#LISprochat lead-in - topic & questions for Mon Oct 29 2018 - 8:30pm ET

via mohamed_hassan at pixabay

TOPIC

Applying to grad school - writing your statement and asking for references

We had such a great conversation about CVs for grad school in the last chat and it was suggested that we should continue the topic by talking about application statements and finding references. I had been thinking about doing that before it was suggested, so that's what we're doing!

On getting references:
How Important are Letters of Recommendation for Graduate School Applications?
Dos and Don'ts for Requesting a Grad School Recommendation Letter
Graduate School - Letters of Recommendation
How do I get a reference letter?
Tips for seeking academic references

and for those of us who have long graduated before we apply:

How to Get a Letter of Recommendation After Graduation
NonTraditional Applicants to Grad School: 3 Tips for Getting Recommendations
How to convince your current boss to give you a letter of recommendation
How to Ask for Recommendations for Your Graduate School Applications (with tips on approaching a boss/mentor/supervisor)

On writing your statement:
How to Write a Statement of Purpose for Graduate School
11 Tips for Writing a Powerful Statement of Purpose 
Write a Graduate School Essay that Will Knock Their Socks Off
Writing the Statement of Purpose

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT WE'VE CHANGED THE TIME TO 8:30PM ET!

QUESTIONS

We post the questions here in advance of the chat so you can decide whether or not this topic is of interest to you and/or prepare your answers in advance.

Q1 When you apply/ied to grad, did you have all academic references or a mix of academic and professional? If professional, was it your current boss and how did you ask them? (Tell us if you applied straight out of undergrad or waited a few years before applying)

Q2 What kind of information do you think must ABSOLUTELY be included in a statement of purpose for a library school application?

Q3 Is it ever a good idea to cite the low cost of a given program as one of the extrinsic reasons that you're interested in a particular school? Why or why not.

Q4 What information do you think has absolutely NO place being in a statement of purpose for a library school application?

PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING IN ON TWITTER AT 8:30 PM ET NEXT MONDAY, OCTOBER 29 USING THE #LISPROCHAT HASHTAG. 

#LISprochat lead-in - topic & questions for Mon Oct 15 2018 - 8:30pm ET

via mohamed_hassan on pixabay 

TOPIC

CVs : Grad school applications edition

It's the time of year where a lot of people are starting to think about applying for admission to MLIS programs for September 29th. So let's talk about something that a lot of MLIS program applications as for. A CV. Many MLIS applicants may never have written a CV before. So let's discuss how to go from resume to CV. Let's also talk about the difference between a masters application CV and a job hunting CV. Here are some resources:

Writing a CV from SJSU's School of Information
Resources and Sample CVs from SJSU's School of Information
5 steps for an awesome CV for your masters application from MastersPortal.com
How to prepare a resume for a masters program from the University of South Carolina
4 Successful Graduate School Resume and CV examples from PrepScholarGRE
Creating your academic CV from the University of Toronto

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT WE'VE CHANGED THE TIME TO 8:30PM ET!

QUESTIONS

We post the questions here in advance of the chat so you can decide whether or not this topic is of interest to you and/or prepare your answers in advance.

Q1 Did your program require a CV when you applied? Did you create it from scratch or did you convert your resume? If you converted, tell us how that went!

Q2 What resources and tips do you have for people looking to create their first CV?

Q3 What suggestions do you have for applicants who have been out working in the industry for a few years before applying to their masters program? Should they still highlight undergrad work? Should they try and do new research etc?

Q4 What do you think are the most important aspects of a CV designed for applying to grad school? How does this type of CV differ from a job application CV?

PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING IN ON TWITTER AT 8:30 PM ET NEXT MONDAY, OCTOBER 15 USING THE #LISPROCHAT HASHTAG.