Hands-on advice to help you stand out during a job search
Posted Mon, 12/10/2012 - 12:52
By Janice Arenofsky
You’re all alone—with thousands of other information professionals—pursuing a library job in a down economy. If not for sheer stubbornness and hard-won self-respect, you might consider a career in the fast food industry.
But don’t despair, said David Connolly, who compiles ALA’s JobLIST, a resource for career advice and job search information. The market is back to pre-2008, he said. “We may be treading water, but at least, it’s not getting worse.” In fact, according to Connolly, experienced librarians can anticipate a relatively strong job market because the first wave of baby boomers is retiring from such top-level library positions as director and department head. This trend should peak between 2015 and 2019. “There will be a trickle-down effect favoring promotions,” said Connolly, “although some libraries are not filling entry-level positions due to budgetary problems.”
So the advice for job searchers is compromise—in salary, work environment, and/or geographic location. For instance, consider academic library positions in the Midwest, where there is less competition because of fewer sought-after locations and subject-expert applicants. Read more....
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