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?
√ Looking for a promotion/more responsibility,
√ I want to work at a different type of library/institution,
√ I want to work with a different type of collection,
√ My current job is temporary,
√ My current job is boring,
√ I’ve been threatened at my job or had to deal with hostility/danger/scary behavior from the public or coworkers
Where do you look for open positions?
iSchool job board (Canada), FIMS career central (Canada), LinkedIn
What position level are you looking for?
√ Requiring at least two years of experience,
√ Supervisory,
√ Senior Librarian
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library,
√ Archives
What part of the world are you in?
√ Canada
What’s your region like?
√ Urban area
Are you willing/able to move for employment?
√ Yes, within my state,
√ Yes, to a specific list of places
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
Good workplace culture, interesting collections, dedication to EDI
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
4-5
What steps, actions, or attributes are most important for employers to take to sell you on the job?
√ Pay well,
√ Funding professional development,
√ Prioritizing EDI work,
√ 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?
An extremely vast amount of responsibilities, which demonstrates that they have amalgamated multiple jobs to one. Applications actively seeking someone who is “looking for a challenge,” which just seems to be code for ‘we are going to treat you badly.’
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
2-3 hours
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
Reading the application closely, updating CV, writing the cover letter
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?
Ideally 3 months, but the reality seems to be 5-6 months
How do you prepare for interviews?
Preparing answers to practice questions, examining the posting, my cover letter and CV, reading about the institution, preparing questions for the panel
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
“Tell us about a time you faced a challenging situation at work/with a colleague” no one is ever going to tell the truth for a question like this, and it seems like they just want to know how well you can twist the truth to make yourself look good.
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 more than once
- Interviewed for a job where an internal candidate was eventually chosen √ Happened the majority of the time or always
- Asked for an accommodation for a disability √ Not Applicable
- Withdrawn an application before the offer stage √ Happened once
- Turned down an offer √ Not Applicable
If you have ever withdrawn an application, why?
Yes, after the interview I did not feel like the institution or the position was the correct fit for me.
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 was eliminated for a position that I was very well qualified for and two (internal) candidates that had almost no experience and did not even have the mandatory qualifications listed in the posting. When I asked for feedback, I was told “we didn’t like how you seemed too well-prepared for the interview.”
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Be honest about what you are looking for and IF you have no intention of hiring an external candidate, mark on your application “internal candidate identified” and save us all a bunch of time and heartache.
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m maintaining,
√ I’m somewhat depressed,
√ I’m frustrated
What are your job search self-care strategies?
I try to not think about the applications after i’ve sent them in and attempt to not think about “what ifs.” I talk with friends going through similar long-term job hunts, which makes me feel less alone.
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?
To fellow job hunters, just do your best, the process isn’t always fair. Don’t internalize things that are out of your control.
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?)
2017
When did you start your first job search for a “professional” position (or other position that utilized your degree)?
√ Less than six months before graduating with my MLIS/other LIS degree, but still before I graduated
In relation to your graduation, when did you find your first “professional” position?
√ I was actually hired before I graduated
What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position?
√ Full Time,
√ Temporary/Limited Term
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
No