What to do after library school?

I finished library school in July 2005 and since then have moved to a different province. I took my time settling in and it was an adjustment for the family even though we were familiar with this province. (We lived here before). Once we settled I started to look around and apply for jobs. I am, of course, looking for the perfect job and haven’t found one yet.

The perfect job would only require me to work 9 – 5, no evenings and no weekends. Such a job, I have not found yet. It has been four months. I have had three interviews and was encouraged by people high in the hierarchy to apply to their institution again. Good comments were circulated among librarians about me but we are all waiting – me and the librarians – for the best position that would suit me: A position that would require an MLIS degree and no previous librarian experience. Good luck.

I do not like to get bored. So I decided to do other things that would entertain me as well as augment my resume for the next application I send in. I thought I should share this with my readers so you can get some ideas as to what to do while waiting for a job.

Here is what I did:

I wrote two papers – one of which has been accepted for publication and another being read. This was indeed my first attempt at writing for publication. Not only is it good to have published a paper or two to show that you are really interested in this field, it is also enlightening and it helped me catch up on many things I couldn’t possibly read while still at school.

I was fortunate enough to have been offered indexing work by a National Museum in Vancouver. I volunteered to index their newsletters. That occupies most of my time. Find something that is related to the library field, even if it means volunteering.

I also found an interesting online course being offered by ALA/ACRL and decided to join. This is something employers look for. Continuing Education shows them you are committed.