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 at a different type of library/institution,
√ Looking for remote/virtual work (or at least hybrid),
√ My current job is awful/toxic
Where do you look for open positions?
Chronicle Vitae, HigherEdJobs, LinkedIn
What position level are you looking for?
√ Director/Dean
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library
What part of the world are you in?
√ Midwestern US
What’s your region like?
√ Suburban area
Are you willing/able to move for employment?
√ Yes, within my country
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
Good supervisor that is not a micromanager or toxic. Librarians are faculty. Decent salary based on cost of living.
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
Approximately 10 so far.
What steps, actions, or attributes are most important for employers to take to sell you on the job?
√ Pay well,
√ Introducing me to staff,
√ Funding professional development,
√ Good supervisor
Do you expect to see the salary range listed in a job ad?
√ No (even if I might think it *should* be)
Other than not listing a salary range, are there other “red flags” that would prevent you from applying to a job?
If librarians are considered staff rather than faculty.
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
A few hours.
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
Update CV, create cover letter after reviewing job ad, library and university websites focusing on mission, vision, and strategic plan.
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?
2-10 months since academia is slow
How do you prepare for interviews?
Review university and library websites. Practice interview questions.
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
DEI related questions because different libraries and states want vastly different answers and aren’t necessarily looking for a practical response.
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 √ Not Applicable
- Interviewed for a job where an internal candidate was eventually chosen √ Happened once
- Asked for an accommodation for a disability √ Not Applicable
- Withdrawn an application before the offer stage √ Happened once
- Turned down an offer √ Happened once
If you have ever withdrawn an application, why?
Yes. Decided cost of living was too high for the salary. Couldn’t afford housing in the area.
If you’ve turned down an offer (or offers), why?
I had another job offer at the same time.
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Share salary range and interview questions in advance.
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m somewhat depressed
What are your job search self-care strategies?
Keep applying for different jobs.
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?)
2009
When did you start your first job search for a “professional” position (or other position that utilized your degree)?
√ More than six months before graduating with my MLIS/other LIS degree
In relation to your graduation, when did you find your first “professional” position?
√ Less than six months 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