Career Blog: Career Strategy
Spotlight on Your Skill Inventory
Published: April 30, 2021 by Jillian Collins
Scott Brown, SJSU instructor, is a name you may remember from my earlier post about Skills Inventory; I had the opportunity to interview Scott, and part of our conversation will show you – and definitely showed me – that the best way to see skills in action is by taking action.
Your Terms, Your Action Plan
Published: April 26, 2021 by Jillian Collins
In February 2021, Kim
Dority, our iSchool career advisor, gave an amazing
presentation about creating and executing a personal career
action plan. Action planning is a career – and life – skill. If
you watch the
presentation, you will see how actively constructing your
career starts with actively knowing that small steps become
larger leaps to greatness.
Take Stock of Yourself with a Skill Inventory
Published: March 15, 2021 by Jillian Collins
Being able to identify (and discuss) your skills and strengths is
a really important aspect of job-hunting. But how do you
find these qualities in yourself? If you’re stuck, you’re in
luck! Information is your super power. Now it’s time to
concentrate on information about you. The skill of creating a
Skill Inventory!
The Impact of Feedback on Your Personal Brand
Published: March 10, 2021 by Jillian Collins
Your professional reputation, also known as your “brand,” is the
foundation of the essentials in career kits and in your long-term
career development strategy. And because everyone forms an
opinion of us during any interaction we have, it’s not like we
can just decide to ignore all this brand stuff. Better to take
charge of how others see you to ensure they’re seeing the
real you.
How to Get the Most from Handshake
Published: February 16, 2021 by Jillian Collins
If you read the first part of my interview with
Carrie McKnight, SJSU graduate student career counselor,
you’ll already know that Handshake is way more than
a smaller version of LinkedIn. That’s important because
although you may be a student now, you’re going to be looking for
a job sooner than you can imagine. In the meantime, you want to
make the most of every SJSU career resource you can, including
virtual career fairs, vetted position postings, and tools that
curate your profile to boost your visibility.
Carrie McKnight Wants to Help You Succeed
Published: February 4, 2021 by Jillian Collins
We’ve been interrupted. 2020 was a sharp turn from what we could
have anticipated, not just as students, but as
individuals.
The first part of my interview with Carrie McKnight, SJSU
career counselor for graduate students, focused on fantastic
tools available to you through the SJSU Career Center.
Now’s the Perfect Time to Revisit (or Complete) Your Skill Assessment
Published: January 25, 2021 by Jillian Collins
Finally – a new year! Rather than coming up with the usual new
year’s resolutions, how about instead getting the year headed in
a positive direction by doing deep-dive career reflection?
Specifically, why not launch this year by taking the time to
revisit the career passions you identified in your Career
Self-Assessment to identify what’s changed. Or, if you haven’t
yet had an opportunity to
explore this valuable resource, perhaps now’s the time
to jump in.
Carrie McKnight Wants You to Know…
Published: January 21, 2021 by Jillian Collins
Meet SJSU graduate student career counselor, Carrie McKnight. While we have entered 2021, my interview with her in December 2020 clued me in on three crucial career center tools. With Carrie insight, it’s much easier to turn career resolutions into reality. As Carrie said to me, “My job is to advocate for you guys because you guys do such great work.”
‘Free-sources’ for Your (Creative) Career Kit
Published: November 30, 2020 by Jillian Collins
It’s always a good time to maintain your career kit. You know that you need to tailor your template résumé and generic cover letter to specific job openings and keep your LinkedIn profile current, but how do you grab attention to create and build your personal brand? There are three online tools I use that I’d like to share with you because they’re easy to learn and use quickly, and they’re free! Those tools are 1) the LinkedIn Publishing Platform, 2) Canva graphic design platform, and 3) professional photographs from Unsplash.
Get to Know Your Network (and Let Them Get to Know You)
Published: November 13, 2020 by Jillian Collins
Effort makes for a great network. The networking bit is always a bit of a hurdle. It can be awkward to approach someone to be a mentor or join a group that appeals to your career aspirations. Career confidence in networking starts when you take initiative to get to know “your network” as individual people just like you.
Take a Look at Your MLIS Skills at Work
Published: November 11, 2020 by Jillian Collins
The puzzle of finding a job. We’ve all been there, searching for that missing piece: the words that make sense; sighing at results that require experience we don’t know or have. The options, though, are more than you would think. The MLIS Skills at Work: A Snapshot of Job Titles report takes a look at current trends, needs, and actual job postings broken down to show you what is out there and what career might be looking for you.
Write for the Job? Strengthen Workplace Writing Skills with the SJSU Writing Center
Published: October 7, 2020 by Jillian Collins
A well-written 14-page paper is great for a grade. But would you want to read a 14-page email? Probably not! This is why you need the expertise of the SJSU Writing Center, an incredibly valuable professional development resource often overlooked by students. As you launch your career, you’re likely to find that the employer who wants you also wants you to be an effective business communicator. That’s where the Writing Center can provide you with a career competitive edge.
How to Overcome the Work Experience Catch-22
Published: October 13, 2020 by iSchool Career Advisor
Do you feel stuck in the catch 22 of needing experience to get hired but feel like you can’t get experience because no one will hire you? Not to worry. There is a solution. Experience can come in many different forms. You’ll want to start early as an MLIS student, be flexible, open minded, and think BIG.
Start Building Your Career Now
Published: September 1, 2020 by iSchool Career Advisor
Why is it important for students to worry about career development? Well, if you haven’t started preparing for your career before you graduate, you won’t have the scaffolding in place to build your post-school life.
Top 10 Tips for Making the Most of Your Time at Conferences
Published: May 11, 2018 by Evelyn Hudson
Have you ever attended a conference? If not, it is likely you will at least once during your career. Big conferences like ALA Annual or Young Adult Services Symposium to small conferences like ones held by your state library association are excellent opportunities for professional development.
Open Classes Can Open Doors
Published: December 1, 2017 by Kate M. Spaulding
If you’re someone who’s considering pursuing an MLIS or MARA degree, the Open Classes program is a great way to test the waters (and start earning credits!).
Today is the day the Open Classes sign-up form for the iSchool’s Spring 2018 semester becomes available. The exclusively online Open Classes program is open to everyone with a bachelor’s degree or higher, and it’s a fantastic opportunity for two distinct groups of people.
Demystifying Conferences
Published: November 28, 2017 by Kate M. Spaulding
If you’ve taken INFO 200 and watched Dr. Michael Stephens’ lectures, or taken his hyperlinked libraries class, or read his “Office Hours” column in Library Journal, or read his book, or ever heard him speak, then you know he is passionate about connecting with the global community of library folks. That made him the perfect choice for the Special Libraries Association Student Chapter’s (SLASC) recent virtual program, “Demystifying Conferences.”
3 More Ways Library 2.0 Can Boost Your Career
Published: October 10, 2017 by Kate M. Spaulding
I recently wrote about how you can use Library 2.0 to boost your career. Well, I’ve been thinking about it some more and have come up with a few additional ideas. Library 2.0: Makerspaces is tomorrow (don’t worry, sessions will be recorded), so now seemed like a good time to share. I’d love to read ideas from you in the comments!
Use Library 2.0 to Boost Your Career
Published: September 26, 2017 by Kate M. Spaulding
Have you registered for the Library 2.0 conference that’s happening in just a couple of weeks? Perhaps I should back up a bit – do you know about the free, virtual, Library 2.0 conference on October 11? If not, you should definitely check it out, as it’s a pretty amazing collection of events that the iSchool puts together for the LIS community each year.