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It's Never Too Early To Rejuvenate Your Career
by Debbie Taylor
When I first started in the professional job market, I believed that I needed to find a job that I would stay with for at least five years -- or possibly even until I retired. I learned this at a very early age, both from my parents and from educators. So in 1995, when I started my MLS program while working full time at a small private New York college, it never crossed my mind that my job could be a stepping-stone in my career path.
Starting Out
While working at this first library job at St. Joseph's College, I learned so much about what it meant to be a librarian. Of course, I learned the basics: bibliographic instruction, curriculum development, database searching, and working the reference desk. But the small size of the library also gave me the opportunity to learn more advanced skills I'd never have been able to practice in a more bureaucratic environment. I had the chance to dabble in NT administration, troubleshoot LAN problems, take apart hard drives, and teach the first library Internet classes at St. Joe's... not to mention the chance to live through two automation migrations. For the second of these, I was the co-systems administrator. Not many people are lucky enough to have so much responsibility and opportunity before the age of twenty-seven!
So, why would anyone fortunate enough to land in this situation move on? It was actually because of my experiences at St. Joe's that I wanted to move on. I wanted to take everything that I had learned and use it to contribute somewhere else -- and learn even more. In the summer of 2000, I realized my job wasn't as challenging for me as it once had been. And, although I was still learning from my co- workers, faculty, and students, my learning curve had definitely flattened. I was slowly stagnating. I knew I needed to make a change but didn't know how. Job-hopping was frowned on at St. Joe's, and I figured I would be there the rest of my life.
In the summer of 2000, St. Joe's migrated to Endeavor's Voyager ILS. It was a crazy summer of preparation, including lots of training. Toward the end of the summer, Endeavor sent one of their trainers to New York to teach us how to use the system. Of course, I listened like a dutiful student, and learned what I needed to learn. Equally importantly, however, I discovered my next stepping-stone. I was in awe of the trainer and extremely impressed with her handling of the barrage of questions being thrown at her. I said to myself: "I could do that!"
I had mixed thoughts about leaving St. Joseph's, but I knew I needed to find new challenges. I wanted my career to move forward, and so, in November of 2000, I gave my notice.
Moving On
In January 2001, I moved halfway across the country to Chicago to take a trainer job with Endeavor. This proved quite the adventure! Within six weeks I was traveling around the country representing one of the leading companies in library automation -- all on my own. Over the next eighteen months, I visited three countries, 26 states, and more colleges, universities, and special libraries than I can count. I went from training customers on how to use the system to building my own curriculum and giving custom-built training sessions.
Sound exciting? It was! It was also one of the most awesome learning experiences of my life. But again, I eventually realized I was becoming stagnant. Getting on a plane week after week and training on the same information day after day wasn't as exciting or challenging as it first had been. I realized I had only been with Endeavor for a year and a half. What would people think if I moved on already? What would my mother think? I decided that what was best for my career, as well as for Endeavor and my future employers, was for me to move forward. It does no one any good to stay where you no longer feel you can give your best to the organization.
Landing Safely
So it was time for another twist, only four short years after I received my MLS. To my own surprise, I was able to find a third wonderful career opportunity. In July of 2001, I started at the North Suburban Library System (IL) as the Electronic Resources Project Manager. As my first major project, I was to head up the process of picking a vendor for our online union catalog. This is a process I continue to work on and enjoy, relying heavily on my previous work experiences at St. Joe's and Endeavor.
Do I worry that my current employer might fear that I jump from job to job? No, I don't. I don't consider myself a "job hopper." I believe I made wise decisions for my career and am respected because of them, not in spite of them. Do I think I'll move on in the next year or so? No, I don't. I'm in a position that will constantly offer me new learning opportunities and am working for an organization that thrives on growth and change. That is something I want to be a part of for a long time to come.
So, when I look back over my short career, I feel like I went through a career rejuvenation at an early age -- when I was just starting out. Someone that has been in the library field for 20 years may tell you it's never too late to rejuvenate your career. I'm here to tell you, it's never too early!
Debbie Taylor graduated in 1997 with her MLS from Long Island University and is currently working at the North Suburban Library System as the Electronic Resources Project Manager.