Professional Profile: Rob Ambra – ServiceOntario, Government of Ontario

Ever wondered about how the important skills and knowledge you acquire at the iSchool may be applied beyond the library environment? Rob Ambra, a recent graduate of the iSchool (June 2010) and former co-chair of the SLA Toronto student group, has kindly shared his story offering some insights into development and broader application of transferable skills.

1. Please describe your current position. What do you enjoy most about your work and what are the most challenging aspects?

I have worked for the Ontario Government since graduating from the iSchool. My two previous roles in the government have been in Records and Information Management. I have recently moved to my current role (Business Analyst,Service Ontario), where I am working in operational reviews, business process re-engineering, and business planning. Records/Information Management comprises one of the lines of business I am looking at.

I like the client interaction aspect of my work. My roles have all been tied to wider projects or initiatives that require client outreach, management of diverse stakeholder groups, private sector interaction, and delivery on client expectations. I have also come to enjoy project management, and my position offers ample opportunity to develop my skills in that area.

With respect to challenges, the rigour associated with proper electronic Information Management (IM) is not “sexy.” People see it as a chore, or an interference with their personal style of arranging and saving their work. The client interaction and education side of IM can be an ongoing struggle. But if the training and awareness is presented in the right way, staff can see how IM can actually make their job easier.

2. What advice would you offer to new professionals, and to students currently pursuing their Master of Information degrees?

Networking through the SLA Toronto Student Group was hugely important to my professional development and opportunities while in school, and continues to be incredibly important within my workplace as well. I know people can be uncomfortable networking, and I am too. I tend to just try to be myself and hope that approach resonates with people.

My first job out of school was obtained through perseverance and trying to take advantage of available opportunities, so I would stress these just as much as networking. To look for opportunities you might not normally encounter on the iSchool job board, think of different ways to present your skills if your interests lie outside of the library world, and be willing to learn.

For those still in school: there is a lot of competition for the student jobs at Toronto-based libraries, so create your own opportunities to get work experience. The U of T work-study program offers many good student jobs that aren’t classed as traditional “information” jobs, but draw on skills that you learn in the program (and they’re not always well-advertised). My work-study position directly helped me to get the skills I drew on after graduation and was also my first exposure to working in an IT environment.

If you meet someone at a guest lecture or alumni event and want to learn more about their career path, email them. It could open up new avenues or new areas of interest.

3. Please tell us about courses you took during your Masters of Information program, and/or outside of the iSchool, that particularly helped to prepare you for the workforce.

Within the iSchool program, I really enjoyed Kelly Lyons’ Project Management course. Kelly has extensive experience in the private sector and was able to provide valuable lessons learned from her previous projects to supplement her lectures.

Professor Choo’s Knowledge Management course was great. I haven’t worked in that field, but the course content provided a very insightful and practical look at how information and knowledge are transferred in the workplace. This has been helpful in all of my work.

I took both practicum courses offered, and they were invaluable in learning how to work with client groups to define their requirements in order to produce and deliver an appropriate final product. These were transferable skills that applied to my Records/Information Management and Business Analyst roles. They also were valuable in learning how to manage my own project timelines and deliverables.

A year after I graduated, I completed the test for a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certification because I wanted to get more formal training in the field.

4. Why did you join the SLA, and what did you get out of it?

I joined SLA at the end of my first year of the program and ended up serving as the co-chair of the SLA Toronto Student Group for my second year. Soon after this, professionals who had long been associated with SLA Toronto began contacting us, reaching out to help with the student group, and offering themselves as speakers at our events. I knew pretty early on that I had made the right choice to get involved.

To this day, I remain overwhelmed by the support the student group received from the network of Toronto professionals we worked with. I’m grateful for the guidance I received from professionals I met through SLA Toronto, and am happy to be still involved as part of the group’s Partner Relations Committee.

Written by Louise Donnelly

Professional Profile: Zachary Osborne - CIGI

Zachary Osborne is a research librarian at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) located in Waterloo, Ontario. A few weeks ago, he was kind enough to answer some questions about his current role, his career path, and the advice he has for current students. Zach's incredibly helpful answers are below!

1. Describe your current position

I’m a Research Librarian in a special library at CIGI, a non-profit research organization (“think tank”) that focuses on international governance concerns: energy and environment, economics, development and security. I provide a wide range of library and research services to the organization’s researchers and experts. These users have strong academic credentials, extensive international research experience, and a wide range of policy expertise. 

As a solo-librarian, I’m responsible for nearly all aspects of maintaining the library: acquisitions, cataloguing, collection development, subscriptions and serials management, research requests and support, special projects, outreach and communicating with the wider organization. It’s a lot of fun! 

2. Describe your educational background 

I have an honours Bachelor of Arts from Acadia University in history and sociology, and a Master of Information Studies (MISt) from the University of Toronto, with a focus on Library & Information Science. 

Zachary Osborne 

3. Describe your first job as a librarian or information professional etc. and subsequent career path

This is my very first job as a librarian. After graduating from my MISt, I worked briefly at the Information Centre of De Beers Canada (the mining company), and then landed my current position. I also held a handful of library positions while at the iSchool: I worked part-time at the Robarts Reference & Research Services desk, and did some cataloguing and reference for the Data, Map & Government Information department. In addition to this, I worked at the Royal Ontario Museum Library & Archives. 

Regarding my current job, I was initially hired on a contract basis as the Collections Librarian, but after some restructuring, I was promoted and hired as a permanent full-time Research Librarian. 

4. How did your information training and background prepare you for the job you now have? 

I think that a combination of my experiences prepared me for the job I have now. Specifically, I owe a great deal to my work experiences while studying at U of T. I worked hard to get as much library experience as I could, because I felt that I would get more out of hands-on experience in libraries than I would in the classroom. I was very lucky, and landed some really terrific student jobs. In those roles I had the opportunity to assist with in-depth reference for a range of academic disciplines (humanities, social sciences, business, government documents, data and statistics), I performed original and copy-cataloguing, got involved with knowledge management and Web 2.0, and worked with archives. I was exposed to a diversity of information settings, user groups, and subject areas, and I think that a mixture of these experienced helped me to thrive in my current position where I handle most aspects of the Library. When I saw the job posting at CIGI, I thought to myself, “...this job description was written for your background and experience: apply.” 

5. What advice would you give someone who is currently doing his or her Master in Information? 

As a relatively new grad myself, I don’t think that I have a ton of wisdom to share, but here are some bits of advice that you might find helpful: 

· I know it’s easy to get into doing this, but don’t just take soft skill “bird” courses. Especially if you’re looking for a job in special libraries, it’s crucial to have those practical, “hard skills”. For example: aspects of cataloguing; abilities with open source; knowing something about HTML, MySQL, or web design, data, etc. I think that employers are looking for people who can walk into a job with as little training as possible and who can make a real impact. Impress them with your knowledge, skills and innovative ideas! 

· Speak to a few people in the field who have jobs that you want: inquire about how they got to where they are, ask them to critique your resume and/or CV, and in general, get your name and face out there. A similar suggestion is to request to speak to someone in Human Resources at a large library where you’d like to work. While I was job hunting, I met with the Head of Human Resources at UTL to have a mock interview and resume critique, and it was an invaluable experience. They see a lot of resumes, after all. 

