tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post4689778449445804663..comments2024-03-27T05:00:00.090-04:00Comments on Letters to a Young Librarian: Worrying About My Post-PhD Life, by Abigail PhillipsJessica Olinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00282500023825318766noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-54340643701986257992015-10-26T04:54:35.109-04:002015-10-26T04:54:35.109-04:00This is such a refreshing discussion. I'm nea...This is such a refreshing discussion. I'm nearing the end of my MLS and have been torn between focusing on public libraries or academic libraries as I really love research. It's so nice to hear the merits of research in the public sector, and to hear the praises of doing a PhD! Thanks for the clarity Abigaill.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15968387824307242115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-91078928592248025312015-10-01T12:16:49.541-04:002015-10-01T12:16:49.541-04:00This echos a lot of anxiety I hear about in the Hi...This echos a lot of anxiety I hear about in the History realm (I try to keep one ear in even as I'm working as a librarian). PhD programs in History are turning applicants away because "there won't be enough tenure track jobs for them when they graduate". Of course this assumes that a PhD education exists only as a means for a job qualification, and that the only job desirable is the one your professor holds. Which, when you think about it, is pretty silly. Education is edifying. Aren't people in the humanities supposed to understand this? Justin M. Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13656713121677988203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-1228542849736635982015-09-21T11:11:14.872-04:002015-09-21T11:11:14.872-04:00It's a hard problem to figure out! I think (ma...It's a hard problem to figure out! I think (maybe) it's a mixture of interviewee personality, "right fit", and knowing how to massage your resumé/CV. I wish I had more words of wisdom, but we share so many of the same concerns. Good luck! Thank you for reading and replying!Abigail Phillipshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16905959573081757992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-32607022185259059242015-09-21T10:52:11.367-04:002015-09-21T10:52:11.367-04:00"...someone who is not going to complain abou..."...someone who is not going to complain about the pay..."<br /><br />The profession gets enough "be happy you have a job" propaganda from the outside. Is it necessary that library professionals have to preach this to each other? Yes, it is important to be realistic in your expectations and to be circumspect in making inquiries about pay before, during and after the job hunting phase of your career but being satisfied and complacent is a recipe for economic second class citizenship status. We all might be better off if all library professionals got a little agitated about low pay. And for those in management level jobs please remember the more your underlings are paid the more likely you will be compensated at a higher rate as well. A rising tide lifts all boats. gcwilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06853134369504220074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-49276173905758527622015-09-17T19:49:36.968-04:002015-09-17T19:49:36.968-04:00I have a similar problem. I have a MLS (technical...I have a similar problem. I have a MLS (technically two due to transferring from a non-ALA program to another college's ALA-program), but I lack the experience to jump in to a public librarian position, so I've been applying to paraprofessional positions and worry that I'm being rejected due to my graduate degree. I'm not sure how to articulate to hiring managers that I would stay and not jump ship. It's been so long since I studied librarianship, I certainly do not have the skills to take on full librarian position at this point. Thanks for the post, Abigail, and good luck with your education and job search!Ripbergerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01685894007541567391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-42774110287621722402015-09-17T12:29:28.288-04:002015-09-17T12:29:28.288-04:00Thank you, Cari! I really appreciate your feedback...Thank you, Cari! I really appreciate your feedback. This is very helpful! I worry that directors will think I'm seeking a librarian position as a "stand-in" until I find a faculty job. Which isn't how it works. Once you leave the academia pipeline, you're out for good. It's extremely hard to get back in once you leave. And honestly, faculty position don't pay as well as we're expected to believe. Maybe at top-ranked institutions or once you reach full professor status. Of course, the perks are great: small travel budget, flexible work schedule, etc. But I worry about doctoral students who think that getting a PhD automatically qualified them for a huge salary. That's just not true.<br /><br />Thank you again!<br />AbbyAbigail Phillipshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16905959573081757992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061870849031468581.post-58721461672764332162015-09-17T11:06:22.800-04:002015-09-17T11:06:22.800-04:00Speaking as a hiring manager in a public library -...Speaking as a hiring manager in a public library - I wouldn't necessarily rule you out if you had a Ph.D. as long as you could tell me all those above things in your cover letter. Just being honest - I'm looking for someone who's going to stay for a while, and someone who is not going to complain about the pay. Sometimes (not always) people who hold advanced degrees expect more pay, and the reality is we just cannot provide that. Depends on the library, of course, but there are times when public libraries can barely pay their director a living wage. This is a bigger issue when it comes to the MLIS and jobs, and of course I am only one person at one library, but I hope this helps you when it comes to your job search! Best of luck!Carihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17089762130217570280noreply@blogger.com