Career Blog: Career Strategy
Kickstart Your Career with Membership in a Professional Organization
Published: April 29, 2024 by Aryn Prestia
No Creative Skills? Canva can help with that!
Published: April 11, 2024 by Aryn Prestia
Librarians often find themselves embracing a range of duties on
the job – a customer service specialist at the circulation desk,
a researcher at the reference desk, a sort-of referee in the
children’s section, and an all-around marketer and library
advocate at all other times.
Attending My First Professional Conference
LibLearnX 2024 - Baltimore, MD
Published: April 2, 2024 by Aryn Prestia
Though I am now in my second year here at the iSchool, I still
feel like a brand-new student. This most likely has to do with
the constant exposure to new and exciting information as well as
the hunger to learn even more.
How to Get the Most Out of Joining a Professional Association
Published: June 20, 2023 by Hannah Nguyen
There are many professional organizations within the field of
librarianship that offer networking opportunities, scholarships,
grants, continuing education, and other resources and perks. You
may already be familiar with some of these organizations because
the iSchool provides a complimentary
one-year membership for students enrolled in Info 200. If
you’ve never joined a professional association before, you may
feel overwhelmed by the new emails or feel unclear about how to
contribute. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of
your membership.
Tips for Staying Positive During the Job Hunt
Published: June 15, 2023 by Hannah Nguyen
The process of searching and applying for, interviewing, and
following up on available jobs can be exhausting. It feels like a
part-time job and requires a lot of energy and attention. If you
haven’t landed your dream job yet, or have experienced some
rejection, it becomes very easy to feel defeated. Here are key
tips to help you avoid burnout and maintain an optimistic
outlook.
Should Librarians Be Worried About Artificial Intelligence?
Published: May 29, 2023 by Hannah Nguyen
As new technology emerges, there is often a discussion about how
librarian’s roles will change in relation to it. This
conversation has become especially relevant with the introduction
of new artificial intelligence (AI) tools. These innovations are
certainly going to affect America’s workforce, and librarians are
no exception to this. But what are the opportunities and risks?
Should we be worried?
Four Free Career Development Resources Every Student Should Be Using
Published: February 10th, 2023 by Hannah Nguyen
Graduate students spend a significant amount of time juggling
school, work, family and personal obligations. It can make it
difficult to be aware of all the great FREE career resources you
have as a student. Here is a list of four of the best
career-building perks you can take advantage of right now.
Why You Should Learn About User Experience
Published: January 23rd, 2023 by Hannah Nguyen
User Experience (or UX) might sound familiar to you if you’ve
done any job hunting lately. In fact, UX was named one of the
most in-demand hard skills by LinkedIn and ranked on
Glassdoor’s
Top 50 Best Jobs to have in 2022. Libraries are no exception
to this trend with the job title User Experience Librarian being
named one of the
five library jobs on the rise by American Libraries
in June of 2022.
Do You Need a Reference or a Recommendation? Know the Etiquette to Ask!
Published: April 5, 2022 by Jillian Collins
We started with the basics in
“Do You Need a Reference or a Recommendation? Here’s How to
Tell.” Our other blog posts, “So, You
Need a Reference? Here’s What to Know,” and “So,
You Need a Recommendation? Here’s What to Know,”
explored and explained the nuances of each. Yet, a key aspect is
the professional etiquette of requesting a recommendation or
asking someone to be a reference – and that’s how this series is
going to end and putting knowledge into practice begins.
So, You Need a Recommendation? Here’s What to Know
Published: March 27, 2022 by Jillian Collins
A recommendation, in the professional world, is a glowing and
strong case made by someone on your behalf, when career goals are
within reach. There are so many situations that require a
recommendation. You need to know the types of recommendations you
can get, and help you understand when and how they can benefit
you.
So, You Need a Reference? Here’s What to Know
Published: March 8, 2022 by Jillian Collins
References come from people who know you, your work, and the
position you’re applying for. You want to make a direct impact
during your interview, but references are your rave reviews from
others. With that in mind, here’s a deep-dive reference
guide to references!
Do You Need a Reference or a Recommendation? Here’s How to Tell
Published: February 15, 2022 by Jillian Collins
Whether you’re applying for a job or an internship, it’s great to
have good references, e.g., people who have seen your work (and
how you work) and can confirm that you have what it takes to do
the job. Same with recommendations. But how do
references/recommendations work these days, and what process
should you follow when requesting one? We’ve got you covered!
We Need to Talk about Burnout
Published: January 19, 2022 by Jillian Collins
We all have high expectations set for ourselves. Burnout is when
those expectations cross the line from the goals we celebrate, to
defining who we are, by our metric of “perfection.” Knowing
what burnout is – and isn’t – will help you now, before you find
yourself caught in it later.
Create and Maintain a ‘Living Résumé’ to Make Life Easier
Published: January 12, 2022 by Jillian Collins
The purpose of your résumé is to open a door. Writing a résumé is
a process that shouldn’t have to be done over and over. You just
need your résumé to be tailored to fit the position,
providing you have the skills and ability to perform in the
position. A trick to streamline the résumé part of a job
application is to create a “living résumé” – a one-stop-doc that
you add and record all information you included in your
résumé.
Reassess Your Self-Assessment for 2022
Published: January 3, 2022 by Jillian Collins
The career self-assessment is yet
another amazing iSchool tool. The
self-assessment is a template for you to conceptualize the
functions, people, and setting you want for your career. It’s
2022, a new year with obstacles beyond your control. Consider the
optimism and strengths gained both academically and personally to
map out important aspects of interactions, duties, and physical
work environment.
Direct Your Career by Managing Up
Published: September 10, 2021 by Jillian Collins
Managing up is the process of learning your boss’s management and
communication preferences, and then adapting your communication
in the workplace that supports those preferences. Clear
communication among all staff members is one of the building
blocks of great working relationships that enable teams to reach
the goals of the organization. The same holds true for your
relationship with your boss.
Professional Visibility = Professional Opportunities
Published: August 20, 2021 by Jillian Collins
When you’re a student, it’s natural to focus your efforts on your
courses, your GPA, and for a few highly organized types,
your e-Portfolio items. But since the goal of getting a master’s
degree is to land a job that can help launch a career you love,
now is also a great time to be paying attention to an equally
important asset: your professional visibility.
Your First Job is Step One to Your Career
Published: July 13, 2021 by Jillian Collins
Your first job is a huge milestone! As you complete your MLIS
program, you’re gaining specialty tools to thrive in an expanding
market. Your first job with your master’s degree is just the foot
in the door. Your eventual career may end up being completely
different from the door you first walk in, which is part of your
growth as a professional, and the way your fellow professionals
grow, as well.
In case you missed it: How to Build Your Professional Network (Without Feeling Weird About It)
On-Demand Webcast with Kim Dority
Published: June 15, 2021 by Jillian Collins
So many people have networking anxieties. That’s why we’re lucky to have Kim Dority, the fantastic iSchool career consultant! Check out her presentation, How to Build Your Professional Network (Without Feeling Weird About It). Kim goes beyond networking as a ‘thing to do’: strategies, etiquette, and what you can do now that builds up a network bit-by-bit!
Not in the Job Description? Sell Solutions to the Hiring Manager!
Published: June 4, 2021 by Jillian Collins
If you’re considering information work for organizations other than a school, public, or academic library, you’re likely to encounter interviewers (for example hiring managers or HR people) unfamiliar with the range of strategic skills information professionals can provide. Even the job description may use terminology that describes things you know you can do, but with non-library language. Not to worry – you’ve got this. Seal the deal by selling the solutions your skills provide.