The bottom line is, I have no experience in the field. I am graduating with an ordinary degree, great references and good grades… but an ordinary degree nonetheless. My biggest reason for wanting into Information & Library Studies is that the job can be relatively low-stress compared to teaching. Of course I know it can actually be very highly stressful, but so can most things. Unfortunately this won’t really convince anyone to take me on. I have spent many long days with the careers guidance planners, advisers and computer programs in my uni, and they all turn up public or academic librarian as my best bet by far. I have suffered for some years from mental illness and so I’m trying to present as positively as possible the fact that I’ve fought to continue with my degree, and will finally graduate this year.
However, my own situation aside, I wondered if anybody could give a heads-up on what might be expected of an entrant to a postgraduate Information & Library Studies course. The course I have the interview for is in my home town and is full-time, so it would be ideal, but I am also applying to one in a distant city so that I can show I am seriously interested in the field. If I don’t get into the course here it’s possible I’d go and do the distant course, but it’s probably more likely that I might just take an extra year getting appropriate experience in information work, maybe doing a small management course, whatever it would take to get me into the local course next year.
I have some experience in Information Work, because I used to run the office of a Christian group and had to build and run contacts and sales databases in Lotus Approach. I’m also genuinely interested in the field, but aside from having built that database I have no experience at all. I’d like to appear enthusiastic ('cos I am) but I don’t want to get caught out. I’m not famously great with maths and I’d even have had to improve on my school grades to get into primary teaching.
A question particularly for those who have interviewed potential candidates for the field, then: what would convince you to take me on? Having established my background, is there anything I could say or do in the interview that would make me seem a decent candidate for the course this year, or would I be better to emphasise that I’m committed enough to come back next year if I don’t get in now, and let that speak for itself?
Also if you can think of anything that would constitute good experience that I might have missed out here because it seems irrelevant?
Sorry if this is no good for GQ.