Back to Work · 12 — Career & Reentry Starter Kit
Getting back to work, or into a new career, takes a few basics: a dependable computer for applications and training, a way to carry it, something professional to bring to an interview, and the right advice about telling your story. This kit keeps costs down and skips anything you don't need.
People coming home from incarceration, career changers, job seekers, and the reentry coaches, case managers, and programs that support them.
Start with the computer if you don't have one, then the books. Programs: these make good graduation or job-readiness gifts.
Tech · Chromebook
Acer
Best for: An affordable computer for applications and training
A 14-inch Chromebook Plus with a 1080p touchscreen. Chromebooks are simple, secure, update themselves, and run everything a job search needs: email, resumes in Google Docs, applications, and video interviews.
Gear · Backpack
MATEIN
Best for: Carrying a laptop, documents, and essentials
A long-running, budget-friendly laptop backpack with plenty of pockets and a USB charging port. Holds a laptop, padfolio, documents, and a charger for a long day of appointments.
Supplies · Padfolio
Samsill
Best for: Looking prepared at interviews
A zippered padfolio with a notepad and tablet sleeve. Walking in with a clean copy of your resume and questions written down signals you're serious.
Book · Paperback
Ronald L. Krannich & Caryl Rae Krannich
Best for: Answering questions about a record
Written for job seekers with a record: how to prepare, how to answer the hard question, and how to turn red flags into green lights in an interview.
Book · Paperback
Wendy S. Enelow & Ronald L. Krannich
Best for: Building a resume with gaps
Practical resume and cover-letter examples for people with not-so-hot backgrounds, including how to handle employment gaps honestly.
Book · Paperback
Richard N. Bolles
Best for: Figuring out what work fits you
The long-running career guide for job hunters and career changers. Strong on self-inventory: what you're good at, what you care about, and where that work lives.
Book · Paperback
Steve Dalton
Best for: A focused, efficient job-search system
A step-by-step method for targeting employers, finding contacts, and getting informational interviews, built for people who want structure instead of endless applications.
Book · Hardcover
Bill Burnett & Dave Evans
Best for: Career changers and new chapters
Two Stanford design instructors apply design thinking to career and life: prototype, test, and iterate instead of waiting for the perfect plan. Encouraging for anyone starting over.
No. A Chromebook handles applications, resumes, email, and video interviews. Spend the difference on interview clothes or transportation.
Usually not on the resume itself. Many states, including California, have fair-chance hiring laws that limit when employers can ask. The Ex-Offender's Job Interview Guide covers how to talk about it when it comes up.
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