Preparing for Today’s Job MarketThe Search, the Application, and the InterviewSusanne Markgren, MLISsusanne.markgren@purchase.edu@smarkgren

If you want a successful career in librarianship - or just about anything else - you have to manage it.

You can't sit back passively and let things happen to you. You have to be proactive and figure out what you want; where you want to be in 2, 5, 10

years; and what it will take to get there. Then start

working on it. -- (quote from the Career Q&A survey) http://librarycareerpeople

.com

Personal (or Career) Mission Statement"...a declaration of who you are, what you stand for and what you want to put out into the world. Personal mission statements are simply a conscious call to action. They can be helpful in providing awareness of your "future self" and will assist you in understanding your own motivation, or lack there-of!" -- Why You Need to Create a Personal Mission Statement by Susan Steinbrecher (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-steinbrecher/why-you-need-to-create-a-_b_5642112.html)

"One of the best ways to incorporate Habit 2 [Begin With the End in Mind] into your life is to develop a Personal Mission Statement. It focuses on what you want to be and do. It is your plan for success. It reaffirms who you are, puts your goals in focus, and moves your ideas into the real world. Your mission statement makes you the leader of your own life. You create your own destiny and secure the future you envision." -- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey (https://www.stephencovey.com/sample-mission-statements.php)

The Search

Finding Job Listings• ALA Joblist: http://joblist.ala.org/ • INALJ: http://inalj.com/?p=1441 • SLA Career Center: http://careercenter.sla.org/• Chronicle of Higher Ed:

http://chronicle.com/section/Jobs/61/ • Inside Higher Ed: http://careers.insidehighered.com/• Simply Hired: http://www.simplyhired.com/• CareerBuilder.com: http://www.careerbuilder.com/• Indeed.com: http://www.indeed.com/ • Monster.com: http://www.monster.com/• Social Media Sites: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook• Individual institution's sites (e.g., NYPL, MIT, CUNY,

LOC, etc.)

Analyzing Job Listings• Clear sense of the position’s essential duties – requirement vs. preferred• Reasonable expectations of experience (beware “BA in Library Science”) • Is compensation – if listed – in line with required degree & experience level? • Sense of the institution you would be working in • Some sense of how the role fits within the organization Beware: • Mismatch between qualifications & duties (i.e., MLIS degree required for

shelving books) • Too many or unrelated responsibilities (i.e.

Cataloger/Instruction/Outreach/ILL)• Too few or unpredictable hours, or both (“applicant pools”) • Expectation of professional experience & education for low wages• Requesting salary expectations – bidding on the job

Considerations: institutional restrictions, legal/HR language & how it affects listings

Researching a Prospective EmployerCan you find? -- • Who you would report to? • Is this a new position? • Is there someone else in the same role/position/title? • An organizational chart? • Who would be your departmental colleagues? • What are these colleagues doing? • Are they professionally active? • Is there a mission statement for the library/institution? • What makes the library /institution unique?

The Application Materials

Cover Letters

• An introduction• A statement of interest• A writing sample• A marketing tool• Most important, a first impression

Should Do:

Cover Letters: Dos and Don’ts Shouldn't Do:• Explain why you are right for the job. • Mention where you saw the job ad.• Relate your experience and skills to the job

requirements. • Explain gaps (if any) in your work

history/resume. • Explain why you intend to (or want to)

move for the job. • Expand on one or two specific jobs or

projects or accomplishments (that relate to the job).

• Highlight one or two specific systems or tools that you have used in a current or previous job.

• Demonstrate that you can write well.• Show a potential employer that you know

something about their library. • Convince the reader that you really want

the job. • Be gracious.

• Address it to the wrong person. • State that you are the best person for the

job.• Discuss experience and skills that are not

relevant to the job requirements. • Ignore any gaps in your resume/work

history. • Not express interest in relocating, if the

library is in another city or state or country.

• Use generic language with no specific discussions of jobs or tools or accomplishments.

• Forget to convey interest/enthusiasm in the job.

• Forget to include any mention of the job or library you are applying for.

• Not convince the reader that you want the job.

• Write poorly, with spelling errors or problems with grammar or sentence structure.

• Be overly confident.

Anatomy of a Cover LetterParagraph One: Say where you saw the job ad. State your interest in the position, and explain why you are interested. Paragraph Two: Summarize your current situation: your role and your library and your organization/institution/etc. Pretend you are introducing yourself. Paragraph Three: Address the first (most important) job requirement and talk about specific examples to connect your background (experience and skills) with the job. Paragraph Four: Address the next job requirement (or next few job reqs.) and talk about specific examples to connect your background with the job. Paragraph Five: Discuss other skills that you have that are relevant to the job (these might be the “preferred” qualifications), and be specific. If the job requires technical skills or inter-personal skills, or foreign language skills, or a second masters degree, provide examples. Paragraph Six (or final paragraph): Re-state your interest in the job and thank the committee for its time and consideration of your application. Do not say that you will call them. Do not say that you are best candidate for the job. Just say “thank you.”

