Career Blog: Choosing a Career
So You’re Graduating in May, Now What?
Published: January 15, 2025 by Aryn Prestia
It can be exciting to enter your final semester in the MLIS program. Whether that effort has been months or years in the making, you are now ready to demonstrate the culmination of your hard work in your e-portfolio and a degree that will lead you to a new career.
Getting that First Library Experience
Published: December 4, 2024 by Aryn Prestia
If you have started the job search, you’ve likely noticed that a majority of the postings indicate that experience is required. In fact, the most recent MLIS Skills at Work Report disclosed that 88% of job announcements include the stipulation that experience is required or preferred.
But what do you do if you’ve devoted yourself to your MLIS degree full-time and have no library experience? In this post, we’ll be looking into how you gain library experience when you have none.
Choosing Medical Librarianship
Published: November 20, 2024 by Aryn Prestia
Interested in becoming a medical librarian? The SLASC recently
hosted a Q&A Panel featuring medical librarians from Stanford
and UC San Francisco. While you can watch the full panel
here, you can find some of the panel’s top tips
below.
Airtable for Librarians
Published: October 9, 2024 by Aryn Prestia
Project Management is one of many job skills that librarians will
find themselves using in the workplace. Though there are courses that students can take to
understand a bit more about the project management process,
ultimately the best way to learn project management is through
practice.
Coursera Career Academy for iSchool Students
Published: September 25, 2024 by Aryn Prestia
Being an MLIS student at SJSU comes with so many incredible
benefits. You have access to dozens of
specialized courses, fourteen active student
groups, scholarship programs, and
internship opportunities, all
of which can be accessed virtually to help you stay involved
no matter where you live. Adding to this slate of virtual
benefits is the Coursera
Career Academy, a free continuing education program for all
students.
A Student’s Review of This Summer’s ALA Conference
Published: August 7, 2024 by Aryn Prestia
The American Library Association hosted its annual conference
this past June in San Diego, California. Billed as “the biggest
library event of the year,” ALA Annual was attended by dozens of
SJSU iSchool alumni, faculty, and current students. I had the
opportunity to speak with one student attendee, Eddie Lagos, to
learn more about the experience.
What to Do After an Informational Interview
Published: July 31, 2024 by Aryn Prestia
So, you’ve planned an
informational interview and conducted
it, now what?
What to Ask During an Informational Interview
Published: July 17, 2024 by Aryn Prestia
As we mentioned in a previous post, an Informational Interview is the perfect opportunity to get an understanding of the nuances of different library-related positions.
While it may take some time to identify the right interviewee and
schedule your meeting, planning for what to do during the actual
interview is essential for ensuring its success.
How to Ask for an Informational Interview
Published: July 2, 2024 by Aryn Prestia
Once in grad school, you likely learned rather quickly (or will
learn very soon) that there is more than one way to be a
librarian. There are dozens of specialities when it comes to
library science – Public, Academic, Special, Medical, Law, and
Archives, just to name a few. As you navigate the maze of career
choices, the journey from aspiration to actualization can be
overwhelming. This is where informational interviews come into
play, serving as invaluable tools for those looking to better
understand the nuances and day-to-day responsibilities of
librarians in practice.
Brush Up on Reader’s Advisory Skills
Published: May 24, 2024 by Aryn Prestia
While you do not have to be an avid reader to be a successful
librarian, it certainly helps. One of the most in-demand skills
for librarians according to SJSU’s MLIS Skills at Work
Report is reader’s advisory.
Kickstart Your Career with Membership in a Professional Organization
Published: April 29, 2024 by Aryn Prestia
How to Prepare for a Virtual Interview
Published: April 20, 2023 by Hannah Nguyen
Even in organizations where most work is completed in-person, it
is becoming more common to conduct interviews virtually. This
especially applies to the first round of interviews, sometimes
referred to as the “semi-finals.” In fact, according to a recent
Indeed survey,
82% of employers are currently using virtual interviews. This
format eliminates some of the stress of driving and locating
parking at an unfamiliar location, but it comes with its own set
of issues to consider. Although virtual interviews may feel less
intimidating, they are often more competitive because they take
less time and can be offered to more candidates. Here are some
practical tips to help you prepare for your next virtual
interview.
