Hiring Outlook Positive (for graduating class) according to NACE

According to NACE the outlook for new college grads is better than last year, based on the data for their 2011 survey. Their numbers of survey respondents are low, but the amount of hiring that these respondents do is impressive, so it is good news, if only a forecast.

Young, childless women make more than men

This came my way via BNET, but that article had a weird analysis with suggesting how to appeal to these young womens' wallets.

The firm that conducted the research, Reach Advisors, provides more of the popular press reaction to their study.

Gallery of Best Resumes for People Without a Four-Year Degree by David F. Noble

Part of a series of Gallery of...resume and cover letter resume writing advice, Gallery of Best Resumes for People Without a Four-Year Degree is written for people who have extensive industry experience, who have an associate or two-year degree, or who are competing for a position where a four-year degree isn't necessary and they may have some other type of certification. Students who are transitioning from high school to college or if they are looking for an internship will also find useful advice in this book. There are plenty of jobs, as Noble rightly points out, where a four-year degree is not necessary (such as paralegal) and the assumption shouldn't be made that everyone who uses this book is a college drop out. Samples include senior and mid- level administrators, law enforcement and emergency services professionals, real estate and construction professionals to name only a few of the industries represented in this book.

The book also includes unusual examples, such as the sample resume for a two-person team that worked as apartment managers. This is the first of this type of resume that I have ever seen, but I am sure that in this industry there are many "teams" of managers that could advertise their services on the same document.

There is also basic resume formatting and grammar advice for cover letters presented in a simple point-by -point style. The resume writers that submitted resumes are all identified in the back of the book so the reader can check them out for additional information or to engage their resume writing services if they wished.

Systems and Digital Resources Librarian

This one is from the American Association of Law Libraries Career Center. It popped up in my Tweetdeck auto search for librarian AND job

Systems and Digital Resources Librarian
Department: Law Library Center (208)
Department Number: 208
Location: Morningside
Summary Description: The Arthur W. Diamond Law Library of Columbia University invites applications and nominations for the position of Systems and Digital Resources Librarian.This position has primary responsibility for leading the selection, migration and implementation of a new, preferably open source, library system while managing the effective use of the library's current electronic resources, services and systems.

Reporting to the Head of Technical Services, the Systems and Digital Resources Librarian will:

• Lead the selection, migration and implementation of a new library system.
• Ensure the effective administration, coordination and provision of support for all aspects of existing library automation and operating technology.
• Continue development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure accurate acquisitions and monitoring of electronic resources.
• Coordinate the continued development and maintenance of a library website that responds to the needs of library patrons for the dynamic delivery of library content and services.
• Educate and assist the Law Library staff in implementing appropriate technology to enhance fulfillment of its mission.

One of the world's leading research universities, Columbia provides outstanding opportunities to work and grow in a unique intellectual community. Set in the Morningside Heights academic village, Columbia also presents the unmatched dynamism, diversity and cultural richness of New York City. The University Libraries, grounded in collections of remarkable depth and breadth, are also building extensive electronic resources and services. The Libraries at Columbia are committed to collegiality, professionalism, innovation and leadership.

We offer a salary commensurate with qualifications and experience and excellent benefits including 100% Columbia tuition exemption for self and family and assistance with University housing. Columbia will also pay 50% tuition for your dependent child who is a candidate for an undergraduate degree at another accredited college or university.
School/Institute/Unit: Libraries
Minimum Degree Required: MLS or PhD or equivalent

Minimum Qualifications:

All applicants MUST meet these minimum qualifications to be considered for the position. The ideal candidate for this position will be an enthusiastic, well-organized librarian with the experience and ability to work in a large, academic law library environment with staff at many different levels of technical capability. In addition, he or she will have an ALA-accredited MLS, or equivalent combination of education & experience; knowledge of electronic legal information sources; the ability to manage an ILS migration and the library's electronic resources services; strong background with technology including experience with scripting languages such as Python, Perl or Ruby; knowledge of library metadata , including harvesting and repurposing of existing data; excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Professional work experience in an academic law library;
• experience building web applications;
• familiarity with open source content management such as Drupal;
• knowledge of electronic resources management and its integration into workflow;
• JD or equivalent experience with the unique content and research needs of the law school community.

