Q: I’m 42 and completed my MLS and LMS certificate in 2006.  I have 3 years experience in 3 different school districts with varying success.  Last year there were 3 school library positions lost in our county due to budget constraints, and we lost 3 more for the 2010-2011 school year.   Our public libraries have just been warned that funding for next year will be cut 50%!   I am currently collecting unemployment.  I don’t foresee an improvement in the local economy, and I’m in competition with a small group of very competent recent grads.  Because of my child custody arrangement, I can either stay where I am or I can move to the Raleigh/Durham area of NC.  I have done some preliminary exploration in NC, but the competition is stiff so near to a reputable library school.  I don’t have the support system to commute 2 hours or so a day, so my travel radius is limited. 

This week I have applications in at a few different places:  The local university (I think I’m under qualified, but they are accepting recent grads)  the local community college (a 10 month grant funded position I believe I am very qualified for) and a local library (also a 10 month grant funded position that I believe I am very qualified for).  I customized my resume for each position.

I always felt that an MLS would be versatile, but now I’m struggling with feeling prepared to leap onto any one of these career paths. I can take courses in any of these areas to increase my skills, but I can’t really afford the tuition without a loan or using retirement funds.  And what if I work on a literacy certificate and then find I should have been pursuing college reference?  I’d like to volunteer in the public library so that I can get a good current reference, but if I make a commitment to that, I’m less able to pursue other options that might be equally helpful, such as volunteering in a private school library.  I get up each day and don’t know which path to follow.

So, assuming that I’m intelligent and competent and my resume is okay, what should I do next?

TA: The MLS degree can afford a lot of flexibility; it’s often the experience that shapes our path after the degree.  Specialized coursework and internships can often lead to the first job, which can lead to progressively more responsible jobs in the same or similar specialization.  With the loss of your position, coupled with the personal circumstances surrounding your job search, you now have the option of staying in the current specialization, or exploring new ones.  In order to break into a new area, you’re going to have to do a couple of things.  First, try to get some experience, either through volunteer or part time work.  Additionally, identify transferable skills from your previous positions and make those marketable assets in your job search.  I recommend that you review our previous articles regarding application materials and transferable skills.

Q: I am a librarian of 12 years.  I was at my last job for 10 years.  However, I have been unemployed for a little over a year.  I left my previous position on rather bad terms.  I am trying to look to the future and move forward.  I have gotten only four interviews over the past year.   I have been wondering if I am doing something wrong, or if something is wrong with me.  I even had a friend call previous employers and references pretending to be a prospective employer.  Everything seemed to check out.   If my resume is faulty, I was wondering who could evaluate it.  I would like somebody reputable.   I also need to know what I am doing wrong.

TA: Wow.  I know times are hard, but having a friend fake a reference call is entirely unprofessional.  I can’t help but think that if you condone (encourage?) this type of behavior that it also permeates your approach to job hunting as well.  You say that you left your previous employment “on rather bad terms” and that is unfortunate because it certainly complicates the job search process.  Nonetheless, you need to correct your course here and take a more productive and ethical approach to this process.  I would recommend a few things.  First, use your professional association memberships to find a mentor.  Build a productive relationship with this mentor and seek his or her professional counsel.  By having this relationship, you could also build the opportunity for the mentor to serve as a professional reference.  Additionally, seek cover letter and resume review assistance from your mentor and from the services provided by your professional association.  Your graduate program may also provide these services to alumni.  And finally, find a position where you can start anew, to rebuild your professional career and your credibility.

Q: I have just been accepted into an MLIS program but I find myself unable to make a decision on what area I would like to concentrate on. Honestly, I find them all interesting and don’t want to limit myself. I love the idea of working in public libraries possibly coordinating programs for young adults/teen and yet I would love to conduct historical research/preservation in special libraries/museums. However, a position as a school media specialist is also quite attractive and has a ton of perks. While I hold a masters degree in interactive communications it doesn’t necessarily mean I want to primarily focus on the technology aspect of libraries.  While I’ve spent many hours in public libraries and museums I’ve never volunteered or worked in any. I guess my question, albeit big question, what are the pros/cons of being a librarian in each setting?  One last question….if one wanted to end up working at Library of Congress or The Metropolitan Museum of Art what would be the path to take?

