Q: Can a contractor find a traditional library job?

Q: Can a contractor find a traditional library job?

by carriewajda ♥ 1 Comment

Q: [Edited] I am a 2007 MSIS graduate. A month after finishing library school I was able to start in a contract position with a large non-profit hospital. At the time I thought it was an amazing opportunity; now I’m not so sure. After marrying a member of the military I was able to continue in the contract position and transition to telecommuting. This is a part-time, non-traditional library position,  and I doubt I’ll have many further opportunities for growth or for learning new skills. I am concerned I missed out on the opportunity to start my library career off on solid footing. My job title is contractor and I don’t know how to make it more attractive a description to potential resume readers without raising questions. I’m now actively searching for a full-time position with benefits, but have had not succeeded in getting so much as an interview in two years. Could the non-traditional nature of my experience be hindering my search? I am very active in two professional library organizations, but my spouse is now planning a long-term military career, and I’m concerned that even if I get the chance to gain some experience in a traditional setting I’ll have to rebuild a professional network and job hunt every time we move. Is it time to consider leaving librarianship? Would more or different training help?

CNW: Careers are only one aspect of our lives, and balancing career and family needs is a challenge for many people. For the time being, it seems as though you have found a flexible role that can accommodate your spouse’s military career growth. There’s no reason to feel that you have gotten your career off to a bad start. It sounds like you have done very well in finding a role that makes use of your specialized training but is flexible enough to accommodate your family’s needs.

Since you have already been on the job market for two years and you’re not getting interviews for traditional library roles, it’s a possibility that your contract status is making you appear less attractive to prospective employers. However, you may also want to revisit how you are framing your skills and work history. Since employers want to hire the most qualified candidate, it would be a good idea to reach out to your professional network for help with framing your qualifications in the most attractive light. Note that I don’t advise fudging details of your employment or experience, but articulating clearly and concisely how your skills relate to the specific traditional library job you want. This means tailoring your resume and cover letter for each job application and telling the story of how your unique skill set qualifies you for the position.

Since you are still relatively early in your career, more training could benefit you in the long run but it won’t necessarily help your library career. I recommend that you look closely at your reasons for wanting a traditional library job. If you will be moving frequently, you will likely find it frustrating to uproot your career repeatedly – and in the long run this pattern could make you a less attractive candidate to traditional employers who value stability. It sounds as though you have outgrown your current gig and are ready for new challenges and professional experiences along with the benefits that come with a full-time job. Full-time, location-independent roles do exist for librarians, though you are more likely to find them in a nontraditional setting. Consider building on your nontraditional experience by looking for a full-time job that can flourish in tandem with your spouse’s career – wherever that may take you.

Q: Can you help me identify transferable skills in transitioning from academic to school librarianship?

Q: Can you help me identify transferable skills in transitioning from academic to school librarianship?

by Susanne Markgren ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Q: I have been working in academic libraries since completing my MLIS nine years ago. I have worked in small and large academic libraries, and have gained experience in reference, instruction and access services. This past week, I received an unexpected invitation to interview for a position at a middle/upper school library. Although I really enjoy being around children/teens in my personal life, I have zero experience working with them in my professional life. If I had seen the position posted, I probably would not have considered applying due to this lack of experience.

But now that I’ve accepted the invitation, I’m up for the challenge of interviewing. I am wondering if you might be able to identify transferable skills in transitioning from academic to school librarianship — and also, if you have any suggestions for resources (articles, websites) that might be helpful to me as I attempt a crash course in school librarianship. Thank you in advance for your insights!

SM: An invitation to interview (without having to apply first) is something you cannot pass up, you are correct. In fact, it is something that many people only dream about (myself included). And, as I’ve said before, changing direction can be a rewarding thing — “opportunities will pop up, jobs will present themselves,” and you should have fun learning about, and experiencing different kinds of libraries and patrons and roles as you move forward in your career. And you should feel honored that someone has extended this invitation to you and thought that you could be a good fit for this job, as unexpected as it might be.

Transferable skills are abundant between academic and school librarians. Academic librarians get those same middle/upper school students immediately after they graduate. They see the impact of information literacy (or lack thereof) on the students. They help undergraduates find scholarly articles and create bibliographies. Middle school and high school students use many of the same resources and technologies (or very similar ones) as the college students use, and the library roles and services such as instruction, collection development, administration/supervision, technical services, interlibrary loan, etc., are similar as well. During your interview, you’ll want to highlight your experience with instruction and reference and access services. Basic information literacy skills and good customer service are valued in any library setting.

The differences that you may want to brush up on, include: working closely with teachers and school administrators, understanding and supporting curriculum requirements, getting used to fixed schedules within the schools, envisioning the library itself as a classroom, and the different needs of different ages/grades of the children. School libraries are smaller than academic libraries (for the most part) and probably have smaller staffs, so your role may be more diversified across many different types of jobs, which can be both intimidating and exciting. Best of luck on your interview!