· Create an online presence! You should want to be found in a Google search on sites like LinkedIn, through your personal website, and on Twitter. It will show that you’re web-savvy, relevant, and have something to say. (N.B. At the same time, be vigilant about Facebook privacy settings... you don’t need potential employers to know too much about you.) 

· Get experience. Realistically, everyone at the iSchool will graduate with the same degree. So what really counts (and what will make you stand out), is your experience. I think any experience is good for your resume and getting a job. If you can volunteer, great. If you can get part-time jobs, even better. 

· In the end, I think that getting a job relies on the following: who you know, your experience, luck, and timing. 

6. Any general advice for new information professionals? 

Network with colleagues, collaborate and be nice. Sometimes I feel like there’s an aura of competition that exists within special libraries (but maybe it’s other places too), and I think it can make people uptight and insular. Participate in socials, activities, listservs, and collaborate. It would make our community even more pleasant than it already is. 

7. What helpful lessons did you learn early in your career? Do any of them still apply today? 

Don’t be overwhelmed, stay organized, and take it one day at a time. When I was at De Beers, I worked with the Manager of Information Services (it was just the two of us), and I was always impressed with her ability to stay calm under duress. The library was never in shambles, but there were some problem areas that I would have lost sleep over. I asked how she dealt with that kind of stress or pressure, and she said, “No library is perfect. You just have to deal with things in stride, and prioritize your time.” 

I sometimes feel overwhelmed when I think of all of the things that need to be done at my library, e.g. backlog of cataloguing, responding to requests, maintaining print collections, broken links on the digital library, etc.; but I try to stay organized and prioritize competing long-term tasks, one day at a time.

A big thank you to Zach for his incredibly helpful advice!

-ZC

Professional Profile: Elysia Guzik - Egon Zehnder International Inc.

Elysia Guzik

Elysia is a recent Master of Information Studies graduate (U of T, Faculty of Information, June 2010), who specialized in the library and information science stream. Prior to attending the iSchool, Elysia received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and Religion & Culture from Wilfrid Laurier University. She has always enjoyed organizing information – even before applying to the iSchool and entering the workforce – whether that passion was manifest in categorizing collections of books and photos or colour coding calendars. When she enrolled at the Faculty of Information in 2008, Elysia had every intention of obtaining a graduate degree and developing the professional skills required to become a dedicated academic librarian. But after learning more about specialized collections and attending a panel discussion featuring professionals in “alternative information careers”, she became increasingly intrigued by the world of libraries and information centres that provide specialized resources and services to users. 

During her time at the iSchool, she completed two practicum placements – one at Our Ontario, drafting a marketing plan for the “Collections” service, the other at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, where she designed a “Library Catalogue and Resources” eLearning course to assist articling students and legal secretarial assistants in using the library catalogue and resources to conduct legal research. Before starting at Egon Zehnder, Elysia worked as a Co-op Student in the Records & Information Management Office at OMERS Administration Corporation. Prior to that, Elysia held roles at Research In Motion and the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery, and volunteered extensively with The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation. 

Currently, Elysia is Research Analyst at Egon Zehnder International Inc., one of the largest privately-held executive search firms globally, with 63 offices in 37 countries. She conducts business research and analysis for business development projects and executive search assignments, in liaison with consultants, research associates and administrative staff in the Toronto office and with colleagues across North America. This year, Elysia is also thrilled to be part of SLA Toronto Chapter’s Executive Board as Programming Director, planning events that cater to the diverse professional interests of the chapter’s members. 

Elysia started at Egon Zehnder in April 2010, as Records Management Analyst, after meeting one of the firm’s Senior Researchers at the iSchool’s Annual Job Fair & Networking Event. Although she had never considered executive search as a career option, the industry sounded intriguing, and Elysia welcomed the opportunity to work at Egon Zehnder as a new professional challenge. The role allowed her to expand her skill set while encouraging her to contribute her knowledge about information management to the organization. Between April and January, she addressed a three-year candidate file backlog to improve accessibility of records, created a records retention schedule and started to develop a records management policy, setting out guidelines for imaging paper records and the process for authorized records destruction. 

In January 2011, Elysia transitioned to her current Research Analyst role. This role involves investigating candidates’ career backgrounds, updating and coding records in the firm’s global relational database, and collecting company information about revenue and executive compensation. She enjoys the firm’s fast-paced environment, the dynamic nature of the search industry, the diverse perspectives of staff with expertise in various areas, and the range of practice groups in which the firm specializes, from financial services, human resources and industrial, to information technology, communications and sustainability. Working for a globally-distributed organization is also an exciting opportunity to learn about what offices around the world are doing, and to interact with colleagues in various locations. Elysia appreciates working in a smaller office setting where everyone knows each other. This environment also offers a greater variety of responsibilities, including media monitoring, database administration, research, records management, digitization, and circulation. 

For students interested in special libraries, and professional development in general, Elysia can’t say enough about networking. It’s something we all hear about constantly, but the benefits are endless. Join associations, go to events, speak at conferences, attend conferences, write publications, take part in “information interviews”, share ideas, challenges, and goals – you never know who can help you make those ideas happen. Joining SLA is an excellent way to facilitate connections between students and information professionals who can provide insight about what it’s like to work in the field, and share their knowledge. LinkedIn is becoming an increasingly helpful online networking tool, which can add to a professional, polished online presence. Continuous learning is another passion of Elysia’s, and something that is invaluable in establishing a rewarding career. 

Professional Profile: News Librarianship Special!

Have you ever thought about applying your skills acquired at the iSchool in a position in the media or journalism? If so, news librarianship might be a career you should consider! 

The first Professional Profile of 2011 is a special one, bringing to you the advice of three news librarians currently working at top Toronto papers. They have shared insights into their daily tasks and responsibilities, as well as tips on how to secure a career that appeals to you - whether it be in news librarianship or another special library role.

Professional Profile: 

Ceclia Donnelly and Stephanie Chambers 

Celia Donnelly (front) and Stephanie Chambers
Photo Credit: Paula Wilson

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Globe and Mail newsroom to talk with two of the paper’s news librarians, Celia Donnelly and Stephanie Chambers. This trip was both exciting and informative: it was fascinating to speak with these two interesting information professionals, and I was also able to catch a glimpse of the compelling Globe and Mail environment and learn a great deal more about news librarianship. 

Celia is the manager of the library at the Globe and Mail who, in the past few years, has worked diligently to raise the profile of the library in the newsroom. Unfortunately for all aspiring news librarians, when budgets are tight, librarian positions are some of the first to be cut in any newsroom, making such jobs hard to come by. Yet, Celia has committed herself to raising the profile of the librarians at the Globe and Mail, in an attempt to prove their roles as indispensable to the organization and balanced reporting. Proving that Google is only the first step in any search, Celia and Stephanie often scour property and mortgage records; lien and outstanding loan reports; automobile histories; bankruptcy files; personal blogs; Facebook; Twitter; Stats Can data; and any other source of information they can get their hands on that will give them a clue or a lead into a story. They liken their occupation to detective work; which they say makes it exciting, but often times challenging. Usually, they are expected to produce results within a very short time, as journalists often work with very short deadlines. Moreover, they are expected to respect ethical practices for both finding and disseminating information. 

However, Celia and Stephanie have taken many steps to minimize their daily stress levels and streamline their work. For instance, they maintain an Intranet with quick links to all the commercial databases they make use of, as well as ongoing research on current events and major public figures, in case this information is needed at a moment’s notice. They also maintain an editorial history and Excel charts chronicling the causalities in Afghanistan, for example. There is even a checklist of the steps to take when researching, which is always helpful in a rush. Additionally, Stephanie and Celia take the time to pass on their research expertise to the journalists, so that they may maximize their own searches and bring only the really challenging questions to the research department. 

