question for HR people and/or librarians

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’ve been looking at a number of library tech job postings, many of which require experience with OCLC. Although I’ve never worked with this database, I do a lot of database work in my current position and have been working my way through the tutorials available on the OCLC website.

Do you think that I should mention the fact that I’ve done the tutorials in my cover letter? I know that this is not a substitute for working with the program on a daily basis, but I’ve taken the initiative in familiarizing myself with the program.

I’m frustrated by the fact that all these jobs seem to require experience with this database, but there aren’t any entry-level positions that enable me to actually learn the program.

2

HR person here. You should definitely mention in your cover letter that you are teaching yourself the OCLC database through tutorials. This shows initiative and a willingness to learn.

I would also recommend that you capitalize on your general database experience in your resume. Try to demonstrate your aptitude for databases through your previous work experience, education, etc.

Good luck!