INFORMATION VISTAS

Great Resource Guide for Your Internet Job Search from LLRX

2011-06-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

I don't usually post to this blog 3 times in one day, but this is a terrific job search guide and I wanted to get it up as quickly as possible:
http://www.llrx.com/features/jobhunting.htm

Let's Become Irresistible . . .

2011-06-27T08:58:00.000-07:00

To potential employers. Here's one perspective on how it can be done, even in a very challenging economic climate: http://cb.com/jiAKhn

100 Great Websites

2011-06-27T08:41:00.001-07:00

Forbes Woman has compiled its 2011 list of "The Top 100 Websites for Women." However, I'm betting that men will also find some useful information on these
websites too:

http://onforb.ed/kvmCBO

The Parsons Institute for Information Mapping (IMM)

2011-03-11T07:19:00.001-08:00

This cutting-edge Institute is affiliated with the Parsons School of Design. IMM's website is beautifully designed, and it features a wealth of resources on "knowledge visualization." In addition, the Institute publishes the Parsons Journal for Information Mapping. Increasingly, the field of library and information science is blurring disciplinary boundaries in new and creative ways. This is one intriguing and aesthetically pleasing example. Check it out at: http://piim.newschool.edu/

Do You Think You Know Everything about Searching In Google?

2011-03-10T19:32:00.000-08:00

If you haven't had a look at Google Guide, then think again!
Nancy Bachman created this comprehensive, interactive
tutorial for Google because she wanted more information on
Google searches than Google itself provides. She provides it
in specially designed formats for novices, experts and teens at:

http://www.googleguide.com

Are You a "Renaissance Soul?"

2011-01-02T09:55:00.000-08:00

I think that many information professionals are. We tend to have a wide range of eclectic interests that are sometimes difficult to translate into pragmatic career directions; especially in a tough economic environment like the present one. If you recognize yourself in this description, then career coach Margaret Lobenstine may be able to help. Her website is at:
http://www.togetunstuck.com

METRO Cover Letter Evaluation Workshop

2010-12-09T20:36:00.000-08:00

On December 9, 2010, I presented a strategic Cover Letter Evaluation workshop for members of the Metropolitan New York Library Council(METRO) Career Transition Special Interest Group. Along with colleague Deb Falik, I discussed different types of cover letters, basic components of cover letters, and relevant resources. The heart of the presentation was a 20 minute interactive cover letter evaluation in which participants worked in pairs to create new cover letters or improve on older cover letters that they brought with them. The participants then re-convened to share newly discovered strategies and techniques with the entire group. A total of eight METRO members participated.

If you are interested in creating customized cover letters that complement your resume and increase the likelihood of being called for interviews by prospective employers, some resources that I recommend are:

Cover Letter Magic. Wendy S. Enelow and Louise M. Kursmark
The inside front cover lists "The Nine Types of Cover Letters" and "Six Steps to the Perfect Cover Letter."

202 Great Cover Letters. Michael Betrus
Page 6 diagrams the basic components of a sample cover letter.

Knock'em Dead Cover Letters. Martin Yates
Page 35 has an alphabetized list of relevant action verbs that is useful for discussing your experience and skills in the crucial second and third paragraphs that constitute the body of the cover letter. Martin Yates' website has updated career information at http://www.knockemdead.com

New York Library Club Holiday Dinner

2010-12-08T14:26:00.001-08:00

This francophile librarian had a wonderful time last night at the New York Library Club's holiday dinner. It was held in a little gem of an east side French restaurant called Les Sans Culottes.

The menu was superb and the company convivial.

The paniers de crudites was a healthy and attractive appetizer, supplemented by the savory saucissons. I chose saumon a l'aneth for my entree and a delectable creme caramel for dessert. The website for Les Sans Culottes is: http://lessanscullottesny.com

If you are not yet a member of the New York Library Club, I encourage you to join. The Club's website is: http://www.nylibraryclub.org

Job Search Advice from Psychology Today

2010-11-21T11:55:00.000-08:00

Dr. Bill Knaus has written an interesting post on the psychology of searching for a new job during challenging economic times. I especially like his analysis of the different types of procastination and the way in which procrastination is a form of "second-agenda thinking":

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/science-andsensibility/201011/psychological-tips-successful-job-search"

REWORK

2010-09-04T10:49:00.000-07:00

If you are thinking about starting your own business, then REWORK by Jason Freed & David Heinemeier is a must. It's smart, savvy, and fun to read. It has great graphics that enhance the text, and it cuts through hype, hyperbole, and pretension with counter-intuitive suggestions like "Let your customers outgrow you" that Freed and Heinemier road-tested as founders of the 37Signals software firm.

The companion website for REWORK is: http://www.37signals.com/rework

Learn More About Twitter

2010-07-11T17:41:00.000-07:00

For those of you who still may be new to Twitter, blog by oneforty has a guide to the "Top 10 Twitter Tutorials on YouTube" at:

http://oneforty.com/blog/top-10-twitter-tutorials-on-youtube/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+onefortyblog+(oneforty+blog)

Are You Networking?

2010-04-22T15:05:00.001-07:00

Lynch, Liz. Smart Networking: Attract a Following in Person and Online. McGraw-Hill. 2009. 190p. bibliog. index. ISBN978-0-07-160294-1 $16.95
Liz Lynch is the founder of the Center for Networking Excellence. Her top three strategies for networking success are: using LinkedIn, enhancing your online profile by writing a blog and commenting on other professional blogs, and building reciprocal relationships through conversations that convey a sincere interest in helping the other person. The Center for Networking Excellence website http://www.networkingexcellence.com includes videos, a blog, and other resources to help you refine your networking skills. In addition, her networking quiz will help you to evaluate your current level of networking competence and point to directions for further development. BOTTOM LINE Used in tandem with the website for The Center for Networking Excellence, this book provides practical strategies for beginning and seasoned information professionals who want to give and get the most out of their business relationships.

