My interview with success story Miraida
Naomi: How did you find your current job?
Miraida: Networking, networking, networking. A very good friend of mine sent me the job description a few months ago and the rest is history. I used to feel that networking was akin to nepotism, and always shied away from it. It wasn’t until I found this job that I suddenly realized how far from the truth that notion really is. Networking isn’t a type of nepotism; it’s a way to diversify and expand your job search. The company where I currently work wanted to hire someone with expertise in taxonomy development and database design with a library science degree, but didn’t know where to post the job to attract those candidates. If I had only focused on the job postings I saw on the same job banks as the hundreds of other students in my program, I never would have learned about this opportunity.
Naomi: Favorite library you have been to?
Miraida: The Frick Art Reference Library: http://www.frick.org/library/.
Naomi: Favorite book?
Miraida: One of my favorites is Our Lady of the Night by Mayra Santos Febres.
Naomi: Favorite thing about libraries/ library technology?
Miraida: My favorite thing about libraries, still, is that I can read anything I want for free. My favorite recent thing about libraries and technology is that I can now borrow ebooks for free without leaving my apartment! I love ebook lending.
Naomi: Any websites or feeds or blogs we should be following?
Miraida: I recently discovered a new podcast that I am a bit obsessed with: http://99percentinvisible.org. But more professionally- and library-focused, I would recommend code4lib: http://www.code4lib.org.
Naomi: Best piece of job hunting advice?
Miraida: Networking isn’t just something to do professionally with “your peers in the field.” Network with your friends and family—you don’t know what opportunities they may come across that will make them think of you.
Before becoming the Classification Manager at 1stdibs.com, I received a MLIS in 2012 from Rutgers University’s School of Communication and Information, where I completed a certificate in digital librarianship. Before attending Rutgers, I spent almost 8 years in trade book publishing where I handled sales of trade fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books in Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East. I have a M.A. in French Studies from the Institute of French Studies at New York University, where I also received a B.A.
I have always been interested in art and, since 2009, have been a member of the Board of Directors of a fine art photography nonprofit based in NYC called En Foco. I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to bring my passion for art with me to my work every day.