Rejection: A Case Study

As you can imagine, rejection is part and parcel of the job seeking process. Most companies send emails: "We regret to inform you, yada, yada, yada"; however, some places send old fashioned letters. They arrive in my mailbox with the logo of whatever library I applied to. They're normally thin seeing as it doesn't take a lot of paper to say "you just aren't what we're looking for". I open them, read them, shrug, and move on.

Within the last two days, I have received two of these (Merry Christmas to me!), and although I try not to take any rejection personally when it comes to the job hunt - it's a bad economy, no one has any money to hire me, etc - one of these rejection letters stung me like a bad break-up. It was a very standard letter: They received an enormous amount of interest (this is nothing new) and that they had to choose a pool of applicants for testing and interviews whom they believed were best suited to the position. I don't know why this bothered me so much. I have a feeling it had much more to do with the timing of the letter rather than the letter itself. I've just been getting too much rejection lately. I really need to toughen up. I should have opened the letter, read it, shrugged, and moved on.

On the other hand, I received a letter today that didn't upset me at all. In fact, I felt better about myself after reading it. First it thanked me for my application. Then it detailed why they chose someone else (no biggie), but then the letter also said, and I quote:

"Your own skills and experience in libraries are impressive."

I was agog. They also regretted that they couldn't meet me in person for an interview. Then they said they would keep my profile on file in the case that a vacancy should occur. I was rejected, yet I still felt good about myself. What's more, for the first time in months I felt like I hadn't made a huge mistake by choosing librarianship as a career path. I doubt that I will ever hear from the library again, but wow, someone in the profession thinks my library skills are "impressive". Finally!

I know that rejection is just as difficult for employers as it is for potential candidates. It's even more difficult when the candidate already has a relationship with the potential employer. I've been there, but it was handled really well. My potential employer focused on my strong points when breaking the news. They let me know that I gave a great interview and that ultimately my people skills will earn me a library position. They also let me know that the perfect candidate received the position, but I was also a very good candidate. In the end, I think letting me down was harder for them than it was for me. I totally understood why I didn't get hired. I probably would have gone with the other candidate too if the shoe was on the other foot, but it was nice that they took the time to let me know that I was a decent candidate too. Although it is not the responsibility of potential employers to make job seekers feel better about themselves, it does help maintain momentum for someone who has probably been getting a lot of rejection during their job search.

So, what have I learned. Although I already knew that rejection is part of the process, I know that if I'm ever in the position to hire someone I can write a rejection letter that will make a candidate feel proud instead of defeated.

Unemployed Librarian: What to do?

So, I'm a recent MLIS graduate, and I do not have a library job. We're also deep in a recession, which I'm told is about to end, but I won't be holding my breath. What is an "unemployed" librarian to do?

Rub Elbows and Network
I have a notion (a pretty good one at that) that attending professional functions are good, no matter how irrelevant they might seem at the time. Seminars and conferences are an excellent opportunity to find out what is going on in the profession, keep your foot in the industry, and (most importantly) network and meet other library professionals. This cannot be stressed enough. One of my major weaknesses is that I'm not very good at networking. Having recently relocated, this is a double weakness. The good news is I live in an area where the librarians are connected and willing to bring new librarians into the fold. This makes it a lot easier to show up at a function where you don't know anyone and meet new people.

Volunteer!
I volunteer at a library. Although my volunteering will not lead to a job in the foreseeable future, it provides the opportunity for me to practice my new-found library skills in a professional environment. It also gives me something to write in those blank spots on applications where "library experience" is requested. Volunteer work is real experience. Be careful about where you volunteer. Many public libraries, although great places to volunteer, don't usually farm out real library work to their volunteers. It's best to find a volunteer position that will nurture the skill set you already have.

Communicate
This isn't limited to just talking. For instance, I'm communicating with you (is anybody reading?) now through this blog. Communicating is talking, blogging, and reading. You should mention to anyone in conversation, casually of course, that you are a recent graduate or that you're interested in library work. You never know who that person knows. Most of the time, it leads nowhere, but occasionally you find a golden opportunity. Really, what have you got to lose? You're already unemployed.
I'm also told that building an online presence is a great way to passively network. I've heard that a lot of libraries search the Web for recent applicants to positions. Finding the online presence of an applicant is a way for employers to know that you're actively participating in the profession even if you're not monetarily involved. I'm reading a lot of professional literature, but unless I mention it during an interview, how is my potential employer going to know that? Hopefully they have already read my blog and seen all of the articles I have commented on and read. Which brings me to my next point: Read!
Read everything you have time to read, not just about the field, but books too. If you're even remotely interested in public libraries, you should try to read what your patrons are reading. Also, have a good idea of what other people are reading. When I'm not reading my book on the bus, I'm looking around to see what other books are being read. This might seem nosy, but it's a good way to gather ideas and information about your community.

Learn a New Language
The communities that libraries are located in are becoming increasingly diverse. This is a giant challenge, but also a giant opportunity. I've always wanted to learn Spanish. Being unemployed, this is the perfect time. It can only serve to benefit in the end. Think about it, you'll finally be able to check off a box in the "Other Languages Spoken" section of the job application. I know I'm excited about this.

Don't Give Up!
Keep at it and stay positive. Sure, I have my hopeless days too, but lets face it, this is a recession. I'm not the only one out there who's unemployed.

This is what I'm doing at the moment. Hopefully you'll join me in the journey from "Unemployed" and "Undefined" Librarian to somewhere else wherever that may be.

Thanks for reading!