Menu:
From Junior Services Librarian to President and CEO
by Veronica L. C. Stevenson-MoudamaneIt's common knowledge that the "traditional" librarian must be continuously redefined. As the realm of information and how it is obtained changes, so too do its workers. Many information professionals are also no longer content with working for the love of the craft, but are insisting upon elevated recognition for their education and the actual value of services rendered -- both within their specific disciplines and in the world beyond.
Me! A President and CEO?
As with most other professional disciplines waging a battle over pay equity, increased recognition of the value we add to our workplace translates into requests for increased levels of financial compensation. With the fresh smell of the professional value debate in the air, many of today's traditional "not-for-profit" MLS holders are discovering innovative ways in which their degree can turn their expert skills of gathering, analyzing, organizing and synthesizing information into real, "for-profit" dollars. Admittedly, I am one of them.
I was determined not to forsake my education and years of experience in the field of information science for a higher paying position in another discipline. Rather, I chose to parlay my knowledge and expertise into a position that would allow me to continue practicing within the field that I love, while also allowing me to claim a share of the global dollars available to anyone willing to work for them.
So, with a well developed company proposal, an engineering-savvy partner, start-up capital, and a little luck, I recently bit the bullet and co-founded a telecommunications company. We specialize in engineering and plastics molding consultation, light manufacturing assembly, and distribution of communication technologies within the 2-way radio industry.
Using Your MLS to Market What You Know
Naturally, if you're looking to open your own company in the telecommunications industry (or any other non-MLS industry), it will help if you either have educational experience in the field, personal knowledge of how the industry operates, or a network of contacts within the industry whom you can partner. In my case, it was the latter.
Since 2001, I've worked as a contracts researcher for a rechargeable batteries company in New York, and have developed an excellent working knowledge of the industry. As a researcher, my responsibilities included searching for upcoming U.S. and international vendor shows in which the company could submit applications for participation for product demonstrations, searching for local and state government bidding opportunities in which my company could submit their bids for possible state contracts, and searching for federal government contract opportunities.
Other duties includeed researching the product lines of my company's competitors. This helped my company remain knowledgeable about what their competitors in the industry were producing, of products being redesigned, and of products being newly developed for market introduction. It also didn't hurt to discover which competitors' products weren't doing well on the open market, so that my company could interject a creative edge and try to be the first to get a product on the market that both worked and suited buyers' needs.
Getting the scoop, if you will, on my company's competitors was highly valued, and almost always netted me a sizeable year-end financial bonus for my efforts -- at least in comparison to my full-time civil service position. I can safely admit that, as of this writing, I've not had the pleasure of receiving a financial bonus of any kind from a library.
While many corporate headhunters may not automatically include information specialists on their recruitment roster, if they want to remain informationally competent, they soon realize that they need us badly -- and are willing to offer competitive packages for skilled researchers. Current and reliable information serves as the core for most successful businesses, regardless of their tax classification. Since I was fairly skilled at obtaining the results my company desired, and still pondering how to carve out a share of the world's available dollars, the words "market what you know" came to me. VLCS Consulting, L.L.C. was born.
So What Does an MLS Telecommunications CEO Actually Do?
Admittedly, an engineer I am not. However, it takes hundreds of hours of discovery research and information gathering to start and maintain one's own company, and that's where my skills and expertise are best deployed. My duties as President and CEO of a telecommunications company include, but are not limited to:
- Identifying small business opportunities within my company's certified region.
- Identifying government contracts for small businesses and minority-owned businesses within my industry for which my company could compete.
- Identifying private, state and/or federal grants for small businesses that will help grow my company base.
- Identifying a qualified board of directors to assist in guiding my company, increasing its visibility, and supporting its economic growth.
- Hiring qualified engineers for product development, manufacturing line workers and machinists for product assembly, and departmental managers who will aid in developing company policies, job descriptions and competitive pay levels and employee packages.
- Hiring qualified regional and national sales representatives to market my company's services and products.
- Identifying regional and/or national shows where my company can display its products and promote its services.
- Contracting a reputable accounting firm to maintain the company's tax records, financial expenditures, and accounts.
- Organizing weekly meetings with staff to review project status and pending projections.
- Networking! Networking! Networking! Many of the accounts that are secured are not based upon a company's marketable products, but on the relationships developed over time between contracts executives.
So Many Information Needs, So Many Opportunities
As information professionals, our opportunities for employment outside the traditional library are limitless. Whether you're interested in financial growth or looking for avenues to flex the boundaries of your MLS degree, there's virtually a sea of possibilities available where your information retrieval skills are direly needed. From the world of software research, to pharmaceutical research, to international diplomacy research, to organizational fundraising research, information specialists will always be needed to help businesses do what they do.
Veronica L. C. Stevenson-Moudamane is the Junior Services Librarian for the City of Danbury (CT) and President and CEO of VLCS Consulting, L.L.C.