Celia was inspired to go to library school after her older sister completed the program. Celia had already obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Canadian history and literature, and was very interested in library work, but decided to first try her hand at it before committing to her master’s. Thus, after graduating from her undergraduate program, she found a job in a chemical library, where she worked for three years before enrolling in the library science master’s program at McGill University. From her previous experience, Celia knew that she preferred special library work, and thus kept this as her focus throughout her education. After graduation, she got a job at the library of Sun Life Financial; she secured a management position right away and worked here for two and a half years. She then moved on to the library at CN Railway before spotting an advertisement for a position at the Globe and Mail library. Celia was interested in this position and felt that she would be a great fit, given her background in Canadian studies, as well as her business and financial experience. She secured the job, and has remained in the position ever since; moving into an assistant management position after five years time, to eventually become manager of the department. 

Unlike Celia, who focused on library work straight out of her undergraduate degree, Stephanie spent a few years working in the copyright field before becoming interested in the library profession. While she enjoyed working in copyright, she felt she was ready for a change and realized that library work would be a good fit for her. Stephanie had a friend who worked at the Globe and Mail, who encouraged Stephanie in her career change and put her in touch with Celia. This connection boded well for Stephanie; Celia became a mentor for Stephanie, giving her advice about the LIS program and about careers. Celia also served as a great network for Stephanie, letting her know about a summer position that became available at the Globe. This position gave Stephanie a foot in the door; after graduating with her degree in LIS from the University of Toronto, she obtained part time work at the Globe and Mail library, which eventually evolved into full time employment. 

Both women agreed that their education was immensely helpful in preparing them for their current work; although they suggested that the practical courses better prepared them for their jobs than the theoretical courses. Nevertheless, both Stephanie and Celia agreed that most of what they learned in school has become useful in some capacity or another, be it reference knowledge or cataloguing experience. Their advice to current students, however, is to focus on the practical courses, such as government documents and reference. It is these courses that best prepare you for life on the job, they maintained. Moreover, both women were involved with professional associations while in school; Celia was — and still is — a member of the Special Library Association, while Stephanie volunteered her time with Knowledge Ontario. 

As for final pieces of advice, Celia and Stephanie suggested that current students should try to find a mentor in some capacity, be it a professor or a professional. Such a relationship is beneficial when students are looking for work. However, they also suggested that students should always be willing to learn and grow, even if this means starting at the very bottom of the career ladder. Never think that anything is beneath you, and always be willing to work hard and be an engaged, proactive learner and employee. Particularly for those students interested in news librarianship, Celia and Stephanie maintained that one must be a people person, as well as a team player; have “nerves of steel” and a tolerance for stressful environments; be a good multi-tasker, and be adept at switching from one task to the next at a moment’s notice. Furthermore, an aspiring news librarian should be up on current events, have a wide range of knowledge, and of course, a sense of humor. While Celia and Stephanie agreed that there are very few news librarianship jobs out there, they noted the reason is because it is a fulfilling profession, so people don’t want to leave! Thus, as much as obtaining a news librarian job is about skill, it is also about serendipity in timing. 

Professional Profile: Astrid Lange 


Astrid Lange is a news librarian at the Toronto Star, where she has worked full time since 2000. Astrid’s daily tasks include conducting research and providing reference to the newsroom; maintaining a collection of books and magazines, as well as maintaining the Intranet, which consists of web resources that journalists make use of on a daily basis; and archiving the newspaper feed — the raw data newspaper that has to be cleaned up and sent off to various databases. As well, Astrid often prepares the old newspapers for microfilm, which is bought by libraries across the United States and Canada. Astrid is also involved in training new members of the newsroom, whether they are new hires or summer students; she gives them a crash course in journalism research, teaching them which resources to use and how to use them. 


Astrid did not always know she wanted to be a news librarian, but rather came to her present career through trial and error. She went to the University of Toronto, where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations. She stayed at the University of Toronto to pursue a Master’s degree in History, specializing in American history. After this degree, Astrid went into the workforce, where she began what would be a series of various research roles. She first worked for a television program on CBC Newsworld called Face Off. After this position, Astrid contemplated going back to school, and thought that law school would be a good choice for her. Before enrolling, however, she spent a year as a legal intern. It was here that a legal librarian noticed her penchant for research and suggested she look into a degree in library and information science. Astrid took this advice applied to library school. She then took on a few other research positions; specifically conducting prospect research for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and entertainment research at CTV. 

Astrid (second from right) with her colleagues on "Desk Set Day"

While at school, Astrid had the foresight to scour summer positions she felt she had a serious interest in; and even if the company had not put out an advertisement, Astrid nonetheless sent her resume in. This lead to a summer position at the Toronto Star, which continued as part time work throughout the last year of her degree. After she graduated, she stayed on at the Toronto Star working part time. While she really loved this position, she was aware that she needed full time work, and thus applied for various positions that interested her. However, Astrid exercised a great deal of patience and perseverance in this job search, and chose to pass up on several job opportunities that she didn’t find herself too interested in. This patience paid off, as eventually a full time position opened up at the Toronto Star library, and Astrid was hired on. 

Astrid credited her time at library school to introducing her to a wide range of professional associations, such as the Special Library Association, and the Canadian Library Association and their Special Library division (CASLIS); she is still actively involved in both the SLA and CASLIS. It is through these associations that Astrid was able to build up a network, which helped her a great deal when she was a new professional. Moreover, Astrid noted that many of the courses offered to her during her LIS education were extremely helpful in preparing her for her current work. Courses such as online research, legal librarianship, and government documents were essential in giving Astrid a broad education, and molding her into a “jack of all trades”; which she noted is a beneficial characteristic for a news librarian to have. She suggested that current students should take advantage of courses in web design or basic HTML and databases, as these prepare you for any work environment and give you a basic understanding of information technology; which is helpful for not only news librarianship, but nearly every other library profession. Astrid suggested that all students should take a variety of courses to prepare them for a variety of roles — even if you hope to obtain a specific job, you may not be get it right away. Thus, it is beneficial to be prepared for whatever may come your way. 

Other pieces of advice offered by Astrid included the suggestion for current students to get involved with professional associations. As Astrid pointed out, this involvement helps one to start building a network of current, working professionals who may be able to help you in your job hunt. Such a network is also beneficial in making one aware of the variety of opportunities that are available to people with a library education. Moreover, Astrid suggested that students shouldn’t limit themselves to job postings. If you have an idea of where you might like to work or a position you would like to find, conduct some research and make some cold calls. Like Astrid, don’t wait for the job posting; you never know where a cold call might get you!


-ZC

Professional Profile: Daniel Lee - Navigator

Daniel’s Current Position

Daniel Lee 

Currently Daniel is employed with Navigator, a management consulting firm that specializes in public affairs. As Daniel explained, Navigator aims to apply the principles of a political campaign to help businesses and governments overcome and avoid public affairs challenges. Just like an election campaign, Navigator conducts public opinion research, designs an appropriate strategy, and implements an action plan to ensure their clients’ success. You can read more about Navigator here: http://www.navltd.com/

Daniel has been with Navigator for eight years, throughout which, his role has expanded and evolved. When he was first hired, Navigator had no system with which to organize their information, files or records. Thus, Daniel’s first task was to sort through the loads of information that had been casually accumulating in bankers boxes and computer files and come up with an organized way to store these records. He was then responsible for ensuring his coworkers understood and were able to use the system he had created. Of course, this all sounds much more simple and easy than it really was; as Daniel says, “There was literally a room full of stuff.” 

