Get the Skills You Need to Land the Job You Want

By Terri Gotschall, MLIS, AHIP and Melodie Gardner, MLIS, AHIP

Building the skills needed to have a competitive resume, or for academia a curriculum vitae (CV), can be a daunting task, especially when one is new to the library profession. This series describes one practical model for new librarians, or those still getting their degrees, to build their resumes or CVs with the skills employers are seeking. In part one of the series, readers will learn ways to gain meaningful job experiences that turn into talking points during interviews. In parts two and three of the series, the model is put into practice with first-hand accounts from a library degree-seeking student and an early-career librarian who used the model to improve their resume/CVs.  

Part I

Identify career goals and position type

What type of librarian do you want to be? There are many different types of libraries; public, school, academic, and special libraries, just to name a few. Within these different types of libraries, there are a variety of librarian positions, both standard and specialized. Some standard librarian positions may be reference, cataloging, acquisitions, or library director. Other librarian positions, such as emerging technologies, government documents, hospital, and law are considered more specialized. Take time to reflect on what type of librarian position aligns with your personal and career goals. If you are not yet sure what type of library position you wish to pursue, the American Library Association’s JobLIST, is a great place to browse potential jobs and find the position that best fits your needs. Shadowing, volunteering or interning can also help you determine the type of librarianship you want to pursue.

Identify the skill set required for the position

Depending on the type of library and the position selected, employers will be looking for applicants with different skill sets. It is important to identify common job skills prospective employers are seeking for that specific type of position. In order to identify common job skills, start by looking through job ads on the American Library Association’s JobLIST; or on other library association job sites. Identify three to five positions that meet your career goals and that you would be excited to apply for, even if they are not local. Read through the position descriptions, highlighting or writing down all of the education, skills, and experiences listed, both the required and preferred. 

To help focus and narrow down what could otherwise be an overwhelming list of accomplishments employers are seeking, review the comprehensive list to determine if there are any skills or experiences that appear in multiple position descriptions. As you identify common skills or experiences move those to the top of the list. You have now identified a common set of skills employers are seeking in a successful candidate for that type of position. 

One item at a time, compare the focused list to your resume/CV. Highlight or make note of the qualifications from the focused list that are missing from your resume/CV. The comparison process may also reveal skills that were unintentionally left off of a resume/CV; take the time to update your resume/CV during this process. In addition, review your resume/CV to ensure the matching skills and experiences already on your resume/CV are clearly explained; if clarification is needed, try to use similar terminology to the skills and experiences from the position descriptions.

Acquire new qualifications

Use the highlighted list of qualifications to create a plan of actionable steps to acquire the education, skills, and experiences needed to improve your resume/CV. Add deadlines to the plan to hold yourself accountable for achieving these milestones. First, do you need a higher education degree, such as a Masters, to qualify for the position? If so, you will need to carefully consider your career goals in relation to the time and cost of pursuing a higher education degree. Second, are there additional knowledge gaps that need to be addressed between your current skill level and a skill you would like to obtain and add to your resume/CV? Is there something you need to learn and where can that knowledge be obtained? New knowledge can be obtained in a variety of ways, including certificate programs, reading a book or journal article, taking a webinar, taking a continue education course, or taking an online course, like those offered by LinkedIn Learning. Finally, once the knowledge is obtained, it is time to put the knowledge into practice and gain meaningful experience. This is not always an easy thing to do and may require going outside of your comfort zone.

If you have a mentor, start by sharing your professional goals with them. Their feedback can help prioritize which skills and qualifications to seek first. They may also have a network of contacts, ideas, or even opportunities they can connect you to. If pursuing a specific skill, like leading a book club meeting, create a plan for how to reach the goal and present the plan to the appropriate person to seek their approval and support. For example, a plan to gain experience leading a book club may look like: 1.) Asking to shadow a librarian leading the group; 2.) help create the questions for the next meeting; 3.) co-leading a meeting; finally, 4.) leading a meeting with the librarian observing, so they can provide constructive feedback. 

Students can make the most out of an internship by being proactive. Work with the internship supervisor to find opportunities that will help build the skill sets on your focused list. There are a lot of different types of departments in a library and many different types of projects in a department. Speaking with the internship supervisor will actually make their job easier by letting them know which projects will provide professional development for you as well as meeting the needs of the library.

Recent graduates, who are not employed in a library, should take advantage of volunteer opportunities. Spending as little as one to two hours a week concentrated on a specific skill will help to improve a resume/CV. Work with the volunteer coordinator to match your skill list to the needs of the library. Projects that benefit the library and support their mission and vision, while also extending the opportunity for you to learn and gain experience with new skills, will provide a more meaningful volunteer experience and create a win-win situation all around. It will also make for a more compelling answer to interview questions when the connection is made between the volunteer work and the mission of the library. 

Recent graduates already working in a library may want to try aligning their professional goals with the mission and vision of the library. This may be a key factor, as a library may not have the resources to support new initiatives and may not be able to offer additional experiences outside of your current position. Conversely, a library may have continuing education, or career advancement, opportunities available; even if they cannot currently support a new initiative. Speak with your supervisor; their support and approval are needed in order to pursue opportunities outside of your current position description. A supervisor may also have additional connections, ideas, or even opportunities to share with you.

If you are unable to gain the desired experiences at your current place of employment, seeking professional development opportunities that match your goals will require thinking outside of the box (or the library). Joining a professional development organization, like a local chapter of a national organization, may provide opportunities, and possibly mentors. Reaching out and collaborating with another library that offers the experience you are seeking could also be a win-win situation. Volunteering at a different library may also provide additional opportunities, while further expanding your network.

For managerial skills – supervising, budgeting, leadership, etc. – it may seem like gaining knowledge and experience in those areas is impossible. How do you get those experiences, without being in those roles? Start early, with small steps. Learn about a specific aspect of being a manager; for example, read a book on managerial styles, take a LinkedIn Learning course on budgeting, or take advantage of leadership training programs offered through professional organizations, such as the American Library Association or the Medical Library Association. Then put the new knowledge into practice. You could ask to supervise a team project, volunteer as a treasurer for a local professional organization, ask to be in charge of a budget for an event, or accept a leadership role on a committee. Keep building up those skills and experiences for your resume/CV.

Add the new qualifications to your resume/CV

Your master resume/CV is a living document; it needs to be easily accessible so it can be updated frequently. A resume/CV hosted on a cloud-based platform works well for accessibility and can be kept private. Online profiles, which can be managed from any device with an internet connection, also work well; especially for those who want their resume/CV to be public. As you gain new knowledge, skills and experience update your resume/CV immediately – the same day when possible. Another good idea is to reflect on what you have accomplished in the past week; if there is anything new, add it to your resume/CV immediately.

Framing new qualifications and experiences for interviews

As you gain new qualifications, try to frame the experience as the answer to an interview question. Write out a list of potential interview questions; for example, “Give us an example of a time you failed and how you handled it?”, “Tell us about a time you worked with a team, what was your role?”, or “Describe your managerial style?”. If you can’t think of any interview questions, try asking someone in your organization who is part of the hiring process, or conduct an internet search for interview questions. Florida State University provides a library interview questions guide with sample questions specifically for librarians. 

Use these questions to practice interviewing with a mentor or friend. The more you think about your experiences in terms of answers to interview questions, the easier it will become to articulate those experiences during an interview. An idea for remembering details of an experience, is to keep a journal specifically of work experiences with matching interview questions. The journal can then be reviewed prior to an interview as both a reminder of your high-quality experiences and a review of possible interview questions.  

Final thought 

Be patient with yourself; your hard work and perseverance will pay off. You’ve got this.

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