Positioning Yourself for Your Ideal Job!

1. Positioning Yourself for Your Ideal Job! By: Kim Schroeder

2. Predictive Steps • Job Postings • Self Assessment • Participation • Visibility

3. Job Postings • You want to analyze them as you would in descriptive analysis • What are they saying really? • What trends do you see in? • What skills are the looking for? • Do you have those skills? • How can you get those skills?

4. Job Postings

5. Job Postings

6. Job Postings

7. Job Postings

8. Job Postings

9. Self Assessment • Interests • Personality • Skills • Career Values

10. Self Assessment • Who are you? Define Yourself! • What do you have to offer?

11. Participation • Associations • Student Groups • Local Professional Associations • Regional and National • Volunteer for a Committee • Write for the Blog • Publish a Paper • Contact an Editor • Present a Poster • Present at a Conference

12. Participation • Connect with Instructors • Tell them what your goal is • Ask for guidance • Projects? Research? Classwork?

13. Participation • Hands-On • Volunteer • Institutions • DMPL • Professors

14. Visibility • Make it Known • SIS Blog • Regional Associations • Your Own Blog • Partner with Professionals • Publish your Classwork

15. Outcome • Prepared for Ideal Job • Show Direction • Show Skills • Show Initiative • Job Readiness • Building Network • Reference List

16. What is Important to Communicate? Past Work History? GPA? High School Graduation Date? Skills Appropriate to that Particular Job Work Ethic and Style Attitude

17. What are the Tools? Cover Letter Resume Interview References Follow-Up

18. What to Communicate? • A clear picture of who you would be as an employee. • Not who you have been in other disciplines • Not a composite of your undergraduate experiences • Not your informal social networking commentary

19. What to Communicate? • A clear picture includes: • Skills for that Job Posting • Education Relevant to that Job Posting • Projects Related to that Job Posting • Professional Commitment or Publishing • Work Stability and Personality

20. “Reading” a Job Posting • Job Description: Full time (37.5 hours) Hours include days, evening, and weekends. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Provides reference assistance and readers' advisory service. Participates in the collection development process by selecting and withdrawing media in assigned areas. Plans and conducts programs. Participates in the operation of the computer lab. Processes interlibrary loan requests. • Full/Part Time & Hours: Full Time - Hours: Full time (37.5 hours) Hours include days, evening, and weekends. • Requirements: REQUIREMENTS Masters Degree in Library/Information Science from an ALA accredited institution. Experience in a Youth Services department is preferred. Excellent English communication skills. Comprehensive knowledge of library related processes especially reference and readers' advisory skills. Comprehensive knowledge of current media for youth, existing collections, and community interest. Ability to work well with others. Ability to make judgments while following established and prescribed procedures. Problem-solving skills and ability to meet deadlines while working independently. Valid Illinois Driver's License.

21. What They Really Want A Flexible Employee that is willing to take on potentially inconvenient hours. Also willing to take on many aspects of librarianship and be a “catch-all” for many arenas. This means computers skills, people skills, time management skills and traditional library skills. A “can-do” attitude with a positive action-oriented demeanor will go far. “Reading” a Job Posting – What is the “Keyword List”? Job Description: Full time (37.5 hours) Hours include days, evening, and weekends. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Provides reference assistance and readers' advisory service. Participates in the collection development process by selecting and withdrawing media in assigned areas. Plans and conducts programs. Participates in the operation of the computer lab. Processes interlibrary loan requests. What it Says

22. “Reading” a Job Posting – What is the “Keyword List”? REQUIREMENTS Masters Degree in Library/Information Science from an ALA accredited institution. Experience in a Youth Services department is preferred. Excellent English communication skills. Comprehensive knowledge of library related processes especially reference and readers' advisory skills. Comprehensive knowledge of current media for youth, existing collections, and community interest. Ability to work well with others. Ability to make judgments while following established and prescribed procedures. Problem-solving skills and ability to meet deadlines while working independently. Valid Illinois Driver's License. What it Says What They Really Want Master’s in SLIS to show professional commitment. Prefer that you have shown your professionalism in another environment first. Understanding of the content and communication of the position. Can make intelligent decisions without the need to be watched. Will be respectful to co-workers. May have to drive for outreach and programming.

