Tag Archive for advice

9 Tips for Getting Back to Work!

by Valarie Swayze, Senior Editor, INALJ Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware 9 Tips for Getting Back to Work! This is a very exciting time for me as I plan my transition back to the field of librarianship. Leaving my dream job as an archivist in a museum library was a difficult decision for me:…

The Art of Making Mistakes

by Claire Schmieder, Senior Editor, INALJ NYC, INALJ New York State, and INALJ Texas The Art of Making Mistakes Confession: I make mistakes all the time – at work, at home, with friends. Most of the time, these mistakes are minor with smaller, manageable consequences. Things like not giving myself quite enough time to meet a…

No Ouija Board Required! The Librarian Civil Service Exam

by Josh Rimmer, Senior Editor, INALJ Missouri, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisiana No Ouija Board Required! The Librarian Civil Service Exam While I have certainly tried it; however, I have yet to have my mechanical pencil hover over my ScanTron to deliver answers from another realm. Although maybe my lead breaking over the C bubble is…

Practicing for the Interview

by Clare Sobotka, Senior Assistant, INALJ Idaho Practicing for the Interview Very few people can eloquently wing an interview. For most of us, polishing our interview skills takes repeated practice, usually with a good dose of failure before we can perform well enough to impress a hiring committee. Official interviews are the best way to get experience,…

How You’re Screwing Up Your Job Search

by Rebecca Kluberdanz, Senior Editor, INALJ Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey,  New Mexico, and Wyoming How You’re Screwing Up Your Job Search Like many of you out there I am ALWAYS looking for ways to improve my job searching and interview skills. That often involves reading all of the fabulous blog posts written for INALJ.com, as well as Googling around looking for any…

“You want to work, but where?”

by Amy Steinbauer, Senior Assistant, INALJ California “You want to work, but where?” Dear Desperate Job Searchers, I know you want a job, badly. You’ve applied for what feels like millions and millions of jobs. You’ve chatted awkwardly with alumni from your program, trying not to ask for leads, and smiling when they describe how much they love…

Some Advice Across the Board: Job Hunting Advice for Everyone!

by Diana La Femina, Senior Editor, INALJ Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, New Brunswick, Manitoba, British Columbia, Alberta Some Advice Across the Board: Job Hunting Advice for Everyone! I’ve been giving some advice to a job hunter in my life outside of librarianship, and I realized that a lot of the advice I’m giving him can…

Keeping a Record

by Sarah Dashow, Senior Assistant, INALJ Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon Keeping a Record Sometimes, it’s just time to move on from whatever job you have. Maybe you are tired of the same old thing, or maybe you just feel like your position is stagnant and you want a job where you can move up. Then,…

Nancy Kranich …Former ALA President

This interview is over 1 year old and may no longer be up to date or reflect the interviewee/interviewees’ positions by Claire Schmieder, Senior Editor previously published 5/6/13 This interview is from 2013 Nancy Kranich…Former ALA President and Rutgers University–Lecturer, School of Communication and Information and Special Projects Librarian Claire:  Your career path has been…

Just Say No

by Marian Mays, Senior Editor, INALJ UK, Nunavut, Yukon, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island Just Say No If you’re anything like me, saying no can be difficult. However, taking on too many projects and responsibilities can be harmful to our personal health and well-being. Once, when job shadowing a librarian, I witnessed something amazing. A…

What I Learned from Working in a Special Library

by Rebecca Kluberdanz, Senior Editor, INALJ Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey,  New Mexico, and Wyoming What I Learned from Working in a Special Library I’m sure everyone has an image in their head of their ideal job. Honestly, the job I have right doesn’t fit that image but I’m loving it anyway! I currently work in what I would consider a special…

How to Survive Your MLS Distance Program: 6 Tips from a Recent Grad

Marian Mays, Senior Editor, INALJ  How to Survive Your MLS Distance Program: 6 Tips from a Recent Grad The transition to full-time online classes can be extremely tough, especially for new students. Online classes can make you feel isolated, require more personal diligence, and can be a time management nightmare. Plus, MLS programs don’t always offer students…

Four Pieces of Advice from Mary Schmich

by Ashley Mancill, Head Editor, INALJ Alabama Four Pieces of Advice from Mary Schmich When coverage of commencement season began over a month ago, I found myself mentally reciting a few random lines from the late-90s hit “Everybody’s Free to Wear Sunscreen.” Those familiar with the song know it is not actually a song as much as it is…

Free Advice (Literally) for New Librarians

by Naomi House, MLIS Free Advice (Literally) for New Librarians INALJ along with many other jobs blogs out there, is full of great advice for new and transitioning professionals. Go to conferences! Tailor your resumés and cover letters each time! Take professional development classes!  Network!  Join associations!  Actively participate IN associations!  Volunteer!  Take on an…

Dealing with Imposter Syndrome and Feeling Like You Belong

by Clare Sobotka, Head Editor, INALJ Idaho Dealing with Imposter Syndrome and Feeling Like You Belong I’d like to introduce something that I have struggled with in starting out in the field of librarianship. For my first library-related job after graduation with my MLS, I struggled with the feeling that once I had been working for a short…

MLSing the Good Old Days– A Retrospective on the Degrees

by Alphild Dick, Head Editor, INALJ Washington MLSing the Good Old Days– A Retrospective on the Degrees It was with no small amount of relief that a year ago this month I wrapped up my final year of graduate school and started working. It was the end of five years of graduate education, having (ridiculously) subjected myself to…

So I’ve graduated library school… Now what?

Angie Solis, Head Editor, INALJ Missouri  So I’ve graduated library school… Now what? As I write this on the eve of my graduation from library school I find myself caught up in feelings of joy, fear, worry, happiness and relief. The feelings of elation come from the fact that I can stand up and proudly announce: “I have…

“Mother Knows Best” Isn’t Just a Song in a Disney Movie

by Claire Schmieder, Head Editor, INALJ New Jersey “Mother Knows Best” Isn’t Just a Song in a Disney Movie, AKA One Reason Why Your Support System Matters Over Labor Day weekend, my mom and I caught up with a long-overdue phone call. She asked, “So, what’s going on with you?” I started talking…and talking…and talking……

#mlsadvice trending now on Twitter

Hi Everyone, Just wanted you to know I have asked some friends and encourage others to join in and share their best advice to new MLS students on topics ranging from networking and job hunting to anything they might think is relevant. Check #mlsadvice on Twitter and follow – click through – RT and add…

Ask Naomi: expecting different results

Ask Naomi: expecting different results I really do believe that you cannot keep doing what you have always done and expect different results- this applies to the job hunting world as well. If you only apply to one type of job (librarian) or at one type of place (public library, university, etc) and you aren’t…