Cracking the Library Job Market

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Cracking the Library Job Market

• Eric Petersen
• HR Block Business Career Center
• Central Library
• Kansas City Public Library

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An Outline

• Lets get to know one another!
• About the HR Block Business and Career Center
• Getting a (professional) library job
• Employment opportunities
• Job searching, networking, and research tools
• Employment alternatives to libraries (You gotta
  be realistic)
• What I learned in my own job search
• About cover letters, resumés, and interviewing
• Wrap-up

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The HR Block Business and Career Center

• www.kclibrary.org/business-career
• 3rd floor of Central Library
• Dedicated space for people doing research related
  to
• Job searching, resumé writing, etc.
• Small business development
• Nonprofit development
• Financial literacy

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The HR Block Business and Career Center

• Whats in the Center
• Materials (Many check out)
• Computers/software (WinWay resumé, Business Plan
  Pro)
• Seating
• 3 full-time librarians available for research
  consultations

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Employment Opportunities Kansas City area

• Organizational websites
• KCMLIN www.kcmlin.org
• KLA www.kansaslibraryassociation.org
• MLA www.molib.org
• Public library websites
• The big 6 KC Public, Johnson County,
  Mid-Continent, KCK, North Kansas City, Olathe
• Outlying areas Lawrence, Cass County, Topeka,
  etc.
• School district websites
• College/university websites

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Employment Opportunities United States

• Organizational websites
• ALA- ALA Joblist http//joblist.ala.org
• MPLA www.mpla.us
• State library associations
• ARL www.arl.org
• MLA (Medical Library Association) www.mlanet.org
  
• SLA (Special Library Association) www.sla.org
• American Association of Law Librarians
  (www.aallnet.org)
• Music Library Association (www.musiclibraryassoc.o
  rg)

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Employment Opportunities United States

• Library Job Postings (www.libraryjobpostings.org)
  
• Specific public libraries, school districts,
  colleges, universities
• Other national (general) job sites linked on
  Block Centers Get Hired page www.kclibrary.org/b
  usiness-career/get-hired

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Job Searching and Networking Tools

• Job searching tools
• ALAs Get a Job website http//www.getajob.ala.or
  g
• SLA Career Center www.sla.org/careers
• Networking tools
• National, state associations (Go into debt to
  join em)
• Books Search subjects Business networks and
  Job hunting in OPACs
• LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com
• Volunteering A job search networking tool
• www.volunteermatch.org
• www.allforgood.org
• www.serve.gov

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Research Tools

• Library Literature Information Science Full
  Text
• Access via Mid-Continent Public Library
  (www.mymcpl.org)
• Search subjects Librarians/Qualifications, Job
  hunting
• Each of these subjects has subdivisions
• Books- Search subjects
• Library scienceVocational guidance
• Information scienceVocational guidance
• American Library Directory 2002-03 edition at
  Miller Nichols Library
• UMKC Law Historical Collection Z731.A53

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Employment Alternatives to Libraries

• While waiting for that perfect library job to
  come along, why not work at a
• Bookstore
• Museum/archive
• Computer/technology store (Best Buy, Radio Shack)
• School (As a paraprofessional)
• Hospital (In medical records, HIM)
• Any nonprofit (Marketing/development, outreach)
• Anyplace where you will provide direct customer
  service
• Think in terms of transferable skills (See
  handout)

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What I Learned in My Own Job Search

• You may have to go away (so that you can come
  back)
• Both of the statements below are FALSE
• If you work for a while in a public library, you
  wont be able to get a job in an academic
  library.
• If you work for a while in an academic library,
  you wont be able to get a job in a public
  library.
• Having a second masters degree helps
• Publishing in journals that serve both audiences
  (e.g., Reference User Services Quarterly) will
  help

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Other Library Job Searching Tips

• Avoid cold resumés and cover letters
• Show courtesy in seeking out informational
  interviews
• Start work on a 2nd Masters degree
• Is tuition reimbursement available through your
  employer?