Resumes: What Are They For?• The purpose of a resume is to document your educational

credentials, on-the-job experience, and professional service and activity.

• Generally limited to 5 pages, max (more commonly 1-2 in special or public libraries)

• The difference between a resume and a CV? Both ask for basic employment information, education credentials and contact information.

• CV or Resume? – The CV is more commonly used internationally and in academia. In

the US, the resume prevails. – CVs may include information not commonly included on the resume,

such as date of birth, nationality, and summaries of experience and research specialization.

– The CV is generally longer and follows a carefully prescribed format.

Elements of a Good Resume• Clear – chronological or functional • Scannable – selectively use keywords • Tailored to fit the specific role • No typos • Must contain: education, work experience, contact

info, professional affiliations or publications • May contain: summary statement, keywords (bold

cautiously), extra training, specific skill sets

The Interview

Your 30-second commercialMake a brief list for each of the following: • Things you LOVE about work • Things you do best • The type of environment you work best in • What you find most important about work Questions to think about: • What is your career goal? • What skill, strength, or experience do you have that would help

you realize that goal? • What accomplishment proves you have that skill, strength, or

experience? • What are you searching for in a job?

Know Before You GoTry to gain an understanding of the institution and people you will meet with before the interview. Check their website. Is there a: • Mission statement • Org chart: tells you who reports to whom, indicates

major departments • History of the organization • Bios of leaders • Statistics - number of students, size of the

city/service area, circulation statistics, market share, etc.

Game DayEssentials to bring with you:• Copy of the job announcement • Your resume and cover letter, printed on high-quality paper

(100% cotton) • Directions, itinerary, tickets, contact information for your

arrival, receipts (if you are getting reimbursed) • Portfolio of extra materials (i.e., publications, samples of web

designs, etc.) • Pen and notebook • Emergency kit (brush/comb, breath mints, safety pin, etc.)• Professional-looking bag or briefcase

What to Wear?• A suit (of course!)• Or suit alternative:

jacket/pants or skirt separates

• Err on the side of formal/conservative

• Add personality/flair in accessories (ties, scarves, socks, shoes, jewelry, etc.)

Sample Questions to Ask Your Interviewers• What is a typical day like for a librarian in this role? • How do the librarians work together/collaborate? • How (by whom and how often) are the librarians evaluated

on their performance? • Is professional development supported and/or encouraged?• What are some new initiatives you are working on? • What is the library’s reference/instruction/collection

development philosophy? (tailor to fit the position) • What do you (the interviewers) like about your job?

After the Interview• Email to say thank you • Follow up with written thank you notes • Wait at least 2 weeks before following up on the

status of the search; some will take months • Keep applying to other jobs - even if your interview

went well, don’t assume you will receive an offer• Accept LinkedIn invites if they are offered; do not

send them yourself• Be gracious

Use Social Media to Your Advantage• Clean up / tighten up your

existing accounts• Google yourself to see what

comes up• Professionalize your online

identity• Join LinkedIn and other

professional sites (Academia.edu, ResearchGate, etc.)

• Look for job openings on social media

• Share!• Be smart and savvy about what

you post and share• Make contacts / connections

Activities to Help you Prepare• Pinnacle / Foothill Activity • Self-Assessment / Career Goals / Obstacles• Career Goals Template• Star Model Exercise• Elevator Pitch

ResourcesCareer Q&A: A Librarian’s Real-Life, Practical Guide to Managing a Successful Career, by Susanne Markgren and Tiffany Allen. 2013.Crafting a Winning Resume. Tiffany Allen. LIScareer.com. January 2005. Making Your Cover Letter Work for You. Tiffany Allen and Richard A. Murray. LIScareer.com. March 2002.How Do I Get There From Here? Changing Jobs, Changing Roles, Changing Institutions. Susanne Markgren and Tiffany Allen. College & Research Libraries News, 65 (11), 653-656.  2004. On Being an Experienced, Flexible Specialist: Finding Your First Professional Librarian Position. Jessica Moran. May 2005. Making the Shift: Using Transferable Skills to Change Career Paths. Deborah Taylor. LIScareer.com. March 2010.Hey Library Graduates! The Lowdown on Finding Your Dream Job. Kasia Piasecka. LIScareer.com. May 2012. Ten Simple Steps to Create and Manage Your Professional Online Identity. Susanne Markgren. College & Research Libraries News. 72 (1), 31-35. January 2011. The Library Career People, Career Q&AsOpen Cover Letters: Anonymous cover letters from hired librarians & archivists

Questions? Thoughts? ... and THANKS!

Susanne MarkgrenDigital Services LibrarianPurchase College, SUNYsusanne.markgren@purchase.edu

Library Career People : http://www.librarycareerpeople.comSlides: http://www.slideshare.net/smarkgren