Article by Nathan Rosen in the March 2010 on Lessons Learned, Lessons Relearned, and Lessons Learned the Hard Way

1. p e r s p e c t i v e
Lessons Learned, Lessons Relearned, and Lessons
Wisdom for the unemployed librarian
By Nathan Aaron Rosen
“ Look forward to the
future, rather than
looking back to the
L
osing your job can be a with the exact length and severity
catastrophic and life-altering depending on age, responsibilities, and past, even though
event. In an instant, everything life situation. The grief felt after losing a
changes and facing the loss of income job is often felt more deeply as a person doing so is very
gets older and has more responsibilities. difficult.
and insurance—and the feeling of
rejection—can be devastating. But it is
not the end. As every door closes, a new
door opens, and if you can be open to
If you can recognize the stages and
accept them as normal, you will be able
to move through them faster. For me,
it helped to remember the old saying
”
the experience, it can lead to a new, that bad things happen to good people.
different, and better chapter in your life. Ultimately everyone has to learn to
The lesson for me and about 5,300 live with loss. So try to recognize the
fellow employees started in December stage that you are currently in, feel it,
2008 when we were terminated as part understand it, recognize that it is only
of a massive RIF (reduction in force). temporary, and work to move on.
At the time, everything seemed great
and what happened was a total surprise. Negotiate
And so I learned my first lesson—in this Nearly every article one reads
economy nobody is safe. I was reminded recommends that you should negotiate
of the lesson that goes back thousands of when being let go and so I tried it—
years. The lesson relearned was that it is and was unsuccessful in improving the
not by one’s individual power, might, or standard package. Consider consulting
hand does one receive an attorney, or at minimum
wealth, but through the discussing the package with
grace of God. others who have experienced
While the loss of a job is layoffs. After talking to a wide
overwhelming, you must variety of people, I found out
not permit it to overshadow that for the vast majority,
all other aspects of your life. negotiations were not
The only way to survive this successful. However, even if
loss is to acknowledge that the outcome does not result
your job is only one slice in a change, you will feel
of your life. A job is but a empowered that you at least
means to an end, not the Nathan Aaron Rosen had the presence of mind to
end itself. Accepting that a try.
particular job is not everything was a hard
lesson for me to learn and relearn. When Whatever Happened Is for
I forget, I am reminded by my kids. the Best, Even if We Do Not
Understand It
Loss Happens to Everyone Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche is often
Job loss happens to most people at least quoted as saying, “whatever does not
once in their careers and often more than destroy me, makes me stronger.” While
once. It is a traumatic experience even I will not swear to the truth of that
when caused by the economy rather than statement, I think that events that happen
by your individual performance. As of to us can either break us or teach us
December 2009, more than eight million important lessons. In the long run, our
jobs have been lost during the recession, lives may actually be improved by the
and the unemployment rate is nearing difficulties we encounter and the lessons
10 percent. we learn. Therefore, be positive because
Job loss is similar to the loss of it is always better to look on the brighter
a loved one. Psychiatrist and author side of things. You have to believe that
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross identified the there is a job out there for you.
five stages of grief after the loss of Try to avoid negative people and be
someone close as denial, anger, grateful for every part of your life, such
bargaining, depression, and acceptance. as family, friends, health, and spiritual
Although the loss of a job may not be as life. At this stressful time, some people
traumatic as the death of a parent, many join a gym, start running, catch up with
may still experience those same stages, books they have always wanted to read,
© 2010 Nathan Aaron Rosen • image © iStockphoto.com/Murat Giray Kaya
18 AALL Spectrum March 2010

2. Learned the Hard Way
visit friends they haven’t seen for a while,
take long hikes in neighborhoods they
have always wanted to explore, spend
time with their family, go to museums
and gardens, or volunteer more at
charitable institutions that help others.
Reach out and Get Help
You are not alone. Support groups and
counseling exist to help people recognize
that everyone is not alone and what an
individual is experiencing is normal and
will pass. Outsiders may provide many
valuable suggestions because of their
distance from the situation. Ultimately,
you will come to recognize that the
layoff was not your fault. Chances are
you will also become a stronger and
more empathetic person from facing
the difficulties of a job loss.
