Applying for Jobs
I have lists of what I have done in past and present work and I am planning to consolidate them into one list so I have them at hand when I need them. It's obviously important to remember what you have done to help you make sure you can give evidence of how you meet the criteria for a post and to make sure you have examples you can talk about at interview. I think it also shows you where your gaps are and what else you need to learn.
Volunteering
I have spent quite a bit of time volunteering. The first library work I did - in a museum library - was voluntary, and I'm sure it helped me get my graduate trainee post. I returned there after my traineeship finished while I looked for other work, and I don't think I would have done so if I hadn't found it so enjoyable and interesting.
Sunday, 16 October 2011
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Thing 20: The Library Routes Project
My library routes are summarised in the About Me box to the right and in Thing 10. I quite enjoyed looking through The Library Routes Project, scanning the job titles for the ones that looked interesting and then reading the posts to find out how they got there.
It seems my 'route' is fairly typical. I also got a fair way through the final year of my English Literature degree without knowing what I was going to do with it. My careers advisor looked at what I had done in my gap year (which I realise now was all very information related - I had volunteered in a library, an archive and a museum) and suggested the CILIP Graduate Trainee Opportunities scheme.
I was very lucky to get my place on a traineeship in Oxford. And I think Liz Gallagher is spot on - it was a very whirlwind and very amazing introduction to librarianship, working and visiting so many beautiful libraries and finding out more about what a library work involves. As a student I didn't really think about what the librarians in my university library did all day, because all you see is the shelving and the book stamping.
I'm enjoying the job I'm doing now, which has really built on what I did in Oxford. Studying at the same time is hard work, but I think (and it's too early to say just yet, I've only been studying for a month) that I should be able to apply much of what I learn to my day-to-day work, which should be really beneficial.
The advice I can glean from reading other people's routes is to make the most of any opportunities you are presented with and to have a go at applying for jobs if they interest you, even if you think you won't get them. I recommend this. I never thought I would get my job in Oxford, but there is absolutely no harm in trying.
I'm not sure if I'm far enough along in my career to really be in a position to offer advice to other people, but if you are just starting out, I would heartily recommend voluntary work if you can afford to do it. It's a good way to get experience, particularly at the moment where the job market is extremely competitive.
It seems my 'route' is fairly typical. I also got a fair way through the final year of my English Literature degree without knowing what I was going to do with it. My careers advisor looked at what I had done in my gap year (which I realise now was all very information related - I had volunteered in a library, an archive and a museum) and suggested the CILIP Graduate Trainee Opportunities scheme.
I was very lucky to get my place on a traineeship in Oxford. And I think Liz Gallagher is spot on - it was a very whirlwind and very amazing introduction to librarianship, working and visiting so many beautiful libraries and finding out more about what a library work involves. As a student I didn't really think about what the librarians in my university library did all day, because all you see is the shelving and the book stamping.
I'm enjoying the job I'm doing now, which has really built on what I did in Oxford. Studying at the same time is hard work, but I think (and it's too early to say just yet, I've only been studying for a month) that I should be able to apply much of what I learn to my day-to-day work, which should be really beneficial.
The advice I can glean from reading other people's routes is to make the most of any opportunities you are presented with and to have a go at applying for jobs if they interest you, even if you think you won't get them. I recommend this. I never thought I would get my job in Oxford, but there is absolutely no harm in trying.
I'm not sure if I'm far enough along in my career to really be in a position to offer advice to other people, but if you are just starting out, I would heartily recommend voluntary work if you can afford to do it. It's a good way to get experience, particularly at the moment where the job market is extremely competitive.
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