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Where Do You Go When There Is No Up?
by Leann Isaac
How many people do you know that truly love their job? How many of those people consider their work to be more than just a job, but, instead, a career?
... Now that you've narrowed that down, look around at the people remaining. Who are they, and where did they find this amazing employment opportunity that you somehow missed seeing in the job postings? Chances are, their job is really no better than yours. These people may just have figured out how to do what they love, in a situation that is ideal for their current needs - and that pays enough to fund the occasional cappuccino!
"All this from one job?" you may ask. In all honesty, probably not. Information professionals who seem to have a genuine love of their job may just have hit upon their key to career success. If your dream job doesn't exist – invent it! Many of us find ourselves in situations where we have gone as high up the corporate ladder in our institution as we can. This is especially the case with solo information professionals; it's difficult to move to a higher position when you are the only one there.
Luckily, this doesn't mean that you're necessarily stuck in a career quagmire or that you have to find another position with room to grow. You can help yourself to grow professionally right where you are. Following, find a few ways that I've found to broaden my horizons in the information field and add some great things to my resume. And I've done all of this from the comfort of my own home. Here's how you, too, can build the kind of career you'll love.
Building Blocks for Career Success
Step One: Look into other options. Do you know of another local business, individual or institution that may need the skills of an information professional? Consider becoming an independent library consultant.
That's what I did. My full-time job is as a solo medical librarian. Upon hearing that another local health system's librarian was leaving her position, I offered to help out until a replacement could be found. It turned out that I became that replacement! I worked up a contract with that health system to be their part-time library consultant, doing the majority of my work from home. I am doing many of the same things that I do in my full-time position, so the workload is not that taxing - and I did not need to learn additional skills.
Use what you already know to gain additional experience - and additional money. You may be surprised at the job opportunities you will find when you network with others in your field or ask around in your community. With little else than word of mouth, you may find yourself presented with some unique opportunities.
Step Two: Use your resources. Don't be afraid to make a leap when an opportunity presents itself, just because you've never done it before. You can learn by trial and error and by relying on the knowledge of your fellow information professionals. In my experience, I have found that many local information professionals and list members are more than willing to offer guidance and advice to their colleagues. Joining the appropriate professional organizations and e-mail lists will be the best thing you'll ever do career-wise. You'll keep up on the latest information and keep abreast of what's happening locally and globally in your chosen field.
Make a name for yourself in the information professional community. Read the current information literature, be aware of the hot topics of the profession, join and participate in relevant online discussions, and take CE courses whenever possible. Join organizations, even if you cannot afford to attend meetings and conferences. Benefits of membership often come in the form of mailings, updates and web resources available to members only.
Step Three: Try your hand at writing a few articles. Many journals and newsletters for information professionals are always looking for new material (and some even pay!). If you think you have something to say that may be of interest to your colleagues, go ahead and give it a shot. Publications will request either a full article or an article proposal to review your work for possible publication.
To find writing opportunities, look through the professional journals you already receive. Sometimes column editors will post calls for submissions. Another way to find writing opportunities is on your professional lists. Journals sometimes post calls for reviewers or contributors to similarly-themed e-mail lists. Send a query to the editor of a publication you would like to write for, and you may find that they would like to publish your work. One article may lead to others. And publication always looks good on a resume.
Building By Branching Out
All of these things can help you to be a well-rounded information professional. Not only will you be showing the superiors at your primary workplace that you have the drive and initiative that will look great around review time, you will also be on the way to building a tailor-made career.
Remember: just because it does not look like you can go up in your current position, look around – you may just be able to branch out.
Leann Isaac (a 1997 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Information Science) is the medical librarian for the Jameson Health System North and South campuses of New Castle, PA, as well as an independent library consultant for the Sharon Regional Health System of Sharon, PA. Leann also writes freelance articles and reviews for library-related publications.