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. 

 “Experience” often refers to paid work experience. It can be disheartening in the job search when it seems that even the jobs you’d like to work in order to gain experience require experience at the outset. So how do you get beyond this cyclical process?

Think Beyond Paid 

Though not in reach for everyone, students who can afford to donate their time while still completing their degree can accumulate more experience while still completing their studies. 

Volunteering is a wonderful way to try out different aspects of the information field so you can find your fit ahead of securing a more permanent job. Whether in a local public library, archive, or museum, many organizations have some type of established volunteer program that can work with flexible student hours. Plus, a good relationship with an organization and/or the volunteer coordinator could prove to be beneficial when it comes to networking and discovering upcoming job openings.

Use Your Student Status to Your Advantage

There are many perks to being a student, but beyond student discounts and access to a career center, being a student gives you a little more credibility when it comes to discovering what you’d like to do. As a student you have access to programs that wouldn’t necessarily be available to you outside of school: 

• Internships – SJSU has a robust database of paid and unpaid internships as well as on-site and remote opportunities. Since these typically run for just a semester, you’d have the opportunity to gain experience in information sub-fields for a shorter amount of time than a typical job. 
• Student Assistantships – SJSU staff members and professors are nearly always hiring current students to serve as student assistants. Whether it is conducting research, assisting with projects, or even writing blog posts, working as a student assistant can give you professional experience in the information field often from a remote setting. If you’re interested in becoming a student assistant, keep an eye out for opening announcements in your SJSU e-mail. 
• Student Organization Leadership – SJSU has 13 recognized student groups and each has its own Executive Board. Within Executive Board positions, students are tasked with planning meetings, securing speakers, brainstorming activity ideas and more. Serving on a board can help give you a taste of what it is like to be in a leadership position and hone your communications skills as well as something to mention in a hiring interview. 
• Student Publications- SJSU publishes both Archeota and the Student Research Journal. Both provide a great opportunity to learn about academic publishing, whether as a writer or editor. Plus being a “published author” or “Editor of the Student Journal” are great pieces of experience to add to your resume. 

Still Feeling Stuck?

If you’ve done the volunteer work and feel that you’ve fully taken advantage of being a student but still want more experience, here are some other ideas for gaining experience while still a student: 

• Do you have a job, but it’s not in a library? Look into creating information project experiences at your current workplace to gain skills you don’t yet have. Maybe a series of digital files need a better organizational system, or maybe the staff room could use a clear and engaging informational display!
• Interested in Archives & Preservation? Start an Oral History Project for your community. Many local historical societies have members who are more than willing to share their stories and you can gain the experience of preparing, conducting, processing, and preserving the interviews. 
• Become active in a professional organization. Whether it is the American Library Association (ALA), the Public Library Association (PLA), or another library and/or information science organization, most have groups specifically geared toward new members or students that can help connect you with mentors, projects, or committees so that you can establish yourself in the field. 

As a student it can be easy to feel a bit “stuck” when you are so excited about your future career but feel like you can’t do much until you have your degree in hand. Know that there are many things you can try as a student to help better prepare yourself for the workplace.

Two More Things…

Here are some job opportunities on Handshake that might be of interest!

• Law Librarian – State of Connecticut Judicial Branch - Hartford, CT
• Young Adult Librarian - Hammond Public Library - Hammond, IN