Thanks to Kim Lyall, Outreach Specialist, NASA Center for AeroSpace Information operated by Chugach Industries, Inc., for the this article: Careers in Federal Libraries Resume Review Service Connecting Newbies and Professionals. This article was originally published in the 2009 Best Practices for Government Librarians: Change: Managing It, Surviving It, Thriving on It. The 2009 edition includes 60 articles and other submissions provided by more than 50 contributors from librarians in government agencies, courts, and the military, as well as from professional association leaders, LexisNexis Consultants, and more.
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Job searching, networking, and creating an online personal brand are all hot topics during this current economic decline. Combined with an increased interest in public service.1 This seemed to be perfect timing for the Careers in Federal Libraries Google Group Resume Review initiative. What better way to connect library students and new professionals with seasoned federal librarians and others working in the federal library community?
Careers in Federal Libraries started out as a live event taking place at various library and information conferences and graduate schools.2 After the resounding success of the live events the idea was hatched for an online gathering space. Google Groups was chosen as the platform because it incorporated membership, discussion, and content features.3
The Careers in Federal Libraries Google Group provides access to over 200 members, discussion threads about new job opportunities, and pages describing and linking to a vast array of information about career opportunities and strategies for landing a federal position.
While participating in the discussion threads we began to receive ad hoc requests to review members’ resumes. This experience led us to develop a more standardized service where we created a page listing all resume reviewers and their contact information and invited our members to contact the reviewers for some one-on-one help. The Resume Review Service was born!
The Resume Review Service is not an idea unique to this group. In fact it is modeled after similar efforts such as the American Library Association New Members Round Table Resume Review4 and the Special Libraries Association Virtual Advisors program5.
We would have been unable to implement this service if not for the selfless dedication of the government library and information community. After sending out a call for volunteers we received over ten responses from librarians at a variety of government agencies and staffing firms. Our service offers career assistance from librarians at agencies as diverse as the State Department, Congressional Research Service, Justice Department, Defense Technical Information Center and many more!
The purpose of the Resume Review Service is to allow members the chance to volunteer for a worthy cause, offer assistance to the numerous library and information job seekers, and provide an opportunity for increased networking and mentoring relationships to form.
Students, job seekers, and new professionals can take advantage of this service by contacting a reviewer working within their area of interest. When contacting the resume reviewer have a clear idea of what type of position you are looking for, be ready to describe your past experience in detail, and be open to constructive criticism. If you want to develop the relationship further remember that mentoring is a two-way street and offer your resume reviewer a new piece of industry information, technology tip, or assistance with a special project.
In today’s competitive job market you can make yourself stand out by developing your online personal brand. Create a LinkedIn6 profile and online portfolio to share your work experience and accomplishments in a positive light. If you are using a Gmail account as your Careers in Federal Libraries membership email consider creating a Google Profile where you can upload photos, provide basic information about yourself, and link to your website or blog.7. Developing a more robust online brand can help you make greater use of the Careers in Federal Libraries Google Group community.
If you are interested in joining this online community please go to http://groups.google.com/group/careers-in-federal-libraries and select the Join this Group link.
Group homepage accessible at: http://groups.google.com/group/careers-in-federal-libraries
Resume Review Service at: http://groups.google.com/group/careers-in-federal-libraries/web/resume-review-service
_______________________________________1 Vogel, Steve. “More Young People Lining Up for Government Jobs.” March 26, 2009. Washington Post.
2 Faget, Nancy. “Careers in Federal Libraries to reach NextGenFeds.” 2009 Best Practices: Change: Managing It, Surviving It, Thriving on It. Accessible at the Government Info Pro Blog
3 Lyall, Kim. “Careers in Federal Libraries - So you want to be a Federal Librarian?” Footnotes. 38.2 Nov 2008.
4 American Library Association. New Members Round Table. Resume Review Service.
5 Special Libraries Association. Career Coaching: Virtual Advisors.
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