Published: July 28, 2017 by Kate M. Spaulding

Helpful links to career development resources every new student and continuing student should be using. It’s not too early or too late to put these tips to work!

With the fall semester fast approaching(!) and a new crop of INFO 203 students about to embark on their iSchool journey, it seems like a good time to point out some of the most helpful resources the Career Development team offers. New students – welcome! We’re happy to have you and feel quite strongly that you should be thinking about your career from day #1. Not-so-new students – my hope is that this is useful to you as well. If you haven’t taken advantage of these resources, it’s not too late to start!

The iSchool website, and the Career Development site, in particular, host a HUGE amount of information within their virtual walls. I encourage you to take some time to explore them more thoroughly, but here are some places to start:

Figure it Out

• Investigate Career Directions and get a feel for Career Environments
• Choosing a Career, and, especially, Find Your Path and What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do

Immerse Yourself

• Top 10 Blogs for MLIS Students to Add to RSS Feeds
• Top 10 Blogs for MARA Students to Add to RSS Feeds
• Public Librarianship Podcasts to Feed Your Brain
• Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter Accounts for LISers
• Using social media in your job search – it’s more than just a LinkedIn profile!

Connect

• Take advantage of our vast alumni network and explore the Alumni Career Spotlights
• Get involved with student chapters of professional associations
• Learn about: Special Libraries Association (SLASC)
• Learn about: The Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T)
• Learn about: American Libraries Association (ALASC)
• Learn about: Society of American Archivists (SAASC)
• Before you tackle this semester’s papers, think about getting yourself published to boost your career, and keep an eye out for the Student Research Journal’s next call for editors to get involved and build your resume, contacts, and skills.

Pull Back the Curtain and Peer into the Future With…

• Dr. Sandra Hirsh, iSchool director
• Scott Brown, iSchool alum, instructor, and seeming jack-of-all-trades
• Christy Confetti Higgins, iSchool alum and Cybrarian
• Jean Bedord, iSchool faculty and independent information professional
• Dr. Sue Alman, iSchool professor
• Laurel Brenner, current student and the author behind the 2017 Emerging Trends Report 

Learn on the Job

• Why and how internships can help your career
• iSchool internship program
• iSchool internship database
• How to Make the Most of Your First LIS Job
• Make the Most of a Bad Job

Nuts ‘n Bolts

• Resumes, CVs, and Cover Letters
• Update Your Resume
• Interviewing
• Interview Like a Superstar
• Practice with Big Interview
• Your pre-graduation To Do List (you’re welcome!)

Bonus
Last fall, I worked with two fellow INFO 203 Peer Mentors – Megan Ozeran and Melanie Dove – to create a list of hidden gems we wanted to be sure new students knew about. Because sharing is caring, I also want you to know about them!