Are you a recent graduate frustrated with the job hunt and trying to get your foot in the door? Our panel of recent MLIS graduates, employers, and agencies will discuss how to best use the experience you have, craft yourself to meet the needs of the public library market today, and use temp or agency work to your best advantage. Sponsored by the UCLA Career Forum Series and the Public Libraries Interest Group presented at the California Library Association Conferences November 2013

1. NEW MLIS! SAME
OLD JOB HUNT . . .
Sponsored by the UCLA Career Forum Series
&
the Public Libraries Interest Group

2. H
C
JOB HUNT BINGO
omework
ommunity
O
rganization
R
E
A
C
Q
C
C
R
K
N
nterview
nswers
Q
P
L
onfident
esume
omplete
eadable
T
uestions
Fill the page to get HIRED!
I
reparation
A
pplication
Y
ou
ualified
nowledge
W
alk
isten
xperience
O
A
rganized
vailable
ork
E
ducation
A
pplicable
D
ress
lean
eat
A
ppropriate
P
rofessional
G
roomed

3. EVERYDAY
HOMEWORK
Patty Wong, Yolo County Library

4. The Recruitment – Doing Your Homework
Analyzing the Job Description:
CAVEAT: Public vs. Private institutions, higher ed, school
and public libraries and civil service
Where did you find the announcement and what does that
indicate about the employer?
The most valued characteristics or skills are normally
identified first
Do you meet the Minimum Qualifications? What actions to
take if you don’t meet them or are just shy of qualifying?
Any supplemental questions? Employers use these to:
Evaluate writing skills, analyze thought process and
experience, establish and prioritize candidate pool, get good
ideas, advance their need or philosophy

5. Job Satisfaction
Applying for a position is an
investment, for you and the
employer.
Does it meet your criteria for a
good fit? Benefits, hours,
location, responsibilities, role,
agency reputation, training
opportunities, advancement
opportunities, advanced learning,
mentoring
What does the agency value?
Library document review
Do you know anyone who works
here? Visit them, job shadow,
interviewing all staff/volunteers,
secret shopper

6. Preparation
Prepare questions and answers
Why do you want this job?
Understand the culture.
Anticipate
Be calm
Be yourself, know your self
Share aspirations
Emphasize strengths
Have a last question or value added
response at the end
Be flexible
Defer when needed and go back
Respond as if you were already in the
position.
References DO count!

7. TELLING YOUR STORYNONTRADITIONAL
EXPERIENCE
Hillary Theyer, Torrance Public Library

8. HIDDEN LIBRARIANNONTRADITIONAL
JOBS
Autumn Luscinski, Pepperdine University

9. Typically, when MLIS students begin their program, their idea of career paths is
limited to libraries: public, school or university. Students begin to think about
the types of jobs within a library that interest them: Children’s or Reference
Librarian at a public library, School Librarian or Media Specialist, Reference
Librarian at a university or college. There are certainly openings in these types
of libraries, but there are many more jobs that need the skills of an information
professional.

10. Jobs in the private sector are increasingly looking for the
skills of a Librarian or Information Specialist.

11. Other job possibilities for those with an MLIS are: Usability Engineer.
Competitive Knowledge Analysis/Research, Taxonomist/Ontologies, Records
Manager, Database Administration, Digital Manuscripts Project Manager,
Freelance Researcher, Systems Analyst/Administration, Chief Information
Officer, Digitization of Information, Digital Curation, Web design and
maintenance, Information Architect and much more, Technical Information
Specialist.

12. SO MUCH INFORMATION TO ORGANIZE!
As technology is
increasingly adding to the
amounts and types of
information that is being
sought, the need to
prioritize, categorize, sort
and store this information is
one that we as librarians
can capably fulfill. Jobs
which require those skills
in which we were trained
are available in consulting,
publishing, education, nonprofits and more.

13. What’s your passion?

14. Background or interest in sales and marketing? Working for Library Vendors (ExLibris, Baker Taylor,
Ebsco) is a good option. You will speak the librarians’ language when talking to them about programs,
software etc.
If you love art, there are many museum jobs that rely on a knowledge not just of art, but how to
organize it both virtually and physically. You’ll be around paintings all day long!
Entertainment? Many studios and networks now have librarian jobs as all of their programming needs
to be organized and/or digitized.
Wine’s your thing? How about working as a Wine Librarian at the Sonoma County Library.

15. Combine your MLIS training with your
other passions or experience to find a
position just right for you.

16. HIRED
Darla Wegener, Long Beach Public Library

17. Why I should I hire you?

18. Application, Cover letter, Resume, and Supplemental questions
Qualifications

19. Qualifications
Answers to questions
Knowledge

20. Dress
Interview
References
Attitude

21. At the end you should feel you were your BEST!

22. You’re Hired!

23. PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
AIIP: Association of Independent
Information Professionals
SLA: Special Libraries
Association
ASCLA: Association of
Specialized and Cooperative
Library Agencies
ALA: American Library
Association
PLA: Public Library Association
CLA: California Library
Association

24. CONTACT INFORMATION
Hillary Theyer, Torrance
Public Library
librarylady16@yahoo.com
Autumn Luscinski,
Pepperdine University
luscinski@yahoo.com
Patty Wong, Yolo County
Library
Patty.Wong@yolocounty.org
Darla Wegener, Long Beach
Public Library
darla.wegener@lbpl.org