Positioning LIS Students for Career Success

There is an assumption that students enter graduate programs with a certain level of knowledge and awareness about the field they have chosen to study and their career plans post-graduation. However, the literature shows that even graduate students benefit from services and programming related to career exploration and preparation. This is especially true in the library and information science (LIS) field, which offers myriad career paths and settings for graduates. Despite resources such as the ALISE Statistical Report, San José State University iSchool’s Career Trends report, and research on the core knowledge and skills desired of information professionals, extant literature examining career services provided to and desired by LIS graduate students is lacking. This project examined career planning services and programming in LIS graduate programs using a descriptive research approach. Data was collected via surveys of current LIS program administrators and enrolled graduate students. As LIS job seekers report such long and frustrating job search experiences that they consider leaving the field entirely, insights from this research will inform the creation or improvement of career services for LIS students, advance discussion of career services for graduate students, and identify exemplars that can be used to guide programming efforts. This paper will share preliminary findings from surveys completed by 25 program administrators and 400 current students.