Are you looking for a new job? Are you trying to advance at your current job? Try one of the below new career and job hunting books. As of this writing, all of these titles are owned by the Davenport Public Library. Descriptions are provided by the publishers.

Clock in : No-BS advice for getting ahead in your career (without losing your mind) by Emily Durham

Career advice that actually works from a straight-shooter recruiter

Did you know the average job search takes more than five months? That’s because today’s job market is more challenging—and more confusing—than ever. How are we supposed to get hired, get paid, and get ahead in our careers? Why is everything so complicated and gatekept?

That’s where Emily the Recruiter comes in. Using her years of experience as a recruiter and career coach, she pulls back the curtain on everything employment-related and tells you all you need to know about job hunting, networking, and not letting your boss drive you crazy. A much-needed antidote to the “gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss” ethos, this guidebook gives you the real talk you need to lock in when you clock in.

You’ll learn how to:

• Optimize your résumé and LinkedIn profile
• Network like a pro
• Strike a healthy work-life balance
• Crush job interviews and salary negotiations
• Defeat impostor syndrome and communicate with confidence
• Succeed in your career without making it your whole identity

If you’re ready to work smarter, not harder, Clock In is the no-filter, no-fluff resource you need to thrive in your nine-to-five—and beyond. – Tarcher

Get it in writing : the ultimate guide to your rights at work by Ryan Stygar

From Attorney Ryan, the most well-known labor lawyer in America, the complete guide to workers’ rights that your boss doesn’t want you to read

Life for working people is getting harder and more expensive. While employers clamp down with return-to-office mandates, productivity trackers, and layoffs, employees are struggling to keep up with daily expenses. Meanwhile, workers are expected to make huge sacrifices “for the good of the company.” But what do they get in return? A surprise meeting with HR followed by a swift and unceremonious termination.

For too long, we’ve accepted the status quo. But you deserve better. In Get It in Writing, Attorney Ryan Stygar, a former firefighter who became a workers’ rights attorney, teaches you everything you need to know about how to get what you’re owed at work. Each chapter is filled with practical, easy-to-understand advice. In plain English, he breaks down the answers to all your biggest questions around labor law, including:

• “Does At Will employment really mean I have no rights?”
• “What do I do if my boss is bullying me?”
• “What if I’m too injured to keep working?”
• “Am I getting paid correctly?”
• “What if I report my creepy manager and no one believes me?”

Most people are, understandably, afraid to deal with employment problems because their whole livelihood is at stake. But we can’t let bad bosses use fear to control us. Armed with Get It in Writing, you will have the tools to claim your basic rights: fair pay, fair treatment, and the time and accommodations you need when life goes off script. With Attorney Ryan’s expertise, millions of working people are winning back what is rightfully theirs. It’s time for you to join them. – Portfolio

I need a job! : be noticed, land the interview, get hired by Gary Burnison.

It’s brutal. I’m frustrated. Nobody is responding …

These are the comments heard in almost every conversation about the job market these days—as every opportunity and posting attracts hundreds if not thousands of applicants. And all too often, people think technology will do everything for them.

So, what does it really take?

I Need a Job! captures the essentials of what you must know and do—from targeting opportunities, to networking your way to a warm introduction and landing the interview that gets you noticed, and more …

This is the advice you need to stand out and break away from the rest—to get the job you really want. – John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Jobseeker’s guide : ten steps to a Federal job® by Kathryn K. Troutman.

On May 29, 2025, the Office of Personnel Management sent a Memo to 2 million Federal employees telling them that a 2-page Federal resume is now required, instead of the long-form, which could be 5 to 20 pages.   In the 10th Edition all of the resume formats have changed to the 2-Page Federal Resume format.  The samples in Jobseeker’s Guide, 10th Edition will become the leading examples of 2-page Federal Resumes for the US Military installations worldwide. This book and curriculum, Ten Steps to a Federal Job® is taught by licensed Ten Steps to a Federal Job® trainers at more than half of the military bases worldwide.

The guide is organized into TEN STEPS TO A FEDERAL JOB®: learning about federal jobs; networking and utilizing competitive hiring; searching USAJOBS; finding keywords; exploring core competencies; writing a 2-page federal resume; recording accomplishments; applying for federal positions; tracking applications and following up; and preparing for interviews and negotiations.

Since 2002, Kathryn Troutman created the Ten Steps to a Federal Job® after 9/11. This book and curriculum have been widely used for military personnel seeking jobs worldwide. Kathryn is the founder of the Certified Federal Job Search Trainer(r) / Certified Federal Career Coach® train-the-trainer program. Most certification attendees are military transition staff, employment readiness staff, and career counselors. Military services, state employment offices, and career centers are trained in the Ten Steps method. Government employment is a preferred option for military personnel and veterans. A structured application process for government jobs was necessary to navigate this complex system. The Ten Steps provide effective guidance—each step is meaningful and helps military members, spouses, and veterans leverage their Hiring Preferences to secure federal jobs. This 10th Edition has been published to update and revise all resume samples in the book to the new 2-page Federal Resume format and to include other recent application procedures outlined in the OPM Memo.

The 2-page Federal resume is so dramatically different than the previous long form, there is significant challenges for serious Federal applicants. The samples in the book will dramatically help anyone who needs to condense many pages into 2 pages that are targeted, impressive and compliant with the USAJOBS requirements. – Cardinal Publishers Group

The need to lead : a TOPGUN instructor’s lessons on how leadership solves every challenge by Dave Berke ; foreword by Jocko Willink.

