In the search process, you may need to move from a general job search to a more specific one. These are some places to look for specific categories of jobs:
Field Specific Job Search
Idealist http://www.idealist.org/
Idealist allows you to search for a job with many specific qualifiers. A search can be done by location (country, state, town, etc.), keywords, area of focus (i.e., government, non-profit, etc.), job category, education required, languages required, and job types. As we know with other resources, however, you must be careful about narrowing too much as you may miss jobs you would otherwise be qualified for. This is a great place to start if you are looking for something in the government or non-profit (although those are two very different areas) sector.
USAJobs http://www.usajobs.gov/
USAJobs is an excellent place to begin looking for government jobs. However, it should be understood that not all government jobs are posted here. Only those agencies required by Title V to post their jobs on this website do so. For example, NARA is a Title V agency, so each and every job opening they have will be on USAJobs, while the Library of Congress is not, so although they do post many jobs on USAJobs, they do not post all of them here. In this case, it is critical to direct patrons to specific government websites (the Department of Defense, the Library of Congress, etc.). Upon discovering a job they are interested in, they may also be taken back to USAJobs to apply, but by going through the agency's website, they will be sure to receive a listing of all the jobs available.
Something unique to government jobs that no other organization requires are the KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, and Aptitude). These are 3-5 questions submitted with the application that will demonstrate what the candidate knows about the given position and how he or she is skilled to fill this job. Upon recommendation of the NARA HR Director, here are some tips for filling out those pesky KSAs:
Be as specific as possible. Use numbers and specific names in describing your experience (i.e., not, "I am familiar with Microsoft Office." but rather, "I used Microsoft Office in my previous job four hours a day on a daily basis."). Also, give specific examples that demonstrate the skills being sought.
Do not be humble. If you participated in a group project, don't talk about what "we" accomplished, talk about what you personally accomplished. Otherwise, the person reading your resume will not know who did the work and who should receive credit for it.
Refer to the job description often when writing the KSAs. Make sure you relate your resume and answers to exactly what is required of the next employee.
These are just a few tips to help you in your search for a government position. If you need clarification on a job description, make the effort to either contact the HR office for clarification or seek clarification from a reliable source (such as the Office of Personnel Management, the government agency that oversees hiring).
Associations for your profession
This is something librarians and archivists understand but that your patrons may not necessarily be familiar with. In our profession, we can join organizations such as the American Librarian's Association (ALA) and have access to their job search sites. Other professions have these organizations or unions as well. Websites for selected fields and associations can be found at the bottom of this page.
Location Specific Job Search
Riley Guide http://www.rileyguide.com//local.html Riley Guide International http://www.rileyguide.com/internat.html
Both Riley Guide and Riley Guide International are excellent resources when looking for a job in a specific location. You can search for specific keywords in the job title or description (you can actually choose to search these keywords in only the job title or in all areas of the description). After choosing keywords, the user can then select a country, state, city, or zip code to search in and a radius from this location they are willing to consider. In this way, those who move to a specific area of the country for any number of reasons can find reliable job positing near where they are either living or will live. Also, it can help determine what areas a given city seem to have more openings and can help in deciding where to move.
Craigslist http://www.craigslist.org
Craigslist allows the user to look for job postings in a specific city and area. One of the things to keep in mind when personally using this resource or sending a patron to this site is that not all postings are legitimate, and you should be careful when sending a resume in response to a vague posting. Also, many times it is more efficient to go directly to the website of the company posting the ad on Craigslist in order to find out more information about the position and fill out their specific application. Additionally, prepare your patrons to send out a plethora of resumes and hear back from very few of those who receive their resumes. Especially in the current economy, many, many people are applying for each and every position. Having a resume and cover letter that make you (or your patron) stand out to those receiving and having to sort through all those resumes.
