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The Hunt Although many things about the library profession and information science have changed, a constant is the job search. The economy can make it harder or easier to find employment, but the cycle of moving from finding opportunities to accepting an offer, remains steadfast. This section is divided into the various stages of the job search: Job Listings Resumes Networking Interviewing Salary Negotiation Job Listings We all know that finding a great job depends on several factors: your education and experience, the type of library or information center in which you want to work, the geographic area where you live, etc. And while it's not always easy to find "the right job", it's easy to find job listings. And the more job listings you know about, the more likely you are to find your ideal job. It's also a good idea to look at job listings because reading about different jobs helps you clarify in your own mind what kind of work you do and don't want to do. (We call this factoring out the "yuck".) So where do you look? Classified ads Some experts claim that only ten percent of available jobs are ever advertised in the classifieds, but if your ideal job is in that ten percent, do you want to risk missing it? It really doesn't take long to peruse print ads and if your local paper has a web site it can be even easier by using the "Find" feature on your web browser. Some newspapers even have search engines. For an example, see The Washington Post's WashingtonJobs.com. This "career management portal" includes more than 30,000 local listings in more than 100 different categories and is continuously updated. By using different search terms, you can find interesting job listings even if they aren't classified under "library" or "librarian". Web sites There are several good web sites for librarians that include job postings or links to job postings. Some of those we like are: The Chronicle of Higher Education Career Network http://jobs.chronicle.com/free/jobs/ The online version of the Chronicle of Higher Education offers a searchable database of job opportunities. A user has only to enter their preferred search terms to see if there are any opportunities for librarians or information professionals with other titles. The Librarian's Job Search Source http://www.lisjobs.com/ Developed by Rachel Singer Gordon in 1996, the Librarian's Job Search Source was her response to the same frustration we felt about the paucity of job information provided through her school's placement office. A wide variety of job listing and career-related content, nicely presented and organized. Library Job Postings on the Internet http://webhost.bridgew.edu/snesbeitt/libraryjobs.htm A compilation of resources by Sarah Nesbeitt, she has done a wonderful job of collecting both job listings and links to lists on the Internet, making them searchable geographically and by type of job. Her own listings are usually up-to-date, and we also recommend the site for its ability to help the user find other library-related job list sites. The LibraryCard Career Center http://www.librarycard.com/LibCardIndex.html A relative newcomer to the scene, the LibraryCard is a librarians' "online research center" that has added a place for employers to post their library-related job openings. There is a nice search feature which allows job seekers to tailor their search to suit their needs, and the postings are rather current. It remains to be seen how much use employers will make of this site after the offer of free job posting expires. The Networked Librarian Job Search Guide http://pw2.netcom.com/~feridun/collect.htm An excellent site; Karen Feridun is an experienced information professional who has compiled a site with over 100 links to Internet resources on jobs and career information for librarians. The list of places to find job listings is not to be missed. Hint: visit the web sites of the professional library associations, both the state and national chapters. They very often feature job listings and many make this information available to students and job-hunting professionals. Many of the colleges and universities with library science programs also have job postings on their web sites. In most cases, you don't have to be part of the school to access them. Some of the bigger ones are: University of Illinois - Graduate School of Library and Information Science http://carousel.lis.uiuc.edu/~jobs/ Simple, straightforward, with good browse options, this is the database of job announcements received by the University of Illinois GSLIS Placement Office. This school attracts a variety of listings from around the nation and the database is open to all users. Interestingly, the site is a cooperative venture between UI and the School of Library and Information Science at the University of Washington. University of Michigan Documents Center - Government Documents Librarianship Job Openings http://www.lib.umich.edu/libhome/Documents.center/dljob.html Hosted and maintained by the Government documents center at the University of Michigan Library, this site lists openings and resources for government documents librarianship. It is kept relatively current and can be helpful in seeing who has hired for these positions in the past. University of Michigan School of Information http://www.si.umich.edu/careers/default.htm Maintained by the UM School of Information, the site allows users to view the job postings that come into the school; some of technology listings are NOT your typical librarian job descriptions! Portals The number of job portals on the Internet illustrates how popular they are for finding information on careers and job openings. Within the context of this page, a portal is a web site that features a carefully selected and extensive collection of subject-related links and original content, usually developed by a corporation or other commercial interest. An example of a job portal could be Monster.com, one of the oldest and best-known job sites on the Web. Because there are so many resources in this category, we will not try to list them here. Instead, we recommend that you go to your favorite Internet search engine and search using phrases