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![Networking, Service, and Mentors
● Networking: Having conversations in professional social
settings, like speed dating for colleagues with similar
interests
● Service: Donating your labor to a professional
organization
● Mentors: When you find someone you admire, ask if you
can buy them a coffee in exchange for picking their brain
for half an hour on [topic].](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/getalibrary-ishjob-181007193331/75/Get-a-Library-ish-Job-16-2048.jpg)
Uploaded byCliff Landis
Get a (Library-ish) Job!
The document provides an overview of strategies for securing a job in the library and information science field, emphasizing the importance of self-knowledge, effective networking, and tailored application materials. It highlights the value of internships, diverse job applications, and the necessity of research on potential employers. Additionally, the author shares insights on preparing for interviews and negotiating job offers, along with a commitment to ongoing professional development.
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Get a (Library-ish) Job!
- 1. Get a (Library-ish)Job! Sponsored by the GLA New Members Round Table Georgia Libraries Conference 2018 Cliff Landis
- 2. Introductions ● Librarian /Technologist with 15 years professional experience, primarily in academic libraries and archives. ● Currently: Digital Initiatives Librarian ● Maintain digital collections and software ● Joined AUC RWWL in March 2017 ● Passionate about career planning and professional development ● Recovering Perfectionist and Archivaholic ● Aspiring Systems Thinker (ala Gregory Bateson & Peter Senge) ● Obsession of the moment: Hügelkultur!
- 3. Content Note: Privilege,Power, Difference, and Bias My Presentation-of-Self appears to others as: ● White ● Male / Masculine ● Cisgender ● Heterosexual ● Able-bodied ● Neurotypical ● Anglo-sounding name ● Middle-class ● Educated ● Professionally experienced How people perceive me impacts how I’m treated, often to my own advantage.
- 4. Professional Experience ● March2017 – Present - Digital Initiatives Librarian, Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta, Georgia. ● July 2016 – January 2017 - Taxonomy and Metadata Manager, InterContinental Hotels Group, Atlanta, Georgia. ● June 2010 – June 2016 - Web Services Librarian / Assistant Professor, Georgia State University Library, Atlanta, Georgia. ● July 2004 – May 2010 - Reference Librarian / Assistant Professor, Odum Library, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia. ● January 2004 – June 2004 - Part-time Staff, Odum Library, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia. ● September 2003 – May 2004 - Library Intern, Odum Library, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia.
- 5. Job Search Experience JobSearches: ● I have worked in four professional positions, but to date I have applied for fourteen positions. So I have a success rate of 28.57% (or a failure rate of 71.43%), which I consider to be pretty good! Search Committees: ● Valdosta State University - Served on four search committees, Chaired three of them ● Georgia State University - Served on three search committees and two Structured/Admin reviews
- 6. Moment of Reflection:Why are you looking for a job?
- 7. Moment of Reflection:Why are you looking for a job? ● To pay the bills ● To move closer to family / friends / better climate ● To get new experience, to learn new skills ● To do what I really want to do ● To leverage for a promotion / more salary ● To make a difference ● To move up in the organization ● To see some sort of light at the end of the tunnel ● To get the heck out of here
- 8.