Library Specific Job Search
Library Job Postings on the Internet http://www.libraryjobpostings.org/
This resource allows you to search library jobs in a variety of ways. You can select specific areas of the country to search or you can search via type of position (i.e., academic libraries, archives, school library media, etc.). Also the website provides a blog concerning jobs in the library field. They additionally provide a list of new sites as they are added to the search area of the website itself. Finally, you as a future employer can post positions to the site if you are seeking a candidate for your library. According to the website: "This site first came into being on May 1, 1995, and was originally hosted on the web space of the University of Michigan Libraries. Fourteen years later, this site receives an average of 11,500 hits and 1700 sessions (unique visits) every weekday." It is run by Sarah Johnson, Associate Professor of Library Services at Eastern Illinois University. She encourages feedback on how the website helps you in your job search.
LISjobs http://lisjobs.com/
LISjobs is probably one of the most all-inclusive site for librarians and to-be librarians. Not only does the site offer job searches, but it also provides information for employers (once you get to the stage of being on the hiring side of the interview table), career development, an online community, and education resources (including scholarships!). The online community allows you to interact with others in the field and get good advice from those already working in libraries. Also, the community provides a place to generally post your resume as well as view other resumes (maybe get some good ideas) and have employers look for you. Even though we have already begun our education journey, some of you may choose to continue for a PhD or simply are looking to have someone else pay for your classes next year--here's a great way to find out more about the scholarships available to library students and where you can continue your studies beyond UMD. Career development provides answers to questions about working as a librarian and a list of professional development classes and events you can attend to further you career (certifications look good on the resume!).
What most of you will be interested in now, though, is the job search function. You can search the general LISjobs postings or search for positions by state or in a state job bank. The general posting link will enable you to browse through positions or search by keywords for specific titles or areas. There are also international position postings and an RSS feed available to keep you up to date on positions as they become available. Not only can you search for jobs, but advice on searching for jobs and writing your resume is also available via this website. Keep in mind, however, that archives positions are not posted here. These will only be library postings. A better listing of archive positions will be available via the website above or listed here: (http://www.libraryjobpostings.org/archives.htm).
ALA Career Resources http://www.ala.org/ala/educationcareers/employment/index.cfm
ALA career and education resources are available for both members and non-members. There are a plethora of resources available to the librarian via this website. Resources available include career path advice, salary ranges and outlooks (salary requirements are sometimes part of a job application, so it's good to have an idea of what librarians are earning in your area), education resources, on-going professional development, and employment resources.
Employment re sources provide tips on searching for and obtaining a library position. It also gives a link to JobLIST, which ALA states is" your #1 source for careers in Library & Information Science and Technology. Online job ads, career resources, and more from C&RL News, American Libraries, and ALA's Human Resources Development and Recruitment." You can also search for positions specifically at ALA here. Finally, they offer a placement center which is available at each of their conferences. This year, ALA's annual conference will be held here in Washington, D.C., so be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to meet with potential employers and get advice on your resume and interviewing.
ALA's "JobLIST" enables you to search via keyword and city/state. There is also a general posting list that you can scroll through if you are not sure what you are looking for or how to specifically search for it. Through the part of ALA's website, you can register with ALA and post your resume for viewing by members and employers. Also available through registration is an RSS feed of positions and emails related to your specific job search. To use this resource, you only have to complete a free registration, not become an ALA member.
SLA Career Center http://careercenter.sla.org/search/
The SLA career center allows librarians in special library areas to search for jobs in a variety of ways. You can simply browse through the job listings or conduct a more specific search via keywords, job level, type of job, location, or category. Additionally, you can log in and save jobs you are interested in applying for later. Additionally, there is a browsing option where you can see how many positions are listed in specific categories, states/provinces, and countries. You can also create a job profile that will enable you to quickly apply for a variety of jobs via this site. This is another resource you must register with, but according to the site, more features are available to those who register rather than simply searching through the postings as a visitor.
