{"id":23857,"date":"2013-05-27T08:30:12","date_gmt":"2013-05-27T12:30:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=23857"},"modified":"2013-05-27T13:11:10","modified_gmt":"2013-05-27T17:11:10","slug":"how-i-try-to-compete-with-masters-holding-librarians-as-a-library-technician","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=23857","title":{"rendered":"How I try to compete with Masters holding Librarians as a Library Technician"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Lauren Bourdages, Head Editor, INALJ Ontario<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

How I try to compete with Masters holding Librarians as a Library Technician<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\"laurenb1\"<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

As someone actively looking for a full time position, preferably in a library related to education in some way, I\u2019ve noticed something about the current job market in our industry. It\u2019s not a new piece of knowledge, not something no one has noticed before, but I think it\u2019s important to point out that I\u2019ve realised and experienced it and that I know I\u2019m not the only one who has.<\/p>\n

First things first I\u2019ll point out what I\u2019ve noticed about LIS jobs in Canada. They come in 3 tiers.<\/p>\n

1. Librarian positions usually involving supervision\/management, budgetary, or policy responsibilities and requiring a Masters degree.<\/p>\n

2. Library Technician positions, generally front-line, hands-on and without higher level responsibilities. These positions ask for a Library Technician diploma.<\/p>\n

3. Non-education based positions, things like paging and data entry, they don\u2019t ask for a library education but they are the type of position where it could\/would be advantageous to have one.<\/p>\n

Out of that knowledge I made my discovery, that we have a new reality facing us in the LIS industry in Canada. It\u2019s no secret that the current economic climate means that those who have been in the industry for years aren\u2019t retiring, they\u2019re staying on, and that means that all of those openings we were told there would be haven\u2019t actually opened up. Because of that we\u2019re faced with fierce competition for the positions that do come up, and that\u2019s where the problems start. Because of the scarcity of Librarian positions and the requirement that those positions be filled by people with years of library experience, Masters holding Librarians are now applying for positions that have always traditionally gone to Library Technicians in the past as though they are entry-level librarian positions.<\/p>\n

That trend has caused hardships and blowback on those of us holding Library Technician diplomas. Where in the past I and other Library Technician graduates would have only been competing with more experienced Library Technicians for positions we\u2019re now competing with not only more experienced LITs but with Masters holding Librarians. I can tell you from experience that if a Library knows it can get someone with a Masters for the same price it can get someone with an LIT diploma, it\u2019s going to go with the Masters holder. It\u2019s depressing and disheartening, but it\u2019s true.<\/p>\n

We can compete though. It\u2019s tougher and it\u2019s harder but I believe that it can be done. I believe wholeheartedly that Library Technicians are valuable and that we can hold our own competing with our Masters holding compatriots. To do that though there are a few things we have to do and remember:<\/p>\n

1. Don\u2019t be afraid to start at the bottom<\/b><\/p>\n

It\u2019s reality now, a Library Technician is more than likely going to have to start off in at least one position where the diploma isn\u2019t even required. Accept that and embrace it and that\u2019s how you\u2019ll be successful. Don\u2019t complain that you have a diploma and that you\u2019re working in a position that doesn\u2019t require it. Find ways to use your education to improve your workplace. For example, the position I am in right now didn\u2019t require a Library Technician diploma but it\u2019s definitely a role suited to a Library Technician. I manage a fundraising database and I\u2019m implementing records management procedures where none existed before, my organisation needs that and without my Library & Information background I wouldn\u2019t be able to provide it. Don\u2019t be turned off by a job posting that only requires a high school diploma, or doesn\u2019t specifically ask for a Library Technician diploma. Look at the duties and responsibilities, look to see if they are related to what we all learned in our programs.<\/p>\n

It won\u2019t be a glamourous job, and it probably won\u2019t be what you envisioned as your ideal first job out of school, but it will help you to build experience and that\u2019s what you need in order to compete for those \u201cdream\u201d positions.<\/p>\n

2. Only apply for jobs you\u2019re actually qualified for<\/b><\/p>\n

You\u2019ve heard this piece of advice from every career blog you\u2019ve read, every career centre workshop you\u2019ve been too and for good reason, it\u2019s the truth. You should only ever be applying for positions that you\u2019re qualified for. If you don\u2019t have experience in at least 75% of the jobs areas of responsibility you shouldn\u2019t be applying for the position. Even more important for Library Technicians, DON\u2019T apply for positions that specifically state that they are seeking someone with an ALA Accredited Masters degree or equivalent. They will not consider a College diploma as equivalent no matter how similar our educations actually are, you will look naive and like you don\u2019t understand the industry or hiring.<\/p>\n

That being said if a posting only asks for a formal education in library and information science OF COURSE you should apply for it! Emphasize the value of your diploma, that\u2019s what cover letters are for, for selling how your education and experience meets the needs of their position! Also as I mentioned above in number 1, don\u2019t be afraid to apply for positions that only ask or a high school diploma, as I\u2019ve learned from both experience and anecdotes from my network, there are a lot of LIS industry employers, and non-LIS industry employers who could use us, that don\u2019t actually know that the Library & Information Technician diploma exists, or if they do know they don\u2019t understand it. We are the only ones who can change that. If Library Technicians don\u2019t loudly come together and advocate for ourselves no one else is going to.<\/p>\n