Definitely dig around on the school’s web site and see how much information you can find. Possible questions to ask on your interview:

  • What is the mission and focus of the school?
  • What are the students like (ambitious, athletic, scholarly, creative)?
  • Are you expected to be involved in school/building committees?
  • How many staff will you supervise?
  • Are there funds for professional development activities?
  • Are you expected to oversee computer labs and keep equipment and software up-to-date?
  • Are you expected to teach classes to all grades/levels?
  • How involved are the teachers in information literacy achievement, in the library?
  • What is the budget?
  • What are the upcoming (and ongoing) budgetary priorities, for the administration, for the teachers?
  • How are the electronic resources managed/accessed/promoted?
  • What are the most popular library resources?
  • What type of person are they looking for to fill this role?
  • What about the summer months (expected or anticipated duties)?

Resources:

American Association of School Librarians

APPR Evaluation, NYS School Library Program Rubric Tool (and goals of the Common Core Standards)

Brace Yourself: SLJ’s school library spending survey shows the hard times aren’t over, and better advocacy is needed By Lesley Farmer, March 1, 2012

The Independent Library, by Sarah Clark, Windward School Library

Introduction to School Librarianship

Latest Study: A full-time school librarian makes a critical difference in boosting student achievement by Debra E. Kachel and Keith Curry Lance on March 7, 2013

School Library Impact Reports

What Makes a Good Private School Library? Collegiate School Librarian Maggie Dixon Talks About Her Program

100 Helpful Blogs For School Librarians (And Teachers)

Q: I want to teach teachers or library students. I do not have a Ph.D. Are unsolicited CVs frowned upon?

Q: I want to teach teachers or library students. I do not have a Ph.D. Are unsolicited CVs frowned upon?

by Susanne Markgren ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

This answer is provided by our guest author, Ellen Mehling.

Q: I spent seventeen years as a teacher of English in a high school and the past fifteen years as a secondary school library media specialist. It has been a fantastic experience. I want to share my experiences with the higher education world. I am retiring in July from a wonderful career with the New York City Department of Education. I want to teach teachers or library students. I do not have a Ph.D. Are unsolicited CVs frowned upon? I know where I would like to work, but don’t see any available positions. What is the best way to approach this?

EM: As with any kind of a career switch, making the move from high school teaching to teaching in higher education is likely to take some time and effort. Competition for such teaching positions is very strong right now, with dozens or even hundreds of applicants for a single posted opportunity, and employers prefer to hire those who already have the desired experience (in this case, teaching in college/graduate school). The burden is on you as the applicant to persuade a hiring manager or committee that you should be given a chance. Any kind of teaching at the college level would be beneficial for you to do to start getting such experience, on your way to your goal. You may want to try local community colleges first.

If you’re seeking an adjunct position, the lack of a Ph.D is less of an issue; that is more likely to be a requirement for full-time (tenure-track) positions. Examine job descriptions carefully to see what the skill, experience and education requirements vs. preferences are.

The job market is slowly improving, but it can still be very difficult to get a response even if you are fully qualified and applying to a posted job opening. Just sending an unsolicited CV in the hopes that the employer will hold on to it and then have you in mind if something does open up is not likely to be worth the effort as a job hunting strategy, especially if you are not otherwise known to that employer.

Start talking to those already in your network who are doing the kind of work you want to do, and seek to make additional new contacts in higher education. Try to find online groups on LinkedIn or elsewhere of people who have made the switch you are looking to make. The time it takes to expand your network in this way will be well-spent, as the benefits can be substantial: advice or mentoring, the possibility of hearing about opportunities before they are posted, and even possibly recommendations to hiring decision-makers.

Q: I’m considering making the shift to academic librarianship after being a research analyst. I have a strong urge to simply call up the head of the local academic library and request a meeting with her. Is this a potentially off-putting approach?

Q: I’m considering making the shift to academic librarianship after being a research analyst. I have a strong urge to simply call up the head of the local academic library and request a meeting with her. Is this a potentially off-putting approach?

by Tiffany ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Q: I’m considering making the shift to academic librarianship after 5 years of being a Research Analyst at a large global corporation.  Before my corporate position, I worked in an academic library, so I do have some experience.  The question I have is in the approach.  The corporate environment has given me a lot of confidence and has taught me to seek out what I want and to own my career.  This leads me to have a strong urge to simply call up the head of the local academic library and request a meeting with her.  I’d like to sit face to face with her to share my resume and tell her about my skills.  Note – there are no current openings at said academic library!  So, is this a potentially off-putting approach?  Would I potentially burn a bridge by being this direct?  Thanks in advance for any advice you can provide.