UMCP Librarian Job Resource
Allan Rough, manager of the Non-print Media Services Library here at UMCP has offered to review resumes and cover letters for iSchool students before they send out applications. When I spoke with him, he wanted me to be sure and share that the most important thing to remember is that employers are not initially looking to keep you in the pool of applicants, they are looking for reasons to get rid of you to narrow the pool. Thus, it is vital that you present exactly how you match their requirements from the very beginning of the cover letter. Show specifically how you meet these requirements and/or reasonable substitutes (i.e., when education is accepted in place of experience) before delving into extraneous information. His contact information is:
Allan C. Rough
Manager, Non-print Media Services Library
0300 Hornbake Library
College Park, MD 20742-7011
TEL: (301)405-9225
Email: arough@umd.edu
(Most links provided via the Internet Public Library's "Associations on the Net" webpage. For more information or for more links specific to your search, please visit http://www.ipl.org/div/aon/.)
Step 3b: Searching for Jobs - Specific
In the search process, you may need to move from a general job search to a more specific one. These are some places to look for specific categories of jobs:Field Specific Job Search
Idealist
http://www.idealist.org/
Idealist allows you to search for a job with many specific qualifiers. A search can be done by location (country, state, town, etc.), keywords, area of focus (i.e., government, non-profit, etc.), job category, education required, languages required, and job types. As we know with other resources, however, you must be careful about narrowing too much as you may miss jobs you would otherwise be qualified for. This is a great place to start if you are looking for something in the government or non-profit (although those are two very different areas) sector.
USAJobs
http://www.usajobs.gov/
USAJobs is an excellent place to begin looking for government jobs. However, it should be understood that not all government jobs are posted here. Only those agencies required by Title V to post their jobs on this website do so. For example, NARA is a Title V agency, so each and every job opening they have will be on USAJobs, while the Library of Congress is not, so although they do post many jobs on USAJobs, they do not post all of them here. In this case, it is critical to direct patrons to specific government websites (the Department of Defense, the Library of Congress, etc.). Upon discovering a job they are interested in, they may also be taken back to USAJobs to apply, but by going through the agency's website, they will be sure to receive a listing of all the jobs available.
Something unique to government jobs that no other organization requires are the KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, and Aptitude). These are 3-5 questions submitted with the application that will demonstrate what the candidate knows about the given position and how he or she is skilled to fill this job. Upon recommendation of the NARA HR Director, here are some tips for filling out those pesky KSAs:
- Be as specific as possible. Use numbers and specific names in describing your experience (i.e., not, "I am familiar with Microsoft Office." but rather, "I used Microsoft Office in my previous job four hours a day on a daily basis."). Also, give specific examples that demonstrate the skills being sought.
- Do not be humble. If you participated in a group project, don't talk about what "we" accomplished, talk about what you personally accomplished. Otherwise, the person reading your resume will not know who did the work and who should receive credit for it.
- Refer to the job description often when writing the KSAs. Make sure you relate your resume and answers to exactly what is required of the next employee.
These are just a few tips to help you in your search for a government position. If you need clarification on a job description, make the effort to either contact the HR office for clarification or seek clarification from a reliable source (such as the Office of Personnel Management, the government agency that oversees hiring).Associations for your profession
This is something librarians and archivists understand but that your patrons may not necessarily be familiar with. In our profession, we can join organizations such as the American Librarian's Association (ALA) and have access to their job search sites. Other professions have these organizations or unions as well. Websites for selected fields and associations can be found at the bottom of this page.
Location Specific Job Search
Riley Guide
http://www.rileyguide.com//local.html
Riley Guide International
http://www.rileyguide.com/internat.html
Both Riley Guide and Riley Guide International are excellent resources when looking for a job in a specific location. You can search for specific keywords in the job title or description (you can actually choose to search these keywords in only the job title or in all areas of the description). After choosing keywords, the user can then select a country, state, city, or zip code to search in and a radius from this location they are willing to consider. In this way, those who move to a specific area of the country for any number of reasons can find reliable job positing near where they are either living or will live. Also, it can help determine what areas a given city seem to have more openings and can help in deciding where to move.
