Tag Archives: METRO

by | February 9, 2013 · 8:00 am

Stats and Graphs: More Secrets of Getting Hired (Coding in Process)

It’s Staturday!

Building on what went up last week, I looked a little more at the answers to the question:

What do you think is the secret to getting hired?

So far I’ve looked through the first 100 responses (we’re up to 389 total responses now, by the way).  I’m continuing to refine answer categories. Here’s what I have so far:

(what will eventually be) Results!

Networking/Who you Know: 37
Reputation, online or otherwise: 2
Presenting yourself well: 28
Positivity, enthusiasm, and/or passion: 7
Knowledge: 9
Experience: 6
Fit: 11
Luck: 18
Being flexible, thinking outside the box: 5
Persistence, never giving up: 10
I don’t know, you tell me: 21
Research: 7 (such a librarian answer)
The secret is that there is no secret: 3
Youth/Other demographic factor: 4
Not being me: 3

Other: 21

Here is one of the answers I’ve got coded as “other”

Humility. I think employers are scared by people who think they know it all. And no matter how much previous experience or training a candidate has, there will still be a period of adjustment after the hire. The key is admitting that you’re not perfect and projecting enthusiasm, determination, and positivity toward any potential obstacles.

I marked this one for Presenting yourself well and Positivity, enthusiasm, and/or passion, but “humility” is a separate secret I think, so I’ve marked it for other as well.  What do you think?

If you’d like to take a look at the raw data – all the answers to this question – it’s attached here:

Secret to Getting Hired_385

If you decide to do anything with it (and you are welcome to), I ask for three things: make your work freely and publicly available, email me at hiringlibrariansATgmail to let me know what you’ve done, and then link back to this site.

If you’re job hunting, and haven’t taken the survey yet, please do!  If you’ve got friends, please share the link:

http://tinyurl.com/hiringlibJOBHUNTERsurvey

This survey was co-written by Naomi House, of I Need A Library Job.  If you’re job hunting, INALJ is a wealth of information and it has job ads up the wazoo.  

You can either comment below, or email hiringlibrariansATgmail.

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by | February 2, 2013 · 8:00 am

Stats and Graphs: The Secret to Getting Hired (Coding in Process)

It’s Staturday!

I’ve started taking a look at the answers to the question:

What do you think is the secret to getting hired?

So far I’ve looked through the first 50 responses, in an attempt to build answer categories (we’re up to 385 total responses now, by the way).  Here’s what I have so far:

(what will eventually be) Results!

Networking/Who you Know: 19
Reputation, online or otherwise: 2
Presenting yourself well: 17
Positivity, enthusiasm, and/or passion: 6 
Knowledge: 4
Experience: 2
Fit: 5
Luck: 6
Being flexible, thinking outside the box: 4
Persisitence, never giving up: 9
I don’t know, you tell me: 7
Research: 5 (such a librarian answer)
The secret is that there is no secret: 2
Youth/Other demographic factor: 2
Not being me: 2

Thoughts and observations are very welcome – please comment away!

If you’d like to take a look at the raw data – all the answers to this question – it’s attached here:

Secret to Getting Hired_385

If you decide to do anything with it (and you are welcome to), I ask for three things: make your work freely and publicly available, email me at hiringlibrariansATgmail to let me know what you’ve done, and then link back to this site.

If you’re job hunting, and haven’t taken the survey yet, please do!  If you’ve got friends, please share the link:

http://tinyurl.com/hiringlibJOBHUNTERsurvey

This survey was co-written by Naomi House, of I Need A Library Job.  If you’re job hunting, INALJ is a wealth of information and it has job ads up the wazoo.  

You can either comment below, or email hiringlibrariansATgmail.

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by | January 26, 2013 · 8:00 am

Stats and Graphs: Where We Look (Coding in Process)

It’s Staturday!

So I’ve started taking a look at the answers to the question:

Where do you look for open positions? (e.g. ALA Joblist, professional listserv, LinkedIn)

In total, 377 respondents named 1729 venues.  That’s not 1729 distinct venues, that’s just taking each place a person named and counting it.  And a lot of people named very general things like:

professional listservs

and

the standard boards

Right now I’m in the process of coding.  By that I mean, I’m deciding when answers are distinct from each other, and when they can be grouped together.

