However you decide to continue your route to a qualification, full-time, part-time or distance learning then you should be looking at our list of Graduate Traineeships. There is no charge to use the service.
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If these posts are not suitable for you can try other library assistant roles to build up your experience register with recruitment agencies and you can consider voluntary work.
You can look at our profiles section to see how three previous CILIP Graduate Trainees -- Kate, David and Pip -- continued to develop their careers.
University courses accredited by CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals view these traineeships very favourably. The graduate has not only gained valuable experience but has been given expert training. It also supports your application for a bursary. And what makes participants in this scheme attractive to admissions tutors and funding bodies will impress future employers.
You may not want to be shuttled back into full-time education so quickly, but that’s ok, because the Graduate Traineeship puts you in the driving seat. After your trainee year you can use this experience to apply for other jobs (some employers offer their trainees permanent contracts and support to go on to qualify) and look to study part-time or by distance learning for your qualification or put off a full-time course for a few years. How you further your career is in your hands.
If you do want to go onto full-time study then get your application in early – before April of the year you want to start - and make sure you’re in with a chance for a bursary (see Financial assistance for study).
Past and current trainees offer their advice and observations on these websites: CATALOG (Cambridge Trainee Librarians' Online Group) is a new site from Graduate Trainees at Cambridge University, LISSPS (Library and Information Studies Students and Prospective Students), OWL (Oxford Website for Library Trainees), comes from Oxford University Libraries and Exeter University Library Trainees. You can also look at the tempting FreePint site, a resource designed for students in the information field.