TA: Libraries can be the same in many ways, and different in others.  I think you’ll find the core values of libraries primarily the same across different types of libraries: access to information, privacy, intellectual freedom, diversity, preservation and lifelong learning (see http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/statementspols/corevaluesstatement/corevalues.cfm for ALA’s Core Values of Librarianship).  The most significant differences rest in the clienteles served, the expectations for additional education, and the salaries earned.  I would recommend that you use your time in school to explore different types of libraries through internships or volunteer experiences, and that as you seek to specialize, you investigate salaries and educational criteria through the professional associations for each type of library.  You can also review job ads for different types of libraries while you’re in library school so you can shape your educational experience around the required and preferred qualifications for the positions you’re most interested in.

Q: I’m a librarian working part time for the Los Angeles Public Library system.  However, I’m looking for an additional job since I love being a librarian and I have the time.  Is there any chance now, that the economy is so bad and librarians are losing their jobs, to find a part time job in the field?

TA: You would need to look at the job advertisements in your area because I’m sure it varies by geographic region, but it may be especially true in this economy that part time positions are available.  Full time positions can be a lot more expensive for the hiring organization because of the salary dollars and the costs of benefits.  It may be that many organizations can only recruit for part time positions because they have work that needs to be done with limited salary dollars.  My advice to you would be that you indicate in your application materials that you are seeking this part time position as supplemental experience, not in lieu of your current employment, because some employers would question why you were choosing to leave a current position for something part time.

Q: Here’s my situation:  I have been a reference librarian at a medium-sized, thriving public library since 2006.  In 2008, I interviewed for, but did not receive, a promotion to department head of reference.  A colleague was promoted instead.  Now, that colleague has gotten another job, and the position is open again.  I really enjoy working for this library and strongly feel I can do an excellent job in this position.  What is the best way to convey this to the director, especially in light of the fact that I was turned down for the position once before?  I’ve already written a great cover letter and resume, so interview tips would be much appreciated.

TA: Don’t dwell on the past.  Don’t focus on not getting the job two years ago.  Instead, focus on your experience and the skill set you’ve developed over your career and be prepared to describe those during your interview.  It can be hard to interview as an internal candidate, so you need to be prepared to talk about yourself as a candidate, not as someone everyone knows.  Take the opportunity to talk about not only your responsibilities, but your successes as they relate to the job.  Look through your interview schedule and be prepared to ask questions of everyone you meet with; questions about the job, their expectations, and the qualifications they desire most of the successful candidate.  Focus on this job, your qualifications, and the reasons you would be the best qualified applicant for the position.

Q: I am currently an Administrative Specialist – Records Manager for a Federal Agency.  I am not being recognized for my efforts, knowledge, skills, and abilities in this position.  I am also a Paralegal.  I have a Bachelor’s in Paralegal Studies and a Master’s in Dispute Resolutions. I have maxed out on the Stafford subsidized and unsubsidized student loans and I would like to go into Records Management and stay with the Federal government as well.  I live in Kentucky and would have to take classes online and if there is a work experience requirement it would have to be in my city and state.  I love doing research and thought I could use this as a part time job to earn extra money without a lot of issues that could arise with part time work.  I am not sure what direction to go in and would like to know what you or your associates would suggest at this point.  I am in a forbearance for the student loans as I have had to do a lot of Home Improvements to my home that has caused me a great deal of financial strain this year along with having surgery in October. 

Please let me know what you think would be the best course of action that I should go and if there are any scholarships or grants that I do not have to pay back that might be available to me.  That would be the only way I would be able to pay for the training or education for online classes or on campus classes.  I am just thinking about it and the more I think about it, it just feels right to look into it more and to get started with the online classes for now and work on the on campus classes later if that is part of the requirements.

