CEO Income Compared to Average Worker from the Company, an Infographic from PayScale.com

Use a Google Map to Find a Job

In the past, our centre has suggested using WalkScore if you need to find a job within walking distance of your home, but Career Services at Penn State Abingdon has created a very useful video about how to find a job using the Search nearby feature in Google Maps.


And don't think that people who want a job within walking distance are lazy; they have legitimate reasons to need a job close by. It is possible that they have family members (children or elderly relatives) who may need them in an emergency; They may not be able to afford a car/afford gas. We should not also not demand that people put their money into vehicles or gas when they are saving for a term abroad, or when they are using their savings so they can live without a salary when they take an unpaid internship that is supposed to help them move their career forward.

Work in your overlap

Finding the intersection of three things that you like to do and can practice enough to do well, and building up those abilities to a career is good advice.

Tactics for Library Job Hunting in a Tough Market from ALA Webinars

Despite a few technical difficulties, and ten minutes of sponsor introductions, the presentation was ok. It was pretty obvious she was reading from a script and though her reading had a nice rhythm, it lacked spontaneity, and I felt she did better with questions. In addition, most of this advice was pretty general: treat your job search as a full-time job, network, take a computer course and make a professional impression. This is the basic package. 

Labor Market Assessment

The presenter identified the following "hot" areas for jobs:

• More technical: As a library student, I would have greeted this comment with, why didn't I go to school for computer science? And this also neglects the very real trend for outsourcing programming to where the programmers are much cheaper (China, India, Eastern Europe). However, you can at least see if this area is for you by checking out some free resources, like Codeacademy, and by looking for coding events in your area, such indie game development or open government events, where you can work with coders on their projects. Don't be a watcher, be actively helpful: your coding skills may be lacking, but you might be able to supply music, write a Kickstarter proposal, voice a zombie, or be a tester.
• Archivists are hot (!)  which leads us to another area that is not always touched on in library schools, though you might go to a school that offers a specialization in archives, or at least one course. If you want to try this area out, see if you can get a summer job on your campus (larger campuses have at least one specialized museum that may include an archive) or if your state/provincial archive has paid internships in the summer, or can afford to give a recent grad an internship after graduation.
• Working with children: I have to disagree with this one, since there are many reports of teacher-librarians-- and many of these jobs were only open to certified teachers orginally--and public librarians, who offer many of the services for children outside of school, losing their jobs. However, if this is your area look for cities that have maintained a healthy regional economy, or try to find a job in a private or online school.

Personally, I would have suggested specialized libraries, especially health libraries, where more health professionals are looking for curatorial services or even assistance with evidence-based medicine. In addition, some researchers have funds to hire a librarian as a researcher and information organizer. Students that picked up a few science courses, or even an undergraduate degree in science or one of the health sciences, may want to go back and talk with their former colleagues and alumni to see if there are opportunities available.

Was she kidding?

She also really got my knickers in a twist when she called volunteer work and internships "resume padding" and suggested taking jobs that lasted less than a year off of the resume. And this was in the advice for new grads! Summer jobs do not last a year and most college students get their first, and very valid, experience in an internship. Every potential employer has treated my volunteer work with respect and it probably got me quite a few interviews when I lacked long term library experience. I also know for a fact that my volunteer work got me my first job in a library. However, my volunteer experience was long term and I was able to talk about it as highly transferrable to libraries. You can't spin handing out drinks at a race refreshment station into applicable volunteer work, so I would call that resume padding, but not all volunteer work is short term and non-professional, especially if you were a teacher or grant writer. She appeared to change her mind about this during the Q & A period, so maybe this was just a misstep in the original speech.

And the two page cover letter advice! She was so right to say that this is really unkind to an employer. The purpose of the resume and cover letter is to get an interview, where you will have time to talk about your experience fully. Thinking that if you can say everything you can do will get you an interview is actually a big mistake. Cover letters demonstrate your ability to communicate succinctly and on point, so brevity is a virtue. If you don't get an invitation to at least a screening interview with a one page cover letter, you definitely won't get one with a two page cover letter.

Basically, this was an introductory presentation and I give them credit for a good Q & A period, but it could have been made a bit smoother with some practice on the platform for all of the speakers.

What is Google+?

Google+ has had a lot of press and this post is just a summary of some of the more interesting articles I have seen so far about the service.

The US Navy has released a guide to Google+ with plenty of links and resources, which includes this video that explains why you may want to accept an invite (and be assimilated, but that was probably an accidental irony).

Canadian Business also had a very good article about the competing models of Facebook and Google+, which may also help users decide if they want to accept the invite to Google+ and just what is in it for them (and Google).

And although I object to the use of "rockin"--which is on my blacklist next to "bitchin" and "synergize"--to describe a profile (or anything else), I liked many of the practical ideas in this CareerWorx slideshare about using Google+ for recruitment. This means I'm probably going to have to make a screencast about how to use Hangouts for interviews.

CareerWorx Google Plus Recruiting Strategy

View more presentations from Maysoun Mohamed

Right now, you can bleat all you want about Google+ but until your friends are on it, you probably aren't going to use it. And the longer it takes for them to get there, the quicker your attention will wane.

How America turned poverty into a crime by Barbara Ehreneich

How America turned poverty into a crime is an essay by Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed, Bait and Switch and, most recently, Bright-sided, takes a look at poverty in America in the wake of the meltdown and the changes that have occurred in the past ten years since the publication of Nickel and Dimed.

The Girl's Guide to Homelessness by Brianna Karp

During her homeless year, Brianna Karp chronicled her homeless experience on the blog The Girl's Guide to Homelessness. She was young, educated and according to her own account, had worked for over a decade, even as a teenager, at a variety of jobs that left her with plenty of marketable skills. When she was suddenly laid off from a job that she loved, she was forced to move back in with her parents, though coming back into the household with her abusive mother would not make this a long stay. However, Brianna was resourceful: she was able to use the unexpected inheritance of a trailer and move onto a local Walmart parking lot, find a place to shower and soon a job--though she did remain homeless, she was able to enter a community of homeless activists.

And she also met the man she thought she would marry. A significant portion of the book is devoted to her romance with a man from Scotland who would ultimately abandon her, and in the cruelest of ironies for a homeless activist, abandon her to the elements in the middle of winter. (Yeah, asshole is not quite the word...)

Brianna is remarkably resilient, turning a string of misfortunes into a job, a blog, a book deal and finally finding a stable job, at least at the time of the epilogue, and a place in the homeless activist community.

Caveat emptor: If you have any association with the Jehovah's Witnesses, you may not be happy with Brianna's depiction of the church or their position on several issues, or how she categorizes the group as a "cult"; however, she is basing her description on her experience with the church. I would also like to give a fair warning for the brief depictions of child sexual and physical abuse. These warnings should not scare readers off from the book, especially since I think it is an important book for librarians who have no or limited experience with homelessness, to read, since many homeless people use libraries for places to job search, research and rest, and Brianna's book does put a youthful, educated, female face on homelessness after the recent recession.

