The Chicago Public Library and Illinois workNet have worked together to create a new course, Getting a Job Using Illinois workNet, that introduces and explores the Illinois workNet site for job seekers. The purpose of this user-friendly course is to help individuals who are unemployed or underemployed.

The course takes approximately 1 hour to complete and is divided into 7 short lessons that guide a learner through the job seeking process using the most helpful resources on Illinois workNet:

1. Steps to Getting a Job – Understand the process and the organization needed to get a job.
2. Deciding on the Jobs to Consider – Sign up for an account and use the assessment tools in Resume Builder.
3. Organizing the Job Search – Use worksheets to stay organized during your job search.
4. Preparing your Resume and Cover Letter – Create a resume and cover letter using the Resume Builder tool.
5. Searching Jobs – Learn how to use the Illinois workNet JobFinder tool.
6. Applying for Jobs – Know all the steps involved with submitting job applications.
7. Interviewing & Following Up – Review the tips on how to interview and follow up with employers after the application and interview process.

Getting a Job Using Illinois workNet is one of more than 25 simple digital literacy courses on Chicago DigitalLearn.  The site is free and available to the public, meaning you do not need to live in Chicago or have a Chicago Public Library card to access it. The course can be accessed with this link.

Users can take courses immediately or if they choose to make an account, they can track their progress and earn personalized certificates. The course is simple, interactive, repeatable and includes supporting documentation. It is also available in Spanish.

For beginners or inexperienced computer users, our Starting Out category has 10 courses which will guide users through learning the parts of a computer and using a mouse to navigating a website and sending an email with an attachment. There is also a category for Being Safe Online, a course on using an Android mobile device, and a course on how to find quality health information online.

For questions or more information you may contact Kate Lapinski at Chicago Public Library at klapinski@chipublib.org