I work in two sectors: public and academic. I've been a Saturday Library Assistant in a public library for 4 years and I'm also on the casual list - I've done 500% more work as a casual library assistant than as a Saturday library assistant. I mostly work at my "home" branch but do get called out to around 4 others on a regular basis. My experience therefore tallies up to about one year's full time.
Since November 2010, I have worked in an academic library as a Senior Library Assistant on Sundays. I've also spent two Easter holidays working for a School Library Service affiliated with my Saturday employer and began volunteering in the library of a charity foundation.
I also used to work as a bookseller at Borders. The job made me a much better library assistant as I became more confident and knowledgeable about authors, genres and publishing. If you can't get any entry level library work or volunteering experience, I definitely think the next best thing is a spell in the book trade. It is my library experience (I was already a Saturday Library Assistant when I applied to Borders just after graduating) is what got me the job. I hate all the usual annoying things about retail and the low pay but I do miss bookselling.
I studied design at university and realised I enjoyed research, planning and analysis as much as design development and the rest of the process. I knew I didn't want to use my practical design skills on a daily basis but that my calling was still in design/media. I knew Information Management and librarianship was what I needed to get in to, it just took me a while to figure out what it was called and how to get there!
I regret not applying for a graduate traineeship. It would have been full time and I could have easily saved up for my MA without resorting to the 12 months of part time and temping hell that I have just endured. I feel inferior next to those who've been trainees and worry that they will be looked upon more favourably at interviews than me with my bit of this and bit of that experience. At the same time, I am proud to have sought out and grabbed all these experiences. I didn't have a mentor to provide me with guidance and a carefully-considered timetable of learning and enrichment activities. Nobody said join this, attend that or helped me with my funding and masters application.
I'm starting the MA Library and Information Management degree at MMU in September. I'm doing my fieldwork at the BBC (Information and Archives) at some point early next year. Careers I'm interested in include: media librarian, media manager, picture researcher, archivist, cataloguer. I also have a background in music and wonder if I could use that. I'll go wherever I can, however. It's foolish to be picky at the moment and I can genuinely say I'm interested in most library sectors. I have so far experienced public, academic, school and charity/voluntary. I will soon add media to my bow.
Right now, I'm preparing for the MA by doing cpd23 and reading all the books I took out on librarianship from the academic library. I'm taking it easy because I don't want to arrive feeling sick of the subject. I've filled out my CILIP membership application and am looking forward to what should be an important and exciting year.
I'm not sure how important chartership is in the media/commerical field, but I'll do whatever is necessary. I have no idea where I'll be in two years.
Mentoring: All my colleagues have been mentors in some way. I got in touch with my old high school and they gave me the email addresses of some old girl librarians. Some long email exchanges ensued which were useful but that is as close as I've come to a proper mentor. I would like to find a mentor in the media field. Not necessarily someone with a library background.