- 9. Know thyself ● Usea few self-assessment tools ● Discuss the results with folks who can help you see past your ego / blind spots ● Identify transferable skills & mindsets ● Identify communication, conflict, and management styles ● Identify values and work preferences ● As you do the above, identify strengths and weaknesses ● Set up regular check-ins to identify changes
- 10. 16 Personalities: INFJ- The Advocate / Protector Strengths: ● Creative ● Insightful ● Inspiring and Convincing ● Decisive ● Determined and Passionate ● Altruistic Weaknesses: ● Sensitive ○ Learn how to do conflict well and not take things personally ● Extremely Private ○ Learn how to be more open and vulnerable ● Perfectionistic ○ Learn how to enjoy “good enough” ● Always Need to Have a Cause ○ ….ummmmm ● Can Burn Out Easily ○ Conserve resources carefully, take vacation / breaks https://www.16personalities.com/infj-strengths-and-weaknesses
- 11. Identify Transferable Skills& Mindsets Example Skills: ● Collection Development/Management ● Evaluation of collections ● Reference Interviewing ● Information architecture ● Usability ● Library facilities management ● Reference Services ● User Education ● Problem Solving ● Scholarly Communication Example Mindsets: ● Ability to change/Agility ● Ethics and social responsibility ● Service Orientation ● Social dynamics of groups’ perspective ● Systems of Information Perspective ● Power dynamics inherent in information production perspective ● Social dynamics of groups’ perspective http://acrl.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=31104424http://acrl.libguides.com/scholcomm/toolkit/RDMWorkshop
- 12. People & Communication ●Communication Styles ○ Passive, Aggressive, Passive-Aggressive, Assertive ○ All communication is an act of influence ○ Use every conversation as an opportunity to practice your communication skills ● Conflict Styles ○ Avoidance, Competition, Accommodation, Compromise, Consensus ○ Conflict is difference; don’t avoid it - use it ● Management Styles ○ Directive, Authoritative, Affiliative, Participative, Pacesetting, Coaching ○ You’ll need to manage down, up and sideways
- 13. Values & WorkPreferences ● We’re most content and satisfied when our work aligns with our values ● Work Styles ○ Doer, Problem-Solver, Creator, Helper, Persuader, Organizer ● Ikigai ● Work Environment https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ikigai-EN-optimized-PNG.png
- 14.
- 15. Build your SourceCV ● You never give your Source CV to a potential employer - it’s a way to keep track of everything you’ve done professionally. ● Update it once a month to keep it current ● If you’re not sure if something belongs, put it in anyway ● Very handy for annual reviews! ● Organize by context, in reverse chronological order http://www.clifflandis.net/CV.pdf Example Contents: ● Executive Summary ● Education ● Professional Experience ● Special Experience ● Publications ● Professional Presentations ● Honors ● Professional Development ● Professional Organizations ● Grants ● Service ● Languages ● Computer Skills
- 16. Networking, Service, andMentors ● Networking: Having conversations in professional social settings, like speed dating for colleagues with similar interests ● Service: Donating your labor to a professional organization ● Mentors: When you find someone you admire, ask if you can buy them a coffee in exchange for picking their brain for half an hour on [topic].
- 17. Internships, Staff Jobs& Volunteering ● Most of us don’t go straight from an MLIS program to our first professional job. ● Still in library school? Get as many internships as you can, and work on both projects and processes. You need hands-on experience to give examples in interview responses. ● Out of library school? Apply to both professional and staff jobs, either in a library or a library-adjacent field. ● Out of library school and working in a non-LIS field? Volunteer at a library and ask to work directly with librarians on projects. Every job pays you twice, once in salary and once in experience.
- 18. Library-Adjacent Job Ads/ Titles Lib-Adjacent: https://www.libgig.com/, https://careers.sla.org/, http://inalj.com/ Tech: https://www.dice.com/, https://jobs.code4lib.org/, http://www.lisjobnet.com/jobs/jobs/, http://www.ala.org/lita/professional/jobs/looking, https://librarytechnology.org/jobs/ Field-Specific examples: https://aspt.net/opportunities/, https://damguru.com/jobs/, https://justuxjobs.com/, https://metadatajobs.net/ General: Glassdoor, Monster, Indeed, SimplyHired, LinkedIn, CareerBuilder, etc. Information Organization: Taxonomist, Metadata Manager, Analytics Manager, Curator, Archivist, Automation Coordinator, Business Information Specialist, Data Officer, Records Manager, Digital Asset Manager, Indexer, Information Architect, Database Manager, Privacy Officer Knowledge Management: Technical Writer, Documentation Specialist, Learning Resources Coordinator, Intelligence Analyst, Editor Herding: Project Manager, Head of…, ...Director
- 19.
