Career development discussions

In anticipation of the Re:Generations committee's sessions at the upcoming CLA conference, we'd like to ramp-up our blog discussions on the theme preparing for the profession. Building on Deborah's helpful post on "interviewing from the other side," I'd like to share a little résumé epiphany that I had recently.

Several weeks ago, I attended an excellent workshop on career development led by the incomparable Ulla de Stricker (Sponsored by the CLA McGill Student Chapter, the CLA-CASLIS Government Section, and the McGill School of Information Studies. See the event announcement here). [Aside: if you ever have a chance to go to one of Ulla's workshops...go!]

*Update! I should also have linked to Ulla's blog, a great source of advice and discussion of issues relevant to information professionals: http://destrickerblog.typepad.com/.

Primarily attended by LIS students along with a few fellow current professionals, the full-day workshop was arranged into four segments:

• Résumés: Let’s tackle the monster
• Where do you “fit”? Understanding your “career type”
• Self-promotion without cringing: Gaining visibility through giving
• Positive politics: Building a healthy workplace

I emerged from the day with with mountains advice and insights that will be useful to me at all stages of my career. I'm sure that some of it will be making its way into future posts, but for now, here's a résumé tidbit:

I had never really thought about it this way before, but résumés are documents that are written for other people to read. They're not for your own record-keeping. Even if in comprehensive c.v.s, the purpose is not to list every minute detail of every job; it is NOT a passive list of job responsibilities. As Ulla put it, employers aren’t interested in what you were supposed to do. They want to know what you achieved. It's much more effective to describe “what was different when I left” instead of saying “I did X function.” When selecting details to include in the c.v., it's essential to anticipate what the potential employer will want to know. In other words, look at your résumé from the reader's perspective. When you read it, can you easily see what "the candidate" would bring to the job? Does the description of their past experience prove their value?

Just to put the pressure on a little more, Ulla reminded us that "your skill in designing the résumé is a harbinger of the skill you’ll bring to the job." It is indeed an important document, worthy of careful work!

And now to broaden the discussion, I'd like to humbly ask for some feedback to serve as fodder for future posts and for our "unconference"-ish session at the CLA conference. Here are some open questions begging for comments:

1. Employed librarians: what do you think were the most important factors in landing your current position?

2. Librarians with at least a year of experience under your belt: what do you wish you knew before you started your current position?

3. Students: what is your most burning question about getting a professional position?

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Ambassador Visit to SLIS

This week, I was fortunate to convene an ambassador visit organized by CACUL's Re:Generations committee (thanks Christina and Dale!) at the University of Alberta's School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS). Our thanks go out to LISSA (SLIS's Library and Information Studies Student Association) for providing bagels and other snacks which were greatly appreciated over the course of the lunch hour!

On the panel, we were fortunate to have two librarians representing the University of Alberta Libraries, as well as a librarian from MacEwan University and King's University College. The strength of the panel was the breadth of the experience, from new librarian to experienced librarian to library director. Also, the diverse natures of the academic libraries the panel represented, including large research university, medium size and small college environments, gave the students present a wide range of opinions to consider. 

Our hour long session was structured as an informal Question & Answer session. The students were eager to ask questions, and the range of questions differed as much as the range of experience on the panel!

A popular topic was current academic library trends, and the panel discussed issues such as the:

• state of the post-recession job market 
• increasing emphasis placed on user experience
• shift from library as a place for books to a place of social gathering
• increasing importance of information literacy instruction
• delivery of library services and programs to students who are already technically savvy

The panel also discussed doing research and obtaining tenue - the extend of which differently greatly depending on the institution. All librarians stressed the importance of marketing the library to and nurturing relationships with faculty. Also mentioned were possible conferences to attend (don't forget about ALA!), professional development opportunities and training provided to new-hires. 

The two newest librarians on the panel talked about their job interviews, which again differed greatly: one librarian was asked to present a short lesson to the interview panel, whereas the other was only required to answer questions about instructional methods. All the panelists stressed the need to consider non-traditional library jobs, such as working for a research institute or creating contract opportunities via networks.

While holding this informal Question & Answer panel meant this ambassador visit differed slightly than previous visits, I got the impression the students learned a lot about academic librarianship. I expected more interest in job hunting, so was surprised by the student's desire to learn more about many diverse areas of the profession. If you are interested in specific job hunting tips, you can read more about Re:Generations past ambassador visits to McGill (2009) and SLAIS (2008).

Overall, it was a fantastic opportunity for library students to meet and hear from librarians currently working in the field, an opportunity I for one greatly appreciated!

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Cold Calling - Neccessary or Annoying?

It's me again - the resident library student - must be time to ask for more advice!

Recently, a professor at our library school 'recommended' we start cold calling libraries as part of our job search. Actually, it was more like "What?! Why haven't you started cold calling? You need to do that now!". Regardless of how the message was delivered, it certainly has instigated a lot of discussion among all of the soon-to-be-graduating students.