TA: I commend you on your confidence and for taking ownership of your career.  I also commend you for questioning whether or not your approach is potentially off-putting.  My response is, If you need to ask that question, you already know the answer.

Corporate libraries and academic libraries can be similar in many ways, and different in others.  Generally, the corporate culture that surrounds corporate libraries can be fast-moving and competitive, and for good reason—the livelihood of the company can hang on response time and accuracy.  Some of the associated traits, however, can come across as aggressive in other workplace cultures.  It’s a matter of recognizing what works for the specific situation or workplace.

To get a sense of the workplace, and the style of approach that a director might appreciate, I wouldn’t start with the director.  I would recommend you think about conducting two or three informational interviews with others in the library.  You mentioned there were no current openings at the library.  That’s great.  What that means is you are truly seeking information about the library itself, not about a specific job.  Perhaps there is someone you already know in the organization?  Buy that person a cup of coffee and compare and contrast your corporate experience with his or her academic experience.  Is there someone who is doing work similar to yours?  Invite that person out for coffee and compare notes on how the work you do is similar and how it differs.  Throughout these interviews, you should also seek information on the culture of the organization.  How does work get done?  Do people work in groups?  What’s the style of the director and how does he/she motivate, recognize and reward good work?  If this is a small enough organization, and you learn through your interviews that the director would be open to this kind of “cold call” then you might want to make the request for an appointment.  If, however, what you learn reinforces the reservations you already have, take a more cautious approach.  Maybe you can start with a letter and resume to introduce yourself, letting the director know that you’ve learned a lot about the organization and are interested in being a part of something so exciting… Include your contact information with an invitation to talk further, and wait for the director to reach out.  At best, you’ll get an invitation.  At worst, you’ll be a recognized name when a position actually opens up and your application comes across the desk.  What’s important, though, is that you haven’t burned bridges before you even entered the door.

Q: I want to move to Manhattan and apply for a manager position in a city library. What qualifications am I lacking?

Q: I want to move to Manhattan and apply for a manager position in a city library. What qualifications am I lacking?

by Susanne Markgren ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Q: I am blessed to have a great job in a suburban school as a SLMS.  At my current placement, I have re-structured the entire program, am in charge of the budget, as well as serve 600+ students and 100+ faculty/ staff.  After six years, I am strongly considering moving to Manhattan and applying for a manager position in a city library.  What qualifications am I lacking as a school librarian as opposed to a manager position? What factors should I consider with this move?

SM: What incredible experience you have! It seems like you might be qualified for many different types of library management positions. I assume that by “city library” you mean public library, although you may want to also consider special or academic because your management skills are transferable and often highly sought-after. When applying for manager positions, you will need to emphasize your role as a manager in your current position (even if it isn’t in your title). After reviewing some of the job qualifications for library manager positions at NYPL (New York Public Library), the only qualification you seem to be missing (without reviewing your resume) is public library experience. Likewise, if you wanted to get an academic position, you may need to have academic librarian experience under your belt. Also, there are many independent/private schools in Manhattan that employ librarians. If living and working in Manhattan is your goal, then I recommend that you cast a wide net and see what’s out there, and what your skills and expertise qualify you for. If you have your heart set on working in public libraries, you should definitely apply for positions, and/or submit your resume for general consideration. You may also want to try to speak with public library managers (perhaps at your local public library) and get some feedback on what you can or should be doing to pump up your resume.

I wrote an article entitled “A Librarian’s Guide to Relocating to NYC” for METRO, which is an organization that you will find enormously useful as you look for jobs and get to know the city. Factors to think about when moving to, and looking for work in, Manhattan — other than the enormous variety of workplaces, are: cost of living, geography, transportation, networking, and using social media to help you connect with others. Best of luck!

Cheers to a Very Happy and Successful 2013!

Cheers to a Very Happy and Successful 2013!

by Susanne Markgren ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Happy New Year to our readers! We want to thank you for all your questions over the past ten years. Yes, it has been ten years! “Career Q&A with the Library Career People” started as a column in the online newsletter Info Career Trends in May of 2003. It was actually called “Career Q&A with the Library Job People” back then. Tiffany and I took over the column in November of 2003 and have been answering your questions ever since.

So, it is only fitting that ten years later we are thrilled to let you all know about our upcoming, soon-to-be-published book, Career Q&A: A Librarian’s Real-Life Practical Guide to Managing a Successful Career. We will post more information about the book, and how to get it when it comes out (later this year!), on this site.

The book takes a broad look at librarianship by dissecting it into different stages and answering specific questions about the various stages, events, transitions, struggles and advances that encompass and define a librarian’s career. It incorporates questions and answers from the Career Q&A site, and offers real-life advice from librarians in all different types of roles and stages of their careers, and genuine responses from a survey that we conducted (that you may have participated in).

