2018|

Beth Macy – the writer of Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors & the Drug Company that Addicted America – visited Lake County earlier this month to discuss the opioid crisis that has wounded our nation.

Every day, more than 115 people die in the United States after overdosing on opioids. And Ohio has been disproportionately stricken. In 2017, it had the second-highest percentage of overdose deaths per population, second only to West Virginia.

However, there are resources available both to those suffering from addiction and their loved ones.

You can also deter people from abusing opioid medication by safely disposing of your excess prescription drugs. Mentor Public Library offers free Deterra bags, which do just that. The Deterra bags are available at the circulation desks of each of our branches. You can get one today.

In addition to speaking, Macy was kind enough to suggest other books (both fiction and nonfiction) that address the opioid epidemic. She recommends:

  • The Big Fix: Hope After Heroin by Tracey Helton Mitchell
  • Dreamland by Sam Quinones
  • Drug Dealer MD by Anna Lembke
  • What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia by Elizabeth Catte
  • Trampoline by Robert Gipe

By the way, Macy’s talk was organized by the Lake-Geauga League of Libraries, a partnership of all 10 public libraries in Lake and Geauga County. They combine resources to provide access to education and the arts in the region.

10 18, 2018

60 Years of Service: The Life & Service of Admiral. David G. Farragut

By |2018-10-18T06:00:20-04:00October 18, 2018|


Admiral David G. Farragut’s life and military tenure were unprecedented. He started serving in the US Navy when he was nine years old. He served during three wars, including the Civil War.

An expert from James A. Garfield National Historic Site discusses the life of our country’s first full admiral.

Our Civil War series continues at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 14, at our Main Branch. The topic will the explain the role of cycloramas during the Civil War.

By the way, if you’re interested in Civil War history, some other previous talks in our Civil War series can be viewed online in their entirety:

10 5, 2018

American Transcendentalism & Louisa May Alcott

By |2018-10-05T06:00:04-04:00October 5, 2018|

Our resident historian Dr. John Foster discussed American Transcendentalism and its legacy as part of our September celebration of Little Women‘s sesquicentennial.

We don’t usually associate Louisa May Alcott with Ralph Waldo Emerson or Henry David Thoreau.

However, all three were involved in Transcendentalism, a uniquely American tradition that helped to define our national culture in the 19th century and beyond.

We’ve filmed and shared his talk for those who couldn’t join us that night.

You can learn about the history and tenets of American Transcendentalism — as much as it had tenets — and interesting facts about its key figures, which included Alcott’s father Bronson Alcott.

You’ll also discover:

  • why Bronson Alcott refused to eat root vegetables
  • where the idea of school’s having recess came from
  • and why Louisa May Alcott’s stories so often had an absentee father figure

In addition to being a reference librarian, Foster has earned a doctorate degree in history. His next talk will be at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18, with a focus on Dwight Eisenhower. The program is free to attend and open to all.

Other historical talks by Foster can be watched on our YouTube page, as well, including:

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