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.
‘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.
Asking Your iSchool Instructors for References
Published: September 25, 2020 by iSchool Career Advisor
3 Steps to Starting a Job Search
Published: September 23, 2020 by iSchool Career Advisor
Conducting a job search can be a daunting task. Here are 3 steps to get you started.
Why You Should Join Professional Associations Now
Published: September 21, 2020 by iSchool Career Advisor
You know networking is good for future job prospects. It’s also good for future projects and opportunities (for example, maybe you’ll meet the perfect person to write a paper with or discover a panel or round table you want to participate in). Those projects and participatory experiences in turn grow your network, teach you new skills, and may help you land your dream job. Maybe you will meet someone with a job title you’ve never heard of and fall in love with it.
Take Your Resume to the Next Level
Published: September 19, 2020 by iSchool Career Advisor
When you are applying for jobs (internships, part-time, or full-time) and not getting interviews, chances are strong that your resume is NOT doing its job. This is the time to stop what you are doing, back-up, take a look at your resume and reevaluate your marketing tool. It might be time for a resume overhaul.
How to Nail the Interview Question “Tell Me About Yourself”
Published: September 17, 2020 by iSchool Career Advisor
Master the Informational Interview to Explore and Connect
Published: September 13, 2020 by iSchool Career Advisor
Conducting informational interviews is a great way to learn about careers of interest, expand your knowledge of an industry, and increase your networking connections.