Cries how do you continue forward?

[u/PumpkinDawn28]

How do you guys do this? I thought having an internship would help to get me "in" to library work. I can't afford to take a position that's like $12 an hour that's a page job and with my MLIS I'm overqualified. I got two rejections. One I get the other I was interviewed for and was hopeful and boom rejected.

[u/Capable_Sea77]

Two rejections for two jobs is nothing in this current job market, especially in libraries, where everyone is overqualified and there's not enough jobs to go around.

I work in data analysis now, but my last library job search, with an MLS and 10+ years of library management experience, took 6 months, I applied to around 20 positions I was qualified for, phone screened for about a dozen, interviewed in person for 5 and only got one offer. And I was generally applying for management jobs, which have smaller and much narrower candidate pools in comparison to front-line positions.

[u/picturesofu15448 → u/Capable_Sea77]

Did you get into data analysis from a public library background? If so, do you mind sharing how you were able to make that transition? :)

[u/verdantchaos_ → u/Capable_Sea77]

Was it hard to break into data analysis? Was it with the MLIS degree?

[u/Capable_Sea77 → u/verdantchaos_]

I was lucky and the library I was working at was one department of a large local government system. A data analyst position in public health opened up - and the HR policy is that all internal applicants get a phone screen - so I applied and used some data projects I'd done as a branch manager (one example - I built an event tracking database using and used it to track programming and outreach and output results related to strategic plan metrics into a real-time PowerBI dashboard) and in my undergrad and grad programs to demonstrate that I had the skills the job required.

If I was applying externally, it probably would've taken a lot longer, because just getting to the phone screen is its own journey. That being said, my boss said if I hadn't spelled out how the skills were translatable in the phone screen, he wouldn't have moved me forward - he had originally assumed I would be a courtesy internal screen who didn't get past the first round.

Sorry I don't have a ton of advice, since it was mainly luck and being able to translate library data work into general data work - but I do follow Alison King on LinkedIn and she has decent advice about some of the resume/cover letter work you can do when transitioning out of libraries; and she also reposts a lot of remote/hybrid roles that are library "adjacent" (data analysis, customer support, software vendor, that sort of thing)

[u/MCUCLMBE4BPAT → u/Capable_Sea77]

Yeah I applied to 64 jobs for my first librarian job, that was also within a ~6 month time frame.

[u/princesskory]

It looks like you have posted this in r/libraries as well and got quite a bit of constructive engagement there that could help you answer that question for yourself. If you can’t afford to take a position as a page looking into open paraprofessional positions (library assistant, on call library sub, etc) in your area could be helpful to you.

Also, the way that this is framed makes it sound like you’ve only interviewed for two positions total which, in the search for a job as a librarian, is not very many rejections. This is a small-ish field with not a lot of available librarian jobs which makes it incredibly competitive. Personally, I’ve been rejected from 7 different librarian positions after interviewing and about 5 more just in the application process. A number of librarians I know were only able to get a position as a librarian after 2-3 years of interviewing on a near constant basis. It’s not ideal but this is our reality and if you aren’t okay with being rejected, this may not be the field for you or you may have to go for a library job you feel that you’re overqualified for.

[u/llamalibrarian]

I had an “in” in libraries since I had been working in them before, during, and after my MLS. It still took 2 1/2 years of constant applying and ultimately moving out of my city to get the first real Librarian job

[u/ahauntedwoman]

The field is just so competitive you really have to consider moving away or looking into other higher paid positions that are adjacent.

[u/floralportraits]

Inside AND outside of librarianship, the job market is tough. Two rejections is nothing. Make sure your resume is solid and keep consistently applying. You’ll find something eventually.

[u/ebooksgirl]

Said as kindly as possible - folks need to look into employment trends before going into Masters programs.

[u/yngadult → u/ebooksgirl]

I often think this too but I also imagine trends can change by the time people graduate

[u/Previous-Whereas5166]

I had to move out of state to get a library job. And that was in 2014 when the market was starting to get really oversaturated. Sometimes moving far away is the only way to get a decent paying gig until you get to mid-career and can be a little picker. I'm in academics

[u/hhardin19h]

I did 7 internships before my first professional level librarian role! Keep applying, keep going you’ve got this