- 20. Reviewing Job Ads ●Don’t forget to stretch! ● Print the job ad and highlight the important parts ● Identify the themes in the job ad ● Any highlighted parts that you don’t have prior experience with, you’ll need to address in your cover letter.
- 21. The Application Packet:Resume This is the quantitative part of your packet. Use this part to show off your work history, skills list, service, and productivity. ● Make a copy of your Source CV and start cutting out parts that aren’t relevant to this particular job. Each line in your Resume should be related to the job at hand. ● Change wording as necessary to emphasize the language used in the job ad, while also being true to your abilities.
- 22. The Application Packet:Cover Letter This is the qualitative part of your packet. Use this part to tell brief stories that demonstrate your skills and illustrate why those skills match the job. ● Use the first paragraph to state which job you’re applying for, where and when you saw it advertised (HR folks track this), and a broad statement about how your career experiences make you an excellent match for this position. ● Write each paragraph to address one of the themes. ● Use the first sentence of each paragraph as a link between the last paragraph and this one. ● Use the last paragraph to show appreciation for your current or most recent job, but that you’re looking forward to what this particular job offers.
- 24. The Application Packet:References This is the character part of your packet. These people will speak to your work ethic, collegiality, adaptability, and attitude. ● Seek out people who have worked with you at your best at work, preferably over an extended period of time. ● List one more person than required, and your relationship to each ● Contact your references before you list them ● Once you submit your application packet, send each of your references a copy of: the job ad, your cover letter, and your resume. ● It should go without saying, but don’t lie or misrepresent yourself in your application packet. You’re putting your references’ reputations on the line by asking them to speak on your behalf.
- 26. The Application Packet:Selling the Product ● You have to dust off your salesperson skills when applying for jobs ● Know the audience: tailor what you say to the person you’re communicating with ● Three Cs: ○ Clear: Make sure that your sentences are clear and free of ambiguity. ○ Concise: Say it briefly whenever possible. ○ Cogent: Ensure that what you’re saying makes sense and flows properly. ● Proofread: Let your packet “rest” for 24 hours without looking at it, and then re-read with a fresh set of eyes.
- 27. SUBMIT THE PACKET! ...Thenpat yourself on the back! It’s a lot of mental and emotional work to build a solid application packet, and it’s worth it to take a few minutes to congratulate yourself on the work that you’ve done -- regardless of the eventual outcome. The speed of the process is extremely variable. Smaller, private, and for-profit organizations tend to move more quickly than larger, public, and not-for-profit organizations.
- 28. Researching the Employer ●Break out your business intelligence skills! ● Look at the company’s reputation online ● Although you can’t believe everything you read on the internet, forewarned is forearmed -- look out for repetitive red flags. ● Remember that although they’ll be interviewing you, you’ll also be interviewing them. ● Be thinking about any questions you will have for them based on your research. You want to find a place where you fit, not a place that’s going to take years off of your life in exchange for a salary.
- 29. Phone Interviews ● Setaside a quiet time and place. ● Use a corded landline phone and hold the handset. ● Have your application packet ready to glance at ● Keep your answers clear, concise, and cogent. ● Each answer should last two to five minutes. ● When possible, use examples from your projects to demonstrate your knowledge and experience. ● Have a set of three to five questions ready to ask the interviewers at the end. ● Send a thank-you email to each of the people you spoke with.
- 30. In-Person Interviews ● Bewell-groomed, warm, and cheerful. ● Wear comfortable shoes, eat modestly, and sip on water throughout the day ● Have your full list of questions ready to ask the interviewers, potential coworkers, and HR. ● Pay attention to how potential coworkers speak and behave -- their demeanor can tell you a lot about the institutional culture and how well they’re treated by the organization. ● If you get them alone (i.e. during a tour) ask them about the institutional culture, what they think of your potential boss, what they like best/least about working there, etc. ● Send a thank-you card to each of the people that you interacted with.
