School of Information Sciences

Careers in the Information Sciences 

The careers that fall within the Information Sciences category cover a vast range of opportunities – from a children’s librarian to a network engineer for an international government agency or from a records manager in a federal repository to a Web designer at a not-for-profit organization. Depending upon your chosen degree program, where you work and what you can earn will differ. This Web page will provide some guidance about resources to help you understand your career options, effectively prepare for your job search, and plan for your future as an Information Professional.  

iSchool Resources

Resume Reviews and Mock Telephone Interviews

Many iSchool alumni volunteer to review current students’ professional resumes and to conduct practice telephone interviews – all to help prepare students for a very competitive job market.  The iSchool thanks all of these amazing alumni who are graciously volunteering their time and talents to benefit students as they enter the job market. On this page, you’ll find a list of those alumni who are willing to participate in either resume reviews and/or telephone interviews. Select the alumni whose profession most closely matches your career goals.

LinkedIn – This is a group for alumni, students, faculty and friends of the iSchool. You can network with iSchool alums, who are working in your chosen profession!

University Resources

The Office of Career Development and Placement Assistance is here to help you find the perfect job when you graduate from the iSchool. At the CDPA, experts will help you with career planning, creating effective resumes or portfolios, and effective interviewing techniques. Emily Bennett is the Science and Technology Career Consultant.

Pitt’s Career Network provides our students with an opportunity to interact with people who have experience in the many professions that are associated with the Information Sciences. This is a network of alumni who want to help you to improve your career prospects!

Pitt’s FutureLinks, an online database of job postings exclusive to Pitt students and alumni.

Professional Resources

There are so many career resources on the Web. These are just a few that are most pertinent to the University of Pittsburgh and to graduates of the iSchool. Please note that we do not endorse any of these information providers.

 


Statistics about the Information Professions

As Information Professionals are employed in many different fields (librarianship, education, manufacturing, healthcare – to name just a few), statistics about employment and earnings vary greatly. For example, the salary range for a software engineer in a multinational corporation is vastly different than the range for a systems administrator in the insurance industry. Similarly, the earnings potential for a public librarian in a major metropolitan area differs greatly from that of a school librarian in a rural district. Below, you’ll find a listing of Web resources that explore employment projections and earning potential in some of the fields that depend upon the skills and knowledge of Information Professionals. This is not an exhaustive list; you’ll find a great many information resources in addition to these. But, they may offer you at least a start on your career research.

U.S. Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO Library Workers Fact Sheet (trends and salary data)

The Future of Librarians in the Workforce – IMLS-funded study of library and information science field

Occupational Outlook Handbook (Bureau of Labor Statistics) – Archivists

Occupational Outlook Handbook (Bureau of Labor Statistics) – Librarians

Occupational Outlook Handbook (Bureau of Labor Statistics) – Computer and Information Research Scientists

Occupational Outlook Handbook (Bureau of Labor Statistics) – Computer network, systems and database administrators

Earnings information for Archivists

Earnings information for librarians

Earnings information for network and computer systems administrators

Earnings information for computer systems analysts

Student Resources

Students at the iSchool have access to University resources, a diverse faculty, helpful administrators and staff, and  a community of enthusiastic learners.