4 entry level jobs at University of Iowa

This came through a tweet from @wendyrlibrarian: 4 entry level jobs at University of Iowa

Malled by Caitlin Kelly

In 2007, Kelly, at that time a freelance journalist, decided to take a part time job in retail so that she would always have some dependable funds in her account for living expenses. When she heard about a new North Face store opening up in a suburban mall, she decided to apply there and despite her lack of experience in retail, but plenty of life and travel experience, as well as fluency in two other languages than English, the management at the new store decided to hire her. According to Kelly, she was a consistent top-seller at her store, and the store that she was employed at was one of the top performing stores for that company.

Kelly's account as a retail salesperson and her examination of the industry focuses on two areas: how poorly retail salespeople are paid and how poorly they are treated by the customers that they are there to help, despite how essential they are to the company and the lipservice that companies pay to the quality of their customer service. She talks about the makeup of the staff at her store: usually minorities (though, minority to who and where? I always wonder), but well educated and ambitious, some with college degrees, others are former military, some are single parents, but they all seemed to be trapped on the retail roller coaster, moving on or up only if they can escape retail. Retail sales is not a career, Kelly argues, you can barely make a living at it, the physical demands are enormous, there is no concern for perfecting a professional salesforce, and the staff just doesn't seem to care--but they would do anything to get out of their retail jobs.

Kelly describes how the corporate focus on the bottom line means that frontline sales staff will remain poorly paid--supposedly shareholders don't want to pay salespeople more, but shareholders are always the villains--and not given adequate tools to perform their jobs. Indeed, the fact that many corporations are apparently clueless about sales, ergonomics, customers and products, is a recurrent theme in the book. The corporate mindset appears as inexplicable and implacable as Kafka's Castle.

A different generation?

I think it may be a generational difference, but I am surprised that she was shocked by how retail salespeople are treated, mainly because almost every person I know has had some experience working in retail as a teenager or young adult. This was Kelly's first experience on the other side of the till (or cash wrap, as she prefers) and at times she appears a little naive at how craptastic a job in retail can be.

She is right about one thing: it is not going to get better for retail workers unless customers stop shopping at stores with crummy service, and who become know for treating their sales associates poorly, as well as for crummy products. And though I liked the book and the immersive journalism, Kelly could have gotten that response from any teenager on their first job--and I would have liked to hear more about how teenagers and young adults can be exploited by this industry, in addition to the few glimpses of mature workers who, after the economic downturn, found themselves working in retail.

I might have enjoyed Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed more, but I still think that Malled is an important part of the immersive journalism literature on workplaces.

Intern Nation by Ross Perlin

In Intern Nation, Ross Perlin tracks the development of the internship and its implications for labor, especially when unpaid interns replace paid workers, usually engaged in administrative tasks. Perlin begins his discussion by describing the internships offered by Disney--and finds them sadly lacking, if not exploitative, though a typical example of how fall the internship has fallen. He describes the development of the internship, possibly from early guild apprenticeships into their current modern form. Perlin examines the internship labor market in the United States, what makes a quality internship, and some of the characteristics of a demeaning and time-wasting work experience, and the potential rise, and resistance, to the spread of American style internships in the rest of the world.

Perlin also argues that without an internship it is becoming increasingly difficult to pursue the career that a person has gone to college for, such as in journalism, fashion and design, and if you can't work for free for a long period. Parents and loans are increasingly subsidizing students to take on unpaid internships and the cost can be high, considering that some internships can last for a year, could be undertaken in series and offered in places, such as Washington DC, where the cost of living is quite high. And, as others have asked, just who can afford these internships and pay for their children while engaged in these experiences? If it comes down to cost, what about the quality of the interns, if they are not selected based on merit? What does it mean for workplace diversity? And finally, is a college student shut out of their chosen career because they cannot afford to work for free for a long period of time? Perlin's answers are that if internships continues on the path they are on, qualified candidates will be shut out and homogeneity will be a significant issue in the culture and media industries which are currently permeated by free and serial internships.

Perlin sees the internship as part of the increase on the reliance of contingent labor by employers, which others might argue is part of the freedom seeking "free agent nation", and identifies a European term, precarity, to show that internships, and other contingent labor, devalue work and extinguish hope in career security, or the freedom to enter and pursue a career based on the education the person has attained. Internships affect a significant proportion of the population that are pursuing a college education and who believe that a college education will allow them to further their career plans--though many of the signs are showing, as Perlin argues, that without an internship, or three, the value of a college education is diminished, unless the student is in a legally protected profession, from pursuing a white collar career.

There are some minor editing and proofreading issues in the book, but they do not diminish the importance of the argument. Personally, I feel this is an important landmark book on the study of internships.


Authors@Google


From the Advisory: Training and Employment Guidance Letter NO. 12-09

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has developed the six factors below to evaluate whether a worker is a trainee or an employee for purposes of the FLSA:

1. The training, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to what would be given in a vocational school or academic
educational instruction;
2. The training is for the benefit of the trainees;
3. The trainees do not displace regular employees, but work under their close observation;
4. The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the trainees, and on occasion the employer’s operations may actually be impeded;
5. The trainees are not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the training period; and
6. The employer and the trainees understand that the trainees are not entitled to wages for the time spent in training.

Further Reading

Employment Law Rights of Student Interns (Abstract).
Intern Nation Author Ross Perlin: Interns Need A Bill Of Rights. The Gothamist
Trickle down unemployment and corporate sleight of hand by James Marshall Reilly, about how  low pay or no pay internships are replacing entry-level employment.
Unpaid Intern, Legal or Not. NYT April 2, 2010

Other Coverage:

Book challenges rise of the Intern Nation. Careers on MSNBC.com (from Associated Press). April 20, 2011.
Canada Turning Into Intern Nation. National Post. June 11, 2011.
Intern Nation. Inside Higher Ed. April 15, 2011.
"Intern Nation": Are we exploiting a generation of workers?. Salon.com. May 29, 2011.
Intern Nation: Overdue And Under-Delivered. Business Insider. May 4, 2011. (Not a favorable review of the book, but left me wondering if the review's author had read more than the first chapter.)
Intern Nation- Review. The Guardian. May 7, 2011. (Includes a story about an auction of  prestigious internships at a political event in the UK.)
Intern Nation- Review. The Observer. May 15, 2011.
Intern Nation - Review. The Telegraph (UK). June 5, 2011.

Intern Nation: How to Earn Nothing and Learn Little in the Brave New Economy

Apply with LinkedIn button

Since LinkedIn had it's IPO, the company has been rolling out several new tools. One of those tools is the Apply with LinkedIn button, which allows job applicants to for a position by submitting their LinkedIn profile

Follow Companies on LinkedIn

LinkedIn has had a Follow Companies feature for a while, and it means exactly that: follow companies and their updates within LinkedIn, without being connected to anyone in the company. Once you follow a company, you can see who in your network is employed at that company, and how distant your relationship is.

The image above shows a snapshot of the Harlequin company profile on LinkedIn. You can see a blurb about the company, information about anyone in your alumni group that is employed at the organization, as well as your LinkedIn connections to people in that company. Clicking on the Careers tab will also show any available jobs, as posted on Linkedin (though you are usually redirected to the company website for an application). If you explored the New Hires tab, you could see the profiles of new hires, as much as that user allows according to their privacy settings.

