1. Easter DiGangi, MLIS Content Management Analyst, Innovative Technologies, Inc. VLA Job Search Workshop May 30, 20151 Capitalizing on Your Skill Set as an Information Professional 2. Topics VLA Job Search Workshop May 30, 20152 About Me Information Professional Skill Set and Non-Traditional Options Job searching Resources Questions? 3. About me VLA Job Search Workshop May 30, 20153 University of Wisconsin-Madison SLIS Class of 2010 Member of professional associations since 2008 VLA NMRT Forum Communications & Outreach Director ALA NMRT Assistant Treasurer/Treasurer-Elect Over 9 years experience in libraries and other information agencies My job search journey Currently a Federal contractor 4. Information Professional VLA Job Search Workshop May 30, 20154 5. Librarian Job Outlook VLA Job Search Workshop May 30, 20155 Grow 7% from 2012-2022, compared to 11% for all occupations Strong competition initially, but retirement and population growth will generate openings Expected demand increase for librarians in research & special libraries Research & analytical skills are transferrable to a variety of other fields Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Librarians, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/librarians.htm (visited May 16, 2015). 6. What is an Information Professional VLA Job Search Workshop May 30, 20156 According to the Special Library Association, this is a person who strategically uses information in his/her job to advance the mission of the organization (Competencies for Information Professionals of the 21st Century, June 2003). Translation: Focus on the information and the needs/goals of the client/patron. This applies to any setting (not just libraries) and any focus. Use the skill set you got from your MLIS. 7. Skill Set and Nontraditional Options VLA Job Search Workshop May 30, 20157 8. MLIS Core Skill Set VLA Job Search Workshop May 30, 20158 Customer Service/Public Services Communication (Written and oral) Research & Critical Thinking Project Management Information Architecture Marketing Event planning Tech savvy Creativity Management Collection Development Altman, Rachel. (2014 March 4). Thinking about making a career transition? Highlight your transferrable skills. Retrieved from: http://inalj.com/?p=63276 Burkhart , Andy. (2010 May 25). Librarians Have Skills that Pay the Bills. Retrieved from: http://andyburkhardt.com/2010/05/25/librar ians-have-skills-that-pay-the-bills/ Gutsche,Betha & Hough, Brenda. (2014 February). Competency Index for the Library Field. Dublin, OH: OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. Retrieved from: http://www.webjunction.org/content/dam/WebJunction/Documents/webJunction/2015- 03/Competency%20Index%20for%20the%20Library%20Field%20%282014%29.pdf 9. Possible Non-Traditional Specialties VLA Job Search Workshop May 30, 20159 Law/Music/Art History: Advanced degrees recommended Consumer Health Science*/Applied Informatics Metadata and E-Resource Management Digital Libraries & Resources ACRL-STS Publications Committee. (2007 July). Science Majors Needed: Great Careers Await @ A Science Library Near You. Retrieved from: http://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/about acrl/directoryofleadership/sections/sts/stswebsite/acrl-sts- brochure.pdf 10. Non-Traditional Titles VLA Job Search Workshop May 30, 201510 Knowledge Management Specialists, Information Architects, Usability Engineer, Information Brokers, Competitive Knowledge Analyst/Researcher, Taxonomist/Ontologist, Database Administration, Systems Analyst/Administration, Chief Information Officer Citation: Nontraditional Jobs for Librarians. Retrieved from: http://www.ala.org/educationcareers/careers/paths/jobtypes/privatesector Other Places: Breitkopf, Mia. (2012 January 6). 61 Non-Librarian Jobs for LIS Grads. Retrieved from: https://miabblogs.wordpress.com/2012/01/06/61-non-librarian-jobs-for-lis- grads/ Keywords for Job Searching. Retrieved from: http://inalj.com/ 11. Job Searching VLA Job Search Workshop May 30, 201511 12. Identify potential employers VLA Job Search Workshop May 30, 201512 Consider constraints, deal-breakers, preferences, and skills o Virtual work may be preferable Libraries, library organizations, library consortia, library/education vendors, bookstores, publishers, library consultants, yourself (i.e. freelance consulting services), nonprofits, for-profits, government, employment/staffing agencies, etc. Tools: Reference USA, LibraryThing Reader App, Librarians Yellow pages 13. General Tips for applying VLA Job Search Workshop May 30, 201513 Market yourself Market skill set more broadly. Avoid tying yourself to one institution type or traditional titles. Sites for collated listings and go to individual sites too in order to register for job opening alerts Apply for what you are interested in. Be strategic on what you spend your time applying for. Develop templates for resume/CV/Cover letter and then tailor to the job (Do this for different information agencies and institution types. Different language is utilized). Keep track of what you have applied for/will apply for. Celebrate your accomplishments! 14. General Tips for applying (continued) VLA Job Search Workshop May 30, 201514 Obtain certifications (e.g. Professional Librarian for LVA, SLA Copyright Management, SLA Knowledge Management/Knowledge Services) Get any additional training you need Pull from and develop your network via professional associations, social media, etc. Talk to recruiters for advice and tips 15. Resources VLA Job Search Workshop May 30, 201515 16. Local Resources VLA Job Search Workshop May 30, 201516 VLAJob Line, MLS Programs (job banks) INALJ (Virginia, Washington, D.C., North Carolina) Virginia Association of Law Librarians (VALL) Employment/staffing agencies: LAC group (DC office), InfoCurrent (DC and VA office) SLA Global HQ in Alexandria, VA Chapters (Virginia, Washington, D.C., North Carolina) 17. National Professional Associations VLA Job Search Workshop May 30, 201517 American Alliance of Museums American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) American Medical Informatics Association American Society for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) American Theological Association Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS) Association for Library & Information Science Education Association of College & Research Libraries (ALA Division) Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP) 18. National Professional Associations VLA Job Search Workshop May 30, 201518 International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Library & Information Technology Association (LITA) (ALA Division) Medical Library Association (MLA) Music Library Association (MLA) Society of American Archivists (SAA) Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals Special Library Association (SLA) Visual Resources Association 19. Additional Reading/Resources VLA Job Search Workshop May 30, 201519 American Library Association. (2012 Dec. 27). Library Job Search. Retrieved from: http://wikis.ala.org/professionaltips/index.php?title =Library_Job_Search Altman, Rachel.(2015 April 2). Non-Traditional Career Paths: Lessons from Members After Transitioning. Retrieved from SLA Illinois chapter website: http://illinois.sla.org/?p=4509 Singer, R. S. (2008). Whats the Alternative?: Career Options for Librarians and Info Pros. Medford, N.J.: Information Today, Inc. 20. Questions? VLA Job Search Workshop May 30, 201520 Easter DiGangi, MLIS mlis (at) easterdigangi (dot) com www.easterdigangi.com