Alternative careers

Alternative careersSLA LMD webinar series, Jan 2012 #lmdcpd

Bethan Ruddock, Mimas@bethanar bethan.ruddock@gmail.comhttp://www.slideshare.net/bethanar/alternative-careers

Bethan Ruddock

Content Development Officer, Library and

Archival Services, MimasThe University of Manchester

Bethan Ruddock

Copac Challenge Fund Support Officer, MimasThe University of Manchester

What is ‘alternative’?

• Same job, different sector• Same sector, different job•Different job, different sector• ... anything you want it to be!

• Might not be called ‘librarian’• Or archivist, records manager,

knowledge manager• Might not be in a library• Will use your librarian skills• And require you to learn new

ones• Might be in a library• But a different sort of library

What is ‘alternative’?

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Technology

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Research

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What do we do?• Take in data from major UK libraries and archives, and

make it searchable from a single interface• But not just the major libraries/archives!

Specialist/underused too, eg:St Paul’s Cathedral Architectural Archive; the Freshwater Biological Association; the library at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle; the library of the Royal Botanic gardens, Kew, and the archive of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Edinburgh; the Met Office; the Scottish Brewing Archive; the Royal College of Surgeons of England; the library of the Society of Friends; the archives of the British Postal Museum.

The techy stuff

The techy stuff

• HTML• XML• XSLT• UNIX• json• Javascript• Linked Data• Learning to code with CodeAcademy codeyear.com

Bleak House Charles Dickens

Wrote

Subject: Bleak HousePredicate: WasWrittenByObject: Charles Dickens

Subject > Predicate > Object

WasWrittenBy

Linked Data

The people stuff• Teaching/training• Archivists• Archive students

• Conferences• Working stands• Attending as delegate• Giving presentations• On panels• Giving posters

The people stuff

CommunicationSince joining Mimas, I’ve:• Given 5 conference presentations• Been on 4 conference panels• Given 2 conference posters• Authored/co-authored 11

journal/magazine articles• Written regularly for 5 blogs, and

guest-blogged on others• Written a book

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UK release April 2012 http://www.facetpublishing.co.uk/title.php?id=7685US release May 2012 http://www.neal-schuman.com/the-new-professional-s-toolkit

http://lisnewprofs.wordpress.com/

The traditional stuff

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My job requires me to be...• A good communicator• Face to face• In writing- various styles• Teach & train

• Technically literate• Enough to know what can and can’t be done,

and work with programmers• Flexible• Work on different projects & need to switch

quickly• Willing to learn• Don’t be scared of trying new things – always

ready to have a go• Proactive• I need to identify and take opportunities

• An expert• And willing to use that expertise

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Finding an alternative career

• Decide what you want to do!

• Skills audit• What can you do?• What do you enjoy

doing?• How can you do more

of the stuff you enjoy?• Tools: http://

www.sla.org/content/learn/members/competencies/index.cfm

• http://www.sla.org/content/resources/toolkit/index.cfm

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Finding an alternative career

• Look beyond “librar*”• Information• Communication• Research• Training• Data handling• Outreach• Support• Metadata

Where to look?• Job sites• Library/information-specific• Sector-specific (eg Higher Ed, Legal)• www.libraryjobpostings.org• http://infospace.ischool.syr.edu/2011/12/23/61-n

on-librarian-jobs-for-librarians/

• http://www.wearelibrarians.com/• Recruitment agents• Your network

What to look for?

• Think about your skills• Think about your interests• Where would you like to work?• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?• Disney Animation Research Library?• San Diego Zoo?• The Pentagon?• Eton College?

• What would you like to specialise in?• Manga?• Film?• Orchestral music?• Botany?

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Use your contacts• Build good professional

networks• Be generous – give and

receive• Ask them about their

workplace• Make new contacts• Talk to people at

conferences• Talk to vendors in the

exhibit hall• Talk to friends and family

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Get that application right

• The application is your chance to show how flexible, adaptable, and knowledgeable an info pro can be

• Use all of the information you can find about yourself and the organisation

• Include as many examples as possible• From whatever source

• Don’t use librarian/info pro/sector jargon!• Prepare to be Googled• Have a good online reputation that showcases your

professional skills

Get that application right• The application is your chance to show how flexible,

adaptable, and knowledgeable an info pro can be• Tailor your application to that job.• Speak the language of the organisation – align yourself

with them• Address all essential requirements• Address as many ‘desirable’ requirements as you can

• Be explicit, not implicit. • Don’t expect them to make the connections between your

experience and their needs – lay it out for them.• Be brave! A job application costs you nothing, except a

little time and effort, and the rewards can be huge.

• Soulla Stylianou• BSc Hons, Information Science• Client Director, Daden Ltd• Virtual Worlds and AI solutions provider• Virtual Library of Birmingham in Second Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11SPISd1qUI&• HR/management• Proposals/press releases/social media• Account management• Negotiation

• Skills:• Research• Finding resources• Using Boolean logic• Writing copy

• Jo Alcock• MScEcon Information and Library Studies• Evidence Based Researcher, Evidence Base, Birmingham

City University• Research• Evaluation• Consultancy• Project work• Funding/bids/proposals

• Skills• Project management• Research skills• Technology/software

• Wendy Padley• MSc Library and Information Skills• Academic Research Assistant, Health and Life Sciences

Faculty, De Montfort University• Information gathering• Information synthesis• Bid writing• Data management & storage• Clinical systematic reviews

• Skills• Information handling• Analytical skills• Writing skills• Data handling

And finally...• Keep an open mind• And a wide field of view

• Talk to people• Be polite and generous, and

they’ll want to talk to you• Align with the organization• Speak their language, refer

to their values• Don’t be scared!• Believe in yourself• Take a chance

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@bethanar bethan.ruddock@gmail.combethaninfoprof.wordpress.com lisnewprofs.comhttp://www.slideshare.net/bethanar/alternative-careers

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2012 Virtual Professional Development Series

Thursday, February 23, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST• “Content Negotiation” with Barbara Hirsch”

Thursday, March 29, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST• “Mining Enterprise Assets: Another Role for Info Pros”

with Deb Hunt, SLA President-Elect