Seeing it from the other side

It wasn’t so long ago that I was striving to find a job at a library, but already I’m on the other end of the process.  I am part of a screening committee at work to hire a new library assistant, and yesterday we began interviewing candidates.  I can’t help but feel bad for all of the applicants we rejected, and it’s even harder to interview people in person when you know only one of them will get the job.  I still remember what it was like to hope so much to be hired, only to find out someone else was chosen instead.

Certainly I know that I have nothing to feel guilty about.  My job is to help determine the best person for the job.  There’s no reason the rest of the applicants won’t find something that will fit them even better somewhere else.  And finally, we’re being a lot more courteous in handling the process than many of my past would-be employers have been.  And I could tell some stories, there!

Still, it’s impossible not to empathize with every one of them–even the ones I only “meet” on paper.  Especially because I know exactly how hard it is to get an entry level job in the library field right now.

It’s like going to the animal shelter.  I can’t pick them all, but I sure want to!

Falling into the entry-level gap.

This is an interesting article by Rachel Holt and Adrienne L. Strock that appeared in Library Journal a couple of years ago. It describes the entry-level gap problem that has been causing new library science graduates (including myself) heartburn over the last few years. A quote:

“The evidence strongly suggests that new librarians are neither sought nor considered for even entry-level librarian positions. The evidence also suggests that the jobs that new professionals need to gain vital experience are the very jobs being cut or greatly reduced. This population is being squeezed from both sides. They cannot find viable jobs to apply for nor can they get hired when they do apply. The threat to librarianship is clear: many qualified individuals will abandon the profession if the situation does not improve.”

I have a small advantage, though, in that I have a little experience working in a public library earlier this year. It was only for a few months, but it’s still more than many of my less-fortunate colleagues have. I still remember getting blown off even for volunteer library work, so getting that job was truly a blessing for me. I don’t know if that will be enough, but it’s certainly better than nothing at all.