Tag Archive for job search

Baby Face in the Workplace

Baby Face in the Workplace by Veronica Leigh Milliner, Senior Editor “Oh, I thought you would be older! But you have work experience, right?” This is a greeting from a coworker I was once met with on the first day of a job. As abrupt as it sounds, I would have been more taken aback…

The Job Hunter’s Guide to Positivity

by Claire Schmieder, Volunteer Manager Previously published 11/11/14 The Job Hunter’s Guide to Positivity Just about one year ago, I started working at my current job. Hooray! This upcoming anniversary has gotten me reflecting on the time BEFORE I started working, when I was a verging-on-desperate job hunter. After I earned my MLIS, I spent nearly…

Resilience During (and Beyond) the Job Hunt

Resilience During (and Beyond) the Job Hunt by Julia Feerrar I once applied for a job that, in many ways, felt like it had been made just for me. I progressed through a phone interview and then an on-campus interview, feeling confident and excited. While of course I knew that there must be quite a…

Managing Student Employees in your 20s

Managing Student Employees in your 20s by Laura Birkenhauer Going from a being a student to managing students can be tough, especially when you still have the baby face and unbounded enthusiasm of a newbie 20-something. So, here are some of the upsides (and cons to steer clear of!) of managing student employees in your…

Cover Letters: They’re Kind of a BIG DEAL!

Cover Letters: They’re Kind of a BIG DEAL! by Natalie Browning, Senior Assistant, INALJ DC Cover Letter. Letter of Interest. I dare you to find a job posting that does not require you to write a letter about your qualifications. Sending in a resume is not enough; the hiring committee wants to see not only…

Open thank you note to past search participants

Open thank you note to past search participants by Mary-Michelle Moore, Senior Editor It takes many people in the library to successfully hire a new librarian. While the head of the search committee (and sometimes the whole committee) gets a thank you note, many people involved in the interview day do not get much recognition.…

So, you have an interview?

So, you have an interview? by Amy Steinbauer, Senior Assistant, INALJ California I am having a bit of an interview streak. In the past month, I have been on 8 job interviews, and they have all been extremely different. Hopefully, one will pan out into a real job! The following examples mostly pertain to a public…

Not Feelin’ It: Tips for Improving Your Internship Experience

Not Feelin’ It: Tips for Improving Your Internship Experience by Josh Rimmer, Senior Editor   We’ve all been there. When a job, an internship opportunity, or volunteer experience transpires to be something completely different than what we thought. Rather than developing negative thoughts, it’s best to turn the experience into a learning opportunity. It’s okay…

Off the Beaten Path: a Blueprint for LIS Career Moves

Off the Beaten Path: a Blueprint for LIS Career Moves Q&A with Dr. Sandra Hirsh by Alison Peters, INALJ Contributor As a San José State University iSchool student, I’d heard of Dr. Sandra Hirsh, iSchool Director, and her many, many accomplishments, projects and accolades. But I was not expecting to speak with such a happy,…

Taking Chances and Blooming Where You are Planted

Taking Chances and Blooming Where You are Planted by Heidi Greathouse, Senior Assistant, INALJ New Mexico   So, you may be in a situation in which you haven’t found your dream library job yet or even a library job at all and still are looking.  You may be in library school and will be graduating…

Resume Missteps & Solutions

Resume Missteps & Solutions by Amy Steinbauer, Senior Assistant, INALJ California The job search is a messy, complicated game of employment. It can seem like all of the hiring factors are out of your control. You get excited at job ads and prospects, send your resume and cover letter in, and wait, and wait, and wait.…

Ask a Special Librarian – March Edition

Ask a Special Librarian – March Edition Tracy Z. Maleeff Library Resources Manager at Duane Morris LLP in Philadelphia @LibrarySherpa & LibrarySherpa.com   Spring cleaning time is almost upon us. It’s a good way to clear out some cobwebs, air some things out and just prepare for a new season of your life. Yes, I’m…

Addressing Diversity in the Job Search Process

Addressing Diversity in the Job Search Process by Oscar Giurcovich, Senior Editor As an LIS job seeker, I come across something along the lines of the following quite frequently when looking at the requirements of a position: interest or ability to work in a multicultural environment. What does this mean? What are they looking for?…

5 Ways to Take Control of Your Job Search

5 Ways to Take Control of Your Job Search by Brad McNally, Senior Editor    A job search is an extremely large undertaking. It is easy to let it get out of control and become overwhelming. Recently, a friend of mine was in a show (The Art of Acting Out) about a young man that…

I can do that! Volunteering in Library Land

I can do that! Volunteering in Library Land by Mary-Michelle Moore, Senior Editor One of the tried and true pieces of library job hunting advice is to get experience in a library – any experience.  If you can’t find a job, volunteer.  The problem with just going to volunteer in a library is the types…

Using LinkedIn to facilitate the job search

Using LinkedIn to Facilitate the Job Search By Svetlana Symonenko, INALJ California Social networks have become the channel of choice for the latest news, friends’ updates, deals, local events, weekend ideas, and many other things. But, how commonly are they used to search for jobs and/or promote yourself in the job market? Not long ago,…

The Telephone Interview: Why am I so Nervous?!

The Telephone Interview: Why am I so Nervous?! by Natalie Kahn   Last week I had my first telephone interview for a university librarian position. This was a brief, first-round interview that covered the basics listed in the job description, and I appreciated the lack of curve ball questions. I was surprised by my nervousness…

Hello! My name is Heidi Greathouse and…I’m a cataloger!