This Is Not a Sprint
Historically, job searches were like a
sprint—short, intense, fast moving,
and very focused. But currently, the job
search is more like a marathon. More
than a third of unemployed people have
been jobless more than six months.
Whereas common wisdom used to say
a job search would take one month for
every ten thousand in salary, you should
anticipate that the search may take
substantially longer. This means you
must pace yourself, plan, consider all
the alternatives, prioritize, and think
creatively. Be careful not to burn out
too quickly because the search could be
much longer than you expect.
Times Are A-Changin’—
Now and Forever
As everyone knows, change is constant.
The ability to adapt and ultimately
thrive will depend upon our willingness
to accept that things change, both for
the better and for the worse. Develop the
techniques and mindset to accept change
and move on to the next chapter of our
lives.
Look forward to the future, rather
than looking back to the past, even
though doing so is very difficult.
Nobody can change what happened
yesterday but you can affect what will
happen tomorrow. You must try to
accept the present and move on.
AALL Spectrum March 2010 19

3. Don’t Bear Grudges—They Hurt to speak with if I had been working full- away. You might want to repeat silently
You More than Anyone time. I conducted training sessions for to yourself, “This is not the first or
Avoid holding onto grievances towards a legal trainers group, the Law Library last interview in my life. There will be
former bosses or employers. It will only Association of Greater New York, my others.” Remember that the interview
hurt you and prevent you from putting synagogue, and the New York chapter is a chance to decide if this is where
the experience behind you and getting of the Special Libraries Association. you want to work. So dress and act like
on with your life. Holding on to Take this opportunity to write that someone with whom this interviewer
resentments is like carrying around extra article you always wanted to write or would want to spend time.
weights; it is baggage that you do not to speak on something that you would Additionally, you should pay careful
need. But by shedding the resentment, like to share. Those activities will be attention to the goals of the organization
you lighten your psychological load, great for improving your sense of worth, and their obstacles. If the interviewer
which will allow you to move with improving your credentials, increasing does not provide this information,
greater speed and agility. the number of people who know you, ask what the goals and obstacles are,
You never know whom you might and providing you with a chance to and state how your background can
work for, or with, in the future—it get to know some people who might assist with overcoming their challenges.
could be your old employer or boss. ultimately be useful in your job search. Reinforce your expertise in a follow-up
As economic conditions improve, many The more people you connect with, letter, and make sure it is it much more
companies are recalling previously the more opportunities you will have to than a meaningless thank you note. Your
laid-off workers. According to the U.S. market yourself. follow-up letter is a continuation of the
Department of Labor, nearly a third of discussion of what you can bring to the
employers expect to recall at least some Do Your Homework and employer and why it would be in his or
of their terminated workers. Even if you Be Prepared her best interest to hire you.
are not rehired by the same employer, As librarians it is only natural that we
the connections you make with your should educate ourselves as much as You Never Know
superiors, your fellow workers, and possible about the firms we are going to Even if you are not looking for a
your subordinates can be a benefit or interview with, their histories, lines of new job, you should be on the watch
detriment to you. Which it will be business, technology, clients, and staff. for employment openings. Some
depends upon how you handle exiting Take this occasion to think about suggest that you should apply for any
your previous position. how you want to market yourself to appropriate job and take the opportunity
your next employer. Create a website, to be interviewed. You can always use the
Getting a Job Is a Job a blog, a separate e-mail address for your practice, and you never know when you
Recognize that getting a job is a job— professional activities, and always carry might find the perfect fit. You should
a full-time job. Plan to be as hard a good supply of your own newly created work and rework your resume and
working, focused, and dedicated in your business cards to liberally distribute. always make sure to collect and
job search as you were in any position Business cards are very useful; in document your achievements.
you have ever held. Your mission is to addition to marketing yourself you Some people find it helpful to have
identify employment opportunities, can use the back to take notes about lunch with employed friends and ask for
research companies, discover people the person you just met. Expand your thoughts and suggestions on their
who are potential employers, prepare for network and collect other people’s resumes. It’s the best of both worlds—
interviews, and follow up. You should business cards if for no other reason than networking and resume improvement.
create regular specific work hours and to check to see if your card is more or Keep a master version of your resume
timelines with clear specific mini-goals less memorable or effective. When you that includes absolutely everything you
and deadlines. Utilize every available meet someone new, remember to follow might ever need as well as multiple
resource in your job search. Remember up with a note so that you reinforce working versions tailored to different
to include library associations, state his or her memory of you, as well as types of jobs. For example, one resume
and federal government agencies, job improve the likelihood of starting an might emphasize research, while another
agencies, and religious organizations. ongoing conversation with him or her. highlights your management skills, etc.
