Dear SIS students:

My name is Janice Tester, your Career Advisor at McGill CaPS.  CaPS is your Career Planning Service where you can find help related to your career needs.  You can come and see me or another advisor to help you with you CV, cover letter, have a mock interview, or attend any of our workshops.  You will find more information on our services at www.mcgill.ca/CaPS.

In this issue:

Resources for SIS Students in the CaPS Resource Centre
Career Fair coming up sooner than you think!
Recruitment Firms Specializing in Placing SIS Graduates
An Interview with an SIS Alumnae
Workshops of Interest to SIS Students
Contact me

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Resources for SIS Students in the CaPS Resource Centre

Whether you are looking for information on a career, scholarship information, tips on resume writing, contact information in the industries, or specifics on a program of study, the CaPS Career Resource Centre is here for you!

CaPS subscribes to a number of publications and online services that may be of interest to SIS   students.  Our Librarian recommends the following:

• What Else Can You Do With A Library Degree : Career Options For The 90's And Beyond
  by Betty-Carol Sellen
  

  Published in 1997 but still relevant. Each chapter is written by a different person and describes his or her path to an alternate LIS career.

• Career Opportunities in Library and Information Science
  by Linda P. Carvell
  

  Gives detailed info on over 70 career paths for LISers. Gives a sample career ladder as well.

• Jump Start Your Career in Library and Information Science
  by Priscilla K. Shontz
  

  A guide that explains every step of an LIS career- from CVs and interviewing to publishing and mentoring.

Contact the CaPS Resource Consultant, Vanessa Franco, for further information.

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Career Fair coming up sooner than you think!

Remember, the SIS fair takes place on Thursday, March 5th, 2009 from 1 pm to 5 pm.  This is your chance to check out up to 20 organizations offering employment to you for short-term (summer!), part & full-time positions.  So, even if you are not graduating, this is a great opportunity to make contacts in your field.

The SIS Fair will take place in rooms MS 24 & 42 at the School of Information Studies. 

To name a few, some of the employers that have signed up already (until January) include the McGill Library, McGill Archives, Université de Montréal, New Brunswick Public Libraries, Atwater Library, and  Eleanor London Cote Saint-Luc Public Library.

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Recruitment Firms Specializing in Placing SIS Graduates

by Janice Tester, CaPS Career Advisor

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could put the task of doing the nitty-gritty of the job search in the hands of a recruiting firm and let them do the work of finding that first job right after school?  It certainly would.  In an ideal world that would be a great solution for our career worries.  However, would they really know what job would be suitable for us in SIS?  That is an important question one should ask oneself before engaging in this process.   Whatever you do, do not abandon other necessary tools such as databases and expanding your network of contacts. 

In the meantime, you might want to use an excellent resource which is the Directory of Canadian Recruiters 2006  which has an index by industry and position in the back of the book.  Below you will find the firms that were listed under the Library section.  Keep in mind that you can also improve your chances with recruiters in other, related areas too such as new media, publishing, IT, etc. ;   You would have to look under those sections on the Directory.  Please be warned that these firms fill mainly management positions.

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An Interview with an SIS McGill Alumnae

by Janice Tester, CaPS Career Advisor

I conducted an interview with our Librarian/Resource Consultant on her quest for an ideal job.  Her name is Vanessa Franco and has been with us for the past seven months. She graduated from the MLIS program at McGill in 2008.

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Workshops of Interest to SIS Students

In general, we offer several workshops for students to approach the job search.  You will find the list of relevant workshops below. In particular, I will be giving a workshop on CV writing for SIS students on February 12th, 2009 from 12:15 pm to 1:15 pm. at your school.  

Registration for all of the following workshops is available through myFuture. Click on the "Workshops/Events" tab and select the "Workshops" tab.

• CV Writing for SIS Students
  February 12, 12h15-13h15: School of Information Studies
  

  To help you write a good CV, we start by identifying your target job and assessing your skills, strengths and experiences. We then look in detail at the components of a CV (resume).

• Who Are You? Why Does it Matter?
  February 19, 10h00-11h30: Brown, Room 3001
  

  Wondering what career path is right for you but don’t know what you have to offer? In this highly interactive workshop you will explore your interests, values, and skills.

• Researching the Employer
  March 4, 12h00-13h30: Brown, Room 3001
  

  Learn how to and why you need to research the employer of your choice.

• Business Etiquette: More than Just Eating with the Right Fork
  March 6, 12h30-14h00: Brown, Room 3001
  

  Etiquette is about properly handling social and business situations. Develop skills to feel more confident and know what to do.

• Tap (and Dial) into the Hidden Job Market
  March 9, 11h30 -13h00: Brown, Room 3001
  

  By attending this workshop you will learn that networking is a win-win situation. You will learn how to identify areas in which you can expand your list of contacts and how to do that, how to formulate questions for an information interview and to create a script for a cold call to a potential contact in your field of interest.

• “One-Stop-Shopping”: CVs, cover letters, interviews and action plan
  March 10, 10h00 -11h30: Brown, Room 3001
  

  Looking to acquire lots of valuable information in a short span of time? If so - our “One-Stop-Shopping” workshop is for you! In this workshop you will learn how to create a professional CV using action verbs and understand what employers are looking for. You will also learn to write a tailored cover letter that is customized to a position, department and/or a particular industry. In the interview component of the workshop you will understand what is involved in interview preparation. You will learn to identify relevant skills and experiences that you have to offer an employer and to articulate them with confidence and professionalism. The workshop will end with understanding of the importance of an action plan. Participants will learn about the steps that guide the career planning process. You will also identify your goals for each of these steps as well as the resources/tools available and any potential barriers you may encounter.

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