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Cover Letters

• A well-written letter shows that youre truly
  interested in the job
• LCSH for books on cover letters Cover letters
• Block portal www.kclibrary.org/business-career/co
  ver-letters
• You MUST write a unique cover letter for EVERY
  position you are applying for
• Generally 1 page (could be a page and a half)
• Address to hiring manager if possible
• Identifying this person Call the company and ask!

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Cover Letters

• Address (in no less than a sentence) each of the
  required preferred qualifications
• If none are listed, highlight the experience
  youve gained in your prior positions
• In discussing your prior experience, focus on
  these ten positive characteristics (from WinWay
  Resumé)
• 1 Communication skills
• 2 Planning/scheduling ability
• 3 Dependability
• 4 Honesty
• 5 Creativity

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Cover Letters

• In discussing your prior experience, focus on
  these ten positive characteristics (from WinWay
  Resumé)
• 6 Ambition
• 7 Delegation skills
• 8 Teamwork mentality
• 9 Assertiveness
• 10 Enthusiasm

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Cover Letters

• Openings
• I am pleased to apply for the position of. .
• I am writing to apply for the position of. . .
• Closings
• Thank you very much for reviewing my materials.
  I may be reached at. . .
• Verify how you prefer to be contacted
• BE POSITIVE!!! No statements about bills to pay,
  etc.

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Resumés

• LCSH for books on resumés Resumés (Employment)
• Block portal www.kclibrary.org/business-career/cr
  eating-resumé
• Some tips
• In addition to the standard stuff, consider
  including volunteer experience

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Resumés

• Some tips
• Other headings to include
• Awards
• Association/ organization memberships
• Patents, publications
• Accreditations
• Licenses
• Security clearances
• Length
• My advice No more than two pages BUT
• Resumés vs. curriculum vitae

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Resumés The Deadly Dozen

• Always leave these things off your resumé
• 1 Height
• 2 Weight
• 3 Health
• 4 Sex
• 5 Marital status
• 6 Number of children

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Resumés The Deadly Dozen

• Always leave these things off your resumé
• 7 Religion (Unless applying to a religious
  organization)
• 8 Ethnic origin
• 9 Date of birth
• 10 Photograph (Unless looks could matter, i.e.
  applying to be a model, etc.)
• 11 Reasons for leaving previous jobs
• 12 Salary history

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Resumés

• Resumé gaps
• What if you did not work, or were not in school
  for several years?
• Address these matters in a cover letter
• If you could not work because you were caring for
  family members, note it
• If you could not work because of an illness, note
  it
• Which is better in 2010? An electronic or printed
  resumé?
• An electronic resumé
• Can be distributed to more people more easily
• The only physical difference? The paper its
  printed on
• If given the choice to send a hard copy or send
  by e-mail/upload, send it electronically

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Interviewing

• LCSH for books on interviews Employment
  interviewing
• Block portal www.kclibrary.org/business-career/in
  terview
• Please refer to the handout (PPT slides) for more
  information on interview preparation
• Much of the content is drawn from KUs University
  Career Center guide Preparing for Job Interviews
• KUs Career Center is NOT open to the general
  public
• Guide available online at http//www.kucareerhawk
  .com/s/762/images/editor_documents/handouts/Interv
  iewBook.pdf

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Take-Home Messages

• The library job market is, and HAS BEEN, tough
  for a long time
• I personally never believed in the Great
  Librarian Shortage
• If you want to work in KC, consider making a
  temporary move away
• Be open to becoming employed in a related field
  while you apply for that perfect library job

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Thank you very much!

• Eric Petersen, M.A., M.I.S.L.T.
• Librarian, HR Block Business Career Center
• 816-701-3645
• ericpetersen_at_kclibrary.org
• Friend me on Facebook! Connect with me on
  LinkedIn!

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Volunteering in a library Some considerations

• Consider carefully the commitment expected
• You should be able to get a good reference or two
  from this experience
• Many experts on volunteering agree Volunteers
  should be held to employees standards, and
  should generally be able to do the same type of
  work
• Volunteering in a small library (e.g., a medical
  library) will allow you to gain broad experience