As time went on and Daniel’s organizational expertise became institutionalized, his tasks grew. He is now involved at every level of the informational lifecycle: reference and research work; media monitoring; data analysis; proofreading; and fact checking. Additionally, he acts as Navigator's privacy officer and lobbyist registrar, ensuring compliance with the latest rules and regulations. This variety of tasks is one of the reasons Daniel enjoys his job. Moreover, as Daniel stated, he is able to see the direct impact of his work which isn't always possible in more traditional library settings.

Daniel’s Educational Background

Daniel grew up in Massachusetts, where he attended the University of Massachusetts, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Portuguese (yes, he speaks both; no, he is neither). Although he studied languages in school, he did so with no intention of pursuing a language-based career in the future; he knew that he had no interest in being a translator or a teacher, and wasn’t opposed to going back to school for more education or training to qualify him for another profession. Instead of jumping straight into another program, however, he decided to look for work and shortly after graduation found a job as an administrative assistant with a study abroad program. While he did enjoy this role, he found himself wanting more of a challenge and took an interest in the database his company was using. He noticed several areas for improvement and dedicated some of his time to streamlining this database. 

After nine months, Daniel was ready for a change, but still undecided about what this change should be. Looking for guidance, he took some career tests to point him in the right direction; his top results were speech pathologist and librarian. After some consideration, he felt that librarian was probably better suited to him; after all, he had taken a great interest in the database at his work and had always shown an interest in organizing things. His choice of school was easy: he was offered a full scholarship to Dalhousie in Halifax. While he received a broad LIS education, he found himself most intrigued by courses in data mining and information technology.

Daniel’s Career Path

Daniel graduated from Dalhousie in 2001 and decided to pursue work in Toronto. Before making this move, however, he sought the help of a professor, who connected him with five professionals working in Toronto; Daniel was able to meet four of these five people. With each one, he conducted an informational interview and then asked for the contact information for two more professionals. Through this professional ‘snowball,’ Daniel was able to build a network of people he could rely on for professional advice and opportunities. While this was a fantastic way to network (Daniel still remains in contact with many of these people through SLA, of which he is still a member), it was unfortunately a bad time to find a job (he was in the final round of an interview when someone barged in, informing Daniel and the interviewer of the terrorist attacks on September 11th). He remained unemployed for nine months.

Eventually he found work as a webmaster for the Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS), “Canada’s Association of I.T. Professionals.” He was signed on for a year long contract, but knew he would have to find a permanent position eventually. One particularly fateful night, Daniel went out for dinner with a small group of people. In discussion it came up that Daniel was a qualified librarian. This piqued the interest of one person at the table who inquired more about Daniel’s skills. As it turned out, he knew of someone who owned a company that was in need of the skills Daniel offered. A long story short: Daniel was put in touch with this person, and after completing a few freelance research reports, was offered a job. After nine months with CIPS, Daniel started his career at Navigator; he has been with this company ever since.

How did Daniel’s Education and Background Prepare Him for this Role?

As mentioned, Daniel felt he had received a really well rounded LIS education at Dalhousie. Nevertheless, when he started his job, as he stated, “I had no idea what I was doing” (as any recent graduate would likely feel). However, even though he was in an untraditional environment with absolutely no guidance, Daniel was able to apply the skills he had learned in school and use them to his advantage. For instance, he mentioned that he was able to use the reference interview as a successful way to glean information from his bosses and better understand what it was they were hoping to achieve with a filing system. Moreover, when creating such a system, Daniel put to use basic cataloguing skills, such a name authority, in an attempt to harmonize files. Other skills such as indexing, abstracting, data mining and database expertise were also helpful to Daniel.

Daniel’s Advice

As Daniel mentioned, there were several skills that he was not thoroughly taught in school that he was required to focus on in the workplace, such as project management; problem solving skills; interpersonal skills; and the ability to think creatively. In his professional life, Daniel has found that these skills are equally, if not more, important than the basic library skills taught in LIS programs, and his advice to current students is to begin developing these skills now. Additionally, Daniel suggests that current students should also focus on their professional development; skills such as networking, public speaking, and event planning are all crucial in the world of work. Daniel believes that all students should become involved with professional associations, like SLA, as this is the best way to meet people and develop a professional path; such involvement is always illustrative of one’s commitment to their profession.

Daniel's final piece of advice to students currently pursuing their Master of Information: "Stop dreaming that you will become a librarian one day!" As Daniel stated, current students have to think bigger and realize that the skills we are currently learning are incredibly useful, highly sought after, and transferable to a wide range of environments. Like Daniel, we just have to be ready to sell ourselves at a moments notice.


-ZC

Professional Profile - Helen Kula, MaRS Discovery District

Helen is currently a Senior Information Specialist at MaRS Discovery District, a not-for-profit innovation centre. As described on their website, MaRS seeks to bring together “innovators from the private and public spheres” and are “eager to tackle specific projects, like creating successful companies. But also to learn from one another. To create new alliances. And unleash innovations that will shape the 21st century”.

A day in the life of Helen

Helen provides research and various information services to clients working specifically in information communication technologies, advisors and staff at MaRS.

A typical day for Helen includes a multitude of different tasks and is not limited to the following:

Responding to information requests (developing search strategies, conducting research, summarizing results)

• Reviewing and selecting relevant news and developments from e-newsletters, RSS feeds and other sources, as well as forwarding this information to clients, advisors or staff
• Managing the print publications at MaRS
• Attending meetings with clients and/or advisors
• Updating the MaRS case management system to capture market intelligence requests
• Participating in training and development activities to further knowledge of sources, databases and the ICT industry.

Education & Career Path

Helen began her education at the University of Toronto completing a BA in English and French. She then went on to McGill University to complete her MA in English. Following this, she completed a National Certificate in Voluntary and Non-Profit Management from the University of Ottawa. It was after managing a small information and referral service at a non-profit organization that Helen found herself at the Faculty of Information completing a Master of Information Studies. While a career in library and information science may be in her genes (her father is an archivist), Helen says that her decision to move in this direction was because this program complemented her career path at the time.

After her graduation from the iSchool, Helen had the opportunity to work at the Rotman School of Management as both a Public Services Librarian and a Business Information Specialist for Infosolutions – Rotman’s fee-based research service to external business and clients.

With regard to her current position, Helen says she had heard rumblings about the opening of opportunities which could benefit from her skill set at MaRS. She explains that she reached out to an old colleague for a contact at UTL who might be connected with MaRS. Turns out, this contact happened to be involved in creating the cross-appointment that she now holds. The job was then posted and she was the successful candidate – Helen says, “It was the only job I ever interviewed for in flip-flops” (she had a phone interview in Florida where she was vacationing).

Advice

When asked if her background in library and information studies prepared her for her future career path, Helen says that it gave her the basic background and skills she needed to be successful in her future job positions. But, she also notes that she learned a huge amount from her peers and colleagues at the time – these individuals provided her with valuable advice that helped her get to where she is today.

