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I was told yesterday the grant funding my position is up at the end of the year. During the meeting, I was encouraged to apply to a similar appointment they're recruiting for, but I think it's curtains for part-time, low-stress, boring work. I've had a year at a catastrophically mismanaged institution, and am honestly relieved it's come to this: there's been no room for professional development or advancement, and the bureaucracy is insufferable. I have five weeks to hammer out resumes, apply for positions, and otherwise prepare. While my background and recent professional experiences have been in special collections/rare books/archives, I'd really like to get into the data analysis field: I have an undergrad degree in STEM from a fairly prestigious engineering school, and a slew of informatics/info science courses/research projects in grad school. I'm looking for entry-level junior positions, having taught myself Python and R, and am ready to hustle hustle hustle to get a position. It's a long shot, but any insight into making the transition would be much appreciated and helpful.
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Nov 20, 2015 01:35
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Pompadour Diamond posted:Thanks for answering my question. I'm actually relieved to hear that choice of school doesn't really matter, since then it becomes a matter of affordability. Also, thank you for all the advice on "experience > reputation." I've actually been interning at an archive this semester, and after reading this thread, I am definitely going to try and volunteer there as much as I can as next semester. I disagree that where you go doesn't really matter. The institution is really important, especially for different sub-disciplines like archives, rare books, etc. I know plenty of graduates from mostly online programs (UK, Claremont, Kent State, etc.) that have suffered in the job market tremendously and had trouble landing positions. Don't throw yourself into six figures of debt, but give serious consideration to the quality of the school you're attending. Also, definitely look at big state schools. I went to Indiana University and the depth and breadth of professional opportunity there was staggering. I graduated with (already) 3-4 years of professional experience from campus work, research, and internships. The big schools have the resources and libraries to support this kind of personal/professional development.
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Nov 20, 2015 01:39
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Bitchkrieg posted:While my background and recent professional experiences have been in special collections/rare books/archives, I'd really like to get into the data analysis field: I have an undergrad degree in STEM from a fairly prestigious engineering school, and a slew of informatics/info science courses/research projects in grad school. I'm looking for entry-level junior positions, having taught myself Python and R, and am ready to hustle hustle hustle to get a position. Update: I landed a job as a systems / business analyst at a defense contractor. I'm moving for the position, and I had the luxury of picking and choosing who I interviewed with and ultimately accepted. I got a ton of interviews and my job search lasted all of three weeks. My salary as an "entry level" analyst will be twice what I made previously, and there's a ton of positions/growth opportunities. Other library professionals: stay tech savvy and you are seriously marketable for a number of positions outside traditional librarianship. I was amazed. Also walking in and quitting my job, on the spot, was one of the most gratifying experiences of my life. I was grinding my teeth over mismanagement/boredom/operations and it's amazing how much leaving a lovely position immediately improved my life.
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Jan 8, 2016 02:40
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Cythereal posted:I just transitioned from working at an academic library to a new job at a public library. I worked a year as a public reference librarian (after years in special collections), it was intensely rewarding and seriously challenging. You basically become a community social worker. My coworkers and management were amazing, but the pay was atrociously bad.
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Feb 25, 2016 14:10
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My Lovely Horse posted:
I spent a year at a major archival institution and its process workflow was so astoundingly inefficient, (a) barely anything ever got done despite (b) benefactors donating tons of money. Similarly, I've yet to encounter any digitization project at a major institution that was, in any sense, well / efficiently run. (Side note: I work as a systems analyst now, and my work deals with process improvement and efficiency. I should do consulting work for digital libraries because holy  are most horribly disorganized).
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Apr 20, 2016 12:31
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