Stand out. Stand proud.

Because my start date is still a few weeks away, I thought I would take a moment to share with you exactly what got me the job (I think).


My cover letter.

After six months of submitting my resume into the void of interwebs across this great country I knew it was time to shake things up. If I wanted this job, I had to do something different. I began reading a book:

245 00 $a Use your head to get your foot in the door $h [text] : $b Job search secrets no one else will tell you / $c Harvey Mackay.

This book presented some interesting ideas for generating excitement about yourself from the get go. For example, send a picture of yourself standing next to a sign that reads "I'm the one". I know it seems cheesy, but it displays a level of creativity that (no doubt) other cover letters won't, and most potential employers are more interested in who you are than what you have done. I stewed on this for a while and this is what I came up with:

Dear ______:

Please allow me to introduce myself:

Now that you have a copy of my record, how about adding me to your catalog? I look forward to meeting you and discussing ways in which my education and experience match the needs of the library now, and into the future.

Sincerely,

Brenna Normann

This is a catalog record of myself. It demonstrates that I am capable of doing the job, and also able to "get creative and think outside the box." For any of you out there who are trudging through the swamps of job lists and losing hope of ever finding the job for you, pep up! Take your skills and make them work for you. I hope this post inspires you to approach your own job hunt the same way, with a new perspective and a willingness to take chances on being different and standing out.

In closing:

• this is the only job I had fun applying for
• the only interview where I was myself
• the only job I got

100 1_ : Normann, Brenna

At the beginning, roughly three years ago, I decided to pursue a Master's Degree in Library Science. I completed the program in just under two calendar years, and in the process developed a keen interest in cataloging. I spent the months of May-October in front of the computer filling out job application after job application. I applied for things I was over qualified for, and things I had absolutely no interest in doing... those are probably the reasons I received very few interviews. I was depressed, frustrated, lazy, you name it. It was becoming very clear to me that getting my M.L.S. was not the launch pad I thought it would be.

Then something happened... I got a call.
  
On Monday, November 7, I accepted the position of Cataloging Librarian at Georgetown Public Library (http://library.georgetown.org/). This is, essentially, a dream come true for me. I will be working in my hometown (one of them) and doing the one thing that most interests me as a librarian. As my (new) manager said, "It's very rare for someone to have taken 4 cataloging courses." There you have it, I'm rare. In a field of self proclaimed  nerds, I stand out. And I stand proud.

Tuesday was the first day in 6 months I didn't have to look for a job. I felt renewed. I turned off the t.v., I walked away from my computer, I cleaned things that were dirty, I cooked things I wanted to eat, and I made a list of how to spend my first paycheck(s). Last night I felt relaxed for the first time since May. Not stressed, not scared, just hopeful, happy, and ready.

November 7th began a new chapter in my life. At the ripe young age of 28, this is my first 9 to 5, my first "break room", my first hour long lunch, my first cubicle, my first experience in this working world. I will use this blog to share my experiences, questions, discoveries, or comments about this new world, and of course, how I catalog in it.