Please note: this is an anonymous response to an online survey; I do not have any way of contacting the respondent or verifying responses. Their answers may reflect good, bad, or middling job searching practices. I invite you to take what’s useful and leave the rest.
Your Demographics and Search Parameters
How long have you been job hunting?
√ Six months to a year
Why are you job hunting?
√ I want to work with a different type of collection
√ My current job is awful/toxic
Where do you look for open positions?
INALJ, ALA JobLIST, TxLA JobLIST, Indeed, LinkedIn, Archives Gig
What position level are you looking for?
√ Entry level
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library
√ Archives
√ Public library
What part of the world are you in?
√ Southwestern US
What’s your region like?
√ Urban area
Are you willing/able to move for employment?
√ Yes, to a specific list of places
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
salary, location, type of work
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
at least 12
What steps, actions, or attributes are most important for employers to take to sell you on the job?
√ Pay well
√ Prioritizing work-life balance
Do you expect to see the salary range listed in a job ad?
√ Yes, and it’s a red flag when it’s not
Other than not listing a salary range, are there other “red flags” that would prevent you from applying to a job?
the length of time the job has been posted, the number of other position available in the same institution for the same department
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
30 min
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
carefully read through the job post multiple times and tailor the cover letter to highlight their requirements
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
When would you like potential employers to contact you?
√ To acknowledge my application
√ To tell me if the search is at the interview stage, even if I have not been selected
√ Once the position has been filled, even if it’s not me
How long do you expect an organization’s application process to take, from the point you submit your documents to the point of either an offer or rejection?
30 days
How do you prepare for interviews?
research the company, prepare my own questions for the interviewer, read the job description again to make sure I have examples for their preferred qualifications
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
Describe how you handled a conflict with a co-worker; I am non-confrontational and will usually just ignore the situation but that is not the answer interviewers want to hear
During your current search, have you had any of the following experiences:
- Submitted an application and got no response √ Happened more than once
- Had an interview and never heard back √ Happened once
- Interviewed for a job where an internal candidate was eventually chosen √ I don’t know
- Asked for an accommodation for a disability √ Not Applicable
- Withdrawn an application before the offer stage √ Happened more than once
- Turned down an offer √ Happened once
If you have ever withdrawn an application, why?
It involved a move several states away, moving expenses were not offered, and the salary was not high enough to justify the cost
If you’ve turned down an offer (or offers), why?
The salary was way too low to cover basic expenses and there was no relocation assistance being offered.
If you want to share a great, inspirational, funny, horrific or other story about an experience you have had at any stage in the hiring process, please do so here:
I went to a library job fair and they had me go through two different interviews at the event. A couple of weeks later I heard from the hiring manager of a specific department that they wanted to bring me in for another interview and I needed to prepare a presentation on a specific scenario. After the interview they said I would hear from them in approximately two weeks. Three weeks passed with no word so I emailed the hiring manager asking for an update and she never responded. I feel this is very disrespectful and disappointing. I’ve been a manager before and I know how awkward it is to tell someone they didn’t get the job, but it is better to hear “no” than to be left hanging.
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Keep them informed. Let them know when you are reviewing applicants. If they don’t make it to the interview stage, tell them that too. Tell us so we don’t put off applying or accepting elsewhere because we are still hoping this one will come through.
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m frustrated
What are your job search self-care strategies?
I don’t have any
Do you have any advice or words of support you’d like to share with other job hunters, is there anything you’d like to say to employers, or is there anything else you’d like to say about job hunting?
I am so unhappy in my current position that I started applying for every position I could find. This meant I was applying for positions I was overqualified for, or positions that were identical to what I’m already doing, but I don’t like the job I have. My boss is a big reason for wanting to leave, but I also don’t like the job I’m doing and want to move into a different area of librarianship. I had to take a break from job hunting so I could re-focus on what I was looking for and only apply for those positions.
Do you have any comments for Emily (the survey author) or are there any other questions you think we should add to this survey?
I think that employers get so caught up in looking for candidates with the “preferred qualifications” that they dismiss people who have diffent skills that could still apply to the position. Skills that show “I have a brain and can be taught to do what you need”.
Job Hunting Post Graduate School
If you have an MLIS or other graduate level degree in a LIS field, what year did you graduate? (Or what year do you anticipate graduating?)
2020
When did you start your first job search for a “professional” position (or other position that utilized your degree)?
√ After graduating with my MLIS/other LIS degree
In relation to your graduation, when did you find your first “professional” position?
√ Six months to a year after graduating
What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position?
√ Full Time
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
no
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about searching for or finding your first post-graduation position?
I was looking for a job during pandemic, so it was very difficult to find a position with no experience. My current employer offered me a position (which meant switching departments) and I accepted just because it was the only offer I’d had. I knew it wasn’t the type of library work I wanted to do but I was so desperate to start getting experience that I accepted. Now I regret it because I feel I’ve been pigeonholed in this department and can’t jump into the areas I’d prefer to work because I still don’t have experience there.
Hiring Librarians 
.jpg){kind=link}