You can also see any employee traffic, such as position changes or promotions, that the user has recorded on LinkedIn, as well as links to mentions about the company in the news, as shown below.

For librarians, there are many libraries listed on LinkedIn, as well as publishing, software and tech companies, in addition to the universities and colleges, not to mention the many companies who may have a special library in your preferred industry, such as law, finance, manufacturing, or healthcare, just to name a few. It can't hurt to start monitoring their activity on LinkedIn.

However this is only the activity recorded within LinkedIn. For example, if a person does not update their profile when they move to a new company, you may not know if a company has made a new hire. The Follow Company feature still provides very useful information about organizations, their employee turnover, the number of hires that they are making, and indicates if you have anyone in your online network who could get you closer to a permanent or contract position or offer a recommendation.

The Unemployed Need Not Apply

Catherine Rampell's piece in the NYTs The Help-Wanted Sign Comes With a Frustrating Asterisk exposes how some employers are discriminating against applicants that are unemployed, while pointing out that "the average duration of unemployment today is nine months". However, discrimination on this point is not really discrimination since unemployment is not a "protected ground", though the article does list some states that are prohibiting this practice in job ads.

I really liked The Cynical Girl's response when she pointed out that HR should not participate in this practice and that there is probably a method that the major job boards could use to remove job postings with an "unemployed candidates need not apply" caveat.

Chronicle releases Great Colleges to Work for

The third edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education's Great Colleges to Work For survey was released in late July 2011. This is a useful resource for any librarian that is researching positions in an academic setting in the US.

According to the methodology over 43000 people were surveyed at 275 institutions, with approximately 14000 "professional staff members" responding to the survey--it is possible that librarians were categorized as either faculty members or professional staff members, which would probably depend on how the institution categorizes them.

The summary of the results can be sorted by institution size, 2 year and 4 year institution, as well as by the category to see which institutions were recognized in that area.

Subscribers will probably receive a print edition of the survey as an insert; if you are not a subscriber, but you are determinedly researching academic librarian positions, you may want to consider purchasing your own copy.

Visual Resources and Public Services Librarian Cornell University

This job came via an alert on TweetDeck, through Indeed, scraped from Diverse Jobs, pulled from Cornell University postings. I think this would be a great job for person with an undergraduate degree in fine (visual) arts, or a person who has experience working in a fine arts or civil engineering/architecture library.

Description

Cornell University Library seeks an experienced and innovative public services professional to serve in a new position: the Visual Resources and Public Services Librarian. Working under the direction of the Director of the Music and Fine Arts Libraries, the VR&PS Librarian will serve as the primary point of contact for students, faculty and staff in the College of Architecture, Art and Planning on topics related to finding and using digital image resources; the person in the position will also serve as a visual resources contact person for library staff and other members of the Cornell community. In addition, the individual will oversee outreach and instruction in the Fine Arts Library, as well as providing one-on-one assistance through consultations and reference. The individual in this position should have a deep working knowledge of current visual resources and their associated digital technologies for research, teaching and presentation purposes. She/he should also demonstrate a commitment to understanding, evaluating, and implementing emerging technologies based on their pedagogical uses within the fields of architecture, art, planning, design, and landscape architecture and be able to facilitate the transition from traditional visual media to digital media. A record of and commitment to effective and dynamic service to all patron groups, and demonstrated successful interpersonal skills are required to succeed in this position.

The VR Librarian will work closely with faculty and students to ascertain their needs and how to effectively integrate new resources into the evolving curricula of the departments. The individual must take a pro-active role in helping faculty and students navigate the wide range of services available through CUL and various campus entities. He/she will take an active role in CUL’s Visual Resources Working Group, and will work synergistically with librarians and digital consultants throughout the library system and campus community to inform and coordinate the support of visual and digital image resources on a campus-wide basis.

The VR Librarian will be responsible for the purchase and promotion of new discipline-specific image resources at both the local and institutional levels. Other responsibilities include: visual and information literacy instruction, research consultations, workshop development and presentation. Promotional activities include: curatorial responsibility for digital displays of new materials in public areas; keeping the library website up-to-date with information on resources and technological tools and applications; and use of social media technologies to connect users with both subscription-based and freely available image content. This individual will also serve as a liaison to appropriate information technology personnel. She/he will work closely with the Architecture Librarian & Coordinator of Collections to provide a wide range of outstanding services to the user community.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to work successfully with a team of staff within an art, architecture, fine arts, or design library setting.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to foster effective working relationships with faculty, students, staff, and library colleagues.
• The successful candidate should have at least two years of academic library experience, and an understanding of and enthusiasm for new technologies and their application in the evolving academic/information environment. Involvement in, or interest in becoming involved in appropriate professional associations. A
• graduate degree or equivalent experience in an art or design field and an M.L.S. or equivalent degree from an accredited institution are required.

Background:

Cornell’s College of Architecture, Art, and Planning is one of the university's seven endowed colleges, and the departments of architecture and planning are consistently ranked near the top of their fields nationally. AAP is committed to the belief that art and design are simultaneously intellectual and material practices, and that leadership in cultural production demands deep expertise both in a specific discipline and in the liberal arts. Students and faculty in the College make extensive use of visual materials in their teaching and research.
With the completion of the College’s new studio addition Milstein Hall, AAP is reprogramming portions of the existing buildings, including the existing FAL. The FAL is scheduled to move from Sibley Hall into Rand Hall in the near future, triggering both a spatial and programmatic reconceptualization of the library to fully integrate new technologies and innovative space usage. The College recently moved away from slides as the principle medium of visual images, and the VR Librarian will need to provide to a high level of service in assisting with this transition. The faculty, students and administration of the college will turn to the VR Librarian for leadership and vision in realizing a world-class, contemporary art and design library.

Cornell University is an Ivy League comprehensive research university located in Ithaca in the scenic Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. The town and university offer a unique cosmopolitan and international atmosphere in a beautiful natural setting of waterfalls, gorges, and lakes. The university comprises 14 schools with over 2,700 faculty members and nearly 21,600 students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. The Cornell University Library is a vigorous professional organization with a strong track record in innovation and service quality. It contains nearly 8 million printed volumes, 99,000 current serials in print or online, over 650,000 additional networked electronic resources, and rich materials in other formats. The Library was a recipient of the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Excellence in Academic Libraries Award in 2002.

Benefits: Comprehensive benefits package including 22 vacation days, 11 paid holidays, health insurance, life insurance, and university retirement contributions (TIAA-CREF and other options). Professional travel funding available.

Application Procedure: Review of applications will begin on August 15, 2011. Please include a cover letter, resume, and the names, phone numbers, and addresses for three references. Salary will be competitive and commensurate with experience. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Contact information on original posting at Cornell University.

Cornell University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer strongly committed to diversity. We value qualified candidates who can bring to our community a variety of backgrounds and experiences.

Cornell University, located in Ithaca, New York, is an inclusive, dynamic, and innovative Ivy League university and New York's land-grant institution. Its staff, faculty, and students impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contribute creative ideas and best practices to further the university's mission of teaching, research, and outreach.