To have the best possible resume,
Stay Connected Practice Makes Perfect examine the widest variety of job
Stay in touch, informed, and connected. Practice, practice, practice interviewing descriptions to identify key terms, and
It is easy to lose touch with your former skills. As my brother says, interviewing make sure to integrate them in your
coworkers, fellow librarians, and with is like high school and college debate. resume. This will make it apparent to
what is going on in the profession when You succeed by practicing in real-life the human resources professionals who
you can no longer be found in the same situations. This improves your skills screen the resumes that you would be the
place five days a week for at least 40 and lowers your threshold of anxiety. right person to select for an interview.
hours. Instead, take this opportunity to You should strive to make your
increase your professional involvement performance flawless, and you can do Grab Their Attention
—go to more programs, talk to more this by anticipating and preparing for It goes without saying that you have to
people, hand out your newly created the hard questions. As there are always develop an exciting resume describing
personal business cards, volunteer, and a wide variety of interviewers, expect your objective accomplishments, design a
follow up with people you have talked and prepare for all of them. During the stirring cover letter, and write engaging
to. Those activities will not only help interview you should be cool, confident, follow-up letters to keep the lines of
you find a new job, they will enrich and calm. Accepted wisdom dictates you communication open. Strive to do
your professional life when you return should dress similarly to those at the more—turn the entire situation around
to work. top level of the firm, or at least one level and think about what the company
While I was in between jobs, higher than the people interviewing you. wants and needs and then figure out
I had the special opportunity to make Some people contend that how to meet their needs. As has been
presentations to a wide variety of groups interviewing is just like dating—don’t said many times, don’t just state your
that I might never have had the chance appear desperate or you’ll scare them role—document your achievements and
20 AALL Spectrum March 2010

4. Need Job Search Help?
There are infinite online and print JobAngels General Sites
resources for today’s job-seeking www.jobangels.com (or on Facebook,
librarians. Here are just a few you Linkedin, or via Twitter [#jobangels]) Bureau of Labor Statistics
may find useful. Occupational Outlook Handbook—
Monster Librarians
Librarian Career Centers www.monster.com www.bls.gov/oco/ocos068.htm
AALL Career Center
NY State Department of Labor Employment Spot
www.aallnet.org/careers
www.labor.state.ny.us/careerservices/ www.employmentspot.com
American Library Association careerservicesindex.shtm
Library Information Science Career
Toolkit for Getting a Job in a
The Job Planet Strategies for Librarians
Tough Economy
www.thejobplanet.com www.liscareer.com/index.htm
www.ala.org/ala/educationcareers/
employment/index.cfm
USA Federal Government New York Public Library
www.usajobs.com Employment Site
Special Libraries Association
www.nypl.org/links/index.cfm?
Career Center
Trg=1&d1=175&d3=Employment
www.sla.org/careers Yahoo Hotjobs
http://hotjobs.yahoo.com
Quintessentail Career
Library-Specific Job Lists
www.quintcareers.com
AALL Career Center
www.aallnet.org/careers Area-Specific Sites
Riley Guide
Craigslist www.rileyguide.com
American Library Association http://craigslist.org
http://joblist.ala.org and
www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/lita/litare U.S. News & World Report,
Northeast United States Best Careers 2009: Librarian
sources/litajobsite/litajobsite.cfm http://slanyjobs.blogspot.com www.usnews.com/money/careers/
articles/2008/12/11/best-careers-
The Information Society
Industry-Specific Sites 2009-librarian.html
for the Information Age
www.jobtarget.com/home/index.