Helen also says that she saw a lot of her peers get caught up in concentrating too much on their GPA’s – this, she says, was something she tried to avoid. She stresses the importance of doing your best in school and getting all that you can from your courses, but Helen also notes that it is so important to focus on the experience you can gain outside the classroom – whether it’s getting involved with the student council or a professional organization. These can provide excellent experiences and opportunities.

Some advice that Helen shares for current iSchool students is “to appreciate the power of the library network”. Helen explains that because the library community is so small, there is a huge amount of support you can find within this group; she notes that the SLA was incredibly useful to her. The organization allowed her to explore different career paths and options, and gave her the opportunity to get valuable experience and meet some wonderful people.

To find out more about MaRS, please visit www.marsdd.com or check out the MaRS blog at http://www.marsdd.com/blog/ for more interesting articles and findings!

Professional Profile - Jennifer Burns, YBP Library Services

Jennifer Burns is a Collection Development Manager at YBP Library Services, a company that provides books and technical services to academic libraries all over the world. As Jennifer explains, “the company is based in Contoocook, New Hampshire; I work from my home office in Toronto, and my territory is Western Canada, so it’s a role that requires significant travel. I oversee the collection development process between the libraries and YBP to ensure that the libraries are getting the resources they need, according to their approval plans. The approval plan is a document that governs the library’s collecting in Library of Congress, Dewey or National Library of Medicine classes according to specific instructions that the library decides on in consultation with the Collection Development Manager. It’s a very logical document that evolves as a result of conversations and problem-solving, and it’s my job to have those conversations and work closely with the library and with my colleagues at YBP to ensure that everything is running according to plan.”

She has an Honours degree in English Literature from Concordia University in Montreal and a Master’s degree in Information Studies, LIS stream, from the Faculty of Information Studies at the University of Toronto. She has completed several professional development courses, including online searching, usability, HR fundamentals and training evaluation. Last year, she was also privileged to participate in the tenth Northern Exposure to Leadership Institute in Emerald Lake, British Columbia, where she was able to meet and learn from librarians from across Canada.

Describe your first job as a librarian or information professional etc. and subsequent career path.

Jennifer worked full-time as a Help Desk Analyst at BI&I, a speciality-lines insurance company, while she pursued her Master’s degree part-time. In this position she provided first-level technical support to employees across Canada – troubleshooting basic software and hardware problems, performing database maintenance, coordinating the servicing of equipment and visits from vendors, and purchasing supplies. She also updated the company website, wrote user documentation for the software developed in-house, and maintained the telephone system in the Toronto office. She then left this position to pursue her Master’s degree full-time, and while she did that, she also worked part-time as a student Business Reference Assistant at the Rotman School of Management. That was her first job working in a library. She also worked on a short contract as a Research Assistant at the West Toronto Junction Historical Society. This position allowed her to work in an area of great interest for her: built heritage and urban history.

Following graduation from the Faculty of Information Studies in 2004, she joined BMO Financial Group as an Information Specialist at the Institute for Learning, the Bank’s corporate university, where she gained a lot of knowledge and experience in the area of learning and development. She joined YBP Library Services, her current employer, in September 2009. She has also been an active member of the Special Libraries Association Toronto Chapter since 2004, serving on the Advisory Board and now the Executive as President-Elect.

How did your information training and background prepare you for the job you now have?

Jennifer had this to say:

“One of the beautiful things about being an informational professional, especially now, with information communication technologies transforming our culture - the way we get work done, the way we live our daily lives - is that learning is practically like breathing to us. I think most of us are almost constantly in learning-mode – we tend to be a naturally curious, inquisitive group of people, always asking ‘Why?’ and ’How?’ and generally wanting to know. I don’t have a formal background in collection development, but what I do have is the ability to learn, and to pass on my knowledge. For me, a big part of my professional training was learning to learn. That’s a great foundation to build on.”

What advice would you give someone who is currently doing his or her Master of Information?

Jennifer did a lot of her Master’s degree part-time while holding down a full-time job, and while she points out that everybody’s experience of this is different, but she would say that, if you can, study full-time. For one thing, you will be able to focus your full attention on your studies, and it’s also important to get to know your colleagues. You will learn from each other as well as in the classroom, and you will also support one another. It’s an experience that’s difficult to have when you are juggling work and school. Her advice is also to encourage students to look into part-time work or internships in libraries, information centres, and anywhere that you are connecting people to information, because this will provide you with valuable hands-on experience. Also, get involved in the professional associations that are related to your interests. Not only are there membership rates for students, but there are always lots of volunteer opportunities in the local chapters, which is another way to gain experience, learn new skills and to connect with like-minded professionals.

What skills and experience should they be building up at this point, if they would like to work in this specific field?

Finding, creating, evaluating, organizing, classifying and describing information so that users can access and use it are key skills right now, Jennifer says. She doesn’t think there is any doubt that e-content is going to be really central going forward, but she doubts that traditional print resources will be completely eclipsed. It will be interesting to see how the two formats will co-exist in the future. Social media and user-generated content is also transforming the landscape. If you are knowledgeable about these trends and their impact, and – even better - if you can identify and leverage opportunities that arise as a result of these trends, you will be on your way to success. Presentation skills, the ability to negotiate and persuade, and to be able to lead from wherever you are in the organizational hierarchy will also serve you well.

Any general advice for new information professionals?

Some of Jennifer’s major advice came naturally throughout the interview, for instance, as earlier mentioned, if at all possible the ability to study full-time rather than part-time – understanding that this is not always possible, but the ability to be involved in the program and with your colleagues will be incredibly helpful throughout the program and in the future, as well.

Another point that Jennifer made was regarding flexibility. In the beginning you may not find yourself in your dream position, but you should try to remember that in every situation that you find yourself there is an opportunity to learn; about yourself and your abilities and that self-knowledge and self-awareness are extremely important and can come from these experiences. These are qualities that will assist you in becoming a leader, if you can be open-minded about the possibilities.

In our profession, you have to make peace with dealing with change, and to find yourself in situations that are appropriately challenging. About five years into her career, her best advice is that you can’t do it all by yourself. This, as a concept of leadership, is vitally important, and possibly the notion of leadership is being distorted in our current society. To be a true leader you must learn to elevate those around you, recognizing their strengths and giving them a chance to shine. Real leadership begins when you are able to see the strengths of others and delegate tasks to those strengths and allowing credit to be given where it is deserved.

What helpful lessons did you learn early in your career? Do any of them still apply today?

Some of Jennifer’s helpful lessons from early in her career – beyond the above advice – is to, first, remember that organizations often hire for fit, but that this is a fit for both you and the organization. Remember that you are interviewing them, as much as they are interviewing you. Second, in relation to interviewing, use positive language - avoid words like “don’t” and “can’t”. Storytelling is a very effective technique in an interview as well: if you can provide specific examples of how you contributed to a successful project or solved a problem, rather than listing your skills, abilities and accomplishments, you will paint a vivid picture of what you have to offer a prospective employer and stand out as a memorable candidate.

Professional Profile – Kathryn FitzGerald, Rotman School of Management, Business Information Centre

Describe your current position.

“I’m currently on a one-year contract covering a sabbatical leave at the Rotman School of Management’s Business Information Centre, in the University of Toronto Library system. I’m the Public Services Librarian, which involves interacting with Rotman faculty and students. I help students find and access resources for their coursework and teach them how to use library resources. On the faculty side, I provide services to support teaching and research – for example, adding resource links to course pages.”