Interview Questions in a Flash

Interview Questions in a Flash is a book of interview flash cards, separable by perforated pages close to the fold of each page, meant to help a person study for their interview. The cards have a question on the front, suggestions for an answer below the question and the flip side has a very short sample answer and lined space for the reader to insert their own notes for an answer. The answers are grouped topically, such as 37 questions on work background, or 27 sample behavioral-situational questions. There is a summary, or index of questions, at the beginning of the book for ready reference.

The front section of the book includes preparation checklists which the person can use to make sure they have all their supplies, or additional items, such as a map of the interview location, which would be very helpful if the candidate needs some help getting organized.

I think this book would be useful for someone who is preparing for an interview and who may also want to reuse answers to questions in an interview. It would also be useful for interview prep, since like regular flashcards, the candidate can give the cards to a partner and the partner can ask a question and evaluate the candidates response. However, the book is not very tough: just rip the perforations apart and keep them in an envelope upon the first use of the book.

Note to librarians: If you are buying this book for your collection, the perforated pages are very sensitive and even a cautious page turning on the first review of this book made at least two pages fall out. This book may be better suited to a kit or as a tool for a seminar on job seeking.

Time sheet app

The DOL released a Timesheet app (available on iTunes) meant specifically for employees to keep track of their hours, including breaks and overtime. The app is available in English and in Spanish.

The hourly rate appears to be set by the user, so it can be adjusted for overtime, for raises, or for the payments accepted from various contracts. This app may be particularly useful for librarians who are teaching job seeking or money management classes, or if they have questions from clients about wages--especially from teenagers who may not have tracked their own wages before.

Chief Librarian/ Archivist - NBC News

I got this job via Twitter from @needalibraryjob, but I really had to search for the full posting. For future reference, NBC International jobs are accessible from this website, by selecting the Careers tab, and NBC Universal jobs are available on this site. I love the requirement to work "unsociable hours".


1952BR
Job Title: Chief Librarian/Archivist - NBC News
Business Segment: News & Information
Function: News Production

About Us

NBC News has been a leading source of global news and information for more than 75 years, first on radio, and today via broadcast and cable television, the Internet, radio, and cell phones.

The London News Bureau plays a key role in providing the coverage of international news and in supporting overseas field operations. This is a busy environment covering stories 24/7 and therefore a flexible approach, a sense of humour and an interest in international news are essential.

We work on quick turnaround news packages to tight deadlines, you will demonstrate the ability to locate relevant good quality pictures for stories being edited to deadline.

Career Level: Experienced
City: London, UK

Responsibilities

• Manage the processes to ensure that all stills/video content of archival value is registered and has a route to the digital archive, along with associated editorial information. 
• Collate NBC-generated material, as well as material from external sources.
• Point person in the Library for Rights and Clearance issues, scheduling Librarians and dealing with day to day procedural issues involving the Library team.
• Research pictures from various sources for stories as requested by News and Show Producers from the London News Bureau and from other locations, often under tight time constraints. 
• Negotiate and obtain the relevant rights and clearances for items used by a variety of NBC platforms.

Qualifications/Requirements

• Picture Librarian in a digital environment working with a demanding customer base in a busy broadcast environment; strong IT skills are essential for this role and prior experience of Avid Interplay would be an advantage.
• Manage the processes to ensure that all stills/video content of archival value is registered and has a route to the digital archive. 
• Collate NBC-generated material from field and studio recordings as well as requesting material from Eurovision, RTV, APTV, ITN and the BBC. 
• Search a variety of new media sources for new and unusual content and upload appropriate items onto NBC server.
• Manage the small team of Librarians, communicate new procedures and workflow changes, issue schedules, deal with inter-personal issues if required.
• Create simple and rights compliant conventions for the News Desk and production teams to search and retrieve content and upload, edit and broadcast the material.
• Liaise closely with Rights and Clearances department in New York to make the best deal and cover as many platforms as possible when licensing material.
• Manage organisation and access to the database by Production colleagues.
• Train the News Desk Editor and Production teams to use archive systems.
• Deal with research requests for material and anticipate developing stories so that material is readily available.
• Working unsociable hours is a regular feature of the job. 
• Flexibility to work long shifts, during weekends and in the evenings is essential; must be prepared to accept out of hours phone calls/e-mails and drop everything and come in if a big story breaks.

Desired Characteristics

• Strong IT skills; experience of Avid Interplay an advantage.
• Technically competent to ensure NBC News content is preserved appropriately and archived and catalogued according to agreed conventions and rights considerations.
• Research skills to search catalogued and un-catalogued archives and the skills to continue the development of the NBC News archive
• An excellent `picture eye’ and attention to detail
• Team player with strong interpersonal skills and customer-focus approach; able to work collaboratively with a multi skilled team and deal with members of the public and interviewees diplomatically and sensitively. Ability to deal with interpersonal issues in a mature and patient manner when they arise.
• Able to deliver quality work under pressure and to tight deadlines; able to maintain high attention to detail, organisation and problem solving skills in challenging environments
• Understand the news market and NBC audience dynamics and bring this context to each production. Good general knowledge of local and world current affairs is essential.
• Current knowledge of the relevant legislation, regulations, and associated procedures, including Libel and Contempt, Copyright, Data Protection, Public Liability, etc., and how to comply with regulatory requirements
• The responsibilities associated with this position are not limited to the above job description and may be modified at any time by the Company.

All applicants must be able to provide documentation to prove they are able to work in the United Kingdom.
For US Citizens; Must be covered by Solutions; NBCU’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Program.

Your Degree: Is it All About the Money?*

On May 24, 2011, Georgetown University Center on Education and Workforce released What's It Worth? The Economic Value of College Majors? and, using census data, tried to show how a degree = X amount of dollars. The big winner, petroleum engineering; the big loser, counselling psychology. (Sorry librarians, there wasn't enough in the sample to make any conclusions about library science degree graduates.)

Several different news media have picked up the report and tried to shame the degrees that offered the lowest salaries and crow with joy over their confirmation of their suspicions that engineers make more money. Fast Company could not resist making the dig that even if Steve Jobs thinks the humanities are worth studying, Apple doesn't hire philosophers to make iPhones--but the author should have pointed out that Apple doesn't hire Americans to make iPhones either. Some of the media have acknowledged that the point of the study was to show that college was still worthwhile when considering a lifetime of earnings. Other writers have urged parents to keep their little lambs close and put them firmly in the engineering paddock in college.

