by Ellen Mehling Networking Tips for the Reluctant Networker Networking is, as almost anyone can tell you, the best way to get a job and have a thriving career. Some people though, especially some job hunters, see networking as deceptive or distasteful or unpleasant, and avoid it. Some are so spooked by the negative view…
by Kathleen Kosiec previously published 11/8/13 & 6/30/14 Taking the TARDIS back to the Start of My MLIS Program My fellow Doctor Who fans know the British sci-fi show celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. For those unfamiliar with the show, it’s about a time-traveling alien with a time machine that resembles an old telephone…
Ask a Special Librarian – April Edition Tracy Z. Maleeff Library Resources Manager at Duane Morris LLP in Philadelphia @LibrarySherpa & LibrarySherpa.com No money, more problems? I once overheard someone lament, “I can’t even afford to job hunt right now.” It’s true that it could be a costly proposition to get new clothes, business cards and…
Staying in Touch: Moving On Doesn’t Have To Mean Cutting Ties by Cassidy Charles, Senior Assistant, INALJ NYC Staying in contact with someone after a move or a transition is rough. You go from seeing them on a regular basis or communicating regularly to not seeing them as much and infrequent talks. You get…
7 Tips for Moving Past Job Search Rejection by Erin Kinney, Senior Assistant, INALJ Wyoming There are several strategies for coping with rejection of any kind, not just during the job hunt. Rejection on the job hunt has been covered on INALJ, but a refresher is always good. Process Your Emotions It is natural to feel angry…
Tips for Boosting Your Presence in the LIS Community by Angie Solis, Senior Editor Being a part of the INALJ team means that I’m surrounded by many amazing people who rock my world every day with their knowledge and ability to be superstars in the LIS community. Seriously, it’s like I know celebrities. I find…
What to do when you are #ALAleftbehind by Leigh Milligan, Senior Editor Unfortunately, I rarely get to go to ALA conferences, unless it’s local in or near Philadelphia. I currently don’t work in a library so my employer will not pay for it and I have yet to receive funding from different conference sponsorship…
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…
By Kate Kosturski, MLSIS, Canada and International INALJ Volunteer Coordinator Fun for all that librarians call their favorite time of year! (Now you have the song from A Charlie Brown Christmas stuck in your head. Sorry about that. Okay, maybe not ) Much like the Golden Globes kick off the film awards season, January…
by Christina Wilson, Senior Assistant, INALJ Alberta and INALJ Manitoba The Sport of Networking Recently I read an intriguing article in The Globe and Mail “Hockey Course Helps Women Break the Ice” (September 27, 2014) about “The Gal’s Got Game”, a networking company that developed a crash course on hockey specifically aimed at helping professional women get ahead in business by…
by Rachael Altman, Senior Assistant, INALJ Illinois Network. Network. Network. Taking that first step to put yourself out there can be intimidating, but it’s essential to take calculated risks in order to grow personally and professionally. Networking is about establishing a relationship and a rapport with this person so that you are the first person that comes to…
by Veda Darby Soberman, former Head Editor, INALJ Hawaii previously published 8/7/13 Response to Rejection: A Networking Opportunity All job seekers will have been rejected for a position or two…or many. Those letters, phone calls or emails can each feel like a stab in the heart of to one’s hopes and dreams, but it doesn’t…
by Christina Wilson, Senior Assistant, INALJ Canada previously published 7/15/13 Boldly Go “Speed Networking” and Beyond …. Embarking on a job search has given me courage to boldly go where I’d never think to go before. On a Wednesday night in early June, this quest took me to my first ever speed networking event. Organized…
by Alexandra Janvey, former Head Editor, INALJ Iowa previously published 6/24/13 Using Social Media for the Job Search Social media has become an increasingly popular pastime within the last few years. However, sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn can also be utilized professionally as an effective job search tool. Social media is just another…
by Jennifer Devine, Senior Assistant, INALJ Maryland Social Media and the Job Search Today’s internet driven world gives a whole new component to the job search! When applying to a job or if there is an institution that I want to work for there are several actions that I take with social media. One of the first…
by Kiersten Bryant, former Head Editor, INALJ California previously published 10/30/13 How Does This Networking Thing Work? I will be attending a library conference soon and have been looking for advice on how to network at these events. I currently work in the apparel industry in a position that is in no way related to…
by Sean O’Brien, former Head Editor, INALJ Colorado previously published 10/10/13 4 Things to Keep in Mind during a Difficult Job Search I have been trying to avoid writing this sort of posting for some time, mostly because the other article authors have done a pretty good job discussing it. However, I know that the…
by Mary-Michelle Moore, Head Editor, INALJ California Creating or recreating your library network after a move Whether you’re just starting out in the library community or trying to make new connections after a recent move – trying to create a network from scratch can seem overwhelming. Happily, librarians are a sharing group so there is always someone you…
Mary-Michelle Moore, Head Editor, INALJ California Top 10 Tips for Reluctant Networkers It’s nearly summer, which means.. Conference season! In addition to the chance to go to presentations and sightsee this is one of the best ways to network with your fellow librarians. Below are ten great tips for networking with colleagues at in-person events. 1. Know…