In this third book in the Extreme Ownership series, a retired fighter pilot and TOPGUN instructor, now serving as the Chief Development Officer at Echelon Front, teaches readers the importance of leadership and how to implement it.

The Need to Lead invokes the classic Top Gun movie quote. It is also an undeniable truth that author Dave Berke experienced as a Marine Corps officer, fighter pilot, TOPGUN instructor, ground combat leader, husband, and father. This book, based on his experiences in combat and TOPGUN training as well as his teachings at Echelon Front, helps readers be better leaders and understand that leadership is a universal requirement for success, no matter the environment.

By adopting the right leadership mindsets and behaviors, we gain the capacity to solve problems, support the people around us, and amend our mistakes. How do we develop these necessary skills? By embracing the principles imparted to Berke from each humbling moment in the cockpit:

• EVERYONE IS A LEADER: From the CEO to the most junior employee, everyone at every level, is a leader. Leadership isn’t about rank, title, position, or function. The more people see themselves as leaders, the more they want to contribute to the team’s success.
• LEADERSHIP EXISTS IN EVERY CAPACITY: Leadership is often viewed as an attribute relevant to our professional lives, but it exists in every capacity, it applies in every situation. The same behaviours should guide us as parents, spouses, family members, and friends of all kinds.
• EVERY PROBLEM WE FACE IS A LEADERSHIP PROBLEM: The problems we confront at work aren’t caused by external factors. They are caused by our failure to lead. If a lack of leadership is the problem, and good leadership is the solution, then how we lead becomes the most critical factor affecting the outcome.
• LEADERSHIP IS A SKILL: Good leaders aren’t simply born. Leadership can be learned, which means every single person in the world can get better at it if they choose. This book is their guide.
• And much more!

Through compelling stories from TOPGUN training and combat to the boardroom and at home, Berke gives readers the necessary tools to succeed. – St. Martin’s Press

Resumes for Dummies, 9^th edition by Laura DeCarlo

Craft a resume that gets results

Many resumes are screened by technology or human gatekeepers before they ever reach a decisionmaker. And when they do, the average review lasts only seconds before a judgement is made.

Resumes For Dummies, 9th Edition delivers an easy-to-read walkthrough for job seekers packed with the essential skills, tools, and strategies you need to land your next role. The book shows you how to create a resume that’s compelling, concise, informative, and eye-catching, with plenty of real-world examples. You’ll learn how to tailor your resume for each opportunity and audience, helping you to stand out, get interviews, and move your career forward.

Inside:

• Write powerful action statements that tell the story of your experience
• Follow step-by-step guides for using generative AI tools to draft a powerful resume while avoiding common, critical mistakes
• Optimize your resume for algorithmic and automated screening tools while impressing human reviewers

Perfect for career changers, young professionals launching their careers, and those re-entering the workforce after an extended break, Resumes For Dummies, 9th Edition is a hands-on, start-to-finish roadmap to crafting a stellar resume. – John Wiley & Sons

Straight from the grapevine : how to crush your job search : your starter pack for career success by Rachel Zaslansky Sheer, Lori Zuker Briller.

Your all-in-one starter kit for building a resume, nailing interviews, and getting hired.

Starting your job search can feel overwhelming—especially when you’re not sure where to begin, what employers really want, or how to stand out in a sea of applicants. Straight from the Grapevine: How to Crush Your Job Search is your no-nonsense, practical guide to landing your first job with confidence and clarity.

Rachel Zaslansky Sheer and Lori Zuker Briller have over twenty years of experience as recruiters. They’ve watched thousands of job seekers make the same avoidable mistakes, and they wrote this book so you can get it right the first time.

Whether you’re fresh out of high school, navigating college, or just ready to take that next step, this book breaks down everything you need to know from building a stand-out resume to networking like a pro. No jargon. No fluff. Just honest advice and proven tips you won’t find in most career guides.

Packed with real-world examples, actionable steps, and encouragement, Straight from the Grapevine helps turn the job search from a stressful chore into a clear, manageable process, so you can start building your future. – Post Hill Press

Take it personal : how to succeed by building relationships and playing the long game by David Grutman ; foreword by Kim Kardashian.

In his leadership manifesto, hospitality icon David Grutman shares the importance of building relationships to drive success, with practical tips to level up your business—and your life.

David Grutman knows everyone, and everyone—or rather, anyone who’s anyone—knows him. From a humble start as a 21-year-old bartender at a restaurant in the Aventura Mall to today, partnering with the owner of that same restaurant almost two decades later on a globally recognized nightlife brand, LIV, Grutman is credited with single-handedly transforming the global nightlife and hospitality scene. His collective business properties across Miami, Dallas, and Las Vegas include a Japanese-inspired steakhouse in partnership with Bad Bunny, Gekkō, Komodo, and some of the highest-grossing-per-square-foot restaurants in the country. Groot Hospitality is a household name and David prides himself on not only creating incredible venues, but once in a lifetime experiences that people are willing to travel from all over the world to enjoy.

David has taken hospitality to a whole new level, and now, he is breaking down exactly how he got to where he is today. The key to his success has not changed from his first opening to his most recent multimillion-dollar venture: It’s his relationships. In Take It Personal, David shares his core values and guiding principles on building relationships, and businesses, that last, including:

• Create an ecosystem.
• The details are everything in every business.
• Play the long game.
• Connecting people is real wealth.

Entertaining, practical, and chock-full of behind-the-scenes stories from David’s career, Take It Personal is the perfect guide to accelerating your career and unlocking your full potential. – Zando