like "job portal", "career portal", or "career site". Hint: it may be helpful to use an engine like Yahoo! that groups links by subject classifications. Online discussion lists In addition to being a great way to maintain your current awareness of developments in the field, online discussion lists also frequently include job postings. Some of the discussion lists we are familiar with include: LIBJOBS http://www.ifla.org/II/iflalist.htm#LIBJOBS Sponsored by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, this is an Internet mailing list for announcement of employment opportunities, job sharing program information, or similar types of LIS career information from around the world. It's a must for anyone interested in a library career. BUSLIB-L http://www.tile.net/lists/buslibl.html This discussion list covers issues relating to the collection, storage, and dissemination of business information. It's an interesting list because many of the participants are working in non-traditional settings. You can find instructions for joining this list on Tile.net  (see below). PUBYAC http://www.pallasinc.com/pubyac/ This is a discussion group for children's and young adult's librarians. Issues discussed on the list include such things as program ideas, outreach and literacy, censorship and Internet filtering, and professional development. To find other lists or to learn more about discussion lists in general, take a look at Liszt, the mailing list directory, which Yahoo recently named one of the "10 Essential Websites". Here you will find information about mailing lists, newsgroups, and IRC chat channels. You will find similar information plus Usenet newsgroups and FTP sites on Tile.net . Although there is some overlap between the two sites, we recommend checking both of them. One of the biggest complaints people have about online discussion lists is that the constant email traffic is a distraction and clutters up their Inbox. We are firm believers in the Digest feature of most discussion lists. When your subscription is set to digest, the host server holds all of the day's emails in a buffer and sends one large email once a day. The command for using digest is normally included in the instructions you received when you first sign up for the discussion list (it's the one they tell you to save that most people delete). Top of Page  Top of Section Resumes Resume writing is an art not a science. This means that there is no right or wrong way to write a resume. What your resume must do is describe your experience and education as clearly and directly as possible. It must also emphasize your accomplishments in such a way that an employer will recognize that you are the best person for the job. You may not be comfortable tooting your own horn, but this is your best opportunity. And if you don't do it, no one else will. Sounds simple, right? Well, if you don't think so, you may want to get your hands on a copy of this book: Writing Resumes That Work: a How-To-Do-It Manual For Librarians Robert R. Newlen New York : Neal-Schuman Publishers, 1998 It's the only resume book we know of targeted specifically at librarians. You may think the exercises are too much work, but if you commit to doing them, you will probably wind up with a much better resume. You also may not agree with everything the author says, and that's fine. Your resume should reflect you. Everything else is just someone's opinion. Information Resources for Information Professionals http://web.syr.edu/~jryan/infopro/jobs.html This site has some good suggestions for other sources of information on resume writing. It also has information on other aspects of the librarian's job search. We couldn't find any discussion on the site about its author, Joe Ryan, or when the site was last updated, so it's not clear if the site is being maintained. One last word of advice: DON'T misrepresent yourself in ANY WAY on your resume. It will always come back to haunt you. Top of Page  Top of Section Networking When you think about job hunting, does the word networking make you cringe? Does it seem shallow or manipulative? Then it's not the kind of networking we mean. At heart, networking is about talking to people - about what you do and what you want to do. It's about information - finding those people who have information and ideas that will help you attain your goals. It's about sharing - giving other people information and ideas you have to help them attain their goals. Here's an example: You've just been introduced to someone at an event (a party, a workshop, a conference). Them: Do you play any sports? You: No, but I've always wanted to be a jockey. Them: My brother's a horse trainer. He runs a fantasy camp for people like you. Let me give you his card. Did you ask for anything? Did you manipulate the situation in anyway? All you did was talk about what you wanted to do and you found someone who could help you do it. Of course, it's not always that easy. Sometimes you have to talk to 10 people (or 25 or 50) before you find someone who knows someone who knows someone who does what you want to do. But even then, you've made a connection. That's what networking is - making meaningful connections. Where do you network? EVERYWHERE! For librarians, there are lots of opportunities for networking: conferences, workshops, association meetings, etc. Attend them as often as you can and talk to as many people as you can. The more people who know what it is you want to do, the more likely you are to find someone who can help you do it. And don't network only with other librarians. That little old lady sitting next to you on the bus may have a grandchild who runs a great library! Here are four things to remember about networking: 1. Be succinct. Be able to summarize your goal in one or two sentences. That way you can easily express it to someone without losing their attention. 2. Follow-up. When someone shares information with you, they are giving you a gift. Cherish it and use it in the spirit in which it was intended. They wouldn't have given it to if they didn't want you to use it. 3. Be grateful. If someone has helped you out, say so. In writing. It's a good way of maintaining the connection. 