Alternative LIS Career Spotlight: Working at OverDrive
Published: April 19, 2023 by Hannah Nguyen
The unprecedented events of the past few years caused many
libraries to close to the public, resulting in a massive increase
in digital library usage. The company OverDrive provides the
largest digital media catalog in the world to libraries and
schools through their award-winning app Libby. They are a
certified B Corporation dedicated to improving literacy and
supporting libraries and schools with their shared vision. I
spoke with Mike Dresch, the recruiting manager at OverDrive about
what it’s like to work for them and why information professionals
in particular will find this work rewarding.
Alternative LIS Career Spotlight: Working at EBSCO
Published: March 23, 2023 by Hannah Nguyen
Have you ever explored working for a library vendor? Vendors in
the library and information science space make a massive impact
by serving libraries all over the world. Many of these
organizations share the same philosophy and goals as information
professionals, and your experience and field of study should make
you a competitive candidate. I spoke with Tammy Ross, the Senior
Product Marketing Manager at EBSCO Information Services (and
iSchool alumni) about her career with one of the largest research
database vendors serving libraries.
Getting Started in Medical Librarianship – Q & A with Katie Eidem
Published: February 22, 2023 by Hannah Nguyen
Have you been curious about medical librarianship? Medical
libraries fit under the umbrella of special libraries and allow
you to support the medical community by improving access to
critical health and medical information. On any given day, you
might be working with patients, practitioners, students, or the
general public. Although many medical librarians have degrees
related to the medical field, it isn’t a requirement. So how
should you get started?
How to Choose Your Career Pathway
Published: February 1st, 2023 by Hannah Nguyen
Many students enter grad programs without a clear direction or
lose sight of their original focus once they realize how many
career options are available. Since
a significant amount of iSchool students are making a career
change, it is understandable that they want to be sure they’re
making a wise decision. So, let’s discuss some ideas and
resources that will help you make a pathway choice you can feel
confident about!
Take a Virtual Selfie of Your Career Preferences with this Valuable Tool
Published: October 19, 2020 by Jillian Collins
Imagine asking yourself a set of “career preference” questions five years ago, the same questions five years from now, and those very same questions today: would the three of ‘you’ agree that you prefer working within a youth library, or that you prefer academic libraries? How many co-workers make up your ideal work setting? And do you like what you are doing? Depending on how much work experience you’ve had so far, you may not be sure about your responses, but that just means that now is the perfect time to take advantage of one of the most useful career resources, the self-assessment. Even better, keep it updated as you progress through the program and you’re exposed to new ideas and career options. Consider the self-assessment as an extremely valuable career check in and check list.
LIS Jobs in Pharma: What They Are, Where They Are, and How to Land One
Published: October 20, 2017 by Kate M. Spaulding
Have you thought about a LIS career that’s NOT in a library? If so, or if your curiosity is piqued, join the Career Development team on Wednesday, October 25 at 5:30pm Pacific for LIS Jobs in Pharma: What They Are, Where They Are, and How to Land One. Mindy Beattie, Associate Director of Library & Information Sciences at Gilead Sciences, will present via Collaborate, and it sounds both interesting and informative.
New Career Pathway: Data Science
Published: September 22, 2017 by Kate M. Spaulding
There’s a new career pathway: Data Science. Check out the suggested courses that can help you land the “sexiest job of the 21st century.”
The iSchool recently introduced a new career pathway – Data Science. Perhaps this doesn’t strike you as very library-sounding? It may not seem so at first, but after learning a little more about what data science is, it makes total sense.