Academic
cfm?site_id=180 Books
http://careers.arl.org/resources/
careers/index.shtml G. Kim Dority, Rethinking
General Job Sites that www.academiccareers.com Information Work: A Career Guide
Combine Many Sites for Librarians and Other Information
http://chronicle.com/section/Jobs/61 Professionals (Libraries Unlimited
Career Builder 2006).
www.careerbuilder.com www.educause.edu/jobs?tid=16500&
bhcp=1,
Rachel Gordon, What’s the
CareerJet www.higheredjobs.com/admin/search Alternative: Career Options for
www.careerjet.com .cfm?JobCat=34 Librarians and Info Pros (Information
Today 2008).
Company website collection Law
www.linkup.com www.lawjobs.com Richard Murray, A Day in the Life:
www.careers.findlaw.com Career Options in Library and
Indeed Information Science (Libraries
www.indeed.com www.hg.org/law-jobs.asp Unlimited 2007).
http://lawlibrariansofleisure.com
Job Central Priscilla Shontz, The Librarian’s
www.jobcentral.com Career Guidebook (Scarecrow
Medical
Press 2004).
www.mlanet.org/jobs/jobs.html
AALL Spectrum March 2010 21

5. successes, and quantify the results and know is critical to getting a job. Some office address as your primary location,
their business impact. commentators suggest that somewhere at least keep a file of all memberships
A given in today’s world is to keep between 50 to 70 percent of jobs are and organizations at home so that you
your resume current even if you are not filled by networking and informal can easily rejoin them with your personal
looking because you never know when contacts. It can be easy to forget about e-mail address.
you will need to look for a new job. This the importance of people as you focus Now that you have the time, you
is a lesson that I knew once, but forgot on want ads, headhunters, and online should really investigate all that the
during my 11 years at the same job. So job search engines. American Association of Law Libraries
be prepared. I had to relearn the lesson that (AALL) has to offer—you will be
ultimately the key is people. Identify pleasantly surprised how much value
Make Yourself Indispensable and reach out to the individuals who you can gather from various association
Everyone has heard the expression “make can help you locate a job. Other times memberships. Vendors also can provide
yourself indispensable.” In today’s world the people you need are those who can you with great information and
that phrase translates to more than just provide deep background on potential opportunities. Now you may have the
working very hard each and every day. firms and people, or who can personally time to get advanced and specialized
It means focusing on how you can recommend you to the decision makers. training that you were previously too
provide a significant value-added service busy to obtain. Attending vendor
that benefits the organization. But do Become LinkedIn training can also supply the side benefit
not ever forget that at the end of the day, LinkedIn provides you access to more of providing networking opportunities
nobody is really indispensable. If you can people than you directly know. It expands as well as an additional avenue for
identify what your company really needs your horizons by connecting you to the employment possibilities. By being out
and then visibly and tangibly contribute connections of your connections. As in there talking to people, you increase the
towards meeting those needs, you will the play and later film Six Degrees of likelihood of hearing about temporary or
be on your way to becoming successful. Separation, LinkedIn provides you access consulting assignments while illustrating
Consider trying to excel in an area to a much broader world of connections the fact that you are constantly
in which your boss is weak in order to than you knew you had. improving your skills.
complement him or her. Think of ways Possessing a vibrant, information- Remember that AALL and other
to save money, find tasks that can be packed online social networking presence librarian organizations have established
done better, volunteer to take ownership is fundamental to succeeding in today’s career centers and have expended
of projects, and increase your visibility. virtual world. You absolutely have to significant time and effort to develop
While librarians are particularly poor build a rich, attractive profile, make resources for the newly unemployed.
at making people aware of the wide connections, join groups, post articles, Make sure that you utilize their efforts
variety of ways they contribute, and grow your network. More than one to the max.
if you can do so, it will set you apart half of all jobs are currently filled by way
from the crowd and increase your of networking and informal contacts. Keep a Copy
perceived value to the organization. LinkedIn provides you with a critical You should keep copies at home of all
communication tool if you are laid important e-mails, positive comments
Listen and Then Listen off and no longer have access to your made about you, your performance
Even More Carefully previous channels of communication. reviews, your accomplishments,
We must become active listeners, Without LinkedIn, if you lose your job, significant projects, and information
listening not only to what is said, but you are very limited in your ability to about your contacts. You never know
even more carefully to how it is said, i.e., communicate your changed situation when you might need them but no
the nuances of what is said and what is and to let people know how to contact longer have ready access to your office,
omitted. It is easy to hear what you want you. LinkedIn provides you with a your files, your documents, and your
to hear or just hear the words and stop bridge to alert people about what e-mail contacts.
