There were so many interesting sessions at SLA's annual conference that I wanted to attend but couldn't because of conflicts in schedule or lack of time, but I made sure that I made time for two sessions on career planning. The first gave me an idea of the demand (or lack thereof) for information professionals, while the second allowed me to seek guidance from a professional career coach.
At the "Career Guidance and Mentoring Breakfast," I met librarians who wanted to know what the employment opportunities were in North America and Europe. Mandy Baldridge (InfoCurrent), the speaker, also gave advice on resumés and interviews. I later approached her at her company's booth in the exhibition hall and she gave me more detailed advice regarding my resumé.
I also had a 30-minute, one-on-one session with Marshall Brown through "Career Connection." I showed him my resumé and we discussed my current situation and future plans. And then, when he found out that I had a blog, I ended up giving him a short introduction to blogging =)
By the way, if you've been told that there is a huge demand for librarians in North America, please read "The Entry Level Gap" by Rachel Holt and Adrienne L. Strock (Library Journal, 1 May 2005).
Tag: SLA2005
SLA 2005: Career Guidance
