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Second time around….

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This week marks my one year anniversary here at the Library of Congress. Granted, this isn’t the first job I’ve had and other one year milestones were not necessarily a big deal, but librarianship is a new career for me and it is my second career!

The dotcom bust (2000-2002) took its toll. I was working for a high tech company in Silicon Valley (San Jose, CA) that was going through round after round of layoffs. I was wondering what’s next? Who’s next? It was now time to figure out what’s next. After some soul searching and a part-time job (for fun) at a library I knew and I went back to school. Then, last year I found myself very excited about a new career here at the Library of Congress!

No doubt there are many out there thinking about second careers and wondering “can I do this?” “Where do I begin to figure this out?”

Begin here! Take a look at the many books available on the subject of career changes or career development then see what might be available at a library near you. A popular title and one found in most libraries is What color is your parachute?* In this book there are exercises to help you figure out what you might be suited for.

Some public libraries, like New York Public Library or Livermore Public Library for example, have set up job centers to help their patrons. See if your local library provides this service. The Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics has a page for job seekers where you can find information on careers across many industries as well as what industries are projected to grow in the future.

Are you on your second career? How did you get there? Please share your experiences and perhaps inspire someone else along the way.

*New editions of this publication are pretty regular – the most current version is “The 2009 What color is your parachute: a practical manual for job-hunters and career changers.”

Comments (3)

  1. Excellent!

  2. I too was searching for a new career and like you, after some soul searching and taking a few career assessments, a career as a librarian was always at the top of the results list. I researched the profession, starting volunteering at the library, and decided to go to library school, and the rest is history. Congratulations on your anniversary!

  3. Great blog you got here. It would be great to read something more concerning this topic. Thank you for sharing this info.

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