If you're following me on Twitter or my friend on Facebook (insert any other social media here), you'll see many of my shares of articles, job pages, and advice from the I Need a Library Job (INALJ) site. This site, created by Naomi House (and others, I believe) and maintained by her and a group of volunteers, is a helpful resource for any job hunter. Although I am not expert on the hunt, I do my best to thoroughly prepare for every step of the process.
I've done this by creating this portfolio, updating my resume, practicing with interview questions, checking out resume books from the library, conferring with friends and classmates, and following blogs like INALJ. The reason I want to give a personal shout-out to this site is because it is a unique and beneficial resource for any job hunter. Although I could write about the site for pages, I'll highlight my favorite aspect of the site: the collection of articles with advice, job hunting experiences and opinions, interviews, and success stories. Although I have not found a specific schedule of blog posts by INALJ volunteers, it would seem that volunteers each post once monthly so that there are new articles daily. With the option to have the articles emailed to me, I have a slew of resources at my fingertips. The articles are greatfor a few reasons. First, the amount of contributors to the blog indicates a variety of opinions, subjects, issues, considerations, etc. so that you will never feel bored by the posts. Second, the posts are relatively short so that I can finish an article in a few minutes. If a writer has a particularly deep subject, then s/he separates it into parts and takes time to focus on each section. With this brevity, the articles get straight to the point with little filler. I'm constantly adding a new article to my favorites, and I seem to remember the content much better. It could be the time of day or just my style, but I really feel as though I'm not giving INALJ the justice it deserves. One other aspect I want to note is the currency of INALJ: the site is updated multiple times (constantly?) daily, and is tied to a Twitter and Facebook account that also keep me updated with encouraging messages to "try a new job search this morning!". INALJ is like a cool aunt--she cares, so she reminds you to keep your head up, keep searching for that job, and she provides great, sensible advice that you're actually willing to listen to. I recommend anyone check it out (here's another link) for advice on increasing marketability and writing cover letters, as well as lists of libraries that need to be on everyone's bucket list. Happy hunting. [side note]- I always seek to be accurate and honest in my reflections. If I have posted incorrect information, please let me know!
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Stephanie FreasRecent MLIS graduate & lover of writing. This is a narrative of my first look into the librarian profession. Archives
November 2013
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