Craigslist
http://www.craigslist.org
Craigslist allows the user to look for job postings in a specific city and area. One of the things to keep in mind when personally using this resource or sending a patron to this site is that not all postings are legitimate, and you should be careful when sending a resume in response to a vague posting. Also, many times it is more efficient to go directly to the website of the company posting the ad on Craigslist in order to find out more information about the position and fill out their specific application. Additionally, prepare your patrons to send out a plethora of resumes and hear back from very few of those who receive their resumes. Especially in the current economy, many, many people are applying for each and every position. Having a resume and cover letter that make you (or your patron) stand out to those receiving and having to sort through all those resumes.
Library Specific Job Search
Library Job Postings on the Internet
http://www.libraryjobpostings.org/
This resource allows you to search library jobs in a variety of ways. You can select specific areas of the country to search or you can search via type of position (i.e., academic libraries, archives, school library media, etc.). Also the website provides a blog concerning jobs in the library field. They additionally provide a list of new sites as they are added to the search area of the website itself. Finally, you as a future employer can post positions to the site if you are seeking a candidate for your library. According to the website: "This site first came into being on May 1, 1995, and was originally hosted on the web space of the University of Michigan Libraries. Fourteen years later, this site receives an average of 11,500 hits and 1700 sessions (unique visits) every weekday." It is run by Sarah Johnson, Associate Professor of Library Services at Eastern Illinois University. She encourages feedback on how the website helps you in your job search.
LISjobs
http://lisjobs.com/
LISjobs is probably one of the most all-inclusive site for librarians and to-be librarians. Not only does the site offer job searches, but it also provides information for employers (once you get to the stage of being on the hiring side of the interview table), career development, an online community, and education resources (including scholarships!). The online community allows you to interact with others in the field and get good advice from those already working in libraries. Also, the community provides a place to generally post your resume as well as view other resumes (maybe get some good ideas) and have employers look for you. Even though we have already begun our education journey, some of you may choose to continue for a PhD or simply are looking to have someone else pay for your classes next year--here's a great way to find out more about the scholarships available to library students and where you can continue your studies beyond UMD. Career development provides answers to questions about working as a librarian and a list of professional development classes and events you can attend to further you career (certifications look good on the resume!).
What most of you will be interested in now, though, is the job search function. You can search the general LISjobs postings or search for positions by state or in a state job bank. The general posting link will enable you to browse through positions or search by keywords for specific titles or areas. There are also international position postings and an RSS feed available to keep you up to date on positions as they become available. Not only can you search for jobs, but advice on searching for jobs and writing your resume is also available via this website. Keep in mind, however, that archives positions are not posted here. These will only be library postings. A better listing of archive positions will be available via the website above or listed here: (http://www.libraryjobpostings.org/archives.htm).
ALA Career Resources
http://www.ala.org/ala/educationcareers/employment/index.cfm
ALA career and education resources are available for both members and non-members. There are a plethora of resources available to the librarian via this website. Resources available include career path advice, salary ranges and outlooks (salary requirements are sometimes part of a job application, so it's good to have an idea of what librarians are earning in your area), education resources, on-going professional development, and employment resources.
Employment re sources provide tips on searching for and obtaining a library position. It also gives a link to JobLIST, which ALA states is" your #1 source for careers in Library & Information Science and Technology. Online job ads, career resources, and more from C&RL News, American Libraries, and ALA's Human Resources Development and Recruitment." You can also search for positions specifically at ALA here. Finally, they offer a placement center which is available at each of their conferences. This year, ALA's annual conference will be held here in Washington, D.C., so be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to meet with potential employers and get advice on your resume and interviewing.
ALA's "JobLIST" enables you to search via keyword and city/state. There is also a general posting list that you can scroll through if you are not sure what you are looking for or how to specifically search for it. Through the part of ALA's website, you can register with ALA and post your resume for viewing by members and employers. Also available through registration is an RSS feed of positions and emails related to your specific job search. To use this resource, you only have to complete a free registration, not become an ALA member.
