I am a librarian who works in a post-secondary career center. I want to share some of the work search and business resources that I have found useful in my work. I also manage the Facebook group of the same name for library job seekers.
If you have wanted to apply to the Public Service Commission of Canada (and work for the Feds), the Canada Public Service Agency has a page that details the entire process from initial application to selection.
No, bilingualism is not always a requirement (check the posting) but something to strive for with the programs the Feds have in place to achieve a bilingual work force.
There are lots of wonderful cities to work in in Canada (OHMIGOD Ottawa...except in January, even I'm not that tough), and with the Feds, you might be able to work in several while contributing to work of the government, as well as assisting all Canadians.
Some of these are caught because they are proofreading errors (in the military before conception), but what makes me really curious is the checks that employers have in place to discover if someone is lying. For example, how many employers still call references? Do you Google search a candidate to see if they have a digital footprint? Do you verify degrees? The survey doesn't say, do you regularly check to verify the accuracy of claims and if yes, how?
Use this template to keep track of the effectiveness of the methods that you used in your job search. Why would you do this? Because people forget about the methods that they used to find work—and they don’t know how to look again the next time. This doesn’t mean that methods will stay the same, but that if it worked once, try it again. I would bet good money that you don’t remember where you heard about your current job if you have had the same job for more than 2 years.
Check the box if yes. Nothing if not used. Do not “maybe” or other waffling: did it work or not?
You should also close the job. When did you give up? Would you apply again? This helps you keep track of dead ends: if nothing is happening—no matter how much you want to work for them—do you keep trying? Define success: did you get an interview? Is success a job offer? Make your own definition.
Day in the life of a library wiki...you can add what you or your library does to this wiki. Day in the life postings are really useful if you are interviewing for a position that has some gaps in the posting or if you are transitioning (i.e. academic to public) within the library profession. A more in-depth resource is an information interview, but you might not have enough time to line one up before your employment interview. Or you're just exploring the options, feeling the temperature of the water in the pool but not ready to jump in.
If you are new to the whole, is it MySpace or everybody's space when it comes to looking up people online, this video from Career TV, from MySpace TV, will give you a bit of a primer.
In regards to the bathing beauty, he may have had his profile closed, but a friend could swipe his video, post it online, or just make it go viral in some way. The posting on this blog increases the viral spread of the video. An example of what might look like a harmless prank, giving and giving and giving.
This is why, since the advent of cell phones, you should not flash for trinkets at Mardi Gras. Double for you wild girls. Your image is gone, far beyond your control.
The areas they identified as "troublesome": generational conflict (X, Y and Boomers at it again), "toxic" bosses, work/life balance--especially shutting off the crackberry--and time management.
I know, I know, this has nothing to do with how much naughty vs nice librarians make, but when I got Mean Librarian Salaries up to 2% in 2008, in my mailbox I had to laugh. Don't be nice: you'll get better pay for nasty. Something I have long suspected.
You can also get the ACRL salary survey data for free, and remember to check with SLA for their (not free) data. I think this data should be free to independent members so they can negotiate their salaries with better, more trustworthy data, but the last time I suggested this at a presentation, a member of the audience piped, but we can get it at the library. It is, at least, reliable data, and you might want to consult the tables prior to an interview.
This interview is supposed to describe a "non-traditional" method of interviewing--going for a walk and coming back for dinner--but it sounds like most academic interview marathons. I like her idea of taking the time to know someone, but here is my problem:
Do I have to accept your food if I am a strict vegetarian? Listen to how she describes it: the meal is all about presentation and fit, still part of the interview. Sounds like I can't abstain.
Now, since I don't eat many shared meals with my co-workers--we have lunch together all the time, but not the same food--this is not really an issue. The last time I looked for work was before I joined the Green Side, so this hadn't been a problem. Now it is: how will I decline the pig on a stick?
Most people will think this is easy. It is not, as most vegetarians will tell you. The reasons that people become vegetarian are usually quite diverse and may be very murky, filled with dark secrets about arteries, could have to do with their religion, or beliefs about peace and nitrates, and, well, I really don't want to explain. Do you really want to hear about my arteries? No more than I want to hear about your Metamucil intake. I just want to say, No thanks, you go ahead. And drink my green tea (though, that's a lie, it would be hi-test black coffee). And not have to answer any more questions about it. I just want to say no.
Vegetarians are not the only people with this problem. Many religions have dietary rules that cross Appleby's off the list of places to go for a chat. You may also be taking out a candidate for lunch during her religion's fast day or period.
You might be able to see where I'm going with this but I'll be clear:
The interviewer just doesn't know about other cultures, religions and their rules.
The interviewer does know and knows she can't ask at the interview, so she is going to see if the candidate passes on the food and the reason for the pass.
Now the nice lady in the video is just trying to find "fit" and is possibly just the jolly Seinfeld cake pusher she appears to be, so I don't think she is Type 2. Type 2 is more insidious, especially if you have to work with a diverse client culture. I should be able to decline politely and move on. What I eat, when, and how, has nothing to do with my job performance.
Do I say skip the meal? Not at all. But I am sure it has come up for others in the past: how do you decline food without insult?
If you haven't used delicious, the social bookmarking site that is now dot-lite, there are quite a few good reasons to try it. You can access your bookmarks anywhere, you can create your own name tag and let people follow your work and research--I use this for conferences, very handy--and now, you can use it to make your own online portfolio. The idea, for educators, comes from Michelle Martin, based on a suggestion from Web Upon but I spotted it on a post from weblogg-ed (follow the footpath). Here's how it works:
You look for your online articles, add them to your delicious bookmarks and tag them with your name and portfolio (mynameportfolio). This means that you can keep your articles in order, people can subscribe to your feed of published works--or you can put it on your resume--and employers, or people who are interested in you, can subscribe to your feed. It should also help you to keep track of your work--for as long as it stays online. You should still keep your backfile, but this is one method that you can use to make your work accessible to others. (Explore workology if you are looking for a place to put your work artifacts online.)
