IN DEPTH
Want to work Stateside? Use your CILIP-accredited masters
Emma Stirrat shares her experience of getting a job as a librarian in the USA, using her CILIP-accredited Masters from a UK university via a reciprocal agreement with the American Library Association.
CILIP has a reciprocal agreement with the American Library Association (ALA), meaning that Master’s-level degree programmes accredited by CILIP are accepted in the USA. When applying for jobs, I made this very clear, as recruiting managers may not necessarily be aware of this detail. There are several companies that off er a credential evaluation service to prove that your foreign qualifi ca- tion matches that of an equivalent qualifi cation gained at a university or college in the USA.
Visas and work permits
As a non-US citizen, you will need a visa to live and work in the USA. This can be either a visa that is sponsored by your employer in the US or as a dependent on a spousal visa. This is perhaps the greatest challenge to working in the USA. Prospective employers will be quick to tell you if they are willing and able to sponsor your visa application. The US Department of State provides de- tailed information on visa categories. If you fall into the not-so-appealingly called “trailing spouse” category, you will need to apply for an Employment Author- ization Document (commonly known as a work permit) when you arrive in the USA. This takes around three months to be processed and allows you to work for any US employer that accepts non-US citizens. Some employers, like federal government libraries, will only accept applications from US citizens or legal permanent residents, i.e. green card holders. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services deal with work permit applications.
26 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL Same, but different
Many of the systems and processes in UK libraries are very similar to those in the USA, meaning your skills and knowledge are directly transferable: library manage- ment systems, preservation practices, and international cataloguing rules to name just a few. Having a British accent can really help, because some Americans love to hear you talk and sometimes think you are more intelligent than perhaps you are! Major diff erences in the USA are work culture and employment terms and condi- tions. The language barrier may not be an issue, but understanding what someone really means can sometimes be harder. Americans characteristically have an upbeat attitude, are willing to try new things and are very confi dent presenters. Employment terms and conditions vary dramatically from the UK. It is not unusual to receive 10 days annual leave a year working full time and to pay several hundred dollars a month for your employer-sponsored health insurance.
December-January 2017/18
Emma Stirrat (
estirrat@marymount.edu) is Special Collections Librarian, Library & Learning Services, Marymount University.
Working in the USA
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