Describe your first job as a librarian or information professional etc. and subsequent career path.

“I graduated from the Faculty of Information in 2007 and started working at MaRS, a non-profit commercialization engine, the week after graduation. My position at MaRS began as a one-year internship. I was essentially a University of Toronto librarian embedded in the MaRS corporate office, working with Ontario-based start-up companies and the University of Toronto’s tech transfer office. I provided market research to support their business plans and commercialization efforts. I stayed at MaRS for two and a half years before starting at Rotman last month.”

How did your information training and background prepare you for the job you now have?

“The best training I received as a student was working part-time on the reference desk. That position provided hands-on experience interacting with students and faculty and managing difficult requests. For coursework, the subject-specialized courses were very helpful – for example, a course on health sciences librarianship was great preparation for my work at MaRS. The cataloguing class was also really important for providing a thorough understanding of how information is structured and organized. Finally, the “big picture” classes on things like the social contexts of information and privacy issues helped me think more broadly about the practice of librarianship.”

What advice would you give someone who is currently doing his or her Master of Information?

“Take courses that interest you and look for ways to incorporate your interests into library work. If you don’t like cataloguing or reference, there are many other areas of opportunity. There are librarians managing data sets, building taxonomies, supporting grant applications, experimenting with social media, conducting research and so much more. The MI degree gives you a lot of flexibility.”

Any general advice for new information professionals?

“First, don’t say no. If someone asks you to join something or asks for your help or input, take him/her up on it. When you’re just starting out, everything can be a good learning or networking opportunity, and saying yes even to things that don’t sound like your cup of tea can lead to more interesting opportunities down the road. Second, pick the brains of your colleagues. Librarians have incredible expertise on a huge range of topics, and they are always willing to share that wealth of knowledge”.

Professional Profile: Candice Furman - PricewaterhouseCoopers

Candice is a recent graduate that is currently employed as a Knowledge Management Operations Specialist at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Toronto. In this position, she is responsible for three main areas: taxonomy and control vocabulary, search engine content, and metrics analysis. Her primary responsibility, which involves all these facets, is helping to manage the company’s intranet site and its searching function. Her regular functions include providing information architecture on the intranet portal, and various projects regarding the search functions when they arise. The controlled vocabulary aspect of her position is ongoing, and includes adding new terms or removing old terms based on the requests of her clients. Candice’s position is very specialized, as she is the only performing this function in all of Canada. Furthermore, Candice is also currently part of an international PwC team that is implementing a new search engine for use on their intranet.

Describe your educational background.

Candice completed an undergraduate degree in philosophy and political science at the University of Windsor. Her experience working libraries before entering the program was restricted to a single summer position, but it was enough to let her know it was a possible career choice. She always loved books, and chose Information Studies over a possible career in law. Candice decided to attend Western because of the co-op program and the opportunities it presented.

Describe your first job as a librarian or information professional etc. and subsequent career path.

Candice got her start working in knowledge management through her co-op at Western. When she started there was a large cohort, and therefore she applied to a lot of different placements to keep her options open. She applied to 12 and was interviewed by 11, mostly government and private companies. This was how she got started at PwC. In her co-op, Candice was responsible for content management for the portal, which included a lot of meta-data maintenance. She held this position for 8 months, at which point she went back to finish her degree while staying their part-time and working remotely. When her degree was complete, by chance someone was leaving the company. She applied for the job position and was hired upon graduation.

How did your information training and background prepare you for the job you now have?

The position that Candice currently holds includes a mixture of duties that required specific skills she learned in school and some that did not. The metrics analysis involved in her position involved on the job training since it is not a typical library position, and she never took courses in controlled vocabulary and taxonomy. There were, however, many courses that helped prepare her for the role she has today. These include enterprise content management, web usability, and web design. Although she does not create them, Candice also said that the database design course was incredibly useful since it gave her an understanding of how the databases she utilized are running in the background. The co-op was also helpful, as it allowed her to be comfortable with the firm before working there full time. Most of her training and preparation, however, came from her experiences at the job.

What advice would you give someone who is currently doing his or her Master in Information?

“Use your networks as much as you can” is the advice that Candice gave as the most important. Her supervisor was very helpful in advancing her career in these early stages, and she advices that the people you know are very useful when you are staring out in the workforce. She also gives the advice that it is good to try different things while you are in school, and not to limit yourself to the one stream that you may be following. Restricting yourself at the early stages of your career can be limiting.

Any general advice for new information professionals?

“Take everything as learning opportunities”, Candice says. Large companies like PwC have a big knowledge management community, and it is important to take advantage of opportunities like it. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and don’t be afraid to call people and ask for help. Finally, when looking for a place to work, the most important aspect you can search for is a good organizational culture. Finding good people to work with is essential, and it can help improve jobs that may otherwise be less then exciting entry level positions.

Professional Profile - Julia Brewster, Bennett Jones LLP

Julia Brewster is a recent graduate from the Faculty of Information. Julia completed her Masters of Information Studies in April of 2009. In her time at the Faculty, Julia focused on government documents, business and legal resources as well as database design and project management. Prior to attending the University of Toronto, Julia completed her undergraduate degree in International Development and Spanish.

Both before and while at the University of Toronto, Julia gained a wide range of work experiences both inside and outside the field of librarianship. Prior to coming to Toronto, Julia worked at the Vancouver Public Library as a library assistant throughout her undergraduate degree. While at the public library, she was responsible for answering references questions and shelving books.

Between her undergraduate and master degrees, Julia worked at Queen’s University. While completing her masters degree, Julia worked at Bora Laskin Law Library shelving books and answering inquires. Julia took advantage of the practicum program at the Faculty and completed a practicum project at Goodman’s LLP. This practicum project involved Julia turning the firm’s staff manual into wiki. Following this experience working within a law library environment, Julia spent her summer between first and second year working at Blake, Cassels & Graydon, LLP. At this firm, she worked as a reference librarian. Julia also completed a second practicum with Blake, Cassels & Graydon, LLP helping develop research guides.

Since graduation, Julia has taken a contract position as a law librarian at Bennett Jones LLP in Calgary. Julia’s current position is largely made up of reference work. On a daily basis Julia sits at a reference desk and answers reference questions both via email and in person. She monitors legislation for Alberta, Ontario and Canada on a weekly basis. She is also asked to focus on specific pieces of legislation for individual lawyers and monitor any amendments or regulations concerning these pieces of legislation. Julia also monitors case law for those wanting to know what progress is being made with a particular case.

When asked how her information training and background helped to prepare her for the job she currently has, Julia believes if she had not taken the legal librarianship, government documents or business resources courses she would not be nearly as competent in her current positions. These positions helped to gain a familiarity with databases as well as the jargon many of these fields use. Julia mentioned that the practicum project she completed at Blake, Cassels & Graydon, LLP helped to prepare for her current position at Bennett Jones LLP. She feels that without the experience gained via her practicum project, she would not have been able to make such a seamless transition into her current contract position, helping cover another employee’s maternity leave. Julia feels her previous position at Bora Laskin library helped expose her to wide range of different legal resources and the skills gained at Bora Laskin helped prepare her for her current position.

Julia had some extremely helpful advice for students currently completing their Masters of Information or Information Studies. She believes one of the most important things to do is to stay broad with the courses and job opportunities you select because this helps provide you with diverse experiences. Julia also strongly recommended taking as many practical courses as possible because it exposes you to many different resources. However don’t discount the theory courses but this is also valuable information. Julia emphasized the importance of technology skills because the information profession is a very technical one.

