NMRT (New Members Round Table)

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The mission of the New Members Round Table (NMRT) is to help those who have been association members less than ten years become actively involved in the association and the profession.

Learn more about NMRT on the ALA website.

  • 1.  The Resume of a Librarian

    Posted Apr 28, 2025 11:02 AM
      |   view attached

    Hello NMRT! I'm not sure how many of you have applied for jobs in the past 2 years, but I have found myself struggling with constant resume edits and conflicting advice while not hearing back from most jobs I have applied for since I graduated. 

    I wanted to reach out to all of you and ask if this is your experience as well? I do not expect interviews nor call backs from every job, but I have not received even rejections from 75% of the jobs I applied for and generally only hear back from ones that I did not expect to receive a notice from.

    I also wanted to ask about your thoughts on resumes as a whole and what formats you have used for your resumes, or if you rely more on CVs? 

    Currently, I have a 1 page, double sided resume with narrow margins which seems quite compacted due to all the information I would like to fit. Attached is my current resume. I appreciate any comments since I always find it lacking and requiring edits.

    Best,



    ------------------------------
    Brandon Rouzaud
    Library Manager & Hybrid Coordinator
    Fortis College, Centerville
    ------------------------------

    Attachment(s)

    pdf
    BR Resume v7r11.pdf   126 KB 1 version


  • 2.  RE: The Resume of a Librarian

    Posted Apr 28, 2025 04:46 PM

    I haven't been on the job market for awhile but it is very common (unfortunately) to never hear again from employers after you have applied - particularly rejections. Ghosting you after a phone interview would be in incredibly poor taste (but would tell you a lot about that institution!). 

    Resumes can be tricky - there's personal preference and norms within that specific library industry - certain sections are more important/valued by different sectors. As an academic librarian, my resume is a mix between a CV and a resume and has always been more than one page. I typically haven't included a summary/occupational skills at the top but put some of that in a separate section at the end - but it really depends on the job you are applying for! I tried to tailor my resume to make it as easy as possible for the reader to see that my skills directly aligned with their job description - mirroring their language in my bullet points. Also, I really appreciated when coworkers would review my resume because they knew my work and could say - hey, you didn't mention x or you downplay your role in y, try this instead, etc. Good luck! 



    ------------------------------
    Claire Dinkelman
    Student Success Librarian
    University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
    She/Her/Hers
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: The Resume of a Librarian

    Posted Apr 29, 2025 08:33 AM

    Hi Brandon,

    It isn't uncommon to not hear back from a job at all or for multiple months. I had one job where I got a first interview six months after submitting the application and was offered the job four months after the initial interview so not hearing can mean you are still in consideration for the role. It's my understanding that often jobs don't inform applicants that they didn't get the job until after they have hired a person which can take months.

    My resume was shorter, I think I kept it to one page but I have less work experience than you. I didn't include a summary/occupational skills section, but I did have a skills section at the bottom. I put my education at the top as one of the main requirements most libraries are looking for is the library science degree. Overall, I think the most important thing is changing the resume to reflect the job you are applying to. Best of luck!



    ------------------------------
    Hannah Meyer
    Research Services Librarian
    Marist College
    James A Cannavino Library
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: The Resume of a Librarian

    Posted Apr 29, 2025 08:42 AM

    Ghosting is prevalent throughout the American job market, unfortunately, not just in the library sphere.  Additionally, not to be too much of a bearer of bad news, most positions will require you to fill out an online form, sometimes rather than a CV or resume.  It is frustrating, overall. The key is to match the institution's request with your submitted materials. 



    ------------------------------
    Wm. Connolly
    Assistant Library Director
    Millsboro Public Library
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: The Resume of a Librarian

    Posted Apr 29, 2025 10:45 AM

    Hi Brandon!  Regarding your question about CV vs Resume, if you're applying to Academic Library positions, strongly consider creating a CV. I am on a team that hired 8 librarians in the last 2-3 years. Resume's typically were insufficient.  Also, if you are not applying for higher ed, for which I am less informed, I would be surprised if you need to constrain yourself to a tightly squeezed 1 page. It's a lot to look at visually all at once. 

    For higher ed, my experience is that the hiring team is likely to be using a rubric to compare applicants. That means your qualifications need to clearly align with the job posting description/requirements/preferences. I recommend tweaking your CV for each position you apply.

    MOST IMPORTANTLY, you should include a 1-2 page cover letter that ALSO highlights (line-for-line) how you are the right candidate for the position described.

    Again, speaking only for my department at an R1 institution - we are required to use a rubric to score/compare candidates. Folks who submitted a generic resume and cover letter were almost unilaterally not competitive enough to reach interview stage. 

    For those positions that you applied and heard NOTHING back. I agree it's unfortunately common. Boo! (I'm fairly certain my team, at least, did not fall into that trend).

    Lastly, I notice you may be a veteran. If so, consider stating that you are a veteran. In states such as Texas, it's part of the law that veterans are entitled to a preference for employment over folks with equal qualifications. 

    Here's a set of relevant articles I shared with my Graduate LIS Association (GLISA) last year to support my classmates who'd be looking for jobs soon;

    Part 1:
    Welsh, M., McDonald, C., & Knievel, J. (2023). Celebration vitae: Your CV and you. College & Research Libraries News, 84(_8), 280. doi: https://doi.org/10.5860/crln.84.8.280

    Part 2:
    Welsh, M., McDonald, C., & Knievel, J. (2023). Cooking up something great: A recipe for academic library CV content and structure. College & Research Libraries News, 84(9), 326. doi: https://doi.org/10.5860/crln.84.9.326

    For whichever type of libraries, you're applying - Good Luck!!



    ------------------------------
    Janina Siebert
    Learning & Curricular Services Librarian
    Texas A&M University Libraries
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: The Resume of a Librarian

    Posted Apr 29, 2025 10:50 AM
    Hi, Brandon,

    The ALA NMRT has a free resume/CV and cover letter review service that may be of interest if you're looking for in-depth feedback and advice. More info on that here.

    Best of luck with your job search!

    Megan
    ---
    Megan Hodge, Ph.D.
    Head, Student Success
    VCU Libraries | Virginia Commonwealth University
    Pronouns: she/her



    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: The Resume of a Librarian

    Posted Apr 30, 2025 03:51 PM

    Brandon,

    I second the NMRT resume review service. They work to pair your resume with someone in that area you are looking to apply to.

    I do believe that you should have more than one page for your resume unless you have only a handful of work experience opportunities, and I would recommend this even for public libraries. I've personally experienced where my resume was too short and they didn't hire me, but the position reposted I added at least two more pages and was hired. Make sure your cover letter is personal and relates to the job description. 

    The job market it tough and has been for a while. Good luck!



    ------------------------------
    Meghan Thompson
    Librarian
    Jackson County Library Services
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: The Resume of a Librarian

    Posted May 19, 2025 03:46 PM
      |   view attached

    Thank you everyone for your thoughts! It seems like this is just, unfortunately, the norm for the job market right now, as I have seen some news that it has been particularly hard these past few months. I have been working more on my cover letters and revising my resume to fit the various jobs I have applied for, but still no luck.

    I have made a 1-page version of my resume (attached) to go along with my CV based on what kind of position I am applying for, and thank you all for the help.

    Best,



    ------------------------------
    Brandon Rouzaud
    Library Manager & Hybrid Coordinator
    Fortis College, Centerville
    ------------------------------

    Attachment(s)

    pdf
    Brandon Rouzaud resume.pdf   72 KB 1 version
    Original Message