Career Blog
Career Blog
Career development is on everyone’s minds. After all, that’s why most, if not all, of our students come to us. This blog is all about giving you the latest and greatest in what’s going on in the job market. Chock-full of tips and guidance, the Career Blog is a must-read for all students and job seekers.
Take Stock of Yourself with a Skill Inventory
Published: March 15, 2021 by Jillian Collins
Being able to identify (and discuss) your skills and strengths is
a really important aspect of job-hunting. But how do you
find these qualities in yourself? If you’re stuck, you’re in
luck! Information is your super power. Now it’s time to
concentrate on information about you. The skill of creating a
Skill Inventory!
The Impact of Feedback on Your Personal Brand
Published: March 10, 2021 by Jillian Collins
Your professional reputation, also known as your “brand,” is the
foundation of the essentials in career kits and in your long-term
career development strategy. And because everyone forms an
opinion of us during any interaction we have, it’s not like we
can just decide to ignore all this brand stuff. Better to take
charge of how others see you to ensure they’re seeing the
real you.
How to Get the Most from Handshake
Published: February 16, 2021 by Jillian Collins
If you read the first part of my interview with
Carrie McKnight, SJSU graduate student career counselor,
you’ll already know that Handshake is way more than
a smaller version of LinkedIn. That’s important because
although you may be a student now, you’re going to be looking for
a job sooner than you can imagine. In the meantime, you want to
make the most of every SJSU career resource you can, including
virtual career fairs, vetted position postings, and tools that
curate your profile to boost your visibility.
Carrie McKnight Wants to Help You Succeed
Published: February 4, 2021 by Jillian Collins
We’ve been interrupted. 2020 was a sharp turn from what we could
have anticipated, not just as students, but as
individuals.
The first part of my interview with Carrie McKnight, SJSU
career counselor for graduate students, focused on fantastic
tools available to you through the SJSU Career Center.
Now’s the Perfect Time to Revisit (or Complete) Your Skill Assessment
Published: January 25, 2021 by Jillian Collins
Finally – a new year! Rather than coming up with the usual new
year’s resolutions, how about instead getting the year headed in
a positive direction by doing deep-dive career reflection?
Specifically, why not launch this year by taking the time to
revisit the career passions you identified in your Career
Self-Assessment to identify what’s changed. Or, if you haven’t
yet had an opportunity to
explore this valuable resource, perhaps now’s the time
to jump in.
Carrie McKnight Wants You to Know…
Published: January 21, 2021 by Jillian Collins
Meet SJSU graduate student career counselor, Carrie McKnight. While we have entered 2021, my interview with her in December 2020 clued me in on three crucial career center tools. With Carrie insight, it’s much easier to turn career resolutions into reality. As Carrie said to me, “My job is to advocate for you guys because you guys do such great work.”
‘Free-sources’ for Your (Creative) Career Kit
Published: November 30, 2020 by Jillian Collins
It’s always a good time to maintain your career kit. You know that you need to tailor your template résumé and generic cover letter to specific job openings and keep your LinkedIn profile current, but how do you grab attention to create and build your personal brand? There are three online tools I use that I’d like to share with you because they’re easy to learn and use quickly, and they’re free! Those tools are 1) the LinkedIn Publishing Platform, 2) Canva graphic design platform, and 3) professional photographs from Unsplash.
Get to Know Your Network (and Let Them Get to Know You)
Published: November 13, 2020 by Jillian Collins
Effort makes for a great network. The networking bit is always a bit of a hurdle. It can be awkward to approach someone to be a mentor or join a group that appeals to your career aspirations. Career confidence in networking starts when you take initiative to get to know “your network” as individual people just like you.
Take a Look at Your MLIS Skills at Work
Published: November 11, 2020 by Jillian Collins
The puzzle of finding a job. We’ve all been there, searching for that missing piece: the words that make sense; sighing at results that require experience we don’t know or have. The options, though, are more than you would think. The MLIS Skills at Work: A Snapshot of Job Titles report takes a look at current trends, needs, and actual job postings broken down to show you what is out there and what career might be looking for you.
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.
How to Overcome the Work Experience Catch-22
Published: October 13, 2020 by iSchool Career Advisor
Do you feel stuck in the catch 22 of needing experience to get hired but feel like you can’t get experience because no one will hire you? Not to worry. There is a solution. Experience can come in many different forms. You’ll want to start early as an MLIS student, be flexible, open minded, and think BIG.
Asking Questions in the Interview
Published: October 11, 2020 by iSchool Career Advisor
Preparing for an interview and wondering whether you should ask questions?
Top Skills Information Professionals Need to Succeed
Published: October 9, 2020 by iSchool Career Advisor
Library Journal surveyed academic and public library directors, as well as some LIS movers and shakers, to learn what skills they think librarians will need in the next 20 years. For students, that means having the 11 skills on this list will help you get a job. Do any of these look familiar? They should: as an iSchool student, you are honing a lot of marketable skills.
Expand Your Network Online
Published: October 7, 2020 by iSchool Career Advisor
Learning how to find great information sources will go a long way towards making you a better student and LIS professional. Here’s how!
Write for the Job? Strengthen Workplace Writing Skills with the SJSU Writing Center
Published: October 7, 2020 by Jillian Collins
A well-written 14-page paper is great for a grade. But would you want to read a 14-page email? Probably not! This is why you need the expertise of the SJSU Writing Center, an incredibly valuable professional development resource often overlooked by students. As you launch your career, you’re likely to find that the employer who wants you also wants you to be an effective business communicator. That’s where the Writing Center can provide you with a career competitive edge.
You Are the Best Candidate!
Published: October 5, 2020 by iSchool Career Advisor
You know that feeling when you are cruising along in your interview and you just feel like the stars are aligned and everything is going so well? It is an amazing feeling. And then you get a seemingly simple interview question, “Why are you the best candidate for this position?” and you freeze. You feel completely stumped and tongue tied about how to respond. You may even eek out what you think is a humble response, “Well, I don’t know that I AM the best candidate for the job.” What did you just say? Oh no! I think you just blew your interview.
Social Media Accounts for LIS Students & Professionals
Published: October 3, 2020 by iSchool Career Advisor
Social media can help you find a job in archives, library, and other information career environments.
5 Things Not to Do When You’re Looking for a Job
Published: October 1, 2020 by iSchool Career Advisor
Looking for a job takes a lot of time and energy. In fact, you may have heard that job searching is a full-time job in itself. That is at least when you do your job search the right way. A half-fast job search is a waste of your precious time and energy. Your confidence and self-esteem may also take a beating due to the constant feelings of rejection when you don’t hear anything back from employers.
Networking and Your Personal Style
Published: September 29, 2020 by iSchool Career Advisor
We know that networking is the best job search strategy for tapping into the hidden job market but in reality, few people enjoy it or feel comfortable doing it. The thought of networking often conjures up the stereotype of being a schmoozer and feeling pressured to “work the room.” While attending a networking event and talking to as many people in the room as possible certainly works for some, here’s an alternate approach that could appeal to apprehensive networkers.
Networking — Asking the Right Questions
Published: September 27, 2020 by iSchool Career Advisor
Have you attended a conference and found that you were not as prepared as you’d like to have been with knowing what questions to ask employers or other professionals? We can help with that.
It can be difficult and uncomfortable when you can’t easily think of questions. Here are recommendations for subjects you may want to explore. Choose questions that feel right for you so you sound natural and conversational versus rehearsed.