23. Keywords or Phrases are? • Dependable • Works Well With Others • Respectful • Flexible • Literate • Technology Skills • Decisive • Independent • Hip?

24. Cover Letter Translation • Illustrate your dependable nature by mentioning longevity at a position (even if non-professional) • Mention customer service background (even if non-professional) • List class projects or papers that are applicable to the posting. • Cite group projects at work or school that you participated in. • Give examples of your initiative, problem-solving and/or flexibility. • Point out a few key technology skills as appropriate to the posting.

25. Resume Translation • Your Master’s degree should not be relegated to one line on your resume. • Include niche classes as applicable • Create a section on technology skills • If you are coming from another discipline be sure that your resume is that of an information professional not your previous discipline. You might need to consider a Skills Resume. • Be sure that your resume covers each aspect of the job that you are applying for. Resumes will change with each job posting.

26. Resume Translation • Example: • Before: • Macy’s – Sales Associate 2008-Present Sorting clothing, put up sales items, answers customer questions. • Macy’s – Sales Associate 2008-Present • Successfully managed customers’ needs in an increasingly tough economic period. Received increasing responsibility for customer service and the maintenance of products. Received service awards including Employee of the Month, three times.

27. References Translation • Get reference letters not just contact information • You need librarians, faculty and/or archivists on your list. • Unless specified include reference letters in with resume. It is very powerful to have another professional saying “hire him/her”! • Ask references to stress typical skills in the types of positions that you are interested in (if they feel comfortable).

28. Interview Translation • Be sure to prepare stories about how you: • Tackled tough issues • Were dependable and/or flexible • Used discretion/respect in dealing with people • Successfully implemented or used a tough technology

29. Follow-Up Translation • In this economy follow-up is sometimes difficult • Tie in an informational tidbit to the follow-up/thank you • Shows your usefulness and your instinct to provide information

30. Top MiSTAKES • Not really reading the job posting to analyze what they are looking for • Think of it as abstracting the posting • You can not have a standard list of skills without adjustment. Re-editing, deleting and re-writing are all a key part of the process. • Resumes written for another discipline • References from other disciplines • Interviewing without listening • Stressing negative issues • No follow-up • Lack of networking

31. Developing your Brand The _________brand represents: Positive Qualities – be specific (general statements like “accomplished”, “detail-oriented”, or “high energy” do not support and differentiate you). 1) 2)  3)

32. Developing your Brand  Accomplishments – Anything that leads to professional qualities 1) 2) 3)

33. Developing your Brand Unique Skills – Additional skills that lead to professional qualities. 1) 2) 3)

34. Developing your Brand  Remember Me - Reinforce 1) 2) 3)

35. Developing your Brand The __Katie__brand represents: Project-Directed – History of developing projects and seeing them through like creation of senior citizen programming at my branch. Collaborative – Shown strength in working with all the student groups to hold annual joint meeting. Understanding of Technology Applications – Broad exposure to applications but ability to evaluate and recommend when best to use a technology. Engaged branch in using Podcasting to broadcast instruction to new users, and began Twitter usage for outreach.

36. Developing your Brand Strong Communications Skills Was able to successfully work with a long-term problem patron by being patient and letting the person relax without feeling rushed. Excellent writing skills including a best student paper award in graduate school. Skilled in listening and keyed into understanding a user’s needs.

37. Developing your Brand Accomplishments Conceived and implemented Senior Citizens’ outreach including 1950s movies night, genealogy training and basic computer workshops. More than 50 people participated. Created standard procedures for using social networking tools in my local library. Acted as Team Leader and Moderator for student project. Worked to obtain team cohesiveness in a very polarized group. Successfully wrote and presented a paper resulting in an “A”.

38. Developing your Brand Unique Skills Python project Beta tested a new app Personal involvement in social media tools assists understanding of their place in information outreach

39. Developing your Brand Remember Me Understands outreach needs in both traditional and new ways. Strong communicator in patron interactions Positive problem solver

40. Contact Me • SIS Career Advising Page • http://students.SIS.wayne.edu/students/planning.php • Kim Schroeder • Lecturer/ Career Advisor • Work 313-577-9783 • ag1797@wayne.edu • Please send a resume prior to meeting with me.