On April 10th, I went to see a talk by Wendy Newman (past CLA president and very experienced librarian!. She gave a great talk, and offered the 10 things that she wished someone had told her when she entered the profession. Just thought I'd share:
1)There is bound to be tension between your role as an employee and your role as a professional. As such, it's important for you to be both!
2)Become immersed in "timeless" library values and personalize them for what you believe in. Most importantly, know what you believe in.
3)In your first three years in the profession, becoming a ranking expert in at least one thing.
4) You, and not your employer, are responsible for your own morale:
a) know what's going on-ask questions and read!
b) decide what you can do about it and then do it
c) spend time with positive people
d) get career advice from people you admire (ask what makes them happy and
proud to be who they are)
5) Present yourself professionally:
a) dress seriously to be taken seriously
b) master public speaking--even if it kills you
c) write concisely
d) proof-read everything
e) never send a silly or offending email, no matter how funny you think it is
6) Look at the long-view: part-time and/or temporary jobs are still experience and can teach you valuable skills.
a) hire people/work for people smarter than you
b) avoid people who complain about the boss
c) remember: the library community is a small one!
d) cultivate positive relationships (accommodate people in your environment)
e) become someone who is efficient, someone who gets it right
7) Association work is important! Volunteer and go to conferences.
8) The higher up you go, the more ambiguity you will have to deal with.
9) You will need to be a skilled advocate--it's part of your professional responsibility.
10) You need to know when it's time to quit.
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