Reality check or just re-brand?

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pippa
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Nov 19, 2016 2:16 am

Reality check or just re-brand?

Post by pippa »

I'm starting to get a bit discouraged at the lack of responses I'm getting, but maybe I'm just not aware of IS hiring practices. I have 10+ years in education, eight of which are in libraries and the last four in the middle east at a university library. I'm certified in the US with school librarian k-12, ESL k-12 and gen ed EC-4. I hold a master's in library science as well from the US. Oh, and I have a non-teaching spouse with 2 school aged children. I know I'm an expensive hire.

However I thought my experience would make some schools interested in at least talking to me. Am I not as experienced as I thought? I've worked internationally, I've worked in school libraries and across multiple ages, what more is there? I don't have IB experience, I know that's maybe something but surely not the entire reason. Am I not marketing myself well? I understand in some schools, librarians are almost at an admin level, and in others they may be the spouse of another IT. But are there that many librarians out there that schools aren't contacting me? There are a lot of openings...
sid
Posts: 1392
Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:44 am

Re: Reality check or just re-brand?

Post by sid »

Point a, you are a very expensive hire. Four people with one working.
Point b, librarians are in great demand some years and in great surplus other years.
Point c, you have decent but not amazing experience relative to other librarians.
Keep trying. It's early yet, and schools may be avoiding an expensive hire in hopes of finding a cheaper one. Time might be on your side.
mamava
Posts: 320
Joined: Sat May 11, 2013 7:56 am

Re: Reality check or just re-brand?

Post by mamava »

I would agree. Having 3 dependents is a thing for so many schools, plus as a librarian, you are limited in the number of openings each year. I'm a learning support teacher in the same boat--there are only 3-4 people in my position at most schools so the job competition is fierce. I think schools look for easy "outs" in terms of narrowing the pool, so dependents, etc. can be one of those areas that gets you opted out. You may need to be looking at schools that have a hard time recruiting, like the ME, or organizations that take on more dependents, like QSI. Don't give up, though--do your research on which school allow for your # of dependents and hit those hard. Good luck!
reisgio
Posts: 206
Joined: Sat Oct 18, 2014 10:17 am

Re: Reality check or just re-brand?

Post by reisgio »

I would emphasize how your significant other is (hopefully) making consistent and good money and I would probably not wait until I got an interview. I would probably put it in my cover letter. There are fine international schools where your family situation will not be a problem at all but there are many international schools where it will be a problem because the school is cheap and/or simply doesn't want or want for quality more than it wants or wants for $$$!
Nomad68
Posts: 175
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2012 11:50 pm
Location: East of nowhere you want to be

Re: Reality check or just re-brand?

Post by Nomad68 »

As a fellow Librarian/LMS I would suggest that with a lack of IB experience and 3 dependents you should consider the Middle East. You would gain IB experience, and receive a more family-friendly package. Schools in parts of Asia (China and South Korea) seem far more picky when it comes to trailing families but somewhere like Vietnam may be an easier entry point.
pippa
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Nov 19, 2016 2:16 am

Re: Reality check or just re-brand?

Post by pippa »

Thanks everyone for your insight so far. I know the ME generally has better packages for someone in my situation, what's on offer now does not fit and there are certain areas I will not consider. Plus, I've been living in the ME for five years now and want a change.

Would those of you with more experience weigh in on whether or not the SA fair is useful for the less common positions (librarian, sped, tech, etc.)? I've read the multiple posts on fairs in general and am still debating if this would work out or not.
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Response

Post by PsyGuy »

Recruiting events (fairs) are not the best place for librarians, typically its either an early hire vacancy or a late hire vacancy. Its difficult for ISs to lure other librarians away. Fairs might see the off one or two vacancies, but time and resources are very valuable at a fair, and recruiters want to focus on competitive "need to fill" vacancies.

First you are a VERY expensive logistical hire. Library isnt something an IS has to fill, and empty classroom is X students with nothing to do. A library without a librarian is time for some remodeling, or handing it off to a library assistant, or some other contingency plan (municipal library). It really depends what an ISs library is. Your asking an IS to travel 4 people to fill one role.

Second, This is still early, its not even December yet and we arent to peak recruiting season. Given that you are an expensive hire, few ISs will pull the trigger early. You will likely see the most response as we move into Spring and an IS finds out there librarian is moving to an EU IS (later recruiting window) and now they need one.

Third, you have an average amount of experience but there are ITs with more. The issue is what you offer as a librarian. ISs can have wants in a librarian they dont advertise. Some of them may want more an ICT candidate and some may want more an ECE candidate, etc..

Fourth, this is where I step away from the previous contributors. Your issue that I read is that your a tourist IT. What recruiters see is you started out in primary, and then got out of that as fast as you could into a K12/KS library position, and then after several years of doing that you ran even further away into a Uni library appointment. Now you want to move the family and kids somewhere with better cultural opportunities and want an IS to pay for it. Your a research librarian at a Uni, not something many ISs want at the cost you would require.
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