What do law librarians do when they fall victim to this economic downturn, when their organizations tell them that they are no longer relevant and that their services are not needed? Do they curl up in a ball and feel sorry for themselves? That would be a resounding "no". They find a new path and amidst the turmoil and the trauma, they can still find it in themselves to be of service to others.
Christine Sellers who was laid off from Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd in Columbia, SC, in April, has started a blog called Law Librarians of Leisure: http://lawlibrariansofleisure.com/ for librarians in a similar situation. This blog is a useful read for any law librarian and has links to library job sites, articles of interest and Christine's own exploration of such things as where to find business cards that will give you the best value for your dollar.
In a similar light here are links to articles which may be helpful to anyone who has found themselves in that unenviable position of having to look for a job in these times. Here is a useful article from Jobsearchonline on nine resume mistakes that people make:
http://www.jobsearchonline.bc.ca/Resume/9%20worst%20resume%20mistakes.htm
There are also other useful articles on this site, so look around.
In addition to crafting that perfect cover letter and making sure that your resume showcases your talents and experience, don't forget to look out for those warning signs that tell you that you may not want to work for certain organizations or as Liz Ryan calls it -- "reasons to run from a job interview".
Employers sometimes forget that they are being scrutinized just as much as they are scrutinizing and that their actions may cost them to lose or to cut out the best of their candidate pool. The top reason Ryan lists as your cue to bail from an interview with a particular organization is if your references are checked or requested even before you are offered an interview. For the other five reasons check out this Businessweek article: http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/jul2008/ca20080731_005117.htm?chan=careers_managing+your+career+page_find+a+job?campaign_id=yahoo
Note: Thank you to Leanne Battle for the link to Christine Sellers' blog.
