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Course available: INFO-I 798 Section 31169

DLIS is excited to offer a non-credit hour course on career advising and engaging with the LIS profession this spring 2021. Whether you are coming to LIS from another field or if this is your first career, our newly developed curriculum can benefit you. New, mid-program, and last 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:

• 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 who took the inaugural course in Fall 2020 had the following feedback:

• “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.”
• “There were a lot of resources provided here that I wouldn’t have found on my own.”
• “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.”

The course will be complimented by the forthcoming DLIS Library & Information Industry Speaker Series, which will feature professionals working in a variety of sectors and representing different facets of LIS. Enrolled students are not required but will be encouraged to attend speaker sessions.

The spring 2021 instructor is Lydia Spotts.