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Career Musings
Nov. 20th, 2008 09:40 pmI've been looking more closely at my career options as a librarian. Originally, my plan was to be an academic Librarian as I really enjoy researching and I thought I'd get a lot of satisfaction from helping people with their research. However, as I've started looking more into job descriptions for academic librarians I've discovered that most institutions require their librarians to have two masters degrees. *sigh* While I'd love to go to school indefinitely, I'm hoping to get a job right after I finish this degree.
Also, I've had no help from my graduate advisor as to what types of classes I should take or what I should focus on in order to prepare for a career as an academic librarian. Drexel doesn't offer a specialization in that field. And, as I read over the job descriptions today, I realized that I just don't want to jump through all those ridiculous hoops that Academia are expected to jump through. I see this in Chris' life every time he has to search for a new job. You have to be published, you have to be performing active research, etc. I hope to do those things someday, but I want to do it on my own terms and not because it's essential to my career. Let's not forget that it would be difficult for Chris and I both to find jobs at the same university, or even universities near each other. I've met married professors who live in two different states, visiting on the weekends. No way, that's not for me.
I'm thinking that a specialization in Youth Services might be more the way for me to go. I do love children's books, I love reading to kids (if I ever had the chance to run story time...fun!), and I think I'd really enjoy teaching kids/teens how to research and helping them discover new books. I'd like helping parents too. I think I'd like working with the everyday public rather than the sometimes narrow world of a University. I'm not bashing students or professors. I'm just saying that sometimes they get so involved in their field of study that they start to lose touch with the real world. I say this with absolute fondness in my heart, as my own hubby certainly falls into this category at times, and I find it adorable :) But, if we're going to have one parent who lives in the academic world, we should have another who keeps her feet grounded in the real world, right?
Also, I've had no help from my graduate advisor as to what types of classes I should take or what I should focus on in order to prepare for a career as an academic librarian. Drexel doesn't offer a specialization in that field. And, as I read over the job descriptions today, I realized that I just don't want to jump through all those ridiculous hoops that Academia are expected to jump through. I see this in Chris' life every time he has to search for a new job. You have to be published, you have to be performing active research, etc. I hope to do those things someday, but I want to do it on my own terms and not because it's essential to my career. Let's not forget that it would be difficult for Chris and I both to find jobs at the same university, or even universities near each other. I've met married professors who live in two different states, visiting on the weekends. No way, that's not for me.
I'm thinking that a specialization in Youth Services might be more the way for me to go. I do love children's books, I love reading to kids (if I ever had the chance to run story time...fun!), and I think I'd really enjoy teaching kids/teens how to research and helping them discover new books. I'd like helping parents too. I think I'd like working with the everyday public rather than the sometimes narrow world of a University. I'm not bashing students or professors. I'm just saying that sometimes they get so involved in their field of study that they start to lose touch with the real world. I say this with absolute fondness in my heart, as my own hubby certainly falls into this category at times, and I find it adorable :) But, if we're going to have one parent who lives in the academic world, we should have another who keeps her feet grounded in the real world, right?