We left this “Where do you look?” question open ended, which means that there are a lot of variant terms. It would have been simpler to have made this a multiple choice question, and to have restricted the answers to a particular controlled vocabulary.  However, this restriction would have also reduced the range and detail of answers.

I’ve consolidated some answers together already (for example I Need a Library Job and INALJ).  But many are still distinct, either because they may not be the same thing and I am still deciding whether or not to combine, or because I thought the answer was funny.

I’d like to share with you this week a little bit of commonalities and variation included in the:

Results!

ALA 197

ALA 26
ALA JobLIST 168
ALA listserv/listservs 3

Chronicle 24

Chronicle 2
Chronicle for Higher Education 3
Chronicle of Higher Ed 7
Chronicle of Higher Ed job lists 1
Chronicle of Higher Education 10
Chronicle.com 1

Higher Ed 31

Higher Ed 1
Higher Ed Jobs 29
Highereducattionjobs 1

Inside Higher Education/Inside Higher Ed 2

Etc. 21

etc 20
etc., etc. 1

I Need a Library Job? 138

INAJ 1
INALJ 128
INALJ (Newsletter) 1
INALJ Blog 1
INALJ digest 3
INALJ! 1
INLG 1
INLJ 2

NJLA 8

NJLA 5
NJLA job postings 1
NJLA Listservs 1
NJLA website 1

Indeed 83

Indeed 35
Indeed (app) 1
Indeed (RSS for library positions in my area and areas nearby) 1
Indeed.ca 1
Indeed.co.uk 1
indeed.com 42
Indeed.com (email alerts) 1
Indeed.com internet job search engine 1

LIBGIG 32

Libgib 1
LibGig 29
LibGIG (on twitter) 1
LibGig (RSS) 1

LIBJOBS 6

Libjobs 3
libjobs (RSS feed) 1
LIBJOBS email list 1
LibJobs listserv 1

LIS JOBS 28

LIS Jobs 24
LisJobs.com (RSS/Combined Library Job Listing) 3
LIS-JOBS-LIST 1

LinkedIn 81

Linked in 78
LinkedIn (INALJ) 1
LinkedIn groups 1
LinkedIn’s RSS 1

METRO 14

METRO 3
Metro (ny) joblist. 1
METRO job bank 1
Metro Job Postings 1
METRO Jobs 1
METRO library council job board 1
METRO NY Roundtable 1
Metro.org 2
MetroLibraries.net for job opportunities in Minnesota (where I live) 1
Metromode 1
Metronet Jobline (specifically for MN library jobs) 1

MLA 6

MLA 2
MLA Jobline & Careers 1
MLA joblist 1
MLA jobs 1
MLA website 1

Newspapers 11

Newspapers – Print Classifieds 1
Newspapers – washingtonpost.com 1
newspapers/local papers 9

Listservs 121

Professional listservs 116
Professional listservs – Cataloging-related listservs 1
professional listservs – lotsa listservs 1
Professional listservs – Various listservs 1
professional listservs (and over two dozen) 1
Professional listservs (emails) 1

RAILS 15

RAILS (Reaching Across Illinois Library System) 9
RAILS (RSS) 1
RAILS Job Board 4
RAILS website 1

SAA 13

SAA 5
SAA Career Center 2
SAA job board 1
SAA Job Center 1
SAA job list 1
SAA listserv 3

SLA 36

SLA career center 1
SLA Job Board, 1
SLA job list 8
SLA Jobline. 1
SLA listserv 2
SLA local chapters listservs 1
SLA locals joblists 1
SLA Michigan Chapter Job Listing 1
SLA NY-NJ job blog 1
SLA/Special Libraries Association 16
sla-dbf 1
SLA-ny 2

This is just a small portion of all the answers! What do you think?  Here are some of my questions:

  • Are Job Lists, Job Boards, and Job Lines all the same thing?
  • Should I try to make distinctions for format – RSS v. email v. visiting the website?
  • Are INAJ, INLG and INLJ really typos for INALJ?  Are any of the NJLAs typos for INALJ or vicey versy?
  • Should I lump all the ALAs in together?
  • How do I decide which METRO comes from which state?
  • Are all those Higher Education sites distinct, and are all the answers assigned to the right places?

