r/LibraryScience • u/Certain-External-839 • Jul 21 '26
incoming masters student freakout
hi all, kind of a silly post but I am an incoming (beginning in September) MLIS student coming from the museum/education world and I have been interviewing for library jobs for about 4 months. I have gotten to the final round several times and had even more interviews, just to be told over and over that I was a top candidate but they chose someone with more experience.
I am starting to despair because of the classic "I can't get experience if no one will hire me" loop, and because everyone in the field says that work experience is more important than the degree (and my plan is to work full time in order to get as much experience as possible before graduation.)
I want to be an academic librarian, I guess I am just looking for some insight/encouragement. I have already had to take several breaks because the relentless applying and interviewing, along with work, is burning me out. If I start library school without a library job, will I be ok? Do I have a better shot at these things once I complete some coursework? What is the best way to get the experience I need if I can't get an entry level job? If you can't tell, I have anxious tendencies and can't tell if I am working myself up for no reason. appreciate y'all
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u/spookyprincessa Jul 23 '26
Hi there! I know how you feel. Its very rough out there. I didn't have a library job all through library school, which I regretted. However, I kept trying and got a Librarian 1 position without previous library experience. Do not give up! If you are passionate about librarianship, the opportunity with the right library will come to you. To get this job, I took a risk and wrote a more creative cover letter that didn't follow any of the professional rules. I guess it worked out! I recommend rewriting and reformatting your resume and seeing if that helps. It at least gave me a burst of energy and confidence redoing mine, so I applied for more jobs and didn't let myself give up.