Julia mentioned that if you already know what field of librarianship you are interested in getting into make sure to take courses that focus on that particular field. She also recommended getting out and meeting people currently working in the field you are interested to see just what kind of jobs are out there. This shows how professionals currently working in the field got to where they are. Even ask these professionals which courses they think it would be wise to take for that particular field.

When it comes to applying for jobs, she recommended applying for any and all jobs that sound interesting because even if you think you’re unqualified, often employers are willing to train you. It really all depends on who is applying for the same position as you are. As far as gaining work experience while in school, Julia feels it is important to get as much work experience in a library setting as possible. She believes that students should not be closed to opportunities that come their way even if they are in a field they may not have thought they were interested in. Many professionals end up working in fields they never thought they would.

The one key factor Julia could not emphasize enough was the value of networking. Getting out there and asking questions is important. In her first year at the Faculty of Information, Julia was one of the Professional Development Co-Chairs which provided her a wonderful opportunity to network with professional associations. She said it is crucial to get out to professional association events, introduce yourself and network. In her second year Julia was the President of the Masters of Information Studies Student Council which she said was a valuable skill for her resume because it showed she was able to manage her time between both school and extracurricular activities.

When asked what helpful lessons she learned early on in her job search after graduation, Julia has some valuable advice. She recommended starting to look for jobs before school is over if you are hoping to be employed as soon as you graduate. Julia mentioned that often it takes a long time to hear back from potential employers but just be persistent and don’t give up. Send out several applications but make sure you are discerning about which position you take. You should be excited about the job and not just take it because you feel you have to. If you don’t feel the job sounds interesting in the interview, it probably is not the position for you.

Julia pointed out again that talking to and networking with people currently working in the industry is helpful. She also mentioned that if you are willing to relocate and be mobile then definitely look for jobs outside of one particular city. Your chances of finding a position may be better if you are willing to travel.

Julia made an interesting point in that often librarians are asked to take on several responsibilities within an organization. Librarians have to be willing to take on these responsibilities and be prepared to takes risks. This helps show organizations who may not see why librarians are necessary understand the valuable role they play. Be prepared to go above and beyond what you learned in school.

In the end, Julia really emphasized that it’s all about networking and being able to market yourself. Once you get your foot in the door, it becomes far easier to find other positions.

NOTE: Since completing this profile, Julia Brewster has accepted a new position working as the Career Librarian at the Calgary Public Library.

Professional Profile – Pam Casey, Ontario 211 Services Corporation

For the past four months, as she was just recently hired, Pam has held the position of “Data Initiatives Manager” at Ontario 211 Services Corporation. 211 is a service directed at people in somewhat dire circumstances, who find themselves in need of food, shelter, counselling, job services and/or other non-emergency, government and social service information. In essence, 211 provides human services data to people in need. Pam’s job requires her to establish relationships with data providers, for instance, libraries or governments, or the example she gave, HIP, Halton Information Provider. This service helps residents of Halton find the information they need to maintain general well being. Pam’s job requires her to connect with services like HIP so that 211 can forward their users to these resources.

Describe your educational background.

Pam has a background in social service work, for which she obtained a diploma from Mohawk College. While she very much enjoyed this career, when she married she moved to Montreal, and had to give up this work as she did not speak fluent French. Thus, she was inspired to pursue a new line of work and went to Sheridan College, where she obtained her library technician diploma. Pam is also a certified technical trainer, which is an accreditation from CompTIA (a computer trainer certification body).

Describe your first job as a librarian or information professional etc. and subsequent career path.

After leaving her career in social work, Pam found her first role in libraries at the Halton District School Board. Here, she worked in two different libraries, French emersion and Vocational. While she did enjoy this, she felt that she was working too much for too little compensation, and wanted to spend more time at home with her children. She thus chose to pursue a corporate library position and secured a job at GlaxoSmithKline, where she was required to work only three days a week, but was compensated more than when she worked full time at HDSB. At GSK, Pam was a business researcher, with this position changing into managing an offsite library. Eventually, Pam moved on to work for NPS Pharmaceuticals, where she worked as part of a team but was responsible for the library in Canada. Unfortunately, she was laid off from this position. Therefore, Pam decided to put more energy into her own business which she had been doing on the side for several years as a self described “hobby business.” Pam’s business is called Information Now and provides information management solutions to various companies. Although Pam’s attention is currently directed at 211, she is still committed to Information Now.

How did your information training and background prepare you for the job you now have?

Pam stated that her prior work experiences were mainly in data positions, which helped to expand her knowledge about data and information management. Her experiences and training have also helped her to learn a lot about taxonomy and information architecture, which helped her to secure her current job at 211. This employer was also impressed that Pam had a social work background, as 211 is in the market of helping those in need, which Pam had extensive experience with.

Further, Pam emphasized that she regularly updates her experience by taking classes and courses that teach her more about data and information organization, while keeping her knowledge updated. She is also an active member of the SLA; in 2009 she was voted Member of the Year. It is this networking and self promotion that has helped Pam obtain the job she now holds at 211.

What advice would you give someone who is currently doing his or her Master in Information?

“Think outside of the box!” Pam stressed that current Master of Information students should not have such a narrow focus when it comes to finding a job; there is so much competition for traditional library jobs. Instead, they should analyze what kinds of skills they have gained from their education and focus on making these skills applicable to various arenas in the world of work. In Pam’s case, she marketed her skills to the corporate and pharmaceutical world.

What skills and experience should they be building up at this point, if they would like to work in this specific field?

Pam said that if one was looking to work specifically for 211 in her position, they would need to have very up to date taxonomy knowledge, as well as knowledge about human services information. Moreover, Pam stressed the importance of having some knowledge of how government politics work, as she said that her job required her to be in contact with many government agencies. She was also required to learn how to draft contracts and agreements, something she had never had experience doing before.

Any general advice for new information professionals?

“Don’t sell yourself short.” Pam stressed the importance of being up to speed in all areas of the information profession; one should have current knowledge and up to date skills. Further, Pam emphasized how crucial it is to learn how to properly “sell yourself.” She suggested that new information professionals should use all social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn (Pam uses all of them!), to build their advantage. She stressed the importance of networking, and mentioned that this was made even more possible by joining such groups as the SLA. Pam suggested that everyone should learn how to market themselves and the skills they have; just because one has a library degree does not mean that their skills are not applicable to another field.

What helpful lessons did you learn early in your career? Do any of them still apply today?

Pam expressed that her biggest mistake, career wise, was not getting her degree. While she has two college diplomas, she stated that she did not get many jobs she applied for, as employers only wanted to hire those who had a MLIS or MIS after their name. While she was completely capable of performing all the jobs she applied for, many times she did not even receive a call back as she did not have a MLIS, or similar degree. Therefore, according to Pam, the best thing one can do to further their career is obtain a degree, of any kind, as this really acts as a stepping stone to many jobs and careers.

Professional Profile: Kim Silk - Martin Prosperity Institute

Kim Silk is the Data Librarian at the Martin Prosperity Institute, a think-tank at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. Kim’s position is unique from other library jobs at U of T. She deals with a very specific user group, which has allowed her to develop a subject specialty in a unique brand of economic geography. Kim works in a research environment that is based on creativity and problem solving, and performs research that will hopefully influence policy.

