{"id":77126,"date":"2014-07-17T10:30:27","date_gmt":"2014-07-17T15:30:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=77126"},"modified":"2014-07-17T00:27:57","modified_gmt":"2014-07-17T05:27:57","slug":"how-to-survive-your-mls-distance-program-tips-from-a-recent-grad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=77126","title":{"rendered":"How to Survive Your MLS Distance Program: 6 Tips from a Recent Grad"},"content":{"rendered":"

Marian Mays<\/a>, Senior Editor, INALJ\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

How to Survive Your MLS Distance Program: 6 Tips from a Recent Grad<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"Marian<\/a>The transition to full-time online classes can be extremely tough, especially for new students.\u00a0Online classes can make you feel isolated, require more personal diligence, and can be a time\u00a0management nightmare. Plus, MLS programs don\u2019t always offer students practical advice that\u00a0they need to be successful outside of school.<\/p>\n

For some students, distance programs offer positive benefits. Most online classes do not\u00a0require you to be in a physical classroom at any certain time of day, which provides students\u00a0with a larger range of job opportunities. Some MLS programs even offer in-state tuition for\u00a0distance education students. If you\u2019re interested in going to school in your pajamas, or you\u00a0need some pointers that apply to your current education, follow these six tips for success.<\/p>\n

1. Befriend Your Professors<\/strong><\/p>\n

I cannot emphasize the importance of this enough! Befriending your professors should be your\u00a0main priority as a new student. Getting to know your professors provides you with both short\u00a0and long-term benefits. A personal relationship with your professors can lessen your sense of\u00a0isolation, benefit your course grade, and influence your future job prospects. LIS professors\u00a0make great professional references! I would not have my current job position without the\u00a0reference of an LIS professor.<\/p>\n

Most professors understand that life is full of unforeseen consequences. Jobs, children, pets,\u00a0and family can place a strain on the distance education student. However, distance education\u00a0professors deal with these issues themselves. Professors are always more likely to provide\u00a0students with extensions or extra help when the initial student\/professor relationship has\u00a0already been established. These relationships can be fostered by frequent participation in\u00a0online discussion boards, volunteering to lead groups or extra projects, frequent visits in office\u00a0hours, and a positive attitude. Many professors offer some kind of face-to-face contact through\u00a0a video chatting service if you do not live nearby.<\/p>\n

2. Don\u2019t Rely on Your Calendar<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get me wrong \u2013 keeping an up-to-date school assignment calendar is extremely\u00a0important. At the beginning of each academic semester, I printed my syllabuses and inputted\u00a0all required assignments into my phone calendar. However, this isn\u2019t always enough. Professors\u00a0sometimes make mistakes in their syllabuses, or have used syllabuses that apply to previous\u00a0years. Make sure you frequently check your assignment folder in whatever online system your\u00a0program uses. If you see any inconsistency between the syllabus and your course shell, ask your\u00a0professor immediately. You should also consider routing your campus email account to your\u00a0personal email if you have not already done so. Sometimes professors will send out short-term\u00a0assignment notices with no prior warning.<\/p>\n

3. Find Some Way to Network with Your Peers<\/strong><\/p>\n

You may think there are no opportunities to network with your peers if you live thousands\u00a0of miles away. You are wrong! Many schools allow you to participate in their student LIS\u00a0organization through webinar conferencing. Some schools even allow out of state student\u00a0members to hold officer positions. If your school doesn\u2019t currently offer these opportunities,\u00a0contact your student affairs officer. They might be more than happy to work something out.<\/p>\n

You can also consider saving money for a trip that will allow you to network with your peers.\u00a0Many schools offer study abroad programs or courses in LIS. Often, students are able to use\u00a0their financial aid to fund these programs. Conferences are another great way to network\u00a0and obtain professional skills that you can add to your resume, and many conferences offer\u00a0scholarship opportunities. Consider asking your student LIS chapter or listserv if any students\u00a0will be attending LIS conferences. You can room with fellow students to share costs.<\/p>\n

If student memberships or conferences aren\u2019t really your style, consider emailing classmates\u00a0that you interact with on discussion boards just to chat. You never know what kind of\u00a0friendships you might build if you are willing to put yourself out there. Meeting a large group of\u00a0my LIS peers was truly a turning point of my distance program. It helped me feel excited to be\u00a0entering the field.<\/p>\n

4. Enter School with a Clear Purpose<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before starting a distance program, you need to ask yourself why you want to be a librarian.\u00a0The fact you love reading isn\u2019t going to cut it in those future job interviews. So many different\u00a0types of librarianship exist, and school is much easier when you have a clear concentration. If\u00a0you don\u2019t have any idea of what type of librarianship interests you, find a professional mentor.\u00a0Ask to job shadow or interview several different types of librarians to narrow down your\u00a0options.<\/p>\n

The truth is, some ALA accredited distance programs are very small. Your school of choice might\u00a0not be the best option for a very specific career choice, such as music librarianship. Make sure\u00a0you check out what courses and concentrations the graduate schools you apply to offer. This\u00a0can save you a lot of hassle in the long run. Also try to make sure that your school has a secure\u00a0accreditation. Most employers will only accept your degree if it is ALA accredited.<\/p>\n