Hello! My name is Heidi Greathouse and…I’m a cataloger! by Heidi Greathouse, Senior Assistant, INALJ New Mexico   You may be thinking, “cataloging is a dying field!…or “there are still catalogers?”  My reply “Yes, there are catalogers and they are more essential than ever!”  I am not going to tell you why cataloging is important…

Ask a Special Librarian – February Edition

Ask a Special Librarian Tracy Z. Maleeff Library Resources Manager at Duane Morris LLP in Philadelphia @LibrarySherpa & LibrarySherpa.com Lucky for you, the special librarian saw a shadow and now we have at least six more weeks of the “Ask a Special Librarian” column! I was thrilled to see the great response from my inaugural installment of…

3 Writing Resources for LIS Job Seekers and MLIS Applicants

Writing Resources for LIS Job Seekers and MLIS Applicants by Oscar Giurcovich, Senior Editor   Error-free resumes and cover letters are paramount in the job hunt. I think this is more important than ever in our everyday world of texting and social media where acronyms and shorthand rule. Unfortunately, the spelling and grammar checkers in…

References Available Upon Request

References Available Upon Request by Deeba Rehman, Senior Assistant INALJ Mississippi Have you seen that line at the end of a resume “References available upon request”? There are a lot of negative implications with that line – you are trying to fill up space to make up for lack of experience, you didn’t take time…

Know Your Job Search Organizational Style

by Clare Sobotka, former Head Editor, now Senior Assistant previously published 2/25/14 Know Your Job Search Organizational Style There is a lot to keep track of when applying for jobs, such as due dates and application materials, so it’s important to develop a system of organization that works for you. Several INALJ editors have shared their excellent…

Resolve to Communicate in the New Year

By Lisa Iannucci, Senior Assistant, INALJ New Jersey Resolve to Communicate in the New Year As we all move on into a new year, we’ve all probably taken some time to reflect back on the year that just ended. For me, there were job and schedule changes that required some adjustment, and some daily tasks…

5 ways to de-stress during a long job search

By Brad McNally, Senior Editor 5 ways to de-stress during a long job search Searching for a job takes a huge amount of effort. When the job search is unexpected, or goes longer than you originally thought it would, you can definitely begin feeling the stress. Some people even feel like finding a new job…

On Culture Fit and the Job Search

by Rebekah Kati, Senior Assistant, INALJ North Carolina On Culture Fit and the Job Search Whenever I was rejected from a job, my friends and family would try to reassure me that it would not have been a good fit anyway. Often, this was true, but it made me muse on the idea of a “good fit”…

Bragging on the Job Hunt

by Mary-Michelle Moore, Senior Editor, INALJ California, DC, and Illinois Bragging on the Job Hunt I am pretty awesome. No, strike that. I am awesome. Those two statements may not seem different to you but on the job hunt losing the qualifier may make a world of difference. In the most recent leg of my job hunt I’ve…

If You Want A Library Job, Look Outside the Library!

by Kate Kosturski, Senior Editor, INALJ Ontario and INALJ Quebec If You Want A Library Job, Look Outside the Library! Although our site has the word “library” in the title, we are so much more than jobs in a library. And often, we get feedback from friends and fans asking us to stick a little more to that word –…

Gaining New Perspectives During Hiring Woes

by Angela Piccola, Assistant, INALJ Virtual Work Gaining New Perspectives During Hiring Woes When I found INALJ, the amount of resources and overall camaraderie almost overwhelmed me because it showed there is hope in this field. With the lists of alternative career keywords that fit within our skillset and the pages of updated jobs, it means so…

Starting your Job Search

by Jennifer Devine, Senior Assistant, INALJ Maryland Starting your Job Search The beginning of your job search can seem daunting. What should you be doing? Where do you start? Well if you’re reading this you’ve found INALJ! *Pat your self on the back* you’ve discovered a great resource. We list jobs by states and provinces’ and provide…

What to do while you’re waiting – Library Assistant edition

by Mary-Michelle Moore, Senior Editor, INALJ California, DC, and Illinois What to do while you’re waiting – Library Assistant edition Congratulations! You’ve done it – you sent off a beautifully researched, proof-read, edited and complete application packet to your latest dream job listing. Now what? Well if you’re like me and many of my colleagues, you still have…

Dealing with Rejection During the Job Search

by Rebekah Kati, Senior Assistant, INALJ North Carolina Dealing with Rejection During the Job Search One of the few certainties in the job hunt is that you will receive a rejection letter. Or two. Or hundreds. These polite but ultimately vague missives can be discouraging to even the most seasoned job hunter. As the rejection letters pile…

Keeping your library skills cultivated outside of the library

by Clayton Hayes, Senior Assistant, INALJ North Dakota Keeping your library skills cultivated outside of the library The job search can be a long and drawn-out process, and for many it begins as soon as they settle into a new position. A large part of the job search process is identifying and maintaining important professional skills. For…

A Little Bit of This, a Little Bit of That

by Lisa Iannucci, Senior Assistant, INALJ New Jersey A Little Bit of This, a Little Bit of That When I first received my M.L.I.S. degree, I was dead set on a full-time position in the archives field. The Great Recession seemed to be abating, and the jobs numbers were on an upswing. However, New Jersey, where I make…