Here are some other issues that some journalists and bloggers did not consider when smacking their self-satisfied lips over the study:

• The study looked at all salaries, not just for recent graduates. It should not be a surprise that an entry-level worker will make less than an experienced worker. Throwing out the number $120,000 for a petroleum engineering grad does not consider that most engineers will still have to spend a period as an engineer in training, not an engineer, and that they are certainly not receiving $100,000 during this period. It can also take up to five years to start breaking the $70,000 mark. In addition, the actual median for engineering as a whole was $75,000. Fixating on $120,000, a salary that possibly includes ten or more years experience, a graduate degree and extended travel to some of the politically hottest places in the world, is not giving recent grads, or their parents, a very realistic idea about their salary.
• According to the study, the average for the humanities and liberal arts group is $47,000. Though this is not as high as the engineering group, it is still a healthy enough income to buy a house and raise a family. In addition, according to the study, the people who completed a graduate degree in this field boosted their incomes by 48%. And that is close to the average engineering group salary. Though it is true that the humanities and liberal arts grad will have to pay for his graduate degree, unlike the engineer who gets paid for her apprenticeship, you could consider the graduate degree an equivalent to the engineer in training period.
• Some of the lowest paying degrees indicate that a bachelor's degree is not the minimum requirement to enter professional practice. For example, most counsellors and psychologists have to have a graduate degree to practice their trade. When counselling psychology majors completed a graduate degree, earners in this field received a 63% earnings boost. You should also consider that 19% of the salary reporters with this degree only worked part-time, which can significantly affect salary.

I would also like you to consider that flooding specific majors with people who are only into the career for the cash means that our bridges, roads and heart valves are going to be made by people who have no genius and possibly little interest in creating, making and building. I suddenly feel so much safer knowing that I have to walk across a bridge built by a mercenary.

And though we could use more engineers and scientists--since finance won't make the pay grade either since the business group average only makes $60,000--flooding these programs with more graduates will equal greater supply and, potentially, lower salaries. (Especially if we are paying those scientists and engineers in rupees and renminbi--but we won't get into that.)

And petroleum engineering? Ever heard of peak oil, the green economy--even the word "unsustainable"? Try "non-renewable". Yes, I know the well has not dried up yet, but I would really rather have some engineers and scientists making solar panels, reduced emission cars and biodegradeable replacements for plastic. Our civilization is a lot about the crude but maybe it should be more about unplugging the hose and reducing the suffering it causes.

Finally, I would like to address the parents that are reading most of these misleading articles and urge you to consider the following issues:

• There is more to salary than getting one: you have to spend it wisely. If your child has already demonstrated a tendency to accumulate excessive credit card debt and has put in no money to the college fund that you have been hoarding, I think you have bigger fish to fry, since a larger salary may only set them up for a bigger load of debt. Consider: $47,000 with good spending habits and $10,000 in savings, versus $75,000 with $25,000 in consumer debt, 0 savings and a bankruptcy? Maybe you should be taking them to a financial planner, in addition to an admissions counsellor.
• What if they flunk? I'm sure your child is brilliant and can take on any academic challenge--and I'm sure they are smart enough to self-sabotage. Let's calculate the cost of not finishing a despised  degree program, financed by a student loan.
• I hope your children show as much compassion and concern for your needs, as you demonstrated by coercively selecting their program of study, when your sweet little lambs have to pick the facility that will house you through your final days, months, years. Thanks to the education that you paid for, it is possible that they could afford the best--but will they pay it? Maybe living in your kids' basement will be a viable option?

It is more important to consider what you do with the money you have, as opposed to how much money you get. However, this was not the purpose of the study--except to say that taking the money you have and completing a college degree is a much better investment than no college. I think the true purpose of the study was to get people to complete a college degree, because people with a college degree, should they satisfy the legal and professional conditions of their occupation, would make more than the 66% of US wage earners who make less or equal to $39,000 per year.


On a final note, thanks to the Globe and Mail for their absolutely idiotic article How will your kid's university choice affect their salary? (refers to the UK White Paper that matches degrees with salary) which also did not consider that the Canadian and UK labor markets are different and that the current UK economy will also have an enormous impact on salary and job prospects for new graduates. You guys deserve a kick in the seat of the pants.

* I really wanted to call this article, Why Can't Journalists Count?, or Please Stop Writing Hysterically Dumb Blog Editorials about Humanities Majors, but I do know some journalists and bloggers who are excellent at covering the economy. Please guys, start writing more thoughtful analysis for prospective and current university students.

95% of career centres have a library

According to NACE, 95.5% of "average" (or "typical") career centers have a career resource library. This makes me extremely happy, even though they don specify how many are sharing those resources with the local library or how big their collections are.

Dear NACE, you could have covered those results with awesome sauce if you had asked how many had a librarian. Just sayin'.

Gender Battle on LinkedIn

LinkedIn asked the question, who is the better online networker, men or women? Apparently, this can vary by industry, and men come out ahead in some industries, cosmetics for example, and women come out ahead in some industries, such as ranching, where you might not expect them to be the better networker.

LinkedIn's definition of a savvy networker is:

A professional with a robust network of trusted business contacts who actively work toward creating new career opportunities for themselves and the people in their network

I am not sure how LinkedIn decided to measure this, based on the blip on their blog: is this by number of contacts (so LIONs win bonus points?), based on activity on Answers, or InMails (which you pay for)? Did they survey members and ask for best networker nominations and look at the gender of the nominees? If I overlooked this in the blog or you know more about the measures used, I would love to have that in the comments.

One other question: what if the best networkers are really on MeetUp?

For more on this topic:

• Is LinkedIn a Gender Equalizer? from FastCompany
• LinkedIn Data Reveals Men Are Savvier Online Professional Networkers Than Women from Yahoo! Finance

SIAST Librarian Job Posting

This posting came to me via Twitter, courtesy Eluta, from the SIAST Careers site. Specific mention is made for an aboriginal candidate.

SIAST is in Saskatoon which is a super cute city (yes, cute), with lots of science and biotech going on, so this is the perfect place for a science librarian to get his/her feet wet.

TwitJobSearch

I realize that TwitJobSearch has been available since 2009, but results from their searches just finally appeared in my automated Twitter job search. So, yes, there are library jobs on this service and they include the obvious library job posters, such as  ALA Job List and LibGig. But they also get the infrequent tweeters, such as the small library or special library that infrequently posts or reposts jobs. Their dashboard also includes some interesting features that I think will help job seekers that are using Twitter:

• Email or RSS alerts for search strings
• A "featured accounts" setting, which either means they post lots of jobs that match your search terms, or they paid to be featured in relation to the keywords in your search. 
• You can click on a button to allow the employer to Skype you, or send a DM suggesting that you can take on the job. Now this is cool if you know the employer or industry wants to fill positions right now, such as PR, writing, programming, but it might make a library HR person pee their pants thinking that they are being cyberstalked.(And I am not kidding about this reaction: do you know how many library HR people I have heard get huffy about a job candidate that dares to call them to ask a question about a job posting--too many. Only for my sick amusement would I Skype them.) But this is an excellent tool if you are looking for a gig as a writer, book reviewer, community manager, or coding.
• And filters...which would be leave this Twitter search engine covered with awesome sauce, if they worked.

For example, a search for librarian includes the filters for "Engineer" or an "RN" and not as an employer or the name of the company, but for positions as engineer and a registered nurse. One content manager position came up, since you work as a "topic librarian". This was not in the job title, which the filter was supposed to search on. So the filters don't seem to do any filtering--and you need to get relevant jobs, before the successful filters of part-time/full-time or manager to work their magic.

The skills filter was also a little weird: what's a "COM", or a "PDF"? (No, there was no Adobe in that job posting.) It could be a translation issue, or it is possible there is a "collection management" hash tag that I don't know anything about--I guess a trip to Hashtags.org is in order.

