Weekly update: IITF #4 requested my references!! WOOHOO!! This is a really big step on the way to interviewing. Let's just hope that everyone has nice things to say about me .

The formal job posting for IITF #1 was just put up today, so the letter confirming my interest in that position got e-mailed off. Since I got paid quite a bit less than I expected today from my previous positions, let's hope that can hurry up and get processed and I can get some cash! LOL That's the hardest part about being unemployed, still paying your bills. I'm just glad that I am able to pay them, for now anyway.

IITF #3 still hasn't contacted me, but as I was telling a friend, I'm not sure how strong of a candidate I am for them. We'll see.

Oh, and I've applied to another position, but we'll wait and see if it will be an IITF before we number it . This is another academic library, so I could have gotten a job before I hear back from them. Who knows in this crazy world. A tip that one of my friends gave me was to make sure that when you get a slew of rejections in, make sure that you keep applying to keep the momentum going. So, figure out a number of active resumes that you're comfortable with and keep that number going until you have a job.

Since this is something I've been thinking about lately, I thought I'd post some information regarding depression. Depression is a valid concern in the job search process, so you need to be aware of both the signs of depression and ways to combat it.

HelpGuide.org - Depression
1UP Health - Major Depression
MEDLINEplus - Depression

Well, a little update. I had that meeting yesterday for the part-time position, and I think it really went well. The two hours I spent with the head of reference sure didn't feel as if it had been that long. I basically got an orientation to the library without officially meeting anyone. When the meeting ended the head said that she thought I'd be a good fit for the position, but that I should take some time to think about what I saw of the library and how I felt about working in that kind of environment. She also said that she understood I'd be still looking for a full-time position, which made me feel a lot better about going for the position. So, after a day to think about it, and looking over the materials she gave me, I think this would be a great job to work in. The other thing I felt really good about was that the hourly wage that was given to me was higher than what I was making in the job that I left for graduate school. Made me feel really good.

The other reason that I'm going to persue this job opportunity is because I checked in with my contact for IITF #2 which was for a special library two states away from where I'm currently at. I thought I'd be a strong candidate for it, and I was given that impression by the executive search firm the library was using. Well, my contact told me that the library ended up making an offer to a candidate that the library had developed on their own. My contact did say that she'd keep me on file for any other position searches they might receive.

Oh well, at least I can cross one more thing off my list of jobs to keep track of. Which is another thing to ponder: how many active resumes is too many?

Unlike *Young Frankenstein*, I don't plan on following in my grandfather's vootshteps. Well, my great-aunt's and mom's vootshteps I'll concede. So, the plans for this blog is to keep a record of my trying to find, and hopefully getting a job, and keeping it. I'd like this mainly to be a resource to current and future library school students, so that they know what to expect once they graduate.

Background: I started looking at job postings before I started library school. I started applying for positions in January of 2003. I graduated in May 2003 with my masters. It's August, and I'm still looking. So far, I've applied to between 25-30 positions and have yet to be asked to interview. Depressing to say the least. (Maybe this is therapy. Hmmm...)

Right now, I *think* I've got a few irons in the fire. Tomorrow I'm informally meeting with the head of a local public library's reference department to see if it's an environment I'd enjoy working in. This is not a formal interview or anything because the possible position hasn't even been posted yet. I think I like the head of the department already though, she seemed really cool on the phone when I spoke with her. We'll see how tomorrow goes. This is a good exercise though for anyone who is targeting a specific library, or even better, a specific department of a library. This is usually called an informational interview because you get to know how that library/department works. The position is only part-time, but at this point, it's experience in a public library, which I don't have, and it's money to pay the bills.

Tommorrow is also contacting #2 Iron In The Fire* (IITF) day. Tip #2: If you're interested in a position, stay in contact with the person doing the hiring/recruiting so that they know that you're *really* interested. Gives you a head up on those people who blindly send out resumes to anything that looks remotely related to their degree.

#3 IITF contacted me today to let me know that they're reviewing resumes now and will be contacting those selected for interviewing in a few weeks. This is a good thing, because they acknowledge that they've received the resume. Not every place that I've applied to has done that.

#4 IITF is an academic library that I applied to in June, so that will probably take a while. Tip #3: Academic libraries take forever to hire in most cases because of all the red tape they have to go through.

That's pretty much it for now, oh and yes, I think I do qualify for the title of "Young Librarian" because I'm in my mid-20's.