{"id":99544,"date":"2015-09-15T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-09-15T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=99544"},"modified":"2015-09-14T16:33:48","modified_gmt":"2015-09-14T21:33:48","slug":"8-reasons-informational-interviews-are-useful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=99544","title":{"rendered":"8 Reasons Informational Interviews are Useful"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Rebecca Ciota<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

8 Reasons Informational Interviews are Useful<\/h3>\n

\"Rebecca<\/a>I have always been a thinker and a planner.\u00a0 My mother recounts several times when, as a child, in a toy store, I would consider which toy would be the best purchase.\u00a0 If I was like that before I can even remember, it is no wonder that I wanted to do all my research when I was deciding on a career.\u00a0 I did the usual: reading, trawling job descriptions, interning, volunteering, etc. One of the most important pieces of my research, which greatly swayed my decision to pursue an MLIS, was informational interviews.<\/strong> Even now, in my second semester, I still conduct informational interviews – so I have become a bit of an expert on informational interviews.\u00a0 I have found them useful at many stages in my career trajectory; and herein, I’ll give some of my insights into why you should be conducting informational interviews – no matter where you are in your career.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Networking.<\/strong> Conferences can be overwhelming; and if you’re not working in a library setting, it can be difficult to meet other librarians.\u00a0 By reaching out and asking for a 30-minute informational interview, you can meet an expert in the library and information science field, who might be able to pass on advice or even job leads.<\/li>\n
  2. Learn about the library\/information science field. <\/strong>This is pretty self-explanatory. By listening to librarians talk about their jobs, you learn about what it’s like to be a librarian.<\/li>\n
  3. Get a new perspective.<\/strong> Recently, I conducted an informational interview with a corporate archivist. I’ve always worked at nonprofit institutions, so it was really enlightening to hear the differences between for-profit and nonprofit libraries\/archives. For example, I learned that while academic libraries push information literacy and instruction, the corporate libraries and archives often take on the brunt of primary research for their patrons.<\/li>\n
  4. Prepare yourself for a career transition.<\/strong> For mid- or late-career librarians (or even us newbies), you might be thinking of making a change – whether upward or parallel. Talk a librarian who has a job similar to the kind you’d like to have. Learn what skills or knowledge you will need for the job; you can even discuss how your skills and knowledge might be assets in such a job.<\/li>\n
  5. Learn about the interview process.<\/strong> Especially for a second-year MLIS student, applying and interviewing for jobs is a top priority. (And surely, it’s important for many others too.) Interviewing a recently-hired librarian can be a unique look at how institutions conduct their job searches. I’ve learned that at some libraries, you’ll be hired within a month of applying; others, it can take 1+ years. Informational interviews with hiring librarians also gives insight into what employers are seeking in their job candidates.<\/li>\n
  6. Take the opportunity to swap stories.<\/strong> No one else might find your stories about strange catalog records interesting \u2013 but a fellow technical services librarian might. Or you might learn about the administration who always asks for a particular image of a panda from the archivist, at least twice per month. Swapping stories helps develop camaraderie in the discipline; and it will help you demonstrate that you\u2019re a fun person to deal with \u2013 and that you know your stuff.<\/li>\n
  7. Get a set of fresh eyes on your resume.<\/strong> If you\u2019re brave enough, you can ask your new acquaintance to glance over your resume and give you any tips or suggestions they think can think of.<\/li>\n
  8. Find out you really, really want (or don\u2019t want) that job.<\/strong> Once you hear about your interviewee\u2019s job, you can decide whether that would be a good fit for you. I had an informational interview with a Special Collections librarian at a small liberal arts college; I\u2019ve decided that might be the coolest job in existence (and it\u2019ll always be at least a pipe dream of mine to have that job). On the other hand, one of my friends interviewed an archivist; she found that she had no desire to spend any time whatsoever accessioning materials. An informational interview\u00a0can help you decide whether to pursue a particular career path, or look for a better fit.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Informational interviews are a powerful tool for helping define your goals and career path. The interviewer can learn so much from the experts they interview<\/strong>. For those librarians and professionals who are asked to be the interviewee for an informational interview, I encourage you to set aside a half hour and encourage and mentor aspiring professionals. You never know how important a 30 minute discussion can be!<\/p>\n

    Author Bio:<\/u><\/p>\n

    Rebecca Ciota is a student at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, as well as a staff member at the University Library. She has previously working in Special Collections, a public library, and a special library. She can be reached via Twitter @CiotaRebecca<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    by Rebecca Ciota 8 Reasons Informational Interviews are Useful I have always been a thinker and a planner.\u00a0 My mother recounts several times when, as a child, in a toy store, I would consider which toy would be the best purchase.\u00a0 If I was like that before I can even remember, it is no wonder…<\/p>\n

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