Twitjobsearch does not tame the Twitter noise for job search, however, considering the alerts features and the assistance on finding good Twitter job sources, this vertical search engine will probably help people build up their personal Twitter for jobs list.

World's Best Cities to Work and Live

PricewaterhouseCooper has released a report called "Cities of Opportunity" and BNET has summed it up in a promotional slide show. I liked that it was international, so there is lots of variation and some ideas for people who would like to spend some time abroad.

It was also interesting that the Doonstang blog also posted a piece on the importance of geography. It's a little neoclassical, as in it focuses almost entirely on the economic and career benefits of a move, as opposed to how people really make a decision about where to move, as in how close is the beach? or how many of sexual preference are single and available? and do they have a sports franchise?

Science Librarian, Grant MacEwan University

Grant MacEwan University Library is seeking a dynamic and innovative librarian at City Centre Campus to provide reference, collection development, faculty liaison and instructional services in support of the new Bachelor of Science degree. Reporting to the Chair, Reference and Research Services, this is a full-time probationary position leading to a full-time continuing faculty position and commences August, 2011.

• Applicants require a Master of Library and Information Science or equivalent from an ALA accredited program and an undergraduate degree or significant post-secondary education in the sciences. 
• At least one year of academic library experience, including reference, collection development, and information literacy instruction in the sciences is required. 
• Proficiency in using current information resources in the sciences and an understanding of practices and trends in scientific scholarly communication and research are essential. 
• Candidates will be conversant with information literacy instruction pedagogy, have experience integrating information literacy into an undergraduate curriculum and a demonstrated ability to teach in a variety of settings and formats.   
• Competency and interest in emerging and Web 2.0 technologies, web authoring software are definite assets.

The librarian must demonstrate initiative and possess outstanding communication, presentation, teaching and interpersonal skills; exhibit resourcefulness, innovation and flexibility; be able to function effectively independently and as a team member; be able to manage multiple tasks and competing priorities; and have the ability to work collaboratively and collegially with faculty members, librarian colleagues and other staff within the MacEwan Library and the wider science community at MacEwan. The successful candidate will join the library’s science team in cultivating partnerships through liaison work with departments, faculty and students. Candidates will contribute to library and university committees and show evidence of professional initiative.

Grant MacEwan University, located in Edmonton, is a rapidly growing institution with over 11,000 FTE students. It offers a wide array of educational opportunities and credentials on its four campuses, including baccalaureate and applied degrees, diplomas and certificates.

City Centre Campus, located in downtown Edmonton has a full-time student enrollment of approximately 6,600. The Bachelor of Science degree was launched in 2010 and offers six majors including Biological Sciences, Psychology, Physical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Computer Science and Mathematics as well as eight minors. MacEwan has four libraries with 57 FTE staff, including 15 librarians. Growing collections include 297,000 print volumes, 27,000 audiovisual items, more than 100,000 e books, and over 28,000 journal titles in digital or print format.

Librarians are members of the Grant MacEwan University Faculty Association.The University has a generous benefits package including 44 vacation days per year for faculty members.

Applicants should submit a letter of application and curriculum vitae.

This position is included under the Faculty Association Collective Agreement.

 

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.

Grant MacEwan University thanks all applicants for their interest in employment, however; only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

Apply online at www.macewan.ca . Select "Careers"  on  the homepage for job posting links.

Business Beat for May 2011

Basic Sciences and Bioinformatics Librarian, New York

This job posting came through my Twitter alert for librarian and job. It would be suitable for an entry-level applicant provided that they had some teaching experience and knowledge of the sciences.

Basic Sciences and Bioinformatics Librarian, New York

Description:
The Mount Sinai School of Medicine's Levy Library is seeking candidates for a Basic Sciences and Bioinformatics Librarian. This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated librarian to further the development of our innovative services supporting a growing, dynamic research institution.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop and provide outreach and instruction to support the biomedical information needs of the Mount Sinai research community and the curriculum of the Graduate School of Biological Sciences.
• Teach information retrieval, current awareness and information management classes using bibliographic and bioinformatics resources for research and clinical faculty, post-doctoral fellows, students, alumni, and other library users, and conduct other classes and presentations as needed.
• Provide individual and group reference services involving instruction in databases and bioinformatics tools, search strategy formulation, and effective use of information resources.
• Collaborate with faculty and colleagues in developing and maintaining print and online instructional tools and guides.
• Collaborate with faculty to support the institution’s translational and basic research initiatives.
• Assist in evaluating bioscience information resources for library licensing.
• Serve on institution-wide and library committees as appropriate.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• MLS from an ALA-accredited program and/or advanced degree in biological sciences;
• Demonstrated knowledge of biomedical sciences research;
• Demonstrated aptitude for teaching;
• Knowledge of the information needs of biomedical researchers;
• Familiarity with the scholarly communication and research processes in the biomedical sciences;
• Experience in the use of molecular biology/genetics databases such as those from the NCBI;
• Proficient written and spoken communication skills;
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills;
• Strong public service orientation;
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively.

PREFERRED:

• Experience using biomedical resources such as MEDLINE, Current Protocols, Web of Science and Scopus;
• Experience with bibliographic management software such as EndNote and RefWorks;
• Experience in outreach and/or marketing;
• Experience in Web page creation and design and the design, integration, and assessment of Web 2.0 technologies such as wikis, blogs and social networking platforms.

The Levy Library is a progressive, technology-intensive academic health sciences library that includes the Medical Center Archives, computer-based education design and support, and a computing help desk. For a description of Levy Library’s programs and services, see: http://library.mssm.edu

Mount Sinai School of Medicine (MSSM), located in New York City, is internationally recognized for ground-breaking clinical and basic-science research. In 2009, MSSM was selected for a National Institutes of Health Clinical and Translational Science (CSTA) Award, thus joining nationwide federally supported efforts in translational research and education. It confers degrees of MD, PhD, MD/PhD, MSc and MPH. The School and the Mount Sinai Hospital, a tertiary-care teaching facility, comprise the Mount Sinai Medical Center. For a description of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, see: http://www.mssm.edu/

TO APPLY:
Email cover letter and detailed resume to information on original posting

Salary Tutor by Jim Hopkinson

This book is forthcoming and will be available for purchase in August 2011. I would like to give a thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for making this galley available.

Learning how to negotiate—for anything, not just salary—is a vital skill, and you will have to use your persuasion and negotiation skills many times in your career.* Negotiating a salary, even your very first salary, is possible and the Salary Tutor explains how to do it in simple, clear, encouraging language. Heck, the author even throws in a flowchart.

I thought the real strength of this book was the preparation of the Industry Research of Salaries (IRS) document, which includes the lowest salary you would accept, the industry standard and the top of the range for the position. The author also includes sources for research (PayScale.com, Glassdoor, Salary.com), though I would also include some of the salary tools from vertical search engines and industry specific salary surveys, if you have access to them, to your research. The author recommends including this document in your portfolio, so it is prepared for interviewers should the issue come up, and to make several different versions of this document. There is nothing like research and preparation for defending your position in a negotiation, so this is not a step to be skipped. Even if you are never allowed to negotiate your salary—which can happen in a union, non-profit or government work environment—it cannot hurt to know if you are making what the position deserves, especially if additional duties are added to your position at a later date.

