Visiting with alumni shows the wide variety of career paths possible with a library or information science degree. (Photo from UNC School of Information and Library Science)
Virginia Beall was so excited about the Fall 2024 Career Treks that she signed up for both trips. As a first-year student in the M.S. in library science program, she felt the trips would help her learn about different ways she might use her degree.
“I’m trying to figure out what I would like to do and where I would like to end up after my M.S.L.S.,” she said, “So I thought it would be a good experience to learn about potential future opportunities I might be interested in.”
UNC School of Information and Library Science (SILS) students had the opportunity to visit alumni working in Charlotte, North Carolina and Washington, D.C. They heard tips on transitioning from graduate school to the workplace and learned about careers with a variety of employers.
Director of Student Services Lori Haight manages the trips. “The purpose of our Career Treks is to provide an experience for students to explore information science and library science at work. We want to showcase how alumni use their skills and degrees in the workforce,” she said.
The trip to Charlotte focused on careers in information science and included conversations with alumni working for AvidXchange, Ally, AIG, Wells Fargo and the Mayo Clinic.
“I remember how helpful it was when I was a student to hear from alumni who had been in my shoes, and I wanted to pay that forward,” said Elizabeth Ranatza ’23 (M.S.I.S.). “Meeting people who have gone through the same process can be a real comfort. I was excited to help ease some of their worries and share what I’ve learned since graduating. It was also great to see how students were already thinking about how to shape their own paths. Being able to help them work through some of those thoughts felt rewarding, and I loved the chance to connect on a personal level.”
In Washington, D.C., students visited with alumni working at the Library of Congress, the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library at George Washington University, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the National Postal Museum.
“I was thrilled to have two seasoned staff members from the Library of Congress spend dedicated time with our current students,” said Haight. “We talked to them for 90 minutes about everything from what to think about when you’re in graduate school to how to get application materials into systems like USAJOBS. It was fantastic!”
While SILS purchased some meals for students during the treks and covered the cost of transportation between sites, participants were responsible for their remaining meals, hotel costs and travel costs to the destination city. Fortunately, the SILS Alumni Association (SILSAA) provided travel assistance funds to students who applied.
“I would like to say thank you [to SILSAA] for providing me with funding to help supplement the cost of the career trek. It was very impactful for my experiences and allowed me to stress less about the cost,” said Beall.
“I really enjoyed the opportunity to visit and learn about some of the workplaces that SILS alumni are in now. In Charlotte, it was cool to see the ways places like Ally Financial and AvidXchange fostered a good working space, and in D.C., I enjoyed visiting places like the Library of Congress and the National Postal Museum to see the unique and interesting environment alumni work in,” said Beall. “I would tell students to attend them whether they mesh completely with your career goals or not because it gave me a good idea of things I could do that I hadn’t dreamed of doing beforehand.”
“I think the most valuable part of this experience was the networking,” she continued. “We were able to meet with many SILS alumni in a variety of different positions from tech consulting to archival work, and connecting with all these alumni provided a good experience as well as advice for applying, interviewing and starting new positions,” said Beall.
Story originally shared by the UNC School of Information and Library Science.
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