Achieving Said Dream Job

Not only is finding that dream job important, but also knowing that the required skill set and competency requirements that are required by the job can be met.  When going into that first interview with that dream company, it isn't realistic not have done any research on the place first.  Chances are they will ask you about their company; why you want to work there, what aspects of it drew you into applying, what changes you could/ would want to make, etc.

Below are the requirements for the job that I posted about last time:

Required: ALA-accredited master’s degree in library or information science or international equivalent. Ability to develop a compelling vision for the Youth Collection and its services. Second graduate degree. Library experience. Demonstrated knowledge of trends and issues in children’s and young adult literature. Ability to work in a team environment and build positive working relationships with library peers and campus colleagues. Excellent communication skills. Commitment to provide high-quality library services and resources to students and faculty.

Even though I can't presently meet the requirement of having my ALA-accredited MLIS, there are other skills and competencies that I can presently meet while I am on my journey to completing my MLIS through Wayne State.  As I have previously mentioned, I am currently employed at Veteran's Memorial Library in Mount Pleasant, MI.  Along with my computer page job that I originally got hired in for, I was just offered a position as a circulation page as well.  This means that not only will I be getting experience with patrons in a computer lab and at the help desk, but I will also now be learning how to shelve books and work with customers at the main desk.  Along with those two jobs I have also volunteered with the same library and my library back home in the Upper Peninsula.  Overall I would definitely say that I am well on my way to gaining a good amount of library experience.

When it comes to demonstrating knowledge of trends and issues in children's and young adult literature, I can also happily say that I have experience in that area as well.  Having received my Undergrad in Children's and Young Adult Literature specifically, I spent a lot of time reading books for all ages of young people and learned about a lot of current issues in the markets of both kinds of books.  I have become very passionate when it comes to the making and quality of children's books as well as issues of censorship which can unfortunately be found too often in books for children and young adults.  Because of those classes I took at Central, Young Adult literature has become one of my favorite groupings of books to read.  I can confidently say that I am very aware of the current trends and would be able to build up a pretty solid collection because of that experience.

Finally, after having worked in the food and beverage industry for five years and now at a library, I can definitely say that I have accumulated a good amount of customer service skills.  I have worked with many groups of people, whether that be fellow cashiers/pages and customers galore.  I firmly believe that there is always room for improvement in the areas of customer service and team building, but I am confident that I have a good foundation for the needs of this job.

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One thing I know that I would have to work on though, would be the second graduate degree.  My second step towards achieving my goal of getting a job like this, after finishing my MLIS and certificate in Children's and Young Adult Services within a public library, would be to go back to school and get a Masters or even PhD in English Literature with a concentration in Children's and Young Adult Lit.  First of all it would just be enjoyable to me since I love books in that age range but second of all, I know that degree would help me immensely when it came to collection development and staying with current trends.  Knowing that children and young adults are so malleable, it is important for me to give them the best tools and knowledge to grow up to be successful adults.  Books aren't important to all young people but they make a world of different to others and I want to make sure my collection is top notch.

With all of that being said, I don't really think I would need to revise my goals and objectives.  The only major issue would be that second graduate degree, and while I would absolutely love to get it, I need to first focus on my MLIS and then possibly go back to get the other one if needed and still wanted.

Dream Job--Part 1

Several weeks have gone by since I have started my job at the local public library in Mount Pleasant and I have learned a lot of things about public libraries that I had not previously known.  I still love being here and I don't think my love of a public library's atmosphere will ever change.  However, lately I have been really thinking about whether or not the career path I have in mind will be one I will be satisfied with for the rest of my life.  When I saw that this weeks journal post was about taking a chance to search for our dream, I figured this would be a great opportunity to seriously take a look at the job offers currently out there to see if the job skills, competencies, and working environments out there were ones that piqued my interest. 

After looking through about six pages of job listings on the ALA website, I came across one that I think could really be a job that I would love doing.

University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Salary: Not Specified
Status: Full-time
Posted: 02/05/14
Deadline: 03/09/14
Youth Services Librarian
Rod Library The University of Northern Iowa seeks a tenure-track Youth Services Librarian beginning August 2014. Required: ALA-accredited master’s degree in library or information science or international equivalent. Ability to develop a compelling vision for the Youth Collection and its services. Second graduate degree. Library experience. Demonstrated knowledge of trends and issues in children’s and young adult literature. Ability to work in a team environment and build positive working relationships with library peers and campus colleagues. Excellent communication skills. Commitment to provide high-quality library services and resources to students and faculty.

This job seems like it could be the best of both worlds to me--I would still be working with Youth Services but it would be in a University setting.  Spending three years at CMU I have come to really love their huge Park Library and have recently been thinking about whether or not an academic library would be a better fit for me as a future career.  With this job I could work with building a Youth Collection (which would be amazing because I love Y.A. lit) and still be working with people at a University level.

When it comes to the second graduate degree I would definitely get one in Children's and Young Adult literature.  That is what I got my BS in and those last two semesters I had were so amazing.  If I wasn't so passionate about working in a library system I would seriously consider becoming a college English professor.  With that second degree, I could not only gain more knowledge when it came to building up my knowledge of trends and issues in said literature, it would just be something I was truly interested in.  Honestly, writing about this actually makes me want to find a job exactly like this in the future.

The requirements are just what I would expect in a job like this and seem quite manageable.  The classes I am currently in now, especially this class in particular, have been teaching me more and more about working with a team, especially when none of us are able to physically meet.  While it can be challenging sometimes, it's rewarding when you are able to come together and accomplish a team project, knowing you are all so far away.  I also believe that my current experience at the library I work at will continue to help me when it comes to building positive working relationships with other coworkers in the library and on the rest of the campus.  It 's easy to see how quickly things can go downhill when not everyone is on the same page.

Overall this journal really got me thinking and made me even more excited for the future.  I know that an exact job like this may not be available when I graduate with my degree, and that it would involve me getting another degree anyway, but it is food for thought.  It is a reminder that there really are jobs out there that fit to your liking and that you don't always need to settle for something you really don't want to do.  Hopefully I can expect this to happen in my very own future.

Cheers.