Lie by omission or be brutally honest?

January 13, 2015 12:16 AM

I want to maximize my chances of getting a job as a copy cataloger at a public library.

In 2007 I earned an MLIS from a pretty good library science program. I had become fascinated by cataloging and I really really wanted to get a job doing original cataloging. Couldn't land one. At the time it seemed to me the profession was being deprofessionalized. There were cataloging jobs being advertised that didn't require an MLS, and though I applied, I never got so much as an interview, I assume because I was written off as overqualified. Finally I got a job at Big Library-Related Company. My title included the words "cataloging" and "librarian," but I didn't catalog at all. It was more of an account management role. It became clear this was a bad fit, and we parted ways in 2008. About 15 minutes later, the economy collapsed. Never again did I get a cataloging or library-related job.

Fast forward 7 years. My cataloging knowledge and skills have atrophied from disuse. There's a copy-cataloging job open in my local public library that doesn't require an MLIS, natch. I want it. Should I apply and leave my master's off the resume completely, or should I include it and tell an abbreviated version of this story on my cover letter?

posted by anonymous to Work & Money (9 answers total)

Call and talk to the person who will be your boss. Ask them what they're looking for. Tell your story. It's better to be honest & making a good impression by phone will make them feel warm when they get your application. What they want to know is that you can do the job, you'll stay and you're not weird. I was a recruitment consultant for 7 years. This is what I'd tell you if you were one of my job seekers.
posted by stellathon at 12:47 AM on January 13, 2015 [3 favorites]

Oh hello, fellow former Big Library Company employee here. Absolutely apply and do use the cover letter to tell your story and make sure that you have an explicit objective to be a cataloger in there as well as on your resume. I would be careful to say not "I never actually cataloged" but "looking forward to honing my skills." You'd be surprised - working for a library vendor gave me extra credibility with some employers (well, the libraries that used the vendor I worked for, anyway). I don't think I would leave my MLIS off my resume, but I would say in the cover letter that I am aware one isn't required. They will probably be concerned that you may want promotions they can't offer but if you are clear that you would like the opportunity to gain public library experience this shouldn't count against you.
posted by Otter_Handler at 4:07 AM on January 13, 2015 [3 favorites]

I like the cover letter explanation. If you're clear that you're cool with the role as it is - no MLIS, and presumably commensurate pay - I think that'll help.

As someone who has done hiring in public libraries, please please please do not call your potential boss. If an applicant called to tell me their life story they would be crossed off immediately, because I would assume they were needy and crazy, and I promise librarians deal with enough of that already. Your cover letter - or at the absolute most an additional email - is the place for this information.
posted by goodbyewaffles at 4:19 AM on January 13, 2015 [21 favorites]

Given some of the resumes I've seen at my public library, you will likely be up against people who will have the MLIS and their cataloging experience on their resume, so don't handicap yours. The standard worry is not over-qualification, it's that the person will use the non-professional job to step up into a professional one in a short amount of time. So you'll want to include something about how you're looking for a position you can settle down at, work at for some time, or other words that will assure folks that you won't be in for 6 months and then gone again. I mean, it's not like there are a host of other library jobs out there, so the actual chances of you moving onward are pretty slim.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:45 AM on January 13, 2015 [7 favorites]

What people said above plus be sure to say something about living right there and being a patron of that local library. If you've lived there a long time and plan to stay you can mention that too.
posted by mareli at 5:18 AM on January 13, 2015

As someone who has done hiring in public libraries, please please please do not call your potential boss. If an applicant called to tell me their life story they would be crossed off immediately, because I would assume they were needy and crazy, and I promise librarians deal with enough of that already.

I hire (but not at a library) and I totally, totally agree. If a candidate calls me with a backstory I'm probably going to assume they consider themselves a special snowflake or that they can't follow simple instructions. Apply, include your degree in your resume and write a clear, compelling cover letter. Good luck!
posted by kate blank at 5:42 AM on January 13, 2015 [3 favorites]

+n do not call. I too am a boss-type who hires. Getting an unsolicited call like this would tank you..
posted by edgeways at 6:26 AM on January 13, 2015

I hire for similar positions in a non-public library. Definitely keep your credentials on your resume and really work the cover letter to explain why you want that job and convey that you are not going to be around for just a cup of coffee. Totally agree on the no phone calls, I would put a phone caller at the bottom of my pile of resumes. Being overqualified for a job is something I think a lot of us in libraries understand, our biggest concern on the hiring front is how much time and effort it will take to get you up to speed, and then whether you will leave very quickly, thus making our time and effort investment not worth it. You would not believe the terrible cover letters I see, really, a good cover letter is half the battle. And then send a quick thank you follow up email after the interview! Hardly anyone bothers to do this now, and it can really seal the deal.
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 7:07 AM on January 13, 2015 [3 favorites]

I agree that you should leave the MLS on your resume as I don't think library folks tend to overestimate the real-world implications of that. I also agree that employers are looking for someone likely to stick around.

I work with catalogers in public libraries and have hired a copy cataloger within the last few years. While I'd be a little concerned that your "cataloging knowledge and skills have atrophied from disuse," a lot has changed in cataloging in the last several years, and the changes are ongoing. I'm mostly thinking of the RDA changes that have largely gotten off the ground probably in the time you've been away from library work. I think you can cover for that gap a bit if you can show that you are aware of evolving cataloging standards, have the flexibility to adapt, and can keep on top of developments. It may well work in your favor that you're not so entrenched in the "old" cataloging standards that you have trouble with (or have developed a resentment of!) the new standards.

Not part of your question, but a couple of related notes: cataloging as a skill is one thing; being able use the ILS's cataloging software and related cataloging tools efficiently is perhaps an equally-important part of a public library copy cataloging job. You'll have a leg up if you can demonstrate flexibility to learn new software, even if you don't have experience with what the library uses. Also, I found I really scrutinized catalogers' cover letters and resumes for typographical errors. The job is about being detail-oriented! Good luck!
posted by Leona at 8:18 AM on January 13, 2015 [5 favorites]