Joint LMD-Consulting Section & Pharma & Health Technology Division Breakfast Session: SLA 2011. A Report by Jan Sykes.
Speaker: Mary Ellen Bates
Sponsorship from Sage. There were approximately 30 persons in attendance.
Mary Ellen Bates, in a presentation entitled: “Pack Your Parachute: Transitioning from the Library to an Independent Information Professional” discussed the skill set needed by persons interested in becoming information entrepreneurs including:
· Tolerance for risk and ambiguity
· Business owner perspective instead of employee mindset
· Client-focus
· Strategic thinking
· Self-discipline
Mary Ellen noted that she learned to be an independent information professional while working in a Fortune 500 company and she still draws on things learned earlier in her career: research skills, importance of a network of colleagues and the ability to identify opportunities to add value. She has developed business skills, such as the ability to close a sale, to talk comfortably about money and to look at herself as a brand and a business. She did not minimize the challenges of finding clients, managing cash flow, overcoming the imposter syndrome, keeping motivated and managing her time effectively. The serious, practical questions asked during the Q&A time suggest a number of persons are considering the pros/cons of ‘packing their parachute’