- 31. HR Conversations ● Beparticularly mindful of your behavior and word choice when interacting with Human Resources. ● If it’s brought up, be honest about any obstacles in your past (bad credit, being fired, employment gaps, arrests, etc.). ● Patience is best when waiting to hear from a potential job. If you find yourself worrying over not having heard back, put that energy into more job applications rather than asking for the status of the search.
- 32. Negotiating salary ● Lookclosely at the salary and benefits package. ● Figure out your ideal/minimum salary range beforehand. ● Know that your future raises will be calculated as a percentage of your starting salary -- the higher your starting salary, the larger your raises. ● Don’t take the first offer -- always negotiate for a higher salary. ● If you get an offer but would like to stay at your current job, notify your supervisor and ask for a meeting to discuss whether the library is willing to make a competitive offer.
- 33. Acceptance or Rejection ●If you receive a rejection notice at any point, send a thank you email to the main point of contact (typically either HR or a search committee member). ● If you decide to withdraw from the search, notify and send a thank you email to the main point of contact. ● If you accept the offer, congratulations! You have a new job! ○ Do not quit/provide notice to your current job until after you sign your new contract and your new employer notifies you that it has been received. ○ Make a photocopy of any paperwork that you have to send to HR, before you send it, especially contracts.
- 34.
- 35. First Weeks ● Setup brief one-on-one meetings ● Ask for all the job-relevant documentation you can get your hands on and read it all. ● Ask for three goals/projects you should focus on for your first three to six months. ● Make an HR binder with copies of your contract, benefits info, employee handbook, etc. ● Understand coworkers’ philosophical approach to library practice. For example: “How much description should be provided for our collections?” “If you can’t find the time to do it right, when will you find the time to do it over?” “More product, less process” “Something is better than nothing” *wordless scream*
- 36. Don’t get ready,stay ready ● Do a weekly review, so you know everything that you’re not doing but could be doing if you decided to. ● Make a P&T (promotion and tenure) binder and file away anything of professional significance: annual reviews, substantive thank you emails, presentation programs, copies of articles you wrote. ● Update your source CV once a month. ● Do professional development every week. Every. Week. ● Look at job ads regularly to identify skills that you want to learn. ● Serve on search committees. This is the fastest way to see the job application process done both well and poorly. You will also hear how other employees evaluate applicants.
- 37. Give a leg-up ●Work with GLA’s NMRT even after you are no longer a “new member” ● Share professional development opportunities, to help coworkers stay abreast of changes in the field. ● Be generous with your time when it comes to coaching new professionals in the field -- it’s very rewarding to be thanked for helping someone get their dream job.
- 38. ...And don’t forgetto dress for success! Thank you! clifflandis.net Checklist available at: https://cutt.ly/ Libraryish_Job_Checklist
Editor's Notes
- #2 Did you ever wish that someone would just hand you a checklist for getting a job? Great news – this session will not only give you that checklist, but walk you through the whole process! Learn how to use self-assessment to review your skills, biases, values and interests. Improve your chances by leveraging your GLA membership, searching for jobs in library-adjacent fields, breaking down job advertisements, and writing audience-focused application packets. Wrap up by setting yourself up for success in your first six months on the job while helping your colleagues get their own dream jobs!
- #3 With the recent extreme storms, we’ve had a lot of downed trees. Hugelkultur is a permaculture method to use dead wood, compost and mulch to create an easy permanent raised bed. It’s particularly good if your soil is poor (as mine is solid clay). I like helping things grow -- both plants and librarians!