Once you enter school, don\u2019t play around! Try to fit in a course that interests you in your very\u00a0first semester, to make sure that you want to continue with this career path. There is nothing\u00a0wrong with being a generalist, but it will not make you a competitive candidate for jobs or\u00a0internships. School will also be a more enjoyable experience when you are taking several\u00a0courses in your specific area of interest.<\/p>\n

5. Experience Matters<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t heard this yet, you will soon. The job market for librarians is suffering right now.\u00a0Don\u2019t procrastinate on securing a library position while you are in school, especially if your\u00a0program lasts two years or less. Finding library experience is extremely important for entering\u00a0students who have never worked in a library before. Your previous experience will always\u00a0outweigh your education to an employer. Try to find a paid position if you can, and be willing to\u00a0make some personal changes in your life if the job isn\u2019t an easy fit.<\/p>\n

Paid internships and graduate assistantships are great resume boosters. Make sure you look\u00a0at the deadlines to apply for assistantships before applying to your MLS programs. Sometimes\u00a0programs will expect an early application date or only hire fall semester students. If you can\u2019t\u00a0find a paid position in a library, consider volunteering or an unpaid internship. Unpaid positions\u00a0will not be as beneficial to your job search, but they will show that you are passionate about\u00a0the field.<\/p>\n

Still searching? Volunteer for INALJ<\/a>! You\u2019ll be able to get a better sense of the job search\u00a0process while helping others. AmeriCorps<\/a> often hires paid social service volunteers to work\u00a0in public libraries. You can also consider applying to be a Community Representative<\/a> for the\u00a0Digital Public Library of America. If you\u2019ve exhausted your list of available libraries, take a look\u00a0around on your state library job board or school listserv. Don\u2019t give up! Sometimes, smaller\u00a0organizations and law firms have libraries that you might not even know existed.<\/p>\n

If you can\u2019t find a library job, try to get some customer service experience in a bookstore or\u00a0your area of preference (Daycare \u2013 Youth Services, Computer Store \u2013 IT Track). Be willing to\u00a0stay flexible and think outside the box. I was paid minimum wage in my first library position,\u00a0and I drove over an hour for my first paid internship. You CAN get hired after library school, but\u00a0having experience is going to make the process a lot less painful.<\/p>\n

6. Save Money, Less Problems<\/strong><\/p>\n

One thing that people forget to mention is that job hunting can be expensive! It can often feel\u00a0like a full-time job that you don\u2019t get paid for. Saving money while you\u2019re in graduate school\u00a0can help ease the transition between school and your first professional career. Don\u2019t forget to\u00a0consider the simple costs of job hunting. You\u2019ll need computer access, a large supply of printer\u00a0ink, printer paper, envelopes, business cards, and stamps. These things can really add up. If\u00a0you\u2019re struggling with the basics, try to see if your current employer or student LIS association\u00a0will provide you free or low-cost printing service.<\/p>\n

Make sure to factor in travel costs such as gas money, airline tickets, or hotel rooms. Most\u00a0employers will expect you to travel to their library for an in-person interview, and some may\u00a0not be able to cover the cost. Some employers don\u2019t offer any type of video or phone interview\u00a0even for an initial job screening, so make sure you\u2019re prepared before you apply. Also make\u00a0sure to clarify if the potential employer will offer some type of relocation assistance to out of\u00a0state employees.<\/p>\n

There are a lot of resume boosters that aren\u2019t necessary, but suggested. Joining ALA or your\u00a0local library association is extremely important. It is expensive, but you\u2019ll be able to afford twice\u00a0as many memberships with a student membership price versus a professional membership. The\u00a0main benefit of professional memberships is the credibility it gives to your resume. However,\u00a0joining could also make you eligible for things like scholarships, free resume editing, and free\u00a0resume posting. Conference prices are always cheaper as a member, and are also a great\u00a0resume booster. Many conference scholarship applications require you to be a member of the\u00a0organization. Attending conferences shows potential employers that you are passionate about\u00a0professional development opportunities and networking.<\/p>\n

Marian Mays graduated from the University of Kentucky School of Library and Information Science in\u00a0May 2014. She is currently finishing an 11 month term with AmeriCorps, and is in the process of job\u00a0hunting. In her free time, Marian enjoys reading, hiking, rock climbing, hula hooping, and belly dancing.\u00a0Marian is currently located in Anchorage, Alaska.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Marian Mays, Senior Editor, INALJ\u00a0 How to Survive Your MLS Distance Program: 6 Tips from a Recent Grad The transition to full-time online classes can be extremely tough, especially for new students.\u00a0Online classes can make you feel isolated, require more personal diligence, and can be a time\u00a0management nightmare. Plus, MLS programs don\u2019t always offer students…<\/p>\n

Read more \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":77134,"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":[146,69,3592,10,6372,6373,6371,111,5951],"class_list":["post-77126","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-advice","tag-article","tag-blog","tag-inalj","tag-marian-mays","tag-mls-distance-program","tag-senior-editor","tag-tips","tag-tips-for-library-school-students"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/Marian-Mays.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1WoMK-k3Y","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77126","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=77126"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77126\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/77134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=77126"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=77126"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=77126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}