After a few weeks settling in Manassas, VA I've had a few more changes happen. Just yesterday I got a placement in the Gainesville Library for a volunteership. I start on June 17th and will be coming in for 4 hours every week on Thursday. My friends in the area say that it's a very small library and the Volunteer Coordinator for Prince William County assures me that the need there is great. I'm very excited to start.
In the past few weeks I've had two professional interviews: one for a children's librarian in MD and one for an academic library in VA. I was rejected for both of them, but I remain optimistic and continue to apply for jobs daily. I wanted to start a tally for the number of jobs I've applied for each day, but I find it more productive to keep track of interviews I receive instead. I haven't yet started beating the roads yet with my resume, though I did see a man in the Bull Run Library doing the same thing. I felt a hint of sympathy for him because he came in very nicely dressed with an attache case, asking for work. The woman behind the information desk politely informed him that there weren't any positions available at the moment, but that he can look into volunteering with the library instead. A few places I'm looking at in Manassas are Barnes & Noble or McCabe's Used Books, possibly working part time or volunteering to help shelve. We'll see how it goes.
ALA Annual is in a little over two weeks. I'm very excited and nervous so I've been stocking up on information to prep. I've saved event calendars for Public Libraries Association (PLA), YALSA, and ALSC. I don't know how many events I'm going to be able to go to along with visiting the Job Fair, but I at least want to have the information. I'm trying to get a friend to let me spend a night in her DC apartment so I can save a few bucks on commuting.
I've left both my part-time job and volunteer position in Maryland. The commute from Manassas takes about an hour and it's become too stressful, specifically when I have to fight traffic every day. Both of my employers seem very understanding and support the fact that I've relocated and need to find work where I am now.
I'm feeling very relaxed since graduating. I realize that I'm not going to get a full time job tomorrow and don't need to stress myself out trying to find one, but I am open to the possibility. Until then I can only take things one day at a time and continue to network the DC Libraries, JMU, and UMD.
Will those volunteer hours help you gain the desired experience that libraries look for in a full time position? I remember you saying that it was sort of a catch-22 in that it's hard to get experience when every place that's hiring wants you to already have experience. So maybe the volunteering is also a nice stepping stone for you. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteBen,
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely they will. A lot of jobs require experience working at an information or "reference desk" which usually involves exposure to the public and garnering customer service skills in a library setting. This volunteer job will definitely help me gain that skill set. Thanks!