All Jobs for INALJ can be found here: http://inalj.com/?p=1441 Updated daily
Naomi House’s interview with success story Visakha.
Naomi: How did you find your current job?
Visakha: I was not having any luck landing a traditional library dream job. I was also not willing to relocate so I knew I had to think outside the box and figure out library related jobs. Indeedjobs.com was one of the many job sites I checked daily and by using “library” in my search terms a records management job popped up. My current company used an agency. Employment agencies are actually not as bad as I thought. They want to place you and can give you many job leads. So I now like to think of myself as my company’s “librarian”. I work in the records room and I intake, catalog, file, retrieve and help my co-workers every day by providing reference services, which is a lot like what I did when I worked at an actual library.
Naomi: Favorite library you have been to?
Visakha: My old community college in Hawaii. It was a small library that felt like you were going back to the 1970’s. There were new materials, but the furniture, signage and carpeting were the same and it was very comforting.
Naomi: Favorite book?
Visakha: Currently Mindy Kaling’s book “Is everyone hanging out without me? (and other concerns)”. Our lives are quite similar, minus having my own TV show.
Naomi: Favorite thing about libraries/ library technology?
Visakha: Libraries are there for everyone! No matter your socio economic status. Libraries are up to speed with the latest technologies as well, they want to be relevant and I don’t think people realize how cutting edge the technology is.
Naomi: Any websites or feeds or blogs we should be following?
Visakha: Yours! (I need a Library Job), create a library jobs list on Twitter and add @GetLibraryJobs to it.
Naomi: Best piece of job hunting advice?
Visakha: Massive amounts of activity produce results. It’s a full time job looking for a full time job. You have to take the time to dedicate several hours a day of networking, searching, applying and following up. Be open to jobs related to your field if you can’t quite land the perfect one in your field right now.
Visakha grew up in Hawaii and currently resides in Portland, Oregon. When she is not running the library/records room at her day job she can be found skating with the Rose City Rollers, Portland’s roller derby league, as Yoga Nabi Sari.
©Masonite Burn Photography