Gaining International Experience

1
Gaining International Experience

• Anne Kaay, Social Sciences
• Jennifer Soutter, Digital Services
• Librarians, University of Windsor

2
Overview of Presentation

• What we dont cover
• The UK
• The USA
• Specific Issues Stressed
• Brainstorming
• Presentation/Contact Information
• Annotated Resources (not discussed)
• Discussion

3
Not Covered/Assumption(s)

• Job exchanges
• Volunteer work
• Student-based, student-oriented work programs
• Landed immigrant status
• Assumption that you have or will have a Library
  degree before going.

4
The UK (photos removed)

• Picture of Scotland

• Picture of England

5
Why did I go?

• always wanted to go to Scotland to live
• looking for personal growth and professional
  challenges
• wanted to regain my perspective on Canadian
  society
• an aging parent earlier better than later
• wanted to get to know my Scottish relatives
• it would be fun!

6
General Information re UK

• Oversight body CILIP, the Chartered Institute of
  Library and Information Professionals
• The jobs They conceptualize their positions
  differently. Investigate using the websites
  provided in Annotated Resources.

7
VISAs _at_ British High Commission
http//www.britainincanada.org/Visa/index.htm
8
Investigate?

• Investigate what matters the most to you before
  going, to make sure youll be happy there.
• International Drivers Licence (CAA)
• Cost-of-Living
• A typical salary in Edinburgh is 12,000. My
  professional salary as a high school librarian (a
  newbie) was between 12-14,000.

9
Investigate?

• Regional professional associations?
• Where are the Canadian Consulates?
• Alumni associations?
• Canadian associations in UK?
• Develop a knowledge of the country you are
  leaving behind!! Take a book of facts about
  Canada. You will be asked many questions.

10
Also investigate?

• Estate Planning
• Keeping in touch. An e-mail address just for this
  trip/event. Why?
• Money in Canadian bank to cover overseas use of
  Canadian Visa/Mastercard etc. is useful

11
Going, Going

• Travel requires a return ticket
• Insurance http//www.health.gov.on.ca/english/pub
  lic/pub/ohip/longer.html
• You have no credit rating in the UK
• Take cash and/or travellers cheques
• Your paperwork and UK Customs your passport and
  visa, a UK address (hotel/hostel/), proof of
  return ticket, proof you can support yourself for
  a while, paperwork for belongings shipped
  independently....

12
Gone

• UK National Health Insurance Number (SIN)
• Chequing account in UK?
• ATM cards - were no real controls you dont
  have to enter your PIN number or sign your name
  (in 2000) DONT lose it!
• Culturally, you may be more limited. Have a
  craving for a shawarma or gyrosuh oh.
• Ask a lot of questions!!!

13
Job stuff

• Universities and hiring - slow
• Job health insurance
• Interviews
• always wear a suit
• always expect to do a presentation and NEVER go
  over
• watch for confusion over terminology and everyday
  speech
• avoid levity but smile!
• are NOT interested in making a connection
• Join professional associations, network!!

14
The US

• Map of Washington, DC removed

• Map of United States removed

15
Why?

• Job opportunities greater at the time
• Very good job offer
• Curiosity would be an adventure
• Besidesnot really that oddin 2000, about 2.5
  of foreign-born population in the U.S. was
  Canadian (Profile of Foreign-born population in
  the U.S., 2000 (http//www.census.gov/prod/2002pub
  s/p23-206.pdf))
• Sowhy not? Accepted employment with WRLC for
  fall of 1997.

16
What you need?

• NAFTA Professional worker/TN Visa
• http//travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1274
  .html
• Benefits of TN Visa ( 1 year)
• Streamlined application procedure
• No limit on extensions of stay/application for
  readmission
• No limit on number that may be granted
• Bring your documentation including offer of
  employment specifying your job title, duties and
  salary. You will need your unframed degree (and
  not a photocopy), passport, drivers licenseI
  did not need a long-form birth certificate
• http//library.lp.findlaw.com/articles/file/00498
  /000370/title/Subject/topic/Immigration20Law_Stat
  us20Adjustment/filename/immigrationlaw_1_670

17
What (more)

• Border procedures are different now than when I
  initially crossed and applied for TN Visa
• Enroll in US-VISIT (http//www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/i
  nterapp/editorial/editorial_0447.xml
  http//www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/content_mult
  i_image/content_multi_image_0006.xml)
• biometrics (digital fingerscans and photographs)
  are collected and checked against a database of
  known criminals and suspected terrorists
  (http//www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/editorial/e
  ditorial_0525.xml)

18
Where and When?

• Work 2 employers (WRLC and Trinity)
• Change of employer new Visa
• Both positions had health insurance employees
  pay a portion of it. Health plans vary by company
  so benefit options vary. How good the plan is can
  depend on the insurance provider and your plan
  options so be prepared to review the details.

