CPD23: Thing 20, Thing 21, and Thing 22

Thing 20 is all about library careers and is related to Thing 10.  Here is what I did for Thing 20. I organized my thoughts a little better, using sub-headings Roots and Routes, and  revised my Thing 10 post on the Library Routes Project. My path is typical. Many librarians, and Nikki is one, moved from teaching into librarianship.

Thing 21 is about Promoting yourself in Job Applications and at Interviews. The Hobbit Hole has a post with some useful links that I intend to check out later. I agree with all the bloggers that emphasized proofreading one's application and resume as a very important tip.

One task for Thing 21 is for me to outline my activities and interests and explain how I can use them  in my working life.

Interests: Watching television, listening to music, reading, and communicating (orally and in writing), cooking and baking.  I watch The Voice, American Idol, America's Got talent.  I listen to Beyonce, Rihanna, Bruno Mars, and a host of young British singers including Adele. I love reading books, hence this book-club blog, but I also read pop culture, news, health, and food related magazines: People magazine, Prevention magazine, First magazine, The Week. My knowledge of pop culture helps me to relate to the young people I serve. 

Strengths: Communication skills, ability to get along with people, research skills, ability to work independently as well as with a team.

Job Enjoyment: I enjoy using my research skills  to help students find information. Like all librarians, I love it when I connect students to the right information as they need it. I especially like when a novel I recommended was enjoyed by a patron.

Thing 22 is about volunteering to get library experience. I like this post by Laura. Volunteering in a museum led her to a library career. The emphasis of Thing 22 is that volunteering should be mutually beneficial. My only voluntary library experience involves working as a part of a Library Advisory Committee at a technical college. We meet once per semester and it has been a good opportunity to offer guidance, receive ideas, and liaise with other librarians in the area.

I know for a fact that volunteering can lead to a career path. My voluntary experience, believe it or not, has been with the local Rape Crisis Center.  I used to be on call to go to the hospital to provide information and comfort to the families of rape survivors and the survivors themselves. I used to help the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner with the colposcope.  My buddy, who was a volunteer with me, ended up pursing a career as a Social Worker because of her experience with the center.