I had assumed that looking for a job in a library would be just like looking for a job in any other industry. Wow, was I wrong. A couple of things I learned the hard way:
- Public libraries move slowly. Really, really slowly. I expected it to be a slow hiring process, but I really wasn't prepared for the time frames that I experienced. Coming from an industry where decisions are made on the fly, I am accustomed to quick turnaround time. I thought it would take (at most) a couple of weeks for a library to review resumes and schedule interviews. I wasn't prepared to wait a month or more just for acknowledgement that my application had been received. A perfect example - the application deadline for my job was 12/9, I didn't interview until 2/11.
- Some resume formats are more successful then others. Looking back this shouldn't have been a surprise. I assumed that the resume format that I've successfully used for the past 5 years was still applicable. Big mistake! I began to rethink this idea as the rejection letters (without even an interview!) started to pile up. Luckily, I stumbled across a great resource: Resume Writing And Interviewing Techniques That Work!: A How-to-do-it Manual for Librarians by Robert R. Newlen. I didn't want to shell out the $55 listed on amazon.com, so I reserved it through the library. Specifically written for library professionals, the book includes sample resumes divided by experience level and library type (i.e. special library, public library). I thought the resume tips were great. The interview tips were also helpful, but more of a review for anyone who has had prior interview experience. This will be my first stop the next time I apply for a job.
Now that I'm happily employed, I can nurse my bruised ego back to health, file these lessons away for my next job hunt, and pray that it will be at least 6-12 months before I have to go through all of this again.
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