Look beyond the classroom walls, says Eric Phetteplace, and you’ll find there are lots of ways to expand your educational experience (and you might even get a job while you’re at it). Practicum and work experiences, attending conferences, networking, and getting involved in professional organizations are all great ways to do that. For more tips on working in LIS tech, look for posts by…

Becky Hodson (MS '13) recently returned to her alma mater, joining the GSLIS staff as visiting career services coordinator. In this new role, Hodson works with students to explore potential career paths in LIS, manages the GSLIS Job Board (I-Link), and assists students with navigating experiential learning opportunities such as practicum. Her previous experience includes academic reference…

Ruth Riley "instinctively knew" that she was meant to work in medical librarianship. She's built a successful career in academic medical libraries and is now an administrator looking ahead to the changing information needs of medical students and practitioners. Where do you work and what is your role? I work at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia, South Carolina…

GSLIS alumna Daylily Alvarez is confident in taking on any challenges that stand between her and her career goals. She recently completed a second master's degree—this one in nonprofit management—while working as an outreach librarian. She plans to continue working closely with community members while advancing to a leadership role. Where do you work and what is your role? I am currently a…

What do macaroni and cheese, floral design, and corporate librarianship have in common? GSLIS alumnus Ozzie Meza has found a common thread throughout his career as a librarian and entrepreneur in his strong creative energy, a knack for building relationships, and the courage to take on new challenges. Where do you work and what is your role? I am an entrepreneur. This is the first time I…

A sense of inquiry and enterprising approach to her work makes every day interesting for taxonomist Jenny Benevento. She's found success in her field, working on a contract basis and using her time in between jobs to learn new things and see the world. Where do you work and what is your role? I am a taxonomist. I've worked fulltime as an employee of corporations (Sears/Kmart) and…

[image1-right]As a master’s student at GSLIS, Brian Wu worked as a data analysis intern at Neustar, Inc. at the University of Illinois Research Park. Since graduating and moving into and associate data analyst position he’s enjoyed the variety of tasks that come with work in a corporate data analysis setting. He hopes to use what he’s learned at GSLIS and Neustar as he begins to further…

[image1-right]Jennifer Borchardt built on a strong background in user experience design and strategy with a master’s degree from GSLIS. Now Borchardt is a VP at a major bank and speaks professionally to peer groups and graduate students.Where do you work and what is your role?I am a group lead and vice president in the online customer experience team at Wells Fargo, one of the largest banks in…

[image1-right]Former ALA Spectrum Scholar and LEEP graduate, Sally Ma has held a variety of jobs in the information professions since completing her MS. She now enjoys tackling new challenges and learning new things as the lead technical librarian at BAE Systems.Where do you work and what is your role?I work at BAE Systems, a global defense, security, and aerospace company, as the lead technical…

[image1-right]The research and organizational skills Alana Callender developed at GSLIS have contributed to her success in several departments of the college where she has made a career for more than three decades.Where do you work and what is your role?I work for the Palmer College of Chiropractic. It is the first chiropractic school in the world, and I am developing their museum. I also run the…

[image1-right]Before she had even graduated, GSLIS's Instructional Technology and Design Office hired Aisha Conner-Gaten to join their team. Now she's putting the skills she learned as a GSLIS student to work in support of current students and faculty who connect via the LEEP program and the Moodle course management system. Where do you work and what is your role? I work in the GSLIS…

An assistantship with John Deere during his time at GSLIS helped Derek Riddle redirect his career path to the business information field. Now the senior business information analyst at John Deere’s Research Park office, Riddle enjoys working in a variety of research areas and stays connected to GSLIS by supervising current students who gain work experience at John Deere.

[image1-right]Where do you work and what is your role?I work at the Poetry Foundation in Chicago as a web producer. Poetryfoundation.org is one of the leading websites for American poetry, and the website for the Poetry Foundation and its programs, which include the monthly serial Poetry. What do you like best about your job?I enjoy the fact that I am part of an organization committed to making…

“Graduate school is about expanding the breadth of your knowledge and finding the area in which you also want to achieve some depth.” Andi Ogier received this advice from an advisor and took it to heart. She chose data curation as her area of expertise and found that the GSLIS specialization in that field prepared her for data-focused work in a variety of projects. Where do you work and what…

Leighton Christiansen’s experience in transportation and the information professions prepared him for work as the single librarian serving the Iowa Department of Transportation. Combined with the skills he learned via the iSchool's Specialization in Data Curation, Christiansen has found himself uniquely positioned to tackle the challenges facing the transportation information industry today.…

As a GSLIS student specializing in data curation, Lynn Yarmey completed an internship at the National Snow and Ice Data Center. The position led to a job offer following her graduation, and today Yarmey holds leadership roles on multiple research projects. She will talk more about her experiences as a student and professional during the Data Curation Alumni Panel event on April 22. Where do…

Excited about using new technologies and motivated by a desire to connect people with information, Aaron Collie specialized in data curation when he earned his master's at the iSchool. He now gets to do both of these things and more as a digital curation librarian at Michigan State University. Collie will talk more about his experiences as a student and professional during the Data Curation…

[image1-right]An assistantship with the Instructional Technology and Design (ITD) office at GSLIS prepared Juliana Perry for her current position as web services project manager at Bryn Mawr College. According to Perry, her degree in LIS brings a new perspective to the IT world. Where do you work and what is your role?I work at Bryn Mawr College as the web services project manager, which…

[image1-right]An assistantship with The Center for Children's Books (CCB) during her time at GSLIS provided Ayanna Coleman with the knowledge and skills she needs to navigate the publishing world, and now she is launching her own literary agency, Quill Shift Literary Agency.Where do you work and what is your role?I'm the associate manager of events and programs as well as the librarian at the…

A first career in journalism led Melinda Miller to explore information architecture, and her experience at GSLIS helped prepare her for a recent promotion. [image1-right]Where do you work and what is your role? I work at Pixo as the director of user experience and research. Pixo, located in Urbana, is a software company that designs and develops websites, mobile apps, and custom…