So keep your questions coming — they are what make this site, and our book, possible.

Q: Is there something else I should do to improve my skills and marketability? At what point do I throw in the towel and seek another career path?

Q: Is there something else I should do to improve my skills and marketability? At what point do I throw in the towel and seek another career path?

by Tiffany ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Q: I recently discovered your site and have found it very helpful.  My situation is identical to many recent library school graduates.  I have had my MLS for nearly three years. Since I graduated, I have worked part-time in an after school program, as a media specialist, and currently, as a substitute teacher.  I have been unemployed for over a year.  I understand that it’s the economy and that there are many people in similar positions.  I also know that I am doing everything I can to improve both my skills and my marketability.

I worked an internship in a public library youth services department while a student, so I had four years of library experience before graduation.  I also have experience in museum and resource center settings.  I have an e-portfolio and social networking presence.  I subscribe to library, education job-hunting list-serves and follow related Twitter accounts.  I customize each cover letter and resume, carefully prepare for interviews, and craft customized thank you emails.  I am currently pursuing certification in educational technology.  I plan to volunteer in a local elementary school media center and local university library.  Since I am a student, I also plan to look into student library positions at my university.  I have also broadened my geographical search parameters, but I am limited to two regions in my state.

If my job search is too narrow, I’d be considered too picky.  Too broad, and I’d be considered either too desperate or someone who doesn’t do my research.  I am able to communicate how my library skills will be an asset to paraprofessional, retail, and other positions for which I am overqualified.  I have received mixed views about applying for paraprofessional positions.  The positives: it will get my foot in the door, I’d be getting the experience, and I’d be working in a library.  The negatives: why should the library waste time and resources on someone who might leave as soon as something better comes along?  For jobs that I am under-qualified for or don’t have enough experience in that particular field, it’s a catch-22.  I need experience to get a job, a job to get experience, and so on.

I’m trying not to be discouraged, but it’s not easy.  I keep telling myself I’m doing the best that I can, that there are so many librarians in my position, and that there are people far worse off.  I am trying to look up alternative careers for librarians and related search terms.  Is there something else I should do to improve my skills and marketability?  At what point do I throw in the towel and seek another career path?  My intention for this letter is not to complain (I’ve landed interviews, so I know I’m doing at least something right).  I just figure that I might not be doing enough and wanted to get professional advice.

TA: Well, this is a tough one.  From what you describe above, it sounds like you’ve covered all your bases and done a lot of work.  I am really impressed with all the attention you’ve paid to different work experiences, creating and maintaining an e-portfolio and social media presence, and your additional coursework on the educational technology certification.  Having limited geographic mobility can impose some limits on the job search, but you’ve done a lot to compensate for that limitation.

Your question about paraprofessional work is one that is greatly debated and I’m not sure there’s ever one answer that’s right for everyone.  In today’s economy, people realize that choices are made that might have been different under different circumstances.  As the employer, yes, it’s likely my question would be “Why here? Why now? How long will you stay?”  As the candidate, it’s your job to allay some of these concerns by expressing genuine interest in the position and the knowledge you can gain from the experience.  You might also want to express some commitment to the position and the institution, and offer your experience and hard work in exchange for a chance to work in the position.

Another employment option to consider is a temp librarian position.  There are placement and staffing agencies out there that specialize in placing librarians (MLS required) in temp positions all over the country, with positions that range from part time to full time, on-site to remote work locations.  Take a look at this list of placement agencies: http://www.lisjobs.com/jobseekers/agencies.asp

Finally, you mention leaving librarianship altogether and seeking employment in another career track.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook:

“Employment of librarians is expected to grow by 7 percent from 2010 to 2020, slower than the average for all occupations.  There will continue to be a need for librarians to manage libraries and staff and help patrons find information. As electronic resources become more common, patrons and support staff will be more comfortable using them, so fewer librarians will be needed for assistance. However, the increased availability of electronic information is also expected to increase the demand for librarians in research and special libraries, where they will be needed to help sort through the large amount of available information.  Budget limitations, especially in local government and educational services, may slow demand for librarians. Some libraries may close, reduce the size of their staff, or focus on hiring library technicians and assistants, who can fulfill some librarian duties at a lower cost.  Jobseekers may face strong competition for jobs, especially early in the decade, as many people with master’s degrees in library science compete for a limited number of available positions. Later in the decade, prospects should be better as older library workers retire and population growth generates openings.  Even though people with a master’s in library science may have trouble finding a job as a librarian, their research and analytical skills are valuable for jobs in a variety of other fields, such as market researchers or computer and information systems managers.”

(http://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/librarians.htm#tab-6)

For more information from the BLS on similar occupations, you can visit: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/librarians.htm#tab-7.  Just be sure to check the job prospects of these associated fields before you leave librarianship.  We’d hate to lose you.