- #4 Some of these labels are true and some are not, but regardless, they impact how others perceive me and treat me, often giving me an advantage in otherwise equitable setting. I acknowledge that my experience (and therefore my session today) comes with several privileges Job hunting is riddled with power, privilege, and bias -- I cannot know what it’s like to hunt for a job as a woman or person of color "We have a lot of content to cover, and I also want have enough time for your very important questions. So, jot them down, and let's save them for the end, okay?"
- #5 I’ve held five jobs in academic libraries, one job in a major corporation I started as an intern, then became a staff member, and have held four professional jobs since then
- #6 Although I’ve had four professional jobs, I’ve applied for fourteen positions, so my success rate is about 28.57% I’ve also served on seven search committees, three of which I chaired. I’ve read hundreds of resumes and cover letters in those search committees, and a few dozen that I’ve looked over for friends, family and colleagues
- #7 But really quick, what are some of the reasons that you might be looking for a job? If your boss is in the room, you can feel free to sit this one out :)
- #8 These are nine reasons, but you may have others
- #9 Leveling up your basic skills
- #10 StrengthsFinder 2.0 ($18); 16 Personalities List your skills, mindsets, and communication styles Figure out what you value, and how you like to work Pay attention to your weaknesses and your strengths, and talk it over with a trusted friend. Someone you would trust to tell you that you have spinach in your teeth
- #11 The 16 personalities website, based on the Myers-Briggs Personality test (the sorting hat) lists me as INFJ The strengths are lovely, but the weaknesses are where I can work on myself These are some of the ways I accomodate for my weaknesses
- #12 ACRL Workshop: Research Data Management - Transferable Skills Inventory Instructions (Abigail Goben and Megan Sapp Nelson) This is a great list to work from to indentify skills that you have that can translate to other areas of work. This is particularly helpful if you’re applying for positions in the private sector.
- #13 Take the time to reflect on your conversations. Are you adjusting your communication style to match your audience? Can you respond to questions in a clear, concise, and cogent manner? Are you actively listening? If you do that one step, you’ll be surprised at how quickly you change your communication based on the context at hand. Have you ever known someone who behaves the exact same way in all situations? Don't be that person -- learn how to be flexible and adjust your communication to what’s happening. Some folks worry that they’re not being “genuine” if they change their communication style, but expanding the range of your communication abilities just means that you’re adding to your skills it’s still you doing the talking, listening, writing and reading. Example of hedging here.
- #14 Knowing what you value can help you find work that feels fulfilling I like helping people and feeling like I’m making a difference You may or may not be able to find work or a work environment that aligns with some or all of these things, but you can keep looking until you find a good fit
- #16 Your Source Curriculum Vitæ is your way to remember everything you’ve done professionally. Organize content by context (i.e. National, State, Institutional presentations)
- #17 Focus on asking good questions, actively listening, and being genuinely interested in the other person You don’t have to be good at it, you just have to pretend to be good at it People see you at work, so they can speak to your work ethic and professional skills Great way to practice and strengthen weak spots in your skills or character Most folks love to talk about themselves and their work Great if you have imposter syndrome, to ask “Am I doing this right?”
- #18 Librarianship is a practical degree where you need hands-on experience in order to understand the work itself. Just like studying archeology, you have to go out and dig up bones and pottery to understand the work on an experiential level. Avoid gaps in your work history, but if they’re there, address them in your cover letter Interview your coworkers: Ask about their job interview experience (both applying and serving on search committees); ask how and why they have changed positions, and what they liked about their different jobs.
- #19 If you see a job that sounds really cool, but you lack the skills or experience, add those skills to your professional development “learn about...” list. Once you learn the skills, experiment and play around with them to develop a simple product you can show off in your job applications. Library job ad locations: Listservs, webpage aggregators (state level orgs, professional orgs, etc.), social networking sites, word-of-mouth through your professional network Set up alerts for your search terms https://www.google.com/alerts
- #21 You should look for job ads where you qualify for 60%-100% of the skills. You’re selling yourself short if you don’t apply to a job because you don’t match its requirements 100%. Print the job ad and highlight the important parts, matching the highlighted parts to projects that you’ve already done. This is your job-specific checklist -- every highlighted item should be covered by a line on your resume or a story in your cover letter. so that you can bundle each highlighted item in that theme together in a cover letter paragraph.