Thoughts and observations are very welcome – please comment away!

If you’d like to take a look at the raw data – all the answers to this question – it’s attached here:

Data for 377 places

If you decide to do anything with it (and you are welcome to), I ask for three things: make your work freely and publicly available, email me at hiringlibrariansATgmail to let me know what you’ve done, and then link back to this site.

If you’re job hunting, and haven’t taken the survey yet, please do!  If you’ve got friends, please share the link:

http://tinyurl.com/hiringlibJOBHUNTERsurvey

This survey was co-written by Naomi House, of I Need A Library Job.  If you’re job hunting, INALJ is a wealth of information and it has job ads up the wazoo.  

You can either comment below, or email hiringlibrariansATgmail.

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by | January 10, 2013 · 8:00 am

Job Hunter’s Web Guide: Archives Gig

This week we’re showcasing a resource for the archivists out there.  I don’t know much about archives and archivists, so I’m glad to be able to learn more with Meredith Lowe, and her awesome resource: Archives Gig.

Archives Gig

What is it?  Please give us your elevator speech!

I curate postings of careers, jobs, and internships in the world of archives & records management, and post them to Archives Gig.

When was it started?  Why was it started?

Archives Gig was created on February 5, 2010.  As part of my job, I was contributing to the student job listserv at the University of Wisconsin – Madison SLIS.  I thought that I could benefit a broader group of people by making a public website, so that’s what drove the creation of the site.  I really enjoy looking at all of the opportunities out there, too, so running AG is a fun hobby.

Who runs it?

Just me!  I have a MA in Library and Information Studies, with a concentration in archives, from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.  My training largely informs my decisions about which jobs I post.  I currently work in Continuing Education Services at UW-Madison SLIS, so I coordinate continuing education and training for librarians and information professionals.  Check out our offerings at http://www.slis.wisc.edu/continueed.htm.

Are you a “career expert”? What are your qualifications?

I’m not a “career expert.”  I just post jobs that fall within the purview of the site.

Who is your target audience?

Archivists, records managers, and students.  I post jobs at all levels, from internships to directors.  Anyone who is interested in the current archives/RM career landscape would certainly find a lot of information here.

What’s the best way to use your site?  Should users consult it daily?  Or as needed? Should they already know what they need help with, or can they just noodle around?

I generally post daily on weekdays, and I exclusively post job announcements.  It’s in a blog format, so the most recent post goes up top. If you’re actively job hunting, check in at least weekly (or set yourself up to receive Twitter or Facebook alerts).  If you’re just casually interested in what’s out there right now, consult AG at your leisure.

Each job posting gets tagged with keywords that you can use to narrow your search. If you look at the main page (http://archivesgig.livejournal.com), the tags are listed down the left side of the screen.  The quick and dirty trick to searching: I always tag the state/geographical region of every job’s location, whether it’s permanent or temporary, and what kind of institution it’s in. For example, if I tag something as “status: internship”, and if you click that tag in the list, every entry that received that tag will come up (the most recent will be at the top of the page). If you’re looking for all jobs in a certain state (let’s say Iowa), go to the tag list on the left side of the page and look for “State: Iowa.” One caveat: the “skills” tags are NOT comprehensive. I often get a little more detailed with the tags, and specify particular skill sets that a job demands – but that’s basically if I have time to do so!

Does your site provide:

√  Job Listings

Should readers also look for you on social media? Or is your content available in other formats?

√  Twitter: @archivesgig
√  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/archivesgig
√  Other:  RSS feed: http://archivesgig.livejournal.com/data/rss

Do you charge for anything on your site?

Free! It’s completely free for anyone to search.  If someone wants me to post a job, that’s also free.

Can you share any stories about job hunters that found positions after using your site?

I’m always thrilled to hear from someone who found their job through Archives Gig.  It’s my mission to make job hunting in this tight market just a little easier.  I have heard from several archivists who found their jobs through AG, which makes my day every time.

meredith loweAnything else you’d like to share with my readers about your site in particular, or about library hiring/job hunting in general?

