Career Q & A: First Jobs

I am a library student and don’t have time to be an intern or volunteer? What can I do to get my foot in the door of my first job?

Kathleen Schmidt, Recruiter, LAC:
Make time to be an intern or volunteer. Some public libraries hire directly from library school but in general, libraries prefer people with experience. Networking in critical in the library world, so avail yourself of opportunities to join professional associations at a reduced student rate and network. Attend library conferences whenever possible.

What are the best ways to start a job search in the library/information field?

Kathleen Schmidt, Recruiter, LAC:
Use the career center at your library school. Speak to your professors, volunteer for events offered by professional associations. Take a look at the websites of companies for which you'd like to work and determine what key competencies they are looking for and make sure you have them. Network and temp to get experience. Companies like LAC are invaluable. Never underestimate that fact. Employers pay for professional services because they want qualified candidates who have been prescreened and evaluated.

How important is continuing education in the workplace?

Continuing education is critical, particularly in the library and information sciences because most of those roles presuppose a fairly strong technical component. Technology moves at a very rapid pace, and information workers are expected to be ahead of the curve. In addition, workers who are willing and open to continual learning and professional development position themselves to flatten learning curves, be more flexible and provide more immediate value and innovative spark to an organization. Many employers value and support this trait, because a trained workforce means a more competitive advantage in the marketplace.

I am coming back to work after bringing up kids and not working for a while. What can I do to get my foot in the door of my first job?

Kathleen Schmidt, Recruiter, LAC:
Attend professional association meetings; make sure your skill sets are current. Stay in touch with former colleagues. Review listservs and the LAC website. Attend library conferences if possible. Join professional networking sites like Facebook or Linked In.

As part of my job-hunting strategy, I would like to submit an article or offer to write for a library publication. How does this work?

Kathleen Schmidt, Recruiter, LAC:
Most library publications have information on how to submit and article. Contact the publication contacts and be prepared to submit writing samples. Please note-if you have a blog or maintain your own website realize that employers can and will read the contents. Irrespective of free speech, if you have a negative or inappropriate website, blog, My Space page, it will be noted and will cost you job opportunities.

What's your advice for someone entering a new field or changing careers?

Meredith Lavine, Artfulresumes.com:
Do some honest self-assessment of your skills and interests. This could be done informally or through an assessment such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or working with a career coach to identify your aptitudes and areasof interest. Here are few things to keep in mind regarding career transition:

1) Keep a very open mind. Be honest and yet be willing to thwart self-limiting beliefs. It helps to believe that this new career path is your true passion and there is nothing that can stop you from making a successful change.
2) Have a willingness to once again become the student and take the time to acquire the appropriate skills to advance in your new career
3) Be open to starting over and working up. Remember, that as an experienced worker, your learning curve will be flatter and you will make faster progression than when you first started out.
4) Get the facts - interview people and ask if you can shadow them or volunteer. Try the new career on for size first.