Ways to help yourself: Go to a conference!
I recently went to a conference.
I was offered a place after contacting CILIP about a far more general career matter. In dealing with my wider enquiry it was suggested that I might like to attend an upcoming conference – it was happening in a week’s time. A quick decision needed to be made, encompassing childcare and other logistics but once that was sorted, what else was there to lose? I felt rusty re: conference etiquette and I had absolutely nothing to wear. But it proved to be a pretty good experience.
On 9th May 2018 I was lucky enough to attend the CILIP Cymru Wales conference in Aberystwyth as a MALD day delegate. The presentations covered a range of subjects and the information disseminated was both practical to my workplace setting (e.g. the keynote speech outlining the Carnegie UK Trust’s work on public libraries) and tapped into my genuine interest in real or imagined literary settings (e.g. establishing a digital literary atlas for Wales).
There was a strong theme of the professional in all aspects of the day but of particular resonance were the ‘career stories’ discussing resilience during personal upheaval. Both the presentations shared by Sue Hodges and Jo Wood (@Libswithlives) considered their educational and career path beside the often hidden and rarely talked about life events that happen along the way. The revelation of Jo’s journey reminded delegates that behind every person’s education and career history are personal stories.
As readers know, I’m a career-break librarian and mum of three, re-entering the labour market after being out of the professional workplace for almost nine years. The rather neat CV I owned in my twenties and early thirties has given way to something far messier and it’s been a slow and often disheartening process trying to get back into the profession. Attending the conference gave me the opportunity to reconnect with former colleagues and professionals, a break from the daily routine and tasks at home and work and an opportunity to reflect. It also gave me a little bit of hope. There are real benefits to attending professional conferences and I really appreciate the assistance of the CILIP staff who encouraged me to apply, attend and return home with a renewed spirit.
Blog Series: Practical ways in which we can assist our return to professional work
1. Go to a conference!
