Not too long ago, in a previous post by J. Nadal, he mentioned the importance of being able to frame your answers to interview questions in a story. So if a potential employer inquired “what led you to librarianship?” I would answer:
I started interning in art galleries and museums and eventually was hired on full-time at the museum, which is why I decided to get my MLS in the first place. After speaking with a curator that had completed their MLS, they assured me it was a valuable degree to have in the museum field. I worked at the museum while completing my MLS program. During my first trip to New York I had this experience near the end of my last semester, while I was taking this research methods course. I had planned to visit all of the great museums in New York that I had only heard about, but I also had to complete my final research paper.
I struggled to get to all of the museums I wanted to visit like the Brooklyn Museum of Art (got lost on the subway), the Whitney (I was “excused” from this one, long story), the Studio Museum in Harlem (did not make it there until a couple of years later, but worth the wait) - since I was staying in Manhattan I made it to MOMA and the Met without incident. But I was able to find 5 public libraries, easily access the information I needed, and received help from several librarians and library staff, all within Manhattan. The impression this experience had on me made me question whether I wanted to work in a museum or a library. I chose libraries!
Bright spot!
Here is an article with great practical advice for job seekers: “Hang In There” by Lisa Von Drasek
Drasek, L. (2011). Hang in there. School Library Journal 57 (2), p. 25-29.
The article includes links to these helpful Blogs:
Evil HR Lady http://evilhrlady.blogspot.com
BNET—Life at Work www.bnet.com/life-at-work?tag=header;header-sec
Manage Your Online Reputation http://lifehacker.com/357460/manage-your-online-reputation
Stephen Flynn, founder of website Open Cover Letters says that the website was created “to help current library job-seekers draw inspiration from successful library cover letters.”
He went on to add that “there are so many contradictory opinions about successful job search strategies…, but everyone needs to assess all the options and find what works for them.”
He discusses his job search process in the following interview:
Hardo, J. (2011). Dear Hiring Committee. Library Journal 136 (14), p. 32-33.
Fialkoff, F. (2011). Heed this career advice. Library Journal 135 (16), p. 8.
Here are some links with commonly asked interview questions that may be helpful:
http://www.libsci.sc.edu/career/invufaqs.htm http://www.lib.unc.edu/personnel/interview_questions.pdf http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/humanresources/superman/fill_open_positions/fac_recruitment/interviewing/interview_qs.html
Have you been doing lots of interviews, but not yet received a job offer? Beginning to wonder if you’ll ever land a full-time library position? Well, not to worry! All that practice actually does pay off. Interviewing a lot helps most individuals learn more about themselves, their competencies, as well as gain more confidence in their ability to “rock” an interview.
Does this mean that you will stop getting nervous before interviews? No! But landing numerous interviews usually means that you have the skills—on paper (that, or you are very well connected), now you just have to refine your presenting skills. The repetition of interviewing time and time again helps potential candidates obtain a better understanding of what interviewers are looking for and hone the best answers to common interview questions.
So, for those of you that have already landed your first position or anyone that has a similar story of triumphantly acquiring a game-changing library position, tell us - how many interviews (with different institutions) did you have before getting the position?
If you’ve ever drawn up a cv (curriculum vitae) then you probably have wanted to share this accomplishment with any and all potential employers. But that definitely wouldn’t be the smartest move. In fact, forwarding a cv when the job announcement requests a resume can kill the possibility of an interview.
Rachel Applegate offers some really great advice on 3 “resume-like” tools (including the cv) that will help even the newest Libs with their application process. She even talks about references.
Applegate, R (2009). Resumes and Cover Letters. Indiana Libraries 28 (2) p. 28-35.
Here are some helpful tips on how to increase productivity in the office, at home and other locations:
Tip - Don’t start with email! Try not checking your email for the first 45 minutes of your day.
For more helpful advice, take a look at this column “technology roundup” published in the journal Multimedia Information & Technology 36 (4), p. 34 Productivity tips for working just about anywhere (2010)
Some days are more fruitful than others. And while we may not notice how efficiently we use our time from day to day, we all know that dreaded feeling of having an unproductive day. Which led me to wonder, how is productivity measured anyway? By the number of emails that are sent in one day?
I like to believe productivity is simply measured by the status quo minus the starting point which, in my mind, equals (or at least it should) some kind of progress. How much progress obviously depends on how much time lapses from start to status quo and obstacles/challenges encountered during the process. However, this simple equation does not account for procrastination or collaborative efforts. If you have a method for measuring productivity that is a little less abstract please share it with us. Every little bit helps!