Additional Information:
Posting Date: 09-13-2010
Closing Date: Open Until Filled

Great Myth of the Librarian Grays

The Guardienne of the Tomes has a great post on the myth of the librarian grays, or how the graying of the profession would lead to new and exciting (and many) jobs for new library school grads.

I also really appreciated her comment that librarians can leave the library--you can come back later or you can look for work that isn't in public or academic libraries. IMHO library schools give short shrift to librarians that work outside of these two realms, outright ignoring special librarians or self-employed librarians. I think library schools should place more emphasis on "non-traditional" library jobs or self-employment options.

New Spice: Study like a scholar

And...welcome to September.

ALA-APA Salary Survey: Librarian - Public and Academic released

ALA-APA Salary Survey: Librarian - Public and Academic released and the ALA press release about the data.

Yeah, so I missed it. It's September; sue me.

Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

Rework is a business inspiration book by the founders of 37signals. Rework examines some of the basic tenets of entrepreneurship and running a business and the authors give their own suggestions about why some of these tenets don't work or why the assumptions are false. Some of their ideas include starting a business while keeping your day job, starting a business with your own capital and not turning to the bank or outside funders, and committing to your idea, rather than building a company with the expectation that the sale of the company will allow you to retire--and someone else will profit immensely, or dismantle, your idea.

I really enjoyed the essays in the book, since they were short, punchy and not filled with data and numbers. The essays are about what they feel worked for them and their company, and what they think will help entrepreneurs (ahem, starters) in building their own business. The book is also free of jargon and about using common sense and less hierarchy and delegation to get tasks done. It also about trying new things, learning how to revise and not second guessing every possible outcome without even testing a hypothesis or new technique.

I think I will employ some of their ideas. For example, I love their idea about lists where they suggest that long lists and/or prioritization does not help a list get done. They suggest breaking down lists into much smaller digestible parts, such as a list of one hundred into a list of ten--so when you cross off one item on the list, 10% is completed. And you also get the charge out of completing a major portion which encourages you to tackle the rest. I also liked the "hire great writers" since you know that they can think and communicate clearly--though we know great thinking, like great writing, may need more than one draft or some time to reflect. Putting the back office on the front lines is also another extremely good idea since it can decrease miscommunications and help the "management" understand the clients and their concerns.

This is a good book for a person who needs the courage to start or sustain their own sideline work or for a new manager who just wants some ideas about how to run their ship, especially if they believe that less management is better.

Rework

Why business books are bad for you from BNET

"Most business books are air sandwiches". I like that and sadly it is sometimes true. I also avoid any business book that includes "inspirational" in a cover blurb.

What's your job geography IQ?

This is a cool little quiz from HRPeople that asks where, by state, major companies like GM, Whole Foods and Marriot maintain their headquarters. If you have someone who is stalking the Fortune 500 for a job (yes, they really get that fixated) this might be something fun to test their and your knowledge.

Caveat: You have to sign in to have access to the results, which completely annoyed the heck out of me. They sent me a temporary password with a blank password field. Since they issued it, I kinda need that info. No, entering my email and pressing "enter" without a password didn't work. So, cute but dumb.

Knockout job interview presentations by Rebecca Cornfield

So, you've been asked to do a presentation as part of your interview, but you have no idea how to prepare. Or you have done some presentations at interviews and think they are the reason why you have not gotten the job offer. Knockout job interview presentations will explain how to prepare for interview presentations, even if the presentation topic isn't presented to you in advance, what employers are looking for in presentations and how to get feedback on your presentation and your delivery.

