Matching Needs with Wants: or how job hunting makes sense to me
We all need to work to pay the bills, or at least most of us do. We do not think to apply to every single job out there because we (as info pros) have degrees (MLS, MLIS) and skillsets that make us good at specific things. What we have going for us is that our need for a job coupled with our want to have a job that applies our skillsets means our needs and wants support each other. We have the dream scenario- we know what we want to do and people will pay us to do it (once we find the job)!
I know it isn’t as easy as that- finding a job can be very hard for numerous reasons (lack of job openings, location issues, interviewing skills issues, and problems outside your control). But what I am reminding myself is that at least we have a passion that we can get paid to do. That does not mean that the job we dream about is the one we will be hired to do or even that that job will truly be our dream job. If you want to be an info pro or librarian to only work in one type of environment then you are in it for the wrong reasons. If you daydream of gorgeous old wood and musty old books surrounding you then you are too engrossed in atmosphere/ fantasy and not in the work. Information science is about the work, and the work is what should inspire you. That will come through in your interviews as well.
I highly recommend looking beyond the library jobs at jobs in fields that utilize our skillsets. We have more opportunities than just the “L” jobs, in our MLIS. INALJ has a list of job types and keyterms on the left sidebar of each page of my website as well as the links of great terms I link to below my list that others have come up with.
I hope that by approaching your search as a fulfillment of both your needs and wants you will have better luck in your job hunt!