UNDERGRADUATES - START DEVELOPING YOUR C.V.

Patricia Layzell Ward, Convenor, Library Link

These comments are directed at European ILS students, particularly those taking undergraduate courses, and the mentors who offer advice to prospective students.

Being a student in the UK is not as easy as it was a decade ago - changes in funding mean that most students will graduate with a considerable debt. This debt will have to be repaid just at a time when there is great pressure to acquire a home, travel and an independent life style. The salaries new graduates receive if they enter library work may not compete with those in other occupations, though information work in the conurbations is generally more financially rewarding. In the UK the new graduate from a bachelor�s course in ILS also competes in the labour market with those who have a first degree in another subject and a postgraduate qualification in information and library studies. So there is a need to plan to be able to produce a c.v. with winning points.

Here are three suggestions that can help to develop the c.v. The first is one that is often overlooked by UK ILS students, and that is to study overseas as part of the EU�s Erasmus programme. A greater number students appear to be moving to the UK to take advantage of this programme, than UK students go to another European country. With credit transfer protocols in place, it is unlikely that study overseas would add to the length of a course. Most students gain some language proficiency at secondary school which can form the basis for moving overseas. And there is no faster way to learn a language than to be immersed in it and survival becomes essential! Two benefits emerge. That of developing language skills which are likely to be welcomed by a prospective employer; and also of having something different on your c.v. Prospective employers welcome applicants who have demonstrated initiative, and aside from that, think of all the friends and non-curricular interests that can be gained.

The second suggestion is to extend practical experience of working in a library or information service. It might bring home that perhaps a post in the mainstream profession may not be a preferred option, but transferable skills can be applied in other work settings as skilled information users have many outlets for their talents. During an undergraduate course there is a number of vacations during which experience can be gained - and perhaps a salary earned during the longer vacation. Work experience is another plus for the c.v.

There is another way to extend a c.v., but this takes a little more planning. That is to volunteer with Voluntary Service Overseas either on graduation, or perhaps between academic years. Working in a library in a far-flung place, again developing survival skills, and having the benefit of travel and accommodation provided also adds richness to a job application.

All of these options add to the c.v. - and they provide a talking point during interviews.

Patricia Layzell Ward
Convenor, Library Link

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