The author also has some solid advice for freelancers and creative professionals who need to negotiate each and every contract or service for a client, which is not found in many salary negotiation books. So the structure of the book follows: author’s salary memoir, how to negotiate for the first time, negotiating a raise or promotion and negotiating for freelancers. Considering how short the book was, meaning it could be read in an evening, I was impressed with how comprehensive the book was overall.

Since negotiation is important part of career management, I would strongly recommend this book as a simple primer on negotiation. There will be other resources that can supplement the information in this book, but I think it is one of the best introductions to this process that I have ever encountered.

*For librarians, the first time you have to negotiate a discount or a license, you will wish you had spent some time learning how to persuade salespeople to take less from your budget.

Job Posting Tracking Form

I mess around with Google Forms a lot (A LOT) and so I decided to update the Job Diary for a Library Job Posting Tracking Form.

I think it is really important to keep track of your own personal job search so you know

• Where the good or relevant jobs are so you don't waste time
• So you can use methods that are effective
• So you can give presents to the people who helped you
• It helps with hyperbole. I do believe that you are working hard to find a job. Do I believe that you have sent out a thousand resumes? No, I do not. And you shouldn't overstate your efforts either, especially if you are not applying as much as you think you are.

This form is public, so if you want to use the form, as is, I recommend copying and saving it in your own private Google docs account. This means that all of your spreadsheet data is kept private. And it also means that you can make changes to the logic of the form.

In this form, I have made two different "logic" choices:

1. To keep track of the friends or professors that are good sources of job postings. You can turn off the logic for this question or you can add more options for your tracking.
2. I am trying to keep track of which vertical search engines are relevant. However, you may never use vertical search engines, or you only use one or two. You can make those into separate options in this question and keep track of which Twitter feeds or which state library boards have the best jobs. It really depends on your job search.

You can also turn off some of the required questions if you don't feel they are necessary to your record keeping.

This form only keeps track of your research habits, not the success of your applications. I would suggest making a different form for that process.

I love forms because I hate making spreadsheets. I like how Google forms fills in all of the spreadsheet data for me, so I don't introduce spelling errors or what-not, and then I can look at the results later, or share the information with others.

Tracking your own job posting spotting will help you save time when you are really concentrated on your job search or when a position or contract is about to end and you need to go full speed ahead.

Librarian (ESL) City of Largo Florida

When I first got out of library school, this would have been my dream job. The cherry on the top: Florida.

Job: Librarian (ESL)
Apply Online

• Pay: $17.07/hour
• Posted: 05/23/2011
• Job Status: Full Time
• Job Type: Government

Description

The salary for this position will be $17.07 per hour.
The hours for this position will include some nights and weekends.

This is a professional position which requires considerable knowledge of library service and how it relates to the community. This position oversees English as a Second Language services and programs. The Librarian is a lead position with supervisory responsibilities and is called upon to exercise initiative and independent judgment in performing professional duties. Supervision is received from a Library Services Manager, Assistant Library Director, or Library Director, and work is reviewed through observations, reports, conferences and obtained results.


ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Skills to independently develop and maintain library point of service to Non-English language speakers to help them integrate into the community.
• Provides advanced reference and reader's advisory service to the public; assists patrons in selection and location of materials and in general library service.
• Directs patrons to specific facilities, subject areas, and titles. Instructs patrons in the use of the computer catalog.
• Accepts responsibility for maintaining service in the absence of a supervisor.
• Supervises department staff.
• Provides administrative and supervisory support to a Library Services Manager, and assists in personnel interviews and decision making.
• Promotes and develops good public relations, ensuring that staff meet service standards in assisting patrons; investigates public complaints and takes responsibility for appropriate action, handling any problems that cannot be handled by subordinates.
• Provides computer literacy instruction, including catalog and database instruction. Provides computer assistance and troubleshooting. Assists patrons with: using the Internet, using e-mail accounts, downloading, saving, and printing documents and files, using office productivity software, and helping with wireless access and Smart Access Manager troubleshooting.
• Evaluates the collection by determining replacements, substitutions, repairs, and discards.
• Accepts assigned professional responsibilities within departmental programs which may include reference assistance, cataloging, programming, collection development, and special collections management.
• Selects print and non-print materials for purchase.
• Assists supervisor in scheduling, supervising, assigning of duties and training of personnel.
• Assists supervisor in planning, determining budget and supply needs, and policy and procedure revisions.
• Translates statistics into reports for use by Management Team.
• Oversees projects assigned by supervisor; manages staff to accomplish project goals.
• May act as staff liaison with advisory/support groups.
• Addresses local organizations to promote library services.
• Represents the Largo Public Library at Pinellas Public Library Cooperative and Tampa Bay Library Consortium meetings to discuss and assist in the development and review of various library issues.
• Keeps abreast of developments in the library profession by reading professional journals and attending workshops, conventions and continuing education classes.
• Assists with book selections as directed by supervisor.
• Assists with programming by planning and presenting special programs in assigned departmental programs.
• Inputs, updates, accesses and retrieves data from a computer.
• Uses audio-visual and multi-media equipment and assists patrons in their use.
• Creates promotional materials.
• Competent in the use of the Integrated Library System public and support services functions.
• Performs related work as required.

JOB PROFILE:
Work Environment: 95% inside a climate controlled building; 5% outside which may include driving.

Physical Requirements: The essential functions of the job require: standing and walking up to approximately eight (8) hours per day. The work requires frequent: bending/stooping, climbing, crawling, fine manipulations, grasping, kneeling, pulling, pushing, reaching, repetitive motion, lifting/carrying objects weighing up to 50 pounds.

Sensory Requirements: Hearing: Enough to listen to patron questions and answer telephones; enough to listen to the directions of supervisors. Speaking: Enough to talk to patrons on the telephone and in person. Seeing: Enough to see and read computer monitor screens, identify book titles and read fine print.

Driving Requirements: The work requires occasional driving and possession of a valid Florida Driver's License.

Office Machines: The work requires the ability to operate the following office machines: copier, print release station, fax machine, microform printer, self-checkout terminals, audio-visual equipment, cash registers, Datasave signs, and computers.
Skills / Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Training and Experience: Master's Degree in Library Science from an American Library Association accredited institution required; previous library experience is preferred. Spanish speaking preferred. Previous English Language Learning or English as a Second language program oversight, volunteer management experience and community partnership building background strongly preferred. Possession of a valid Florida Driver's License.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Working knowledge of general library operations and practices, including the use of specialized professional tools and materials for reference, material selection, and classification. Considerable knowledge of titles and authors in the area of responsibility. Strong oral and written communication skills. Ability to exercise initiative and good judgment in problem solving and decision making. Ability to interact with other staff members, library patrons, community organizations, City officials, and the general public. Ability to make decisions in areas of responsibility. Ability to supervise others. Ability to be creative and artistic. Working knowledge of computers.

Application Instructions

Applications for employment with the City of Largo must be completed online through our website.

