PreparingforYourFutureCareer 　　Asyou'vewendedyourwaythroughthispacket,you'vegottenquickviewofthediversityofthelibrary/informationprofession.Evenifyouthinkyouknowwhereyouareheaded,youwillfinditinterestingtoseewhatawiderangeofopportunitiesthereare.Infact,duringthecourseofyourfuturecareer,youarequitelikelytomovethroughseveralsettingsandfunctionsasyourknowledgeandskillsgrow.Thelibrary/informationfieldissovariedandsodynamic,thatthereisnoexcuseforevergettingboredorstale! 　　InadditiontousingthisWebsite,Iurgeyoutoalsostartreadingadsandpositionannouncements.Thiswillgiveyouanideaofthequalificationsthataresought,salaryranges,etc.,andmighthelpyoutodecidewhichcoursestotake,andevenwhichcareerdirectiontopursue,ifyouareundecidedaboutthat.Don'tjustthinkaboutthe"job"youmightgetwhenyougraduate,thinkintermsofcareer.ConsidertheWebsterdefinitionsofjobandcareer:Ajobis"aregularremunerativeposition,"whileacareeris"afieldfor,orpursuitofconsecutiveprogressiveachievement,esp.inpublic,professional,orbusinesslife...aprofessionforwhichonetrainsandwhichisundertakenasapermanentcalling." 　　Ifyouthinkofworkasjustajob,youwillbecheatingyourselfandtheprofession.Peoplewhowantjusttowork9:00to5:00,MondaythroughFriday,whoneverreadprofessionaljournalsnorattendconferences,maybeadequatesearchersorcatalogersorwhatever,undersomeoneelse'sdirection.Butthesearepeoplewhoaresimplydoingajob,notbuildingacareer.Moreimportantly,theyarenotadvancingtheprofession.Theyareinfactunderminingitbysettingabadexampleandfailingtocontributetotheefforttomoveusahead.Wecannotadvanceasaprofessionunlesseachpersonassumesresponsibilityfortakingacriticalandanalyticalapproachtowhattheydo,withtheaimofimprovingthequalityoflibraryandinformationservice--thisisourprofessionalroleinsociety. 　　Howwillyouchooseyourparticularcareerpath? 　　First,youneedtoconsideryourownbackground--whatknowledgeandexperiencedoyouhavealreadythatwillcombinewellwithaparticularsettingandspecialty? 　　Second,consideryourlikesanddislikes--doyouprefertoworkindependently,doyoulikebeingyourownboss,doyouliketobeanexpertinsomeonearea?Or,areyouhappiesthavingavarietyofresponsibilitiescoveringabroadspectrumofknowledgeareas?Doyoulikealotofinterpersonalinteraction?Doyoulikeorhatecomputers? 　　Third,wheredoyouwanttobefiveandtenyearsfromnow?Don'tthinkjustintermsofyourfirstprofessionallibrary/informationposition--trytopictureasequenceofpositions,eachonegivingyouscopetogrowandlearn,sothatyoucanmakeadifference,andbecomealeaderintheprofession. 　　Therearesomeconstraintsthatlimitcareerdevelopment.Geographyisthemostobvious.Ifyouareinterestedinschoollibrarianship,youneedtoknowthatinNewJerseyyoumustfirstbecertifiedasateacherbythestate(SchoolLibraryJournalpublishesanupdateoncertificationstate-by-stateintheJuneissues,evenyears).Inmoststates,publiclibrariansmustalsobecertified.Inmunicipalitiesundercivilserviceregulations,youmusthavespecificcoursesandpassanexam.Manyacademiclibrariesrequireasecondmaster'sinasubjectfield.Whe