Kim noted that during job interviews she found herself spending a lot of time educating people on what an MLS is, and how being a librarian can go beyond the walls of a traditional library. Information professionals need to understand both the collection and the users and use this understanding to shape information to particular interests. To Kim, this is the core of information science and the essence of what information professionals do. Kim commented that “information is tofu – whatever you put with it changes its flavour”, and that it is important to look at what your collection is, who your users are, and how they are going to use it. When asked about courses she would recommend to aspiring information professionals, Kim noted that she thinks courses on classifying and organizing information are extremely useful.

Here are some further thoughts from Kim on her professional experience and her advice for aspiring professionals.

Describe your current position.

“This position is a unique combination of academic and “special” librarianship; in that I am a solo librarian who supports the research process here at the MPI. This includes a very wide range of initiatives including managing a data collection of over a terabyte, as well as a modest monograph collection. I am the liaison for a variety of ongoing projects with various external partners from the government and NGO communities. I take on the strategy and implementation for all of our technology (liaising with Rotman IT) and adopt new technologies that accelerate the research process and aid in distributing our research to an international academic and public audience.”

Describe your educational background.

“I have a BA in English Literature and a concentration in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo (1993). I earned my MLS from the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto in 1998.”

Describe your first job as a librarian or information professional etc. and subsequent career path.

“While attending the Faculty of Information part-time, I worked full-time at Discovery Channel Canada where I was their webmaster. During my studies and for the eight years following graduation, I worked in the digital media field, focusing on developing systems and web sites that were easy to use. Between 2001 and 2009 I was a sole proprietor who provided digital media consulting to a variety of clients including educational institutions and libraries, as well as clients who were not in the library industry. In June 2008 I began working at the MPI as a consultant to build, manage and maintain their data library, and I joined them as a staff member in March 2009. Now is the first time in my career that I have had the title “librarian”. I have always been proud to be a librarian, although I did not always market myself as such. Even without the title, I’ve found my MLS to be highly relevant to my work in digital media.”

How did your information training and background prepare you for the job you now have?

“Whether information is analog or digital, the foundations of organization remain the same. Another commonality is to always design systems from a user’s point of view. While I was studying at the iSchool, I was fortunate to be able to customize my courses to serve my interest in early Internet applications and ways of communicating. Another important skill is to be that “go-to” person for many things; I position myself to be as resourceful as I can so that my organization sees my value every single day. I think it’s really important to stretch yourself to gain new abilities so that you are seen as indispensible to your organization.”

What advice would you give someone who is currently doing his or her Master in Information?

“Don’t restrict yourself to your idea of what an information professional is. Be open to new definitions because the profession is changing rapidly and there are more and more opportunities for our skills. While some positions are fading away, many more are opening up. I encourage all information students to push themselves to consider organizations and environments that are new or foreign to them.”

What skills and experience should they be building up at this point, if they would like to work in this specific field?

“Technology skills are very important. For me, there is nothing more frustrating than hearing that an information professional is willingly ignorant of technology. Don’t fear it – embrace it! And it doesn’t mean you have to become a geek; rather, being the liaison and translator between your user group and your IT department is one of the most valuable roles we can play. Information professionals who refuse to adopt a basic understanding of how technology is changing our world should probably choose another profession.”

Any general advice for new information professionals?

“Try new things, and don’t restrict yourself to anyone’s definition of what it means to be an information professional. We are in an information and technology economy. The jobs of years ago are disappearing or are already gone – be prepared to create – and embrace – your own definition of information professional.”

What helpful lessons did you learn early in your career? Do any of them still apply today?

“Perseverance is very important in any career. Acknowledge that your career will evolve over time. Sometimes you will find yourself in a job that isn’t a good fit – but try to gain what you can from the experience while, at the same time, doing what you can to move to a better role. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. It’s a sad stereotype that information professionals don’t promote themselves as well as other professions. I encourage you to have pride in your skills and expertise, and don’t be afraid to be a part of the important conversations in your organization.”

Professional Profile: Jan Dawson - Ask Ontario

Jan Dawson is the Project Coordinator and a Virtual Reference Librarian for Ask Ontario (http://www.askon.ca/) which is a project of Knowledge Ontario (http://www.knowledgeontario.ca/, new website launching soon!).

As Jan describes, “Ask Ontario is Ontario’s virtual reference service and is available to all Ontarians. We have public, public-french, college, and university services which are provided by librarians from respective sectors from all over the province who collaborate to provide 45 hours a week of chat reference service to public library visitors and over 60 hours a week to post-secondary students.”

Describe what your job as the Project Coordinator and a Virtual Reference Librarian entails.

The askON Project Manager and Project Coordinator are currently the only two positions at askON and we do the work of several people. It is a very fast paced, dynamic work environment. I love it! As Project Coordinator, I oversee operational issues and perform duties such as: scheduling over fifty partners in the collaboration; monthly askON Staff Newsletter; askON Intern program; askON practicum placements; operational assistance with both the chat vehicle and the staff portal; staff accounts; training and professional development; virtual askON courses; presenting at conferences; and oh ya--working on the service as a VR Librarian! As well, I'm overseeing a pilot project called askON CALL where we are inviting our visitors to Skype within the chat interaction. Stay tuned for our reporting and findings to be presented at OLA's Super Conference in February 2010!Regarding my role within Knowledge Ontario, I sit on a Social Media committee where we've hired a consultant to work on our social media strategy. We are also getting ready to launch our new KO website in the New Year and I will assist with the development and maintenance of this site. Other than that, KO staff keep each other abreast with emerging technologies and innovative ideas in the library world and beyond! It's a wonderful, dynamic, and inspiring team that I'm so proud to be a part of.

Describe your educational background.

I have a Music degree from Mount Alison University and I got my MLIS from McGill University.

Describe your first job as a librarian or information professional etc. and subsequent career path.

This is my first job as a librarian and I feel incredibly lucky to have it. I’m still smitten and have recently celebrated my one year anniversary with askON. It’s been an incredible experience, working with over 600 wonderful people in the world of libraries. Everyone is kind, professional, and helpful. I love this profession.

How did your information training and background prepare you for the job you now have?

Alongside my MLIS courses, I did a lot of extra-curricular work. I co-planned a “Web 2.you Workshop” with a classmate and two alumni of McGill’s MLIS program which I’m thrilled to see has become an annual event.

What advice would you give someone who is currently doing his or her Master in Information?

Get involved with at least one professional association and be as active as you can. Also create opportunities for yourself. Maybe you have expertise in a certain area and can plan a workshop with your cohort. There’s lot’s of funding out there for these projects.

What skills and experience should they be building up at this point, if they would like to work in this specific field?

Multi-tasking; Collaboration; Communication; Resourcefulness; Opportunism; Information Literacy; Customer Service Excellence; and various other hats that information professionals wear! We do it all!

Any general advice for new information professionals?

Seek out opportunities. They don’t just fall on your lap. Yes, the economy is difficult at present, but BE PRO-ACTIVE. Use this time to write that article you’ve been meaning to start or start your own VR service for your peers (I think that’s what got me my present job!).

What helpful lessons did you learn early in your career? Do any of them still apply today?

I’m lucky to have a fantastic Manager/Mentor. Her motto is “honest and kind”. If you take a breath and think about what that means when dealing with challenges, you will always be successful. I think I will carry this with me for the rest of my life.