Published: February 28, 2025 by Aryn
Prestia

An updated resume is arguably the most important aspect of your
job search process. Regardless of the information science sector
you choose to work in, you will be asked to provide an updated
resume. But what exactly should you include in a resume for a
library-specific position?

Organization 

A library resume is all about showcasing your unique combination
of domain knowledge and soft skills. A well-organized resume can
help your potential employer quickly see whether your values
align with theirs. Plan to keep your resume clean, meaning that
the top should simply include your name and contact information
(no need to include your address). There is also no need to
include a picture of yourself or an objective statement. Rather,
you can include information relevant to your career objectives in
your cover letter. 

Instead, lead your resume off with a section titled “Relevant
Professional Strengths,” “Professional Strengths Summary,” or
something similar. This section should be made up of 4-5 bullet
points that are 1) strengths that you’d like a hiring manager to
know you possess and 2) relevant to the job for which you’re
applying. So, for example, your top section might look like this:

Relevant Professional Strengths

• 5 years of public-service library roles, working with highly
  diverse constituencies
• Experienced in creating and presenting successful
  STEM-related programs for youth
• Adept at quickly adapting to new information technologies and
  training both colleagues and patrons on those technologies
• Fluent speaker and reader of Spanish

Next, lead with your experiences rather than your education – you
are not a student anymore but rather a professional in the
information space. Unless your work history is incredibly short,
only relevant job or volunteer experience should take up valuable
resume real estate.

Wording

Each previous job experience listed should include between 2-3
bullet points that identify your responsibilities and/or
accomplishments for that particular role. Relate your relevant
skills to the job description. Did you serve in a public-facing
capacity? Were you a part of a highly collaborative team? Use
your resume to provide a narrative of who you are now and the
experiences that have led you to be a good candidate for the job.
Remember that “experience” doesn’t have to solely entail paid
positions. Volunteer roles where you were very active or even
memberships, such as the American Library Association, can show
your dedication to the field.

Resume Maintenance

Whether you are currently looking for a job or not, having an
updated resume is an important part of building a professional
career. You’ll want to update your resume every six months or so
to ensure that you are capturing all relevant experiences. 
A previous career blogger recommended the notion of creating a
“living resume” where all job experiences could be recorded in

one document. This is an excellent way to keep all of
your past work experience in one spot so that updating your
resume and customizing it to specific job postings will become
easier and faster over time. Having set bullet points can also
provide a helpful starting point when working to match your skill
sets to those being sought by potential employers.

Review

Once you feel good about the resume you’ve crafted, take
advantage of the resume review services offered by the Career
Center or any of your membership organizations (such as ALA) to
make sure you have crafted your best possible resume. Receiving
feedback is often the only way to know how you can improve and
prepare yourself for the job search process.

Two More Things!

Don’t forget to keep up to date with job openings on Handshake,
here are a few that might be of interest!

Also, remember that internships can be an especially valuable
part of your learning experience at the iSchool while also
helping you when it comes time to look for jobs. Learn more about
the iSchool’s internship program here,
where you can check out the INFO 294 Student Handbook as
well as the Internship Sites
database.