Published: May 23, 2025 by Aryn Prestia

For some, job hunting can be a full-time job in itself. While there are dozens of library-specific search sites that can help make your search more effective, there is no set timeline for finding a job in the information space. Whether your search takes days or months, it’s important to keep up the momentum and remind yourself why you want to work in a library or archive. Whether you have work experience in information science or not, using the gap-time in your job search can be a great opportunity for honing your skills. 

For example, consider these options:

Volunteer

Volunteering can be the simplest way to fill your time and while it makes sense to seek out a volunteer opportunity at your local library, your volunteer work doesn’t necessarily have to be library-related. Since many information professional skills transfer to other industries, local groups in need of volunteers may be a great way to gain some professional experience. Whether at the local historical society, with a church group, or even the League of Women Voters, there are multiple groups that could use your unique skillset.

Start a Side Project

Think through your courses during your time at the iSchool. Most likely you’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about them as you completed your e-Portfolio. Were there any projects or assignments you particularly enjoyed? Using this previous work as inspiration, you can develop a fun side-project to help show potential employers your specific interests and skills. Whether it is the creation of an oral history project, a blog devoted to manga, or a social media account that makes book trailers, taking your favorite projects from the iSchool out into the real world can help give you even more evidence of your ability to put your skills to work to discuss at future job interviews.

Conduct Informational Interviews

During your job search, aim to conduct at least one informational interview a week. Worried about facing resistance from potential interviewees? Clarify that you’re not asking them for a job but that you’re seeking to understand more about their job area. This is the single best way to learn more about specific librarian roles like medical librarianship, reference librarianship, children’s librarianship, and more. To learn how to ask for an informational interview, check out our post here. 

Become Active in a Membership Organization

Every sector of information science has an industry-specific organization. Becoming a member gives you access to job-seeking resources, professional development opportunities, and a member base you can draw from to source informational interviews. A membership also proves to potential employers that you are dedicated to the profession and excited to grow! In addition, many LIS associations have steeply discounted membership rates for students and recent graduates.

Any of these activities offer new talking points for interviews or even new items that can be added to your resume. This kind of active engagement makes it clear that you weren’t just hoping that a job would show up. Making the most of your job search down time will help ensure that you are maintaining your iSchool momentum ahead of landing that full-time role.

Two More Things!

Don’t forget to keep up to date with job openings on Handshake.

Also, remember that internships can be an especially valuable part of your learning experience at the iSchool while also helping you when it comes time to look for jobs. Learn more about the iSchool’s internship program here, where you can check out the INFO 294 Student Handbook as well as the Internship Sites database.