And when I say discussion, I really mean fear.

Here are a few exclamations I've heard around the student lounge after the cold calling announcement:

• We're supposed to show up unannounced at random libraries and handout resumes?
• Doesn't this make us seem needy and overly keen?
• Do we visit or call or email resumes?
• Do we have to do this? Or is it just a recommendation?
• Isn't applying to a job ad enough?
• But I'm shy!

Another professor mentioned libraries tend to keep cold call resumes on file for three to six months before discarding them. They then encouraged us to submit our resumes over and over again. However, even after being told to cold call by two professors, some of us are still dubious about how effective it is, or even how to do it properly.

Christina's recent post on Job Search Strategies yielded some fantastic resources, but none that really mentioned cold calling. The Toronto Public Library has a page about cold calling, but it is not tailored to library jobs.

So I'm just wondering:

• Is cold calling necessary, or annoying?
• Does your library have a policy for dealing with cold calls?
• Would your library prefer an in-person visit or an email or a phone call?

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Job interview preparation techniques

On Friday, all of my colleagues wanted to know why I was wearing a tie to work. Although I always try to dress professionally (see my previous post), I do not usually wear a tie to work. The reason I was doing so on Friday was that I had a job interview.

Today I'd like to talk about job interview preparation. I'm certainly no expert on the matter - in fact, I haven't even been interviewed all that many times. But while it's fresh in my mind, I'd like to tell you how I psyched myself up for it, and I'd like you to leave a comment with your own preparation techniques.

I did not have much time to prepare; I only found out about the interview about 24 hours in advance. I'm sure this situation would cause some people to panic, but I found it reassuring for two reasons. First of all, it meant the Selection Committee wasn't expecting me to have spent weeks preparing (and I didn't have to worry that the other applicants had put more effort into their preparations, since we all had the same amount of time). And secondly, it saved me a week or more of obsessing over which stories I should plan to tell, which of my qualities I should attempt to highlight, and how many times I should rehearse my 5 minute presentation. So my advice here is to make the most of whatever time you have, and look on the bright side if it's not much.

I was given a topic in advance and asked to give a 5 minute presentation at the interview, so this is where I started. I worked all the way through it, until I had something resembling a finished first draft. Then I put it aside (being careful to hit "save") and started thinking about my recent accomplishments. I've been keeping a list in Google Docs of all the projects I've been involved with since starting my current position, so I went over this list while thinking of common interview questions. Which of these projects involved teamwork? (That was an easy one; the answer was "almost all of them") Which were examples of times I've demonstrated leadership? Which ones involved innovation? When have I gone above and beyond while serving clients?

Once I'd taken stock of my recent accomplishments, I returned to my presentation and found that the break had given me some new ideas. I finalized the presentation and began rehearsing. I kept an eye on the clock as I went through it, then went back and made a few slight modifications to ensure I wouldn't go over the time limit. Once I was happy with the presentation, I spent a few minutes going over previous interviews in my mind, and thinking about what went well and what I'd like to do differently this time.

That was pretty much the extent of it, though I made a point of doing two other things as well: I got a good night's sleep the night before and I had a snack before the interview. Since it was scheduled for late in the afternoon, I knew I wouldn't be in the best frame of mind unless I was well rested and had a full stomach (but not *too* full - I wouldn't want to suddenly become queasy!).

I'll have to wait to find out whether my approach paid off (though obviously there are many factors involved in a hiring decision), but I feel I did a good job of preparing. Of course, there's always room for improvement, so please share any tips you might have in the comments. And wish me luck!

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Job Search Success for Library Students

It’s an exciting week for the Re:Generations blog - this is the second post this week by a new member of the blogging team! I am the new student member of the Re:Generations committee, and will be blogging about issues from a student perspective. Mostly I think that means I'll be asking for a lot of advice from everyone, so please comment extensively!

As a soon-to-be-librarian, I try to keep track of what's going on in the profession by reading library literature and related blogs, following conversations on listservs, attending brown bag sessions and research colloquiums and talking to librarians in the field. I highly value meeting other librarians, and always take to heart the advice they give me.

Knowledge and communication are two way streets though: do you keep track of what's going on in the library schools?

Let me enlighten you.

I think right now first year library students are busy trying to survive the first term and stay on top of all the assignments that will be due in the next couple months. As second year students, we've developed assignment survival techniques (or at least have learned to hide the stress) and have moved on to worrying about something more troublesome: getting jobs once we graduate in the spring. It certainly seems like the current economic recession and subsequent employment situation is all we talk about.

Perhaps we ought to stop talking about it though. We should probably start doing something to improve our chances of finding a job once we graduate in a few months. But what should we be doing in our last year of library school?

