How do I find experience in the Library and Information Science field as a BLIS student to add to my CV, but will give me the necessary skills to thrive?
Currently, I am a junior in my BLIS degree, and after reading about the highly saturated and competitive job market for archival, museum, and library work, I am considering finding adjacent jobs or volunteer opportunities to help build a career in this field. Although I would love to work in a historical society or museum doing archival work, I know that my very limited experience wouldn't make me an ideal candidate. At the moment, I've been a digital volunteer at the Smithsonian Institution Transcription Center, and I've enjoyed that so far. I've also been learning about classification systems and building my own personal projects with Excel and Omeka.
My goal with these projects is to gain insight and add to my portfolio, demonstrating my interest in learning. However, I know that hands-on experience at a location is vital. Unfortunately, I live in a very rural location, so my options are limited, and I'm not interested in relocating at the moment. For my senior year, I need to find a practicum (which concerns me due to location), and this might further solidify whether this job sector is for me.
However, I wanted to know if anyone who has had a similar experience where they were interested in pursuing this type of work, but is willing to get a job that is adjacent (e.g., gives transferable skills and experience to potentially work in that job in the future), and does some sort of volunteering on the side (in an archive or museum)? What has your experience been like? Are there any ways you've been involved in the library and information science field without having the exact job you wanted?
I want to be realistic in my approach, so if I have to find a job outside this field, I'll be fine. My main goal is to find a balance between utilizing my past skills (I've only done retail work) and what I'm learning at college. Is this wishful thinking? Any advice would be appreciated.