Thing 10: How I Became I a Librarian

Reading the CPD 23 post on Charterships, Graduate Traineeships, etc. in  the UK was really interesting. I can only speak to the path school librarians take in the US, which is a little different from other kinds of library certifications. I am wondering if UK school librarians follow a similar path to the one outlined on the blog or if their path is different.
I received my undergraduate degree in Secondary English Education. I chose to pursue a Bachelor's degree in education because I knew I wanted to be a school librarian, and I wanted an education background. It turned out to be a really good move for a few reasons. First, I was exempt from taking some courses in graduate school because I had my teaching certification already. Secondly, it really prepared me for a career as a teacher, not just a librarian. I'm not totally convinced that graduate programs for school librarians do a great job preparing school librarians-to-be as educators. I was really able to learn how to plan lessons, manage a classroom, and assess students before I even started my graduate education. I did have to go through 12 weeks of student teaching in two separate secondary schools as an English teacher, but I did it knowing that that wasn't my ultimate goal. I had to go through the same student-teaching process at the end of graduate school in two libraries, as well. Some might think that doing twice the student-teaching would be a waste of time, but it was a great experience, and really build my resume. Before I even had a real job interview, I had already taught 8th and 10th grade English, and had library experience K-12.
The initial certification received is only provisional, once you have taught for a few years (is it 3? I can't remember...) you can apply for your professional - or permanent - certification. Your certification must be maintained with a certain number of professional development hours. As a side note, certification in the US varies from state to state. In New York State, school librarians have to take 3 state tests in order to receive certification, and this certification does not necessarily transfer to other states. Not only that, but not all states even require school librarians to be certified. It is very different from state to state.