Fortunately, the Re:Generations blog is full of numerous tips. Karen recently posted some great advice about what students can do while in library school, and Meghan posted some practical interview tips, including a plug for the ReGenerations Resume Review Service (which I used last year, and recommend highly!!). Graham wrote about participating in professional partnering programs, such as our Partners Week Program at the University of Alberta which is now in full swing, and Christina discussed mentorship programs. More helpful blog posts can be found by viewing the labels at the bottom of the page.

This is where asking for a lot of advice comes in. As a working librarian, what do you think current library students can do to prepare for and succeed in the upcoming job search?

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Ambassador visit to McGill

We're happy to have this guest post from Brittany Trafford, MLIS student at McGill's School of Information Studies. Thanks Brittany!
-Megan

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Recently, at my school CACUL helped take part in a series of lunch time presentations about academic librarianship. There were two representatives from Concordia and one from University of Montreal, and the moderator for the event was a McGill librarian who also had a few tips.

Each of the librarians had different past experiences and different job responsibilities but interestingly they all had similar advice for students. Most of the hour spent with the guests was devoted to student questions which helped us have free reign to ask anything ranging from how to get and interview, to what to expect on the job. Some advice may have been similar to the guidance we’ve had in the past, but coming from professionals who have succeeded in the academic world, it had extra merit.

Here are few suggestions they shared:

Getting an Interview:
• Remember that in a lot of situations, the pool of applicants determines your probability of getting an interview. So apply for anything you are interested in even if you think others are more qualified or you don’t have as many years of experience as they say they want. And, on the other side, don’t be discouraged if you do get an interview but don’t get the job; interview practice is valuable in itself.
• Don’t leave gaps in your CV, (or at least make sure you somehow explain what you were doing during those months/years not recorded) or employers’ imaginations might get out of hand! Even if you were working somewhere that you don’t think helped your librarianship skills, you might be surprised at what different experience can be looked at favourably.
• University libraries in Montreal are looking for both English and French skills, but that doesn’t always mean that you have to be bilingual, but it will definitely help and is preferred.
• Get involved in school groups and professional associations. These help you network and make your resume stand out.

In the Interview:
• Dress nicely, make a good impression.
• Expect to have to make a presentation of some kind. Teaching is a very important skill for academic librarians and you will usually be asked to show off your abilities!
• Stay up to date in the changes in academic librarianship and in academic institutions at large (the evolution of education alters libraries’ roles).

On the Job:
• Academic librarians benefit from time granted for researching and often there is money available to pay for attending conferences.
• Publishing and presenting research is important, but it does not always make a huge different to your success, though each school has different rules depending on the status of their librarians. However, if you are really attracted to the world of academia, adding to the body of knowledge in our field should probably be of interest to you and therefore publishing, presenting and researching will probably be something you enjoy or desire to be involved in!

But even after all of the great advice and inside scoop on the world of academic librarianship, one lesson seemed to stick out the most:
Take opportunities as they come. You may envision a path for yourself, but never be afraid to try something new, even as you grow as a professional.
Good advice, especially for those of us who are getting anxious about entering the workforce!

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Tips from Recent Grads on the Job Search and Interview Process

I recently attended a panel presentation for MLIS students on job searching and interviewing. Three speakers, all recent grads themselves, talked about their job search strategies, lessons learned from interviews, and the nuts-and-bolts of getting their first position. In spite of the fact that each had applied for different types of positions in academic libraries (reference/instruction or liaison librarian, data librarian, marketing librarian) and in different geographic regions (Western Canada, Ontario, the United States), I found it surprising how similar their experiences had been.

Here are some of the tips the panelists shared:

• Do background research: This goes for both submitting your CV and preparing for the interview. Read up on the institution and the library. Try to find out about the people you would report to and work with. Once you have been invited for an interview, ask who will be on the interview panel and then Google them. Find out what makes them tick, what their research interests are, what their opinions are.
  
• Prepare questions for the interview: Focus on you and them. Think about what kinds of questions will they ask about you, your background and experience, and your goals. Why should they hire you? What do you bring to the job that no one else will? Think also about what kinds of questions they will ask related to them and their institution. What are they known for? What kinds of programs do they have? Are they launching any new initiatives? What's their institutional culture like? Think about what can you find out about them that will prepare you to answer questions they might ask. Here's a great list of questions, recently posted on the Tomorrow's Professor blog, that might help prepare for the interview.
• Be professional, but be yourself. They want to know what kind of person you are, just as you want to know if they're the right fit for you.
• Be enthusiastic! This goes a long way.
• Don't be afraid to say you don't know something, but think about how the question may be related to something you do know and talk about that. Maybe you can't list all the databases in business, but you could explain how you would go about finding this information. If you try to fudge it, they'll probably see through you anyway.
  
• Finally, listen to your gut. Remember that you are also trying them on for size.
  

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