So, You’ve Lost Your Job. Now What? (07/09)
By Carol Barra
I am reliving, through librarians I talk to, what I went through in 2000 when I lost the job I had held for 26 years as the manager of a law firm library. For the first time in more than 20 years I had to put my resume in order and begin my search for a new job. I can tell you I was nervous! There is a difference between my situation and that of many librarians who are now caught in today’s recession and the economic down turn experienced by law firms and other organizations. However, there are many similarities in the emotions and anxiety that I experienced with those who have recently lost their jobs. I want to share some of what I learned that is still applicable today and some ideas for new ways to proceed with your job search.
First, it is a good idea to keep your resume updated constantly with new information about your responsibilities and special projects on which you have worked. I know if you have lost your job you probably following this advice. It is a good practice to adopt going forward. It is much more difficult to create a resume from scratch when you are feeling stressed and time has passed since you last put your resume together for a job search. You may forget a project you worked on that was well received and very successful. Let’s face it, our jobs are not stagnant and our responsibilities constantly change. This doesn’t mean that the resume you ultimately provide to employment agencies and prospective employers will contain all of the information. But, you will have it all written down in one place. The marketing director at my former firm helped me understand the importance of customizing my resume depending on the specific position for which I was applying. This last statement leads me to a second point I want to make.
Never underestimate the importance of friends, colleagues and vendor contacts. In a word, networking can be key to finding your next job. If I had not spent time talking with my LexisNexis® account team during a meeting, I might not have come to mind when the LexisNexis Librarian Relations Consultant position became available during the time I was unemployed and searching for a job. One of my account team members asked me if I had thought about what I might like to do for the next phase of my professional life. I of course said I wanted to either manage a law firm library or at least have a position where I could do the fun part and be a reference librarian. But, he got me thinking that there might be another path to follow where I could use my experience and interest in librarianship. I mentioned that I had always really liked the people I had contact with at LexisNexis and thought working for the company might be interesting. Thankfully, he thought of me for the position I now have and love. The other groups of people to get to know are your local recruiters. I know the employment recruiters in NYC attend most of the association educational and social networking opportunities and they are always happy to talk with librarians who are looking for jobs.
Third, if you want to stay in the same industry, maintain your association memberships by paying your own dues if necessary. There are some associations that are providing relief right now to unemployed librarians by extending membership for either no cost or a reduced amount for dues. Not only maintain your association memberships, but take advantage of every opportunity to get together with other members at educational and social events. Try to meet new people and spend time getting to know them. Who knows, they may be the lead to your next position. Recently, I attended an SLA meeting in NYC and was standing next to a librarian who had been laid off. We were talking with one of the vendors hosting the event. She mentioned her employment situation and asked if his company was hiring. He said they almost always have jobs posted on their Web site. She said she had visited the site but found it difficult to navigate. He gave her his card and suggested she give him a call to talk further about possible positions. Never underestimate the relationships you build with your vendors. They often hear about opportunities within either their companies or with firms with which they work. If I hadn’t talked with my representative from LexisNexis, I probably would not have heard about the position I now hold. I hope the librarian who talked with the vendor at the SLA meeting has a similar outcome.
Fourth, recently I was listening to a segment on NPR® during my morning walk. Okay, so I should get an iPod® and listen to music! One of the statements I found most interesting was the importance of researching trends to find out where there are growth opportunities and which industries or segments of the economy might be hiring now or within the foreseeable future. I thought this made a lot of sense, and since we are all adept at research this is a perfect application for our skills. As the segment continued I realized that there are a number of new ways to get and stay connected and to help people network. None of this was available when I was looking for a job in 2000. LinkedIn® is a great way to get connected with friends and colleagues. In NYC there is a librarian LinkedIn group started by a librarian who had lost his job. Perhaps your local association has started a blog or is Twittering among librarians who are unemployed. Christine Sellers has created a blog to help currently unemployed law librarians stay in touch; she’s included resources and is gathering statistics — check out Law Librarians of Leisure. There is just one thing I want to remind you about — anything you post to an open Internet site can be found by a prospective employer. Some of the other suggestions from NPR were the following sites to help build your resume:
They also mentioned YouTube, Facebook and other social networking sites that can help people stay connected.
I know this is a stressful time for those who have lost their jobs and are experiencing difficulties finding any position for which to apply. My advice is get connected, if you are not already, through associations and through social networking opportunities.
The last piece of advice I would like to offer is do whatever it is you like to do to help reduce the stress level. For me it was getting back into an exercise routine with walking.
I wish you luck in thinking about what you want to do in the next phase of your career and in finding an opportunity that will provide you with meaningful professional experience.