19
Where and when (more)

• Lived
• Crofton, MD
• Help from a librarian at a WRLC-affiliated school
  helped me find a place close to work
• Takoma Park, MD Group house
• Washington, D.C.

• Washington Monument with American Flag picture
  removed

20
Important to consider

• Where in the US you will be
• Washington expensive city
• Use a cost-of-living calculator to help determine
  your salary needs for the area you are
  considering, e.g. a average salary of a librarian
  in Washington, D.C. is 44,944 with range from
  33,906-60,629 (http//www.salaryexpert.com/)
• Research the area climate, housing, politics

21
Really research the area

• Same continent but it is different country
• Be prepared to feel out of place as you are a
  resident alien
• Removed United States of Texas map

22
So whats important to you?

• Health care?
• Culture?
• Crime?
• Terror?

• Terror Alert Advisory Scale

23
Also important to consider

• Consider your moving options if youre using a
  moving company, be prepared to meet the truck at
  customs
• Review what you want to bring over and know what
  you cannot take across the border
• Car? There may be additional costs to certify
  your vehicle. These vary by state. And be
  prepared to pay more for auto insurance although
  that can vary by location
• Culture/Politics

24
Culture/PoliticsNationalism

• Canada/US map based on a political statement
  removed

25
Specific issues Stressed

• Be pro-Canadian not anti-American because
  criticism is not welcome (as anti-Canadian
  criticism would be unappreciated)
• On insularity and world perspectives US is the
  narrowest then Canada with the UK being broadest
• Be aware of the politics and culture of the area
  you may work/move to do research
• Voting as a Canadian may vote for up to 5
  years. Elections Canada tells you how
• Moving back see lthttp//www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/E/pub
  /cp/rc4105/README.htmlgt

26
Specific Issues Stressed (contd)

• Health Care Make sure your job includes it and
  that it is satisfactory. Ask questions find out
  if it cover pre-existing conditions?
• Pension Plan?

27
Brainstorm reasons to go

• Consider these honestly and carefully
• Why do you think you want to go international?
• What do you think you will be happy to leave
  behind?
• What do you think you will miss?
• What are things that you are looking forward to
  doing/seeing

28
Location of Presentation

• URL will be loaded to OLA website
• UK maps will be removed from presentation before
  posting

29
Our Contact Information

• Jennifer Soutter, Digital Services Librarian,
• Leddy Library, University of Windsor,
• tel [phone] x3186
• e-mail jsoutter_at_uwindsor.ca
• Anne Kaay, Social Sciences Librarian, Leddy
  Library, University of Windsor,
• tel [phone] x3848
• e-mail akaay_at_uwindsor.ca

30
Annotated Resources
31
The UK Options for Entry?

• Official
• British High Commission, Ottawa.
  http//www.britainincanada.org/Visa/index.htm
  (Accessed Nov 1, 2004). All possible visas are
  listed on their website with accompanying
  information.
• Home Office and Foreign Commonwealth Office
  Unit. UK visas visas4UK. lthttp//www.ukvisas.gov
  .uk/servlet/Front?pagenameOpenMarket/Xcelerate/Sh
  owPagecPagecid1006977149953gt (Accessed Nov 1,
  2004).
• General Register Office for Scotland
  http//www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/gt
• For Scottish birth certificates.
• Unofficial
• Gumtree.com. http//www.gumtree.com/, (Accessed
  Nov 1, 2004).
• A generic overview of Visas available, undated
  webpage http//www.gumtree.com/visas1.htm