For librarians that are preparing for an interview that has a presentation component (usually academic library positions), this book will probably help if you have never given a presentation before or if your presentation experience is limited. If you are already a great presenter or instructor, but you are not quite sure why an employer would want you to present at an interview, this book will help you understand how an employer mindset might be different from a student mindset.

This book is also a very quick read, since I was through it within an afternoon, so you could easily include this book as part of your interview "homework".

Two postings from Red Deer Public Library

The postings with the contact information appear on the Red Deer Public Library Employment Opportunities. They both close on September 17, 2010.

Teen Services Librarian (Librarian 1)
Full-time , Permanent (35 hours per week, varied schedules)


Red Deer Public Library is looking for an outgoing and enthusiastic Teen Services Librarian who has a passion for making a difference in our community!

Do you thrive on working with teens and delivering excellent customer service? Are you excited about planning and delivering services in collaboration with diverse communities? Are you comfortable with serving teens in the mezz, our teen space at Red Deer Public Library's Downtown Branch, as well as meeting new people outside traditional library settings? Are you a team player?

Under the direction of the Youth Services Librarian, you will be actively involved in planning, promoting and delivering library services to teens with the help of Library Assistants from the Youth Services Department. You will be responsible for front-line customer service, within and beyond the walls of the library, to customers from a wide range of cultural, economic, social and educational backgrounds. You will be active in community engagement (including outreach and community consultation), staff training and coaching, and collection promotion. You will also be a member of the Library's Management Team and have the opportunity to attend and present at library conferences.

Qualifications

Minimum academic requirement is a Masters of Library Science degree from an ALA accredited library school with two years of related experience, ideally in a public library, serving a diverse clientele (preferably teens). A passion for community and customer service is essential, along with the ability to work effectively outside of traditional library activities and settings, and the capacity to adapt readily to shifting priorities and new service directions. Superior interpersonal, communication, presentation and collaboration skills are essential. Personal commitment to the Canadian Library Association Position Statements on Intellectual Freedom and on Diversity and Inclusion is essential. A working knowledge of a language other than English is an asset. Must have the ability to travel throughout the community and to work varied shifts including evenings and weekends.

Salary for the position ranges from $53,472 to $63,955 per year, with an excellent benefits package. 

Information Technology Librarian (Librarian 1)Full Time, Permanent

Red Deer Public Library is inviting applications for an Information Technology (I.T. ) Librarian.

Winner of the 2005 Canadian Library Association Information Today Award for Innovative Technology, the Library is an innovative organization committed to ensuring community access to the universe of information, experience, and ideas through the creative use of technology. A revitalization of the Dawe Branch library has just been completed, including the conversion of the collection to RFID technology, as well as the implementation of 2 self-checkout units on site. Plans are currently underway to upgrade several key components of the library's technological infrastructure, including the network switching fabric, e-mail system, Office 2007 migration, ILS and OPAC software, and VOIP telephone system.

The I.T. Department at Red Deer Public Library is responsible for ensuring the reliable operation of all Library systems, including the library catalog, IP telephony system, security camera system, web and mail servers, network security, and public Internet gateway service. All members of the I.T. department provide technical support and troubleshooting for the Library's hardware, network, operating system and applications software support.

Reporting to the Assistant Director, the I.T. Librarian will be an integral member of the I.T. team at Red Deer Public Library. He/she will have the responsibility for managing the library's SirsiDynix Unicorn/Symphony integrated library system, as well as the library's web site content management system (Drupal). As well, the I.T. Librarian will take a lead role in staff and customer training. The IT Librarian is a member of the Library's Management Team.

The ideal candidate has

• Experience and interest in library automation, the Internet and the World-Wide Web, network development and network security.
• Excellent communication, problem solving, decision making, and time management skills
• Strong customer service orientation.
• MLS/MLIS degree from an ALA-accredited Library School.

Salary for the position ranges from $53,472 to $63,955 per year, with an excellent benefits package.