10 Insider Tips to Help You Succeed in Landing Your Dream Job
If a job search is on your agenda, we’ve got some tips to help you plot your strategy. SJSU iSchool alumni, who were recently in your shoes, shared some solid strategies for launching a job search. Whether you’re looking for an entry-level position or career advancement in the ever-evolving information profession, heed these 10 insider tips:
1. Take advantage of your school’s career service support. The SJSU iSchool provides dedicated career specialists to support students throughout their studies and a host of career development resources on its website. Check with your current (or previous) grad program to see what free career services they provide to students and alumni. At the very least, take advantage of any cover letter and resume review services if offered; they’ll be much more current on today’s resume and cover letter approaches, and will be able to help you present your best “professional self” when applying for jobs. And since this represents part of your tuition payments, it’s only wise to make the most of that investment!
2. Apply for jobs early and often. Interviewing is one of those skills that gets better with practice, so if you’re new to the process, it’s smart to do as many interviews as possible to build the confidence that comes with familiarity. If you’ve already gone on several interviews before you head into the one for your dream job, it will be much easier for you to be calm, confident, relaxed, and impressive when it’s really critical. Also, several iSchool alumni noted that libraries can be notoriously slow to make a hiring decision, so waiting until you’ve graduated or desperately want out of your current job can extend the job-search process much longer than you’d hoped for.
3. Use a spreadsheet to track your applications. Think Excel or Google Sheets to start recording what employers you’ve reached out to, regarding what positions, and the status of those applications. Also, be sure to note the names of anyone with whom you’ve interviewed (and of course to whom you’ve also sent thank-you notes); it’s always smart to build positive professional relationships with people you connect with, regardless of the outcome of a specific interview.
4. Keep your resume current, but plan on tailoring it for targeted positions. The easiest way to do this is to create a “modular” resume with several versions of each section that reflect the various types of jobs for which you might apply. For instance, your “Key Strengths” section at the very beginning of your resume might highlight one set of skills and expertise for, say, a job as a reference librarian, and a different aspect of your skills and strengths for a programming manager position. In the same manner, your “Work History” or “Professional Experience” section would show the same employment record but emphasize activities and/or accomplishments in each entry that demonstrate your value in that targeted reference librarian or programming manager role. If you’ve done this in advance for the types of jobs that most interest you, then it’s easy to change the relevant information quickly and get your tailored resume off to the hiring manager pronto. (Do the same for your cover letters.)
5. Talk to people about their jobs. If you’re hoping for a certain career path in which you have no experience, reach out to people currently doing that type of work to learn more about its day-to-day realities. (This is called an informational interview.) Besides vetting your assumptions about the work involved, it will also provide you with insights about the position’s issues, trends, challenges, and even innovative thinking that will help you demonstrate your commitment to that work for a hiring manager. It can be rocky to go after a job for which you don’t already have experience, but if you can show your passion, initiative, and willingness to learn, it will weigh greatly in your favor.
6. Learn as much as you can about the organization where you’re applying. Your goal when applying or interviewing for a job is to clarify for the hiring manager not only that you have the requisite skills and knowledge (or close to), but also that you can hit the ground running. In other words, you can start contributing to the organization’s strategic goals as soon as you get there. The best way to do that is to fully research the organization so you can demonstrate your knowledge of those goals and how you, in your new position, could help contribute to its accomplishment. Additionally, the worst thing you can do is give a hiring manager the impression that you’re just applying for any library job you can get, regardless of who the employer is; knowing about the organization signals that you’re serious about that particular library and you’ve done your homework.
7. Apply for everything, even if you don’t think you’re completely qualified. Job postings are often more aspirational than realistic, as in, “it would perfect if we could get someone who could do all this stuff!” In truth, these perfect candidates rarely exist, so all the applicants are going to fall short on some of the requirements. You never know who your competition is, or whether their qualifications are similar to yours; in some cases, you may even be the most qualified applicant. If you end up being interviewed, just be prepared to discuss with the hiring manager ways for you to learn the missing skills.
8. Network, network, and then network some more. Part of being a professional is building a community of professional connections, i.e., “your network.” Over the course of your career these relationships will enable you to learn from trusted colleagues, to help others grow in their own careers, and to have lots more fun at professional conferences! But having a strong community of connections is also one of the most effective ways to create job opportunities. Your friends may hear of (and/or recommend you for) library job openings, may be able to introduce you to potential employers, and can help you brainstorm job-search strategies. And one of the best things about your network helping you is that once you’ve landed that new job, you can help others reach their job goals.
9. Be willing to consider part-time jobs. If you’re looking for your first library job fresh out of grad school, your initial, “foot-in-the-door” job might end up being a part-time position. Although probably not optimal, it is a way to get started in the profession. You can use that job as a launch pad from which to build your professional network, to start building your professional visibility (for example, by volunteering in the state library association or with local members of the Public Library Association), and to start building your professional reputation as a capable, creative, collaborative colleague. You can do this just as effectively with a part-time job as you can with a full-time position, if you’re willing to take the initiative.
10. If possible, do some sort of information work while job searching. One of the terrific things about our amazing information skills is that they can be useful pretty much anywhere. So, while you’re on the hunt for that next position, consider proposing projects for nonprofit groups in your community that could benefit from a good researcher, document organizer, social media person, or other information expert. This way you’re taking an active role in benefitting the community, supporting values you believe in, and keeping your information skills “in play,” rather than simply waiting for a job to come through. Being productive will help offset job-hunting anxieties and will possibly, importantly, provide you with some great stories to talk about in an interview.
Looking for a job is never easy, but it can be easier. Here’s hoping these 10 tips from employed SJSU iSchool alumni result in a job search that’s both easier and faster for you!