- #22 If the job ad says “bibliographic instruction,” change your instances of “library instruction” accordingly -- packet reviewers will be looking for wording matches amongst dozens of applications.
- #23 Themes: Tell a story about how you worked on a project that used/developed your skills in that area. Your resume will have the hard facts, so use this as an opportunity to tell the human part of your story - how you solved a problem, created a new approach, or implemented a big change. Restate that you believe that your skills and experience make you an excellent match for this job and the overall institution.
- #25 Real Talk: If you were miserable/angry/unpleasant at a job and everyone saw that in you/your work, you’ll have a hard time finding someone to speak well of you on your behalf. If the job asks for three references, include four. That way if someone can’t be reached that day, they can go to the next person. List each person’s contact information, as well as the relationship you had to them (coworker, current supervisor, former supervisor, direct report, cross-departmental team member,etc.). , to ask if they’ll be willing to serve as a reference. If they decline or are too busy, don't push it, just move on to someone else. You want enthusiastic references, not reluctant ones. This way they know how you spoke about yourself, so that they don’t contradict what you said.
- #27 you’re trying to sell a product, and the product is you. Practice your persuasive speaking and writing skills You wouldn’t talk to a toddler the same way you would talk to a city mayor, and vice versa. In exactly the same way, you should craft your written and verbal communication to transmit your message in a way that it will be received, understood,and persuasive to the audience.
- #29 look at the company’s general information, organizational chart, blog posts and press releases for the last six months, and see if you can interview anyone who has worked there to find out about the institutional culture (another spot where your professional network comes in handy) websites like BBB, CareerBliss, Glassdoor, Yelp, etc. Although you can’t believe everything you read on the internet, forewarned is forearmed -- look out for repetitive red flags.
- #30 When you’re interviewing, you should answer most questions with examples. Interviewers don’t want to hear what you know, they want to know what you’ve done with that knowledge -- how you’ve translated it into work. Make sure to write down who you’re talking to, so you can send thank you emails
- #31 This will help moderate your body’s stress from the excitement of the day. Have your full list of questions ready to ask the interviewers, potential coworkers, and HR. You may not get to ask all of your questions, but be prepared with something for each. You can wrap up with “Do you have a loose timeline for the search, and an estimated start date for the successful candidate?” If you get them alone (i.e. during a tour) ask them about the institutional culture, what they think of your potential boss, what they like best/least about working there, etc. Send a thank-you card to each of the people that you interacted with.
- #32 HR’s job is to defend the organization, not the people who work there. You demonstrate character by acknowledging your missteps and showing how you have grown beyond them, rather than trying to hide them.
- #33 Insurance, leave time, retirement, moving expenses, cost of living in that city, etc. can all impact the overall package. If your rent/mortgage goes up next year, will you be able to afford to stay in your home? Don’t withdraw from the search until after you get the competitive offer in writing (or in your bank account!)
- #34 If you end up applying for another position at the same company, you want to leave a good impression.
- #36 Set up brief one-on-one meetings with your supervisor, direct reports, departmental coworkers, and key external stakeholders to ask about their jobs, backgrounds, and what they need from this position. Ask for all the job-relevant documentation you can get your hands on and read it all. Create a “cheat sheet” document for yourself that describes and links to each document. This will help you get acclimated quickly. Ask for three goals/projects you should focus on for your first three to six months. Asking shows that you’re eager to work and meet expectations. Make an HR binder with copies of your contract, benefits info, employee handbook, etc. You’ll find yourself using this binder more often than you think.
- #39 https://all-free-download.com/free-photos/download/thank-you-inscription-03-hd-pictures_170885.html