by Sara Dixon, Head Editor, INALJ Kansas previously published 9/25/13 4 Things to Do When the Job Wave Wanes Lately, it’s been a bit slow on the Kansas page. I’ve noticed that jobs seem to come in waves – sometimes they to pour in, and then it tapers down to slight sprinkling. So what’s there…
by Kasia Piasecka reposting from 1/26/12 and 3/28/12 Networking on LinkedIn: Informational Interviews vs. Librarianesque Stalking Personally, I enjoy meeting new people online in the interest of making new friends, business associates, tennis partners, pals to toss hackey sack, and yes, you guessed it, for the purpose of gaining knowledge from an informational interview. I…
by Emma Pinault, Head Editor, INALJ Delaware Introverts Can Network, Too! Networking and making connections in your field is vital to career success, whether you’re just starting out and looking for a job or looking to move up into a more challenging position. We all know this. But not everyone is a people person, and the field of…
by Emily Guier, Head Editor, INALJ Wyoming Staying Relevant Outside the Profession I graduated from my library program in 2011 and have yet to be employed as a professional librarian. I worked as a legal assistant while getting my degree and then moved to a job in student affairs shortly after receiving my MLIS. I have…
by Lauren Bourdages, Head Editor, INALJ Ontario Reflecting on my first Library Conference experience – #OLASC14 Tips for: networking, resumes, and cover letters My original conference plans that I talked about in my last post turned out to be overly ambitious on my part. After writing that post I ended up going in a completely different…
by Rossy Mendez, Head Editor, INALJ Puerto Rico Networking: From Dirty Word to Mantra Networking is often treated as a dirty word, it is the thing we have to do to get ahead but don’t want to acknowledge as the reason we got our jobs. If you are anything like me you stress over things…
by Lisa Huntsha, Head Editor, INALJ Sweden Feeling Awkward around Business Cards? Does anyone else feel awkward when handing out business cards? I always did. I felt like I was on a first date asking for a second one before it was even over yet. To get over this, I developed a sort of script…
by Courtney Baron, Head Editor, INALJ Georgia 5 Tips for Attending your First Conference I just got back from my first library conference last week! It was a great learning experience and I’m excited to share my tips with other library students and first time attendees. I can’t stress enough how important it is to…
by Brad McNally, Head Editor, INALJ Ohio Beyond Basics in Job Searches Many job seekers do the same basic things – read job ads, submit resumes, and hope. When I was an undergraduate, I checked the newspaper each day for job postings and then the online job boards for postings in the general area. I…
by Courtney Butler, Head Editor, INALJ Idaho Networking Nerves I know there have been a huge number of articles on the web (including on INALJ) that contain testimonials as to why it is, in fact, worthwhile to go to conferences and other continuing education type events. Spoiler alert: this is another one of those articles.…
by Courtney Baron, Head Editor, INALJ Georgia My Library Bucket List: Summer Edition I’m in my second semester of library school now and still do not have a library job (nor am I planning on looking for one just yet). I try to stay connected to the field through INALJ and my collection development internship,…
by Mary-Michelle Moore, Head Editor, INALJ Vermont 10 Takeaways from #SLA2013 With more than 200 programs and 2,800 attendees the Special Libraries Association recently finished up their annual conference. The 2013 conference occurred in San Diego, CA and included an unofficial INALJ meet up! If you are not yet involved in SLA, please consider it…
by Elinor Crosby, Head Editor, INALJ Nova Scotia The Joy of Active Participation How do you participate in your community? Are you a member of your local, state/provincial, or national library and information professional organization? Do you attend meet and greets, fundraisers, or conferences? Do you keep in touch with your fellow alumni? During my…
by Alexis Rohlfing, Head Editor, INALJ New Hampshire A Midsummer’s Resolution Resolutions are something we usually associate with New Year’s: new year, new goals, a way to restart some aspect of our lives. By the time we hit midsummer, those resolutions are usually in the rearview mirror — we’ve abandoned the gym membership, the new…
This interview is over 1 year old and may no longer be up to date or reflect the interviewee/interviewees’ positions by Kristen Jaques, Head Editor, INALJ Maine Sarah Lauderdale, Head of Reference at the Hamilton-Wenham Public Library Sarah Lauderdale is a seasoned library professional who has been happily employed in her dream job for over…
by Leigh Milligan, Head Editor, INALJ Pennsylvania and former Head Editor of INALJ Wisconsin Informational Interviewing: A Unique Way to Learn about Libraries and Network at the Same Time One technique in networking and job-hunting that I have been interested in as of late is informational interviewing. I read a blog post on INALJ last…
by Caitlin Moen, Head Editor, INALJ Louisiana ALA Conference Tips Some websites to check out with tips for all you out there planning on attending the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago (or any other large professional conference!): http://ala13.ala.org/resources-for-first-timers http://libraryadventures.com/2011/10/31/10tips/ http://freerangelibrarian.com/2010/06/19/ala-conference-survival-tips-35-conferences-later/ http://pcsweeney.com/2012/06/05/how-to-be-awesome-at-going-to-library-conferences/ http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2013/01/ala-conferences-some-tips-for-newbies/ I am a total introvert and I find I have a better time…
by Alexandra Janvey, Head Editor, INALJ Iowa Networking Gets a Bad Rap The dreaded word, networking, was once the bane of my existence. And mostly because—get ready—I convinced myself it was. Like many other library school students, I had been repeatedly advised on how important networking was for an efficient job search. “It has long…