Ask Naomi: How Did You find Your Job?
I am often asked how I found my job. I work for a government contractor as a reference and acquisitions librarian at a federal library. What many people don’t realize is I got that job while I was only half way done with my MLIS. That kismet is what inspired me to start INALJ (I Need a Library Job). I wanted a way to share the jobs I found on listservs, etc with other library school students, librarians, staff and other info pros.
So where was this hidden gem of a job hiding?
On the DC-SLA listserv! Which is why, even though we cover a ton of local listservs, I recommend everyone sign up for their local ones as well. It turns out that the job was only advertised on the DC-SLA listserv and the Catholic University library school listserv. A needle in a haystack is how I refer to it. I knew at that point that many contracting jobs exist but not in a space that is accessible to most job hunters. INALJ hopes to rectify this while still giving thanks and props to the original posting source.
As for the interview I can only tell you that smiling is vital. Smiling and seeming friendly can very much tilt you in their favor 🙂 People want to work with people they perceive as professional and friendly. It is a small tip- but one that truly helped me land my job.
reposted from 1/13/12 and 7/16/13 and edited slightly