Comments on: The Worst Master’s Degree for Jobs

By: mrnotalibrarian

mrnotalibrarian — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 01:52:41 +0000

I am new here. I am reading so many poor opinions of the BIS degree.

Personally I do not want anything to do with a library. I graduated from a tech college and received my A.A.S. Visual Communications. At or near my graduation I was “sought” by our state college and sold with a transfer program. The SOIS took my associate degree as a 60 credit transfer and a junior standing. It sounds good.

I am going to do a computer science minor and push in that direction.

I am not one that digs school. I am committed to finish my degree though (turning 40). This place almost makes me second guess myself.

Is it really that bad? I need 36 credits to graduate with my BAS. It has got to be better then just my AAS!?

By: *Results Not Typical

*Results Not Typical — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 03:05:56 +0000

I realize that if I was an infomercial, I know there’d be fine print saying that “Results are not typical.” However, that said my opinion is that there are jobs out there, you simply must be willing to go to them. Don’t expect the Mountain to come to you.

I was a paraprofessional cataloger at an academic library for three years, before starting my MLS degree. I did not secure a position at that institution because I graduated on 12/15/07 and the position closed on 12/12/07. HR would not forward my application and resume to the library director. Because of that I ended up at a very small community college in East Texas. That position paid $11,000 more than my paraprofessional salary. After working there 4 1/2 years as the Technical Services Librarian, I leveraged the professional and management experience that I gained there into a position as Cataloging Supervisor for a major metropolitan ISD. I now manage the cataloging and processing of materials for 67 campus libraries. This position pays $20,000 more than I was making after five years at the community college. It puts me well over that Forbes’ median. My current position will give me that experience in multi-branch institutions that is a requirement for the Assistant Director and Director positions of the major public libraries. I’ve been doing part-time positions at public libraries since 1997.

While I realize that a $31,000 increase in salary, within five years of graduation, is not always typical, it is not impossible. You simply must be willing to go where the jobs are. Don’t discount the podunk towns when getting your professional experience.

P.S. Just don’t buy a house unless you’ve fallen in love with the place and plan to spend the next 40 years living the podunk life. We’re still trying to sell ours.

By: FormerMLISStudent

FormerMLISStudent — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 23:37:56 +0000

ETA: 6 hours, rather.

By: FormerMLISStudent

FormerMLISStudent — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 23:37:04 +0000

I left library school after I realized I would likely never set foot inside of a physical library to conduct research.

It was a sobering moment, but one I was glad I experienced only 6 classes into the program.

By: scottishlibrarian

scottishlibrarian — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 01:37:52 +0000

Anyone looking to find an opening as an entry level librarian today is kidding themselves and wasting their money. I worked as a part time library associate for 4 years (3 of which I was in library school) in a large urban system in TX, and had no trouble being promoted once I graduated at age 26. Rare? Lucky? Perhaps…but I assumed going in to this profession that A. library school and B. finding a librarian position after would be much easier if I had established myself in a library system beforehand. I also had no problems getting interviews for positions outside of the system I’m currently in – because I had the professional exeperience going in.

By: Roger From OZ

Roger From OZ — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 02:24:41 +0000

Sorry to those who have to compete with libarians for para-work; smarter managers (rare in our field!) would not hire a librarian for that, they would be ungrateful and looking to move at first chance.

By: Roger From OZ

Roger From OZ — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 02:21:39 +0000

My wife and I are librarians, 16 years. My credit rating is 831. I have gobs of money in the bank. Our daughter is spoiled, and I have already paid for college with 300 get units in washington state, she is all of 11. Why do people who live off public taxes expect so much? what are you spending that 57k on? That is what my daughters excellent teacher gets, and works much harder than any librarin inworld history who did not die on the job. Why are poeple with master degress so bad with money? We have managers here pulling in a 100k. The average FAMILY income is around 50k now, and they have miserable jobs with little in benefits. The chinese were correct when they made all the acadamians and related folk dig ditches for a few years. If you are employed and have money problems, blame yourself, not your paycheck. Typical librarians, as a group you weep.

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 00:15:49 +0000

As a paraprofessional (13 years experience) who was laid off this year – I can’t even get an interview for a new job. I am sick of competing with people with MLIS for paraprofessional jobs (the few that have been available). I know because I finally talked to the person who signed my recent rejection letter. I found out about the people with MLIS who are getting interviews for a job that pays half of what I was making when I was laid off!! Unemployment will be running out at end of year and I am totally disgusted and frustrated.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 11:31:45 +0000

I find it extremely frustrating that a year after graduating with an MLIS from the University of Oklahoma I am still stuck at a customer service job that someone without even a bachelors could get. On the one hand I suppose the degree doesn’t entitle me to anything but on the other I would like to get something back for the three years and 24,000 dollars I invested. Seem every time I meet someone they assume that having a Masters means I should automatically have a better job and wonder whats wrong with me, which makes it worse. Having obtained a Masters is something I should be proud of yet it feels like I’ve failed

By: LibrarianGirl

LibrarianGirl — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 13:53:51 +0000

You’re absolutely right.