We’ve all had a job application rejected. But what if “no” wasn’t the end? This session will describe how one university library department, after a completed search for a faculty librarian, reached out to some of the so-called “failed” applicants to offer adjunct positions, training workshops, cohort support, and mentorship. Weber State’s Stewart Library gained four much-needed new adjuncts, and they gained skills and experience to put on their resume -- and something equally valuable, if not more so: connection and support among colleagues at a time when many of us feel vulnerable and alone. The icing on the cake is that one of those adjuncts now has a position in the same library where it all started! During this session, we will facilitate a discussion on the culture of job searching and hiring, and explore avenues for supporting applicants after the “no.” We will brainstorm potential workplace needs and projects that such applicants could work on as adjuncts or interns, explore ways to facilitate a resume-building program in your library, how to reach out to a potential cohort and approach management with proposals, and how to make it work when they don’t have lots of time and you don’t have lots of funds. Participants will help the session facilitators create an open repository of shared resources to help a new generation of librarians gain experience, develop skills, and move from the applicant pool to onboarding. By the end of the session, we’ll construct a shared understanding of how “failure” can be transformed into opportunity. Together, we can normalize creating resume-building opportunities for good candidates who are simply in the early-career phase, a little underqualified, or need a little bit more experience. Let’s turn “no” into “not yet.”