TA: You have a lot of personal circumstances influencing your decision to return to library school and unfortunately, we’re not in the position to give you specific instructions on how to proceed.  I would encourage you to do some careful research into grants and scholarships that are available to individuals pursuing a library science degree.  You can look into professional associations, as well as employers who may have a tuition support benefit program for employees.

Q: I am currently 24 hours into my 39 hour MLIS program, I have a 3.75 grade point average and am obtaining this while working full time.  I expect to graduate in Summer 2011.  I have been working as a Juvenile Probation case manager for a large state agency for four and a half years.  I am currently mobile, but would prefer to stay in the South close to my family members.  I do have library experience, three years part time between 2001 and 2004, so obviously, it is old.  In applying for jobs, how best can I highlight my case management experience and maybe find correlations between it and library work?  Thank you Library Career People for providing this information to a struggling library science student.  I am very nervous about making the transition from one career to another in a bleak job market, so any hope that you can provide to me would be greatly appreciated.

TA: I bet you have a lot of interesting stories to share about your experience managing juvenile probation cases!  And I could imagine these stories (and your experience) being an asset when you apply for jobs in a library.  First and foremost, in your application for any professional experience, describe your level of responsibility, your organizational skills, communication skills, and supervisory or project management experience.  Additionally, you should be able to highlight certain experiences or skill sets for different types of library jobs.  For example, if you’re applying for jobs in public libraries, you could talk about your experience with children and working in a state agency.  If you’re applying for a job in an academic institution, you may want to consider positions that have responsibilities for social work, sociology or psychology.

I would strongly encourage you to find an opportunity to build on your previous library experience.  With a full time job already, you may want to consider internships, field experiences, or part time work to build current experience on your resume.  Also be sure to look into student memberships of relevant professional associations as a way to indicate your continued interest in the profession, to stay current with trends in the field, and to build a professional network of colleagues.

Q: I’m just starting my professional job search, and I was wondering how to market my interest in different areas. I’m equally interested in both academic librarianship and young adult librarianship, with experience and classes in both. I plan to apply for both types of jobs. How should I talk about my interests and career goals in an interview? I feel like I should tailor my goals to the specific position, but I don’t want to lie about my interest in other types of libraries and I don’t want to be thought of as desperate for any position. Plus, I really don’t know what to say if I’m applying for a job in a third area. Help!

SM: Simple answer: Only apply for jobs that interest you, and market your skills, experience, and interest to the job at hand. You should definitely, absolutely, tailor your materials (resume, cover letters, etc.) to each position.

Any library experience you have, at this point, will help you get a job. Include all of your library experience on your resume, but highlight your public library experience when applying for public library positions and academic library experience when applying for academic positions. During an interview, you wouldn’t talk about your interest in other types of libraries; you would talk about how your experience, and the skills you learned, working in other types of libraries will help you in this particular job. Keep in mind that many of the skills you have are transferable like customer service, marketing and expertise using various technologies. You won’t be thought of as desperate, or lying, if you are genuinely interested in the position. And, search committees (that I’ve been involved in, anyway) like job applicants who are versatile and have experience in diverse roles and different types of libraries. You can play up your versatility to an extent; just make sure to always place emphasis on the required and preferred qualifications of the job at hand.

If you haven’t yet, you should start thinking about your long-term career goals. I know it can be tricky to do this when you are just starting out and you don’t quite know where you are headed… but try to imagine your future in libraries. Where do you see yourself in five or ten years (which is a question you might get asked in an interview)? If you see yourself as an academic librarian working with college students, then maybe you want to limit your applications to academic positions, or if you ultimately see yourself as a public librarian working with young adults, then maybe you want to limit your applications to public library positions. It can be difficult, but not impossible, to switch from one area of librarianship to another, later on. To conclude, you will get a good taste of what each job will be like as you interview, and you might be perfectly happy in either type of library (or a different one altogether). Just be sure that you choose a setting and position that makes you feel comfortable, supported and engaged. Your first professional position will help to direct the rest of your library career.