4. Reciprocate. It may not be directly with the person who helped you, but you should be willing to help others. If it's your brother who runs a fantasy camp for jockeys, share that information with someone who tells you they want to be a jockey. It's a small world and what goes around comes around. If you're interested in finding some practical tips about networking, take a look at these books: Dynamite Networking for Dynamite Jobs: 101 Interpersonal, Telephone and Electronic Techniques for Getting Job Leads, Interviews and Offers Ronald L. Krannich and Caryl Rae Krannich Manassas Park, Virginia: Impact Publication, 1996 Power Networking: 55 Secrets for Personal and Professional Success Conna Vilas, Sandy Vilas and Donna Fisher Austin, Texas: Bard Press, 1992 Top of Page  Top of Section Interviewing Interviewing, like networking, is a skill. The more you practice it, the better you will become at it. And the more prepared you are, the more relaxed you will be during the interview. Here are a few quick tips for interviewing: 1. Be prepared. Find out as much about the employer as you can before the interview. Do some research and ask everyone you know (sounds like networking, doesn't it?). Being knowledgeable about the organization will demonstrate your interest in the position and the employer. It will also help you decide what questions to ask during the interview. (See Tip #3.) Another way to be prepared is to do a mock interview. Get a friend to ask you questions. Try not to write the questions yourself. If you prepare only answers to questions you've written, you may not to be able to respond quickly to unexpected questions during the interview. If you want to look at some sample interview questions, take a look at Job-Interview.net. This web site is devoted solely to job interviewing and contains a lot of great information. You can even search by job and find interview questions specifically for librarians. 2. Review your resume just before the interview. This will refresh your memory about which accomplishments you want to highlight during the interview. And if the interviewer asks a question about something on your resume, you won't be stumped trying to remember what your resume actually says. We all draw mental blanks sometimes, but the more prepared you are, the less likely it is to happen. 3. Take extra copies of your resume with you. They may ask you to meet with someone who hasn't seen your resume, and it's a nice touch to hand over a clean copy. 4. Ask questions! The important thing to remember is that you are interviewing a prospective employer as much as they are interviewing you. They have to convince you that their organization is the greatest place to work in the world. So if there's something you want to know, ask. The more questions you ask, the less likely you are to be surprised by something after you're hired. It's also another way to demonstrate your interest. 5. Send a thank-you note. Thank-you notes should be handwritten (if possible) and postmarked within two days of the interview. And you should send one to each individual with whom you interview. It sounds like a chore, but it demonstrates that you pay attention to the small details. It's a nice touch, and it will make them remember you. In at least one case we know of, sending a thank-you note made the difference in which candidate was offered the job. Some people think it's so important they actually write their thank-you note beforehand, and drop it in the mail on the way home from the interview. We don't advocate that because we think you should mention at least one thing in your note that was discussed during the interview. How do you get the correct spelling of names? When you're leaving the interview, ask the interviewer if he or she has a business card. If not, call back when you get home and ask the receptionist. You don't need to identify yourself, just say "I need to send something to Ms. X. How does she spell her name?" Top of Page  Top of Section Salary Negotiation Depending on what type of librarian you are (or are interested in becoming), you may find yourself frustrated and discouraged by some of the low salaries that librarians receive. Unfortunately, we can't offer any magic solution. But what we do know is that if you willingly accept a lower salary than you believe the job merits, you will be fighting a losing battle from day one. The only advice we can offer is that you should always negotiate your salary from a position of strength - know what your skills and experience are worth and be prepared to turn down an offer if the employer won't pay you what you believe you deserve. It isn't easy, but if you don't fight for yourself, who will? How do you know what your skills are worth? Depending on what type of librarian you are, it's possible that one of the professional associations has conducted a salary survey. For example, the Special Libraries Association (SLA) Annual Salary Survey shows salaries for special librarians in the United States and Canada according to a number of factors; including education, experience, and institution type. You can order the salary survey from the SLA Virtual Bookstore under "Career Development". This site also includes links to other information that may help you conduct your salary negotiations. Library Journal is also a good print source of salary information for new librarians. Every year in the mid-October issue, LJ publishes a salary survey of new library school graduates. Although it's not specific to librarians, you can also find good information on salary negotiations at U.S. News Online. One of the experts quoted in this article says that salary negotiations are critical because it's "the one time that the employer may want you more than you want him." One more useful general salary information site is the Job Search Salary Information Section at About.com. Pleasantly arranged, this page features links to articles, calculators, and web sites with a variety of information about how to calculate and negotiate your appropriate level of compensation. Top of Page  Top of Section © Copyright 2000 Montrese Hamilton & Joan O'Kane | Last Update: April 15, 2000 Please direct technical queries about this site to the710webmasters@email.com