SLA Career Center
http://careercenter.sla.org/search/
The SLA career center allows librarians in special library areas to search for jobs in a variety of ways. You can simply browse through the job listings or conduct a more specific search via keywords, job level, type of job, location, or category. Additionally, you can log in and save jobs you are interested in applying for later. Additionally, there is a browsing option where you can see how many positions are listed in specific categories, states/provinces, and countries. You can also create a job profile that will enable you to quickly apply for a variety of jobs via this site. This is another resource you must register with, but according to the site, more features are available to those who register rather than simply searching through the postings as a visitor.
UMCP Librarian Job Resource
Allan Rough, manager of the Non-print Media Services Library here at UMCP has offered to review resumes and cover letters for iSchool students before they send out applications. When I spoke with him, he wanted me to be sure and share that the most important thing to remember is that employers are not initially looking to keep you in the pool of applicants, they are looking for reasons to get rid of you to narrow the pool. Thus, it is vital that you present exactly how you match their requirements from the very beginning of the cover letter. Show specifically how you meet these requirements and/or reasonable substitutes (i.e., when education is accepted in place of experience) before delving into extraneous information. His contact information is:
Allan C. Rough
Manager, Non-print Media Services Library
0300 Hornbake Library
College Park, MD 20742-7011
TEL: (301)405-9225
Email: arough@umd.edu
Selected Field-specific/Association provided Job websites
Below are some association websites that provide career information or job postings that can be useful when patrons are looking for jobs:The American Accounting Association: http://careercenter.aaahq.org/home/index.cfm?site_id=7376
The American Institute of Ceritified Public Accountants: http://www.aicpa.org/Career+Development+and+Workplace+Issues/
Association of MBAs: http://www.mbaworld.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=30
National Association of Realtors: http://www.realtor.org/
American Marketing Association: http://www.marketingpower.com/Careers/Pages/default.aspx
Financial Management Association: http://69.175.2.130/~finman/Placement/PlacementIndex.htm
IEEE Computer Socitey: http://www.computer.org/portal/web/buildyourcareer/home
Association of Information Technology Professionals (login required): http://www.aitp.org/index.jsp
EDUCAUSE: http://www.educause.edu/jobs?tid=16500&page_id=38&bhcp=1
MENC, The National Association of Music Educators: http://www.menc.org/careers/
National Art Education Association: http://www.arteducators.org/olc/pub/NAEA/careers/
The American Association of School Librarians: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aasleducation/educationcareers.cfm
American School Counselor Association: http://www.schoolcounselor.org/content.asp?pl=325&sl=133&contentid=133
K-12 job postings can be found at District (or town, depending on school area grouping) Human Resources pages. Also positions can often be found on websites for specific subject associations.
Higher Education positions can be found on College and University Human Resource pages.
American Association of School Administrators: http://www.aasa.org/YourCareer.aspx
National Cosmetology Association: http://behindthechair.com/jobs/start.aspx
National Business Travel Association: http://www2.nbta.org/USA/PROFESSIONALDEVELOPMENT/Pages/Default.aspx
American Medical Association: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/education-careers.shtml
American Nurses Association: http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/CertificationandAccreditation.aspx
American Dietetic Association: http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/career.html
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association: http://www.asha.org/careers/
American Bar Association: http://www.abanet.org/careercounsel/home.html?gnav=global_memberresources_careercenter
National Association of Legal Secretaries: http://careers.nals.org/
Association for Facilities Engineering: http://www.jobtarget.com/home/index.cfm?site_id=128
National Society of Professional Engineers: http://www.nspe.org/Employment/index.html
American Counseling Association: http://www.counseling.org/CareerCenter/
American Sociological Association: http://jobbank.asanet.org/jobbank/index.cfm
Jobs in music performance/teaching/administration: http://www.musicalchairs.info/OrchJobsUSNavEnglish.htm
(Most links provided via the Internet Public Library's "Associations on the Net" webpage. For more information or for more links specific to your search, please visit http://www.ipl.org/div/aon/.)