Professional Engagement and Development (LIS-S 598) can be found from one.iu.edu in both the class registration system and iGPS. DLIS is offering LIS-S 598 as a 1 credit hour graded course taught by Lydia Spotts.
Background:
LIS-S 598 evolved from the former non-credit hour course I-798, which was initially offered in fall 2020. Based on student feedback, DLIS converted the course to a graded, credit bearing course beginning in summer 2022.
About the course:
LIS-S 598 is focused on career advising and engaging with the LIS profession and can be advantageous whether you are coming to LIS from another field or if this is your first career. You will explore resources and your interests with a peer cohort. New, mid-program, and final semester students are invited to join this course, as the instructor will make suggestions to help adapt the content to meet participants’ needs. Students will develop a personal strategic plan and complete practical assignments that meet common employment and career development needs:
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- Building perspective and strategies for the job search
- How professional library/archives organizations work, and why to engage with them
- Writing convincing cover letters
- Crafting versions of your resume
- Pre-interview reconnaissance, assessing fit, and communicating your ability to meet an employer’s needs
- Connecting with colleagues and mentors
- Developing a professional online presence and engaging with facets of the LIS community
- LinkedIn, “library twitter”, “archives twitter” – scholarly communication and idea exchange is not limited to peer-review articles and listserv emails
- Post-graduate opportunities: continuing education, credentials, and how to keep growing
The instructor will facilitate learning around these themes and providing individualized feedback and counseling to students as they build perspective, explore pathways, and engage in the profession.
Students from previous semesters had the following feedback:
- “I appreciated the vast amount of additional resources and links related to career planning, job interview preparation, continuing education, and more. I would not have been able to find all of the resources provided in this course on my own. “
- “I feel more exposed to the various paths a librarian can take and I feel like I have a better idea of what different hiring managers might be looking for.”
- “Not only did this course have obvious practical applications, but it was a low–stress, interesting, and at times fun way of learning more about the LIS profession and getting myself ready to graduate.”
- “I liked that it “forced me” to start thinking about the library job market and like the accompanying paperwork, like my resume and cover letter. I have wanted to update these for awhile but have prioritized other things.”
- “It helped me, as a first semester student, get a better sense of the job requirements of different library settings.”
The course is complimented by the Library & Information Industry Speaker Series, which runs during the fall and spring semesters and features professionals working in a variety of sectors and representing different facets of LIS.
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