Published: September 19, 2017 by Kate M. Spaulding

The iSchool recently surveyed 2016 MLIS graduates, and participants shared “3 resources that have been helpful in your job search.” 

If you’re reading this blog, then hopefully you also are aware of the Career Development resources the iSchool provides. One of the most practical pages in the collection is Job Listing Sites and Resources; it is literally a long list of websites where both MLIS and MARA folks can look at job postings.

The list (and the job search) can be kind of intimidating, I know. But the good news is that I have insider information to share with you! The iSchool recently surveyed 2016 MLIS graduates, and participants shared “3 resources that have been helpful in your job search.” Here’s what I learned:

1. Indeed.com and INALJ.com as well as federal, state, and local government jobs sites were listed a lot.
2. SJSU’s job database also got kudos; it recently became Handshake, which is hopefully even more useful.
3. At least one person found “Signing up for job notifications from every county and city” to be helpful. That makes sense to me (particularly if you’re searching for a position in a specific area), and it should save you time scrolling through various government websites.
4. LinkedIn was mentioned both as a job search tool and a useful way to network.
5. Professional associations’ job boards, networks, and listservs were mentioned by many survey participants. If you’ve not already joined one, consider becoming a member of a professional association (hurry! It’s significantly cheaper as a student!) to gain access to these resources. ALA JobList, state library associations, SLA chapters (regional groups), and SLA divisions (subject or interest-specific) are all great ways to hear about job openings.
6. Personal and professional networks helped lots of survey participants land jobs. Friends, family, professional contacts, and alumni groups are great resources for insider information and job alerts.

Of course, there’s much more information to be gleaned from the survey results. But what do you think? What would you add to this list? I’d love to hear what your favorite job search resources are!