Business Resources

2010-04-13T18:02:00.001-07:00

Marcus P. Zillman has posted two free guides to business intelligence resources. I especially like the annotated guide, as it provides useful commentary for the sources listed. Both guides are at:

http://biresources.blogspot.com/

For Self-learning Librarians

2009-12-29T18:25:00.000-08:00

Legal or corporate, medical or special, academic or public . . .If there's one thing that unites all librarians, it is our passion for lifelong learning.
And that is why Self Made Scholar, at http://selfmadescholar.com/b/ is one of my favorite destinations on the Web. The bibliography on lifelong learning is extensive, as are the lists of hyperlinks to free courses, free books, and learning communities.

Innovation Watch

2009-12-04T10:16:00.000-08:00

As librarians, we are often called upon to keep up with the accelerating pace of business, cultural, and technological innovation. David Forrest has come to the rescue with Innovation Watch. Innovation Watch is one of my favorite websites, because Forrest's collection of book reviews, articles, blogs and other resources is a treasure trove of information on the most creative innovations and innovators of our era. The website is http://innovationwatch.com

Networking Event

2009-11-21T08:56:00.001-08:00

On October 20, 2009, I attended a presentation by Liz Lynch of the Center for Networking Excellence. She has some great ideas for successful job hunting in this challenging economic environment. The key qualities for success that she cites are: be creative, be resourceful, and be persistent. As an underemployed job hunter in search of a full time position, I have had to draw on each of these qualities to move from being unemployed to underemployed. Now, I'm drawing on Liz Lynch's expertise in my quest for a full-time job.

Her top three strategies for networking success are: using LinkedIn, raising your profile online by starting a blog and commenting on other professional blogs, and building reciprocal relationships through conversations that convey your interest in helping the other person; as well as exploring how she may be of help to you. As a novice blogger, I especially appreciated her suggestion to start out by finding interesting items to blog about and by writing two or three sentences about them. Although some of my blog postings are longer now, starting with two or three sentences helped me to overcome my fear that blogging would be too overwhelming a task to pursue in addition to other job seeking strategies. In her 180 page book, Smart Networking: Attract a Following in Person and Online,

(New York: The McGraw Hill Companies, 2009)
she covers blogging and social networking in great detail. Her section on blog content, "A Baker's Dozen of Content Sources and Ideas," features 13 ideas for bloggers who are looking for new strategies.

Although some of her suggestions are more relevant to well-established business owners who are expanding their range of contacts than to unemployed job seekers, she provides workable suggestions for job seekers as well. The book includes a bibliography, and there are two sources that have especially sparked my interest:

Alba, Jason. I'm on LinkedIn--Now What???: A Guide to Getting the Most OUT of LinkedIn (Cuperton, CA:Happy About,2007)

Leeds, Dorothy. The 7 Powers of Questions: Secrets to Successful Communication in Life and at Work (New York: Perigee Trade, 2000)

Liz Lynch's Center for Networking Excellence website includes videos, a blog, and other resources to help you refine your networking skills. Her networking quiz will help you to evaluate your current level of networking competence and point to directions for further development.
http://www.networkingexcellence.com/

National Forum on Information Literacy

2009-11-03T20:05:00.000-08:00

Information literacy is getting the high level of attention it deserves at the National Forum on Information Literacy:
http://www.infolit.org

Mystified by Metadata?

2009-10-27T22:52:00.000-07:00

The University of Queensland has "An Introduction to Metadata" that explains metadata schemas at: http://www.library.uq.edu.au/iad/ctmetar.html

Panoramic Visions

2009-10-27T22:38:00.000-07:00

The International Telecommunications Union highlights the global dimensions of information policy with its project on "Visions of the Information Society" at: http://www.itu.int/osg/spu/visions

Planning Your Escape

2009-10-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

Some people work inside of Corporate America, some people work outside of Corporate America, and some people wonder which option is right for them. Escape from Corporate America: A Practical Guide to Creating the Career of Your Dreams, by Pamela Skillings has something to offer anyone with a creative approach to career development. Her website is at: http://www.escapefromcorporate.com

Mashable is Indispensable

2009-10-22T22:44:00.001-07:00

I discovered Mashable at the Cool Twitter Conference. If you want to keep up with social media, then Mashable is indispensible. It has comprehensive guides as well as job postings, at:

http:/mashable.com/

International Center for Information Ethics

2009-10-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

The exponential growth of global information systems has sparked a renewed focus on information ethics. The International Center for Information Ethics at
http://icie.zkm.de/ is an online hub for the collective wisdom of experts from around the world.

Job Search Central

2009-10-22T09:01:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I visited Job Search Central at SIBL - the Science, Industry and Business Library of the New York Public Library.
If you are job hunting in New York, this is the place to start. A lot of useful resources are available online at:
http://www.nypl.org/services/jobs/

The Parsons Institute for Information Mapping - IMM

2009-10-22T08:38:00.001-07:00

The Institute is affiliated with the Parsons School of Design. IMM's website is beautifully designed, and it features a wealth of resources on "knowledge visualization." In addition, the Institute publishes the Parsons Journal for Information Mapping. Increasingly, the field of library and information science is blurring disciplinary boundaries in new and creative ways. This is one intriguing and aesthetically pleasing example. Check it out at: http://piim.newschool.edu/

Cool Twitter Conference

2009-10-21T23:19:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday October 20th, Brooklyn's beautiful MoCada Museum was the site for The Cool Twitter Conference.
Don't miss it when it comes to New York again!
You'll learn how to maximize the value of every Tweet!
For information on future conferences see: http://www.cooltwitterconferences.com/