listening. occurred and how to contact you now. Of course, you should never violate
At the same time, don’t panic at It is also a great way to gather unsolicited the law or company policies, or take
every possible danger or negative sign. recommendations from former confidential, proprietary, or material
A lot of what you hear will be irrelevant. colleagues. Martindale-Hubbell non-public information, but you have
Connected, Legal OnRamp, a right to keep a copy of your most
Think Outside the Box the American Bar Association’s significant work. After you have been
If everyone is following the same LegallyMinded, and Facebook also let go, retrieving that information is
traditional job search strategy, then the often fill some of the same purposes. often impossible or at best very difficult
probability is very low that it will be and time consuming. It would be very
of much help. A lesson relearned is to You Are a Professional— depressing to go back to pick up your
go above and beyond the traditional Continue to Be a Professional personal possessions and have your
approach. Consider the path less taken It is critical to continue to network former employer review item by item
and the path not taken—you should take through your professional memberships. what you want to download from your
both paths, in addition to the traditional You could have all journals and former work station computer—so be
path. Remember that the entire legal correspondence mailed to your home prepared.
industry has changed. Consequently, address even if your employer pays for In today’s world of long office hours,
take a good hard look at our own skill your professional memberships. Not only many of us transact all of our librarian
set and consider how it can fit into other are you more likely to read this material professional association activities and
fields, other types of employment, and at home, but having your home as your a certain portion of our personal
other types of positions. contact address will limit the damage activities at work. Therefore, it is critical
in the event of a layoff. This way you to schedule regular backup of key
It’s Not What You Know will still have access to any employment information to our home in order
but Who You Know— opportunities and professional to ensure continued access to our
At Least to Get in the Door development offered by the organization. professional and personal information.
Common wisdom suggests that who you Alternatively, if you decide to have the While I have always done that,
22 AALL Spectrum March 2010

6. I nevertheless had to relearn that lesson
—even a lag of only a month in
backing up your information can
cause a substantial disruption in
your professional and personal
communication and activities. I have
learned that while it may never be
possible to continuously back up
everything, the more often the better.
I promise you the extra time and effort
is worth it. Having everything you need
at home will ease the transition from
work and make it less painful in so
many ways.
Tried and True Sometimes
Works the Best
When I talked about new cutting-edge
technologies and approaches, my mother,
Golda Rosen, used to remind me not to
forget the historically tried-and-true
methods, as those are often built on the
results of many lessons learned.
I found that it is worthwhile to
make sure that you do all the things
that job searchers throughout history
have done, even if you think that it
is unlikely to be fruitful. You never
know—it might help you get the job,
and, if not now, maybe later. Don’t
forget about reaching out to headhunters
and recruiting people. As a profession,
recruiters are hurting and therefore may
have the time and willingness to really
talk about your resume and how to
best present your experience and
accomplishments. Remember that while
employment agencies might not have
any jobs at this time, headhunters still
have a lot of connections and can be a
valuable asset in a job search. And don’t
forget the state labor office and social
welfare organizations because they
have vast experience with assisting the
unemployed.
The most significant lesson I
learned, relearned, and then learned
the hard way was to be prepared. Just as
Benjamin Franklin used to say, an ounce
of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
So prepare yourself with the information
network that you will need when
unemployed. That will make the
transition substantially less painful and
speed you on your way to recovery and
a wonderful new chapter in your life.
Note: All of the opinions and
statements within this article are those
of the author alone and do not in any
way, shape or form, reflect the opinion
or position of any of his past or current
employers. ■
Nathan Aaron Rosen (nathan.
rosen@rcn.com) is the information
resources manager at the New York office
of a large international law firm after
serving 11 ½ years as vice president in the
Legal & Compliance Department of a
large international financial services
company.