This is especially directed toward the newly graduated job seekers: Be Flexible.  If you can’t find your dream job in your ideal location, try and look for other positions (or other places) that you’re qualified to do, and that will give you some professional experience.  You’ll certainly learn something new, and you may find a job in a different area of the profession is a great fit.

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by | January 3, 2013 · 10:45 am

Job Hunter’s Web Guide: METRO Job Bank/Career Resources

This week I’m talking with Ellen Mehling, who is not only the Director at the Westchester Graduate Program (Palmer School of Library and Information Science) but is also the manager of the Job Bank, and a career development consultant for the Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO).  If you subscribe to NEWLIB-L, or read INALJ articles, or just generally keep your eyes open for library career advice, you’ve probably read something she’s written, or seen links that she’s shared.  She was kind enough to answer my questions about METRO’s Job Bank and Career Resources sites.

METRO Career Resources and Job Bank

What is your website all about? Please give us your elevator speech!

METRO’s JobBank/Career Resources site  provides job postings, and job search and career information for job seekers and employers. In addition to the Job Bank, we’re also regularly publishing articles with tips, information about local professional organizations, and other useful information for new professionals and those in career transition.

When was it started? Why was it started?

The Job Bank was started 10 years ago as the “Job Magnet”, as a way to connect employers and job seekers in the field of library and information science, in the New York area.

Who runs it?

The Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO), a non-profit organization working to develop and maintain essential library services throughout New York City and Westchester County (those who use the Job Bank and Career Resources include many outside of those areas, though).

Are you a “career expert”? What are your qualifications?

I’ve been an advisor on job hunting and career development for various groups including librarians/information professionals and library school students, for about eight years. I started in a former job, advising members of the general public and special populations who were seeking employment, and before long was being asked to teach workshops on the job search to other library professionals. I’ve trained other librarians on assisting job hunting patrons, and have taught classes/workshops, moderated or spoken on panel discussions and conducted mock interviews and more, at METRO and other venues. I write regularly on job hunting/career topics for various sites, including METRO’s. I’ve served on hiring committees and have been a successful applicant myself in recent years, so I’ve seen and experienced first-hand what works and what doesn’t. I also work for LIU as Director of the Westchester Program and Director of Internships for the Palmer School of Library and Information Science, where I advise all students and alumni on the job search and career development and write a career Q&A for the blog.

Who is your target audience?

Information professionals of all stripes and library school/iSchool students in the greater NYC area.

What’s the best way to use your site? Should users consult it daily? Or as needed? Should they already know what they need help with, or can they just noodle around?

Job seekers can read the postings and post their own resumes; employers can post positions and see the resumes. Anyone can read the articles and the lists of resources. There is also an RSS feed (http://metro.org/jobs/feed) for the positions that appear on the Job Bank.

Does your site provide:

√  Job Listings     √ Articles/literature     √ Links

√  Advice on:

√ Cover Letters    √ Resumes   √ Interviewing    √ Networking
√ Other: Advice for students and new professionals

Should readers also look for you on social media? Or is your content available in other formats?

√ Twitter: @tweetMETRO
√ LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/METRO-librarians-archivists-information-professionals-1131967/about
√  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/METRO-Metropolitan-New-York-Library-Council/20722206359
√ Newsletter: The METRO Monthly and ProfDev news are each delivered once a month. Anyone can subscribe via the homepage 
√ Other: Networking opportunities  including Special Interest Groups (SIGs). The general listserv (METRO-l) is open to all; many positions are posted on the listserv in addition to the ones posted on the Job Bank by employers. More ways to connect: http://metro.org/connect/.

Metro job bank

Do you charge for anything on your site?

There is no fee to access the job postings, read the articles/resource lists, or join the listserv.

Anything else you’d like to share with my readers about your site in particular, or about library hiring/job hunting in general?

The job market is improving, but it is still tight. While the ways in which people find job openings, apply for jobs, and connect have changed, the classic strategies for finding a job are still the most effective: get the skills and experience that employers want, cultivate and guard your reputation as a positive, effective professional, and network, network, network.

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