3. Make friends and influence people<\/b><\/p>\n

A.K.A networking. I personally hate the word networking and the connotations of it. I am socially awkward sometimes so networking in the traditional sense can be awkward for me. I love to connect with people in our industry though and have discussions with them; and I like making friends who I have things in common with. One thing I have found that has helped me figure out how to network better is my passion for advocating for Library Technicians and my innate ability to explain things to people. As the daughter of a highly regarded and skilled salesman I have been developing from a young age the ability to sell what I\u2019m talking about, so I do that when I\u2019m talking to LIS pros. I swing the topic around to the fact that I\u2019m a Library Technicians and then I get them into a discussion talking about the similarities and differences between librarians and library technicians. It works for me and I think it\u2019s a tip that can work for you all too.<\/p>\n

4. Become a known quantity\/Volunteer strategically<\/b><\/p>\n

Two other good pieces of advice I\u2019ve had from multiple sources that I actively use and that have worked for me. If you know there\u2019s an organisation where you want to work you need to make yourself known there BEFORE a job opens up. There are two ways to go about doing that, arrange to do your field work with them, or find a volunteer position with them. Either way you\u2019re getting into the organisation, meeting the people, getting an understanding of their culture, and basically your time there is like a prolonged job interview. That was how I got my job at the Waterloo Public Library. I\u2019d been applying to positions with them for a year with varying degrees of unsuccess, and then I finally got off my butt and filled out a volunteer application. I started spending 2 hours a week preparing and filing the holds. I did this for 3 months before I was hired on as a Library Page and I know for a fact that the fact that I was already volunteering at the branch I wanted to work at was what clinched the job for me.<\/p>\n

That being said it\u2019s not a guarantee, be prepared for that. Being a known quantity doesn\u2019t ALWAYS help you get the position over someone with more experience, but at least that way you really do know you gave it your absolute all and that\u2019s important to me, to know I did everything I could to try and get that job.<\/p>\n

5. Broaden your horizons<\/b><\/p>\n

Niche interests and specialties are important, of course they are how could they not be? I myself have two niche interest areas that I consider my specialty, educational libraries, including programming, curriculum support, instruction and collection development; and information management. Those aren\u2019t the only two things I can do though, they\u2019re just the two I am most interested in. I didn\u2019t want to pigeonhole myself and you shouldn\u2019t either. In this market and climate we have to be prepared for whatever LIS related position comes up and that means having a varied body of experience. You have at least 2 field placements in your LIT program. Use them wisely. Don\u2019t go into a library that is the same type as one you already have experience in.<\/p>\n

For example, I already had experience volunteering in multiple school libraries, so even though a school library or academic library is where I\u2019d REALLY love to be for my employment I didn\u2019t use my field placements to get more experience in them. I went into a special library for the first one, and a non-traditional information position for the second. Combined with volunteer and work experience in a public library I feel that I\u2019ve developed a body of experience that shows I am capable of adapting to whatever type of LIS environment I am put into. I\u2019ve now worked with 3 very different Integrated Library Software systems, I know that I could be introduced to a new one tomorrow and that I would have very little issue learning how to use it effectively.<\/p>\n

Also important, by varying your experiences you\u2019re learning not only what you like but also what you don\u2019t like. You could be plugging away in the belief that you absolutely want to work as a Children\u2019s Programmer or a School Library Technician, but if you\u2019ve only ever worked with adults and haven\u2019t ever actually led a program than you could get in front of that group of kids and realise you absolutely hate it. You don\u2019t want to be in that position.<\/p>\n

6. Speak to specific experience<\/b><\/p>\n

Last but certainly not least. Another piece of career advice that is so common and prevalent that I think we actually start to forget it or at least take it for granted. You absolutely need to showcase EXACTLY how you have specific experience relating to EVERY position that you\u2019re applying for. If they\u2019re looking for someone who can spin saucers on poles for 45 minutes straight without dropping them and you\u2019ve done it for 50, SAY THAT. If you can show that you have exactly what experience they\u2019re looking for you leave them without any reason at all to select a Masters holding Librarian because they have more education and training. Customise every cover letter and every resume.<\/p>\n

I never use the same resume. I tweak every single one because I want the skills and accomplishments I\u2019m showcasing to always be 100% relevant to the position I\u2019m applying for, specifically to the wording in their job posting. Say it the way they say it, it helps them to understand your experience as it relates to them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Lauren Bourdages, Head Editor, INALJ Ontario How I try to compete with Masters holding Librarians as a Library Technician As someone actively looking for a full time position, preferably in a library related to education in some way, I\u2019ve noticed something about the current job market in our industry. It\u2019s not a new piece…<\/p>\n

Read more \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":14686,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[145],"tags":[69,3592,582,4429,3603,16,3841,4431,4430],"class_list":["post-23857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-article","tag-blog","tag-canada","tag-canadian-library-jobs","tag-inalj-ontario","tag-job-hunting","tag-lauren-bourdages","tag-library-technician","tag-lta"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/laurenb2.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1WoMK-6cN","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23857","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23857"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23857\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14686"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}