Overview

This book examines the difficulties confronting information professionals who, due to financial downturns, technological change, or personal crises, are forced to re-evaluate their career options. It is divided between a case study (based on the author’s own experiences) of career dislocation and eventual career renewal, and several sections that offer pragmatic advice on how to recover from job loss, conduct a skills assessment and develop a practical job search strategy. The author, with honesty, confronts the serious and sometimes troubling psychological and professional consequences of layoffs and job burnout. This book presents an overall positive outlook on personal growth and the opportunities our new information environment holds.

Full Product Details

Author:   Oliver Cutshaw (Chicago School of Professional Psychology, USA)
Publisher:   Woodhead Publishing Ltd
Imprint:   Chandos Publishing (Oxford) Ltd
Dimensions:   Width: 15.60cm , Height: 0.90cm , Length: 23.40cm
Weight:   0.310kg
ISBN:  

9781843346326

ISBN 10:   184334632
Pages:   168
Publication Date:   04 March 2011
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Awaiting stock  
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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements About the author Chapter 1: Introduction to the parameters of career renewal Abstract: Chapter 2: Career recovery: a case study of my personal job search Abstract: Off to California First you fail and then, guess what, you fail again Why not try something new? Re-envisioning the problem New approach, but the road is still bumpy and long Your social network is not always a source of support At last, I found a job Dos and don’ts: some lessons to be learned from my experience Observations to be drawn from my case: or some of the deadly sins of modern- day employment and job searching Chapter 3: No job, no way: librarians are often unprepared for voluntary and involuntary career changes Abstract: The dodo effect: too much specialization and too much complacency It comes like a thief in the night and sometimes it doesn’t The job market: there is a big world outside these hallowed halls We have it within our power: self-assessment and reframing Chapter 4: First you grieve: job loss, job stagnation, and job burnout in an age of transition Abstract: We are handling it, but are we really? You got a right to sing the blues! You are more than just a job title Rethinking your skill set and reframing your career goals Chapter 5: Re-envisioning your career: a new look at yourself and your skills Abstract: Who are you and what do you want to do with your career? The really big change Skills analysis: don’t sell yourself short The generalist, the hybrid, and the specialist: know yourself and consider how others may know you You are a person not just a category Outside work is not outside of the box Getting another perspective Chapter 6: Reframing your skills and search strategies: preparing for the job search and looking at your professional goals with a fresh and realistic approach Abstract: You cannot find what you want unless you know what you need How do I know what I want and need in a job? Job searching: it’s better than you think Searching may be easier but applying for a job can be confusing The essentials: résumé, cover letter, references Now set sail Chapter 7: New résumé, new interview skills, but the road can still be bumpy: preparing for the job search and practicing the survival skills needed for success Abstract: Trends in twenty-first century job interviews: forewarned is forearmed The three Ps for surviving the job hunt: patience, persistence, and perspective Chapter 8: You got your job! Hurray! But now what? Abstract: Sometimes a bargain is not a bargain Stay prepared, stay alert Chapter 9: How can our professional organizations and graduate schools build a better professional support system? Abstract: A roomful of worry and hope: the ALA-Allied Professional Association meeting Our graduate school programs: part of the answer and part of the problem What kinds of support can our professional organizations provide? Chapter 10: Conclusions: recovery, reframing, and renewal are a matter of interpretation Abstract: What do we mean by recovery? What do we mean by reframing? What do we mean by renewal? Bibliography Index

Reviews

Every librarian should read this optimistic, practical, honest and insightful, easy-to-read, and highly relevant guide. --Australian Library Journal

Every librarian should read this optimistic, practical, honest and insightful, easy-to-read, and highly relevant guide. -Australian Library Journal

Author Information

Oliver Cutshaw has over 30 years experience as both a para-professional technician and professional librarian; having worked at world-renowned universities, including Harvard University, and small graduate schools he brings a broad and established perspective to the question of career change. The author holds both MA and MLIS degrees from the University of Maryland, College Park. He served as a middle manager and preservation librarian for over a decade at Harvard University and is now the Librarian for Southern California at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, California.

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