32
UK - Relocation Information

• Official
• British Information Services. BritainUSA.com. All
  About Britain FAQs. Living and Working in
  Britain. http//www.britainusa.com/faq/showfaq.asp
  ?SID393 (Accessed Nov 1, 2004)
• Government of Canada. Living Abroad information
  links. http//www.passages.gc.ca/template-en.asp?G
  rp00030009ID9act2tbID2 (Accessed Nov 1,
  2004)
• Unofficial
• CanuckAbroad.com http//www.canuckabroad.com/
  (Accessed Nov 1, 2004)
• People.Designerz.com. Expatriate -gt Canadian -gt
  Clubs and Organizations http//expatriate.people.d
  esignerz.com/expatriates-canadian.php (Accessed
  Nov 1, 2004)
• combose.com the combination search engine.
  http//www.combose.com/Society/People/Expatriates/
  Canadian/ (Accessed Nov 1, 2004)

33
The UK Jobs and the field

• Department of Information Studies, The University
  of Sheffield. http//www.shef.ac.uk/is/careers/ind
  ex.html (Accessed Nov 1, 2004)
• A comprehensive look at the field of library and
  information science in the UK including job
  adverts. Extremely useful for providing a
  perspective on how they structure themselves and
  where you might fit in. provides the context of
  the structure of lib info in uk
• BUBL Information Service, Centre for Digital
  Library Research, Strathclyde University. BUBL
  (Bulletin Board for Libraries) Information
  Service http//bubl.ac.uk/ (Accessed Nov 1,
  2004)
• Another comprehensive website that includes
  information related to and for librarians. It
  includes lists of libraries, of library
  catalogues and library-related organizations,
  among other resources. Useful for identifying all
  libraries in areas you may wish to work.

34
The UK Jobs and the field

• Chartered Institute of Library and Information
  Professionals. CILIP Homepage. http//www.cilip.or
  g.uk/default.cilip (Accessed November 1, 2004).
• And specific to international professionals
  http//www.cilip.org.uk/qualificationschartership/
  Qualificationsfromoverseas
• Offers information on UK accreditation,
  professional guidance, special interest groups
  (Chapters or Divisions), membership, including
  the foremost listing of jobs available in the UK
  and offers an email alert. They also provide
  salary guides and information on negotiating
  salaries, a clearinghouse for job exchange, and
  INFOmatch Recruitment Services.
• _ http//www.cilip.org.uk/qualificationschartershi
  p
• Lisjobnet. http//www.cilip.org.uk/jobscareers/lis
  jobnet/default.htm (Accessed November 1, 2004)
• Sarah Johnson. Library Job Postings on the
  Internet. (USA) http//www.libraryjobpostings.org/
  libraryjobs.htm (Accessed November 1, 2004).
  Offers a section on Europe that lists
  associations and organizations websites with a
  synopsis of scope, how frequently the relevant
  resources are updated, who is responsible for the
  resource(s) and instructions on use.

35
The UK Jobs and the field

• Contact the regional association(s), special
  interest groups related to your areas of interest
  and the libraries you are interested in working
  at and start a dialogue with them about who you
  are, your interests and why you wish to work
  overseas at with their organization. Sell
  yourself before a position opens. Be flexible and
  willing to take on contract or short term
  positions as an in to the organization
• Mailing list IFLANET. LIBJOBS an employment
  service list for library professionals.
  http//www.ifla.org/II/libjobs.htm (Accessed
  November 1, 2004)
• Local newspaper, print and/or online e.g. the
  Careers section in the Scotsman, the Thursday
  edition was print only. Now there is
  lthttp//jobs.scotsman.com/pbank/owa/scotsman.homegt

36
Useful Resources

• U.S. Visa information at Department of State
• http//travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html
• INFO-Pass free service, web-based allows you to
  schedule an appointment with Immigration
  Officials
• http//uscis.gov/graphics/

37
Useful Resources U.S.

• Google UncleSam
• http//www.google.com/unclesam
• Canadians Living in the States
• http//groups.yahoo.com/group/canadianslivinginthe
  states/
• Active group useful to post questions on common
  issues, e.g. drivers licenses, Visas, adapting
  to new culture. Registration required but free.
• Canadian Librarians Living in America
• http//library3.csudh.edu/cdales/canlib/index.html
  
• Useful tips for the newly arrived, information on
  legal issues and discussion group.