Exploring Colleges & Careers

There are a dozens of pathways to education after high school and to the careers beyond – where will your path take you?

On June 16, 2020 we held a virtual workshop, Navigate Your Future, where attendees learned ways to think about careers and how to navigate the education path to get there. The recording of this workshop is below, along with a downloadable handout and links to a variety of useful resources.

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Read to get Ahead

The library has a plethora of print and eBooks to help you plan and succeed at college and future careers. Here’s a short list.

The Career Manifesto: Discover your Calling and Create an Extraordinary Life by Mike Steib (print)

50 Ways to Get a Job: An Unconventional Guide to Finding Work on Your Terms by Dev Aujla (eBook)

Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success by Adam Grant (eBook)

Lean In for Graduates by Sheryl Sandberg (eBook)

How to Win at College: Surprising Secrets for Success from the Country’s Top Students by Cal Newport (eBook)

A Graduate’s Guide to Life: Three Things They Don’t Teach You in College That Could Make All the Difference by Frank J. Hanna (eBook)

There Is Life After College: What Parents and Students Should Know About Navigating School to Prepare for the Jobs of Tomorrow by Jeffrey J. Selingo (eBook)

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Additional Resources

There are many resources for college and career exploration available from the library and beyond. We’ve put together a list for you to begin your future planning.

Databases which require your library card are marked with a * before the name. Your Plano Public Library card gets you access to a variety of premium databases to help you explore careers and pathways to success. You can access all library databases online.

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Occupational Outlook Handbook

• Browse for interesting occupations; search by field, pay and job projection
• Learn information about job duties, education and training, pay and future outlook for an occupation

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Occupational Information Network

• Browse interesting occupations; search by career clusters, industry, job zones and bright outlook
• Learn information about tasks, skills needed, work activities, education and credentials

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Options for Experiencing Careers

• Internships and job shadowing
• Interview professionals

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*Learning Express Library 3.0

• Explore a new field or find ways to advance in your current field; find study guides and practice tests to prepare for professional exams, such as civil service, law enforcement, nursing, plumbing and electrical, etc.
• Take a quiz and Find a Career Match
• Skill building in math, reading, writing, speaking and grammar; Prepare to become a U.S. Citizen
• Computer Skills Center

View our blog post on Getting Started with Learning Express Library here

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*LinkedIn Learning for Library

• Education video courses focus on a wide variety of topics, such as Business, Technology and Creative
• Certificates can link to your LinkedIn account

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*Tutor.com

• Adult Tutoring
• Get help finding a job, writing a cover letter or resume, and/or prep for a job interview
• Search online job resources

View our blog post on Getting Started with Tutor.com here

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*Reference USA

• U.S. Jobs & Internships: search connects with Indeed.com, but combined with Reference USA’s powerful mapping tool and business profile information
• U.S. Businesses and U.S. New Businesses: databases to help learn more information about publicly-traded businesses, and many privately-owned businesses, around the country

View our virtual class Expand Your Job Search with ReferenceUSA here