Job-Hunter's Survival Guide by Richard N Bolles

Richard N. Bolles has produced a Coles Notes version of his famous What Color is Your Parachute? which could be read in an evening and provide the pertinent points from his more well-known work. This booklet includes the well-known "Flower Petal" exercise, as well as some of his basic charts for self-assessment and a discussion of the most effective methods for job search. Not included in this book is his explanation of information interviewing and how to do it.

Though I firmly agree with Bolles that a job search is more effective if the search is targeted and that multiple job search methods are essential to successfully finding a job, I have to disagree with his #4 most successful method for finding a job: going door to door. Now, this will work if you are looking for the kind of employment that does not include a heavily guarded HR office (and any library or academic institution I can think of has at least one HR person), this method will work. It will probably land you a survival job--and if you need one, try this method. However, using his most effective job search method--complete an inventory and know what you are looking for--will lead to a professional job, so it seems petty to quibble with one method. 

Bolles wrote this book to be a short version of What Color is Your Parachute, suited for the recession, for people who need to find a job NOW, and who don't have a lot of time, or money, to spend reading career books for advice. On those grounds, this book is successful and would be useful for a job seeker who needs to make a plan and get job hunting.

Careers in Federal Libraries Google Group

There is a very active Google Group for Careers in Federal Libraries. The group includes offers for resume reviews, job postings, links to public presentations, scholarship and award information, as well as notices of upcoming information sessions in this area of libraries.If you are looking for employment in this area, or are just interested in investigating the opportunities, I strongly recommend that you join their group.

Librarian (Media Libraries and Archives) / Bibliothécaire (Médiathèque et Archives) CBC

Spotted on TalentOyster via TweetDeck.


CBC/Radio-Canada has a diverse, talented workforce thriving in an environment that encourages sharing and learning. Many different people in a variety of roles come together to make CBC/Radio-Canada a stronger, more relevant and more dynamic public broadcaster. You too could be part of our team. Our programming is distinctive, intelligent, innovative and entertaining, much like the people we're looking to hire.


Design, select, analyze, index, find and distribute information resources tailored to the needs of department clients in accordance with the rules and principles of library and information sciences and with corporate standards and policies.


We are looking for a candidate with the following:

• Master's degree in library and information sciences
• One (1) year relevant experience
• Fluent in the working language
• Very good understanding of the other official language
• Extensive general knowledge
• Very good knowledge of current events
• Able to analyze, synthesize and think critically
• Quick to act
• Tactful and courteous
• Leadership

Candidates may be subject to skills testing.

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. CBC/Radio-Canada brings diverse regional and cultural perspectives into the daily lives of Canadians in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages.

CBC/Radio-Canada is committed to reflecting the country's diversity within its workforce and encourages applications from people of any wealth of cultures, linguistic and ethnocultural communities, gender, sexual orientations, ages, religions and those with different abilities.

For more information, visit the Talent and Diversity section of our corporate website: www.cbc.ca/jobs

If this sounds interesting, we want to hear from you! We thank all applicants for their interest, but only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

Legal Experts Stress That Social Media Background Checks Create Risks from Workforce Management

Legal Experts Stress That Social Media Background Checks Create Risks from Workforce Management argues that conducting a Google search on a candidate, not to mention looking at their Facebook profile, is akin to interviewing a candidate. I don't know if I would go that far for public results available from Google, though I do contend, stay out of Facebook for screening.

This argument may be enough to curb the practice:

Employers also should review their liability insurance programs, including employment practices coverage, to make sure they are covered if they are sued by employees or job prospects in connection with the use of social media"

This is also another article that attempts to hammer home the point about mistaken identity when conducting online background checks on candidates.

Career Opportunities in Library and Information Science by Allan Taylor and James Robert Parish

Career Opportunities in Library and Information Science is part of a series of Career Opportunities in...books from Checkmark Books. Like all of the books in the series, the main portion of the book is devoted to occupational profiles which includes a list of duties, salary expectations, a position description and education requirements. The relevant associations and unions are also listed for each of the profiles, and the websites for these organizations are a good source for job postings as well as professional development opportunities. The book is divided into four sections: Librarians and information professionals, then the technicians and assistants found in each field.

Each of the profiles also include a "career ladder" which shows the entry-level positions associated with the career profile and then the career progression, such as the Public Services librarian, who may enter the profession as a library technician or a library assistant, then progress to Public Service Librarian and possibly achieve a senior level position in this area as a Chief Information Officer, a Library Department Head or Library Director.


This book would, of course, be useful to a person who is research library science as a career and who is thinking about applying to a library science program, but it would also be useful to a graduate who is deciding what types of positions to apply for, how to prepare for an interview, or for a mid-career professional who is thinking about a transition from their current sector to another position, though they may wish to stay in libraries or information management.

Web Applications Developer, NYPL Labs

Full-time, in Manhattan (original posting)

Position Description:

External Overview:

The New York Public Library seeks a talented web applications developer to join the Library's new research and development unit, NYPL Labs. We are looking for someone who is willing to experiment, able to build, test and debug in rapid iterations, and excited to join the intellectual life of NYPL and the wider digital humanities and creative tech community.

Work will be situated in midtown Manhattan within NYPL's larger web group, but will be focused on projects that break new ground in digital humanities research and/or facilitate new forms of networked participation in library activity. Projects may range from building crowdsourcing tools for enhancing library collections, rethinking established genres such as archival finding aids, or developing multi-modal (potentially cross-institutional) digital archives of special collections material.Some projects will be proof-of-concept prototypes aimed at hatching ideas that might eventually be applied more broadly across the Library. Others will be fully realized applications that become staple resources in the NYPL web environment. All will place you at the intersection of scholarly, library and technological innovation taking place at one of the worlds great public research institutions. Tapped into one of the worlds largest and most creatively dynamic urban populations.
External Responsibilities:

We are seeking a developer who can:

• Design and implement scalable, optimized, database-driven web applications using server and client-side techniques.
• Work with our User Experience Designers to adapt existing and create new software-based solutions to support the needs of our patrons.
• Specify and build APIs, data feeds and other ways of interacting with NYPL content beyond web-based interfaces.
• Explore new platforms and architectures for NYPL services and content.
• Keep up to date with the latest trends in both web technology and digital libraries/digital humanities, and participate in a community of fellow practitioners.
• Perform other related duties as required

External Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Excellent knowledge of databased-driven web development using PHP and Javascript.
• Demonstrated experience working with web-based content management systems, including familiarity with database programming (MySQL preferred), user accounts and session management.
• Preferred or desired experience in Ruby on Rails or other MVC framework.
• Preferred or desired experience with Drupal or equivalent CMS.
• Experience with front-end development (CSS, XHTML, JQuery, etc.) preferred.
• Knowledge of source code/version control software, test-driven development, and Agile processes are a major plus.
• Strong interpersonal, oral and written communication skills, including demonstrated ability to work collaboratively or independently.
• Ability to take initiative and meet deadlines.
• Position will report to web development team of the NYPL Strategy Office, under the Senior Manager for Web Initiatives, and will work closely day to day with Manager of NYPL Labs.