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 more money,
√ Looking for a promotion/more responsibility,
√ I want to work with a different population,
√ 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 boring,
√ My current job is awful/toxic,
√ Because I’m worried about a possible recession
Where do you look for open positions?
USAJOBS, LinkedIn, professional listserves
What position level are you looking for?
√ Department Head,
√ Senior Librarian,
√ Director/Dean,
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library,
√ Archives,
√ Special library,
√ Other: Open to positions outside of libraries: higher education; government; museums; non-profit organizations focused on libraries, education, and grant-making
What part of the world are you in?
√ Northeastern US
What’s your region like?
√ Urban area
Are you willing/able to move for employment?
√ No
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
New responsibilities, more influence over policy, broader public service
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
4
What steps, actions, or attributes are most important for employers to take to sell you on the job?
√ Pay well,
√ Having (and describing) excellent benefits,
√ Introducing me to staff,
√ Having a good reputation,
√ 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?
Reputation as a toxic work environment, high turnover, budget deficits, people I trust warn me against applying
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
5-8 hours
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
Consult with employees of the advertising institution if possible; tailor CV and cover letter; if the position is outside of libraries, explain how my experience as an academic librarian meets the qualifications and why I’m interested in moving into new territory.
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ Phone for good news, email for bad news
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?
1-6 months
How do you prepare for interviews?
Research the org; brush-up on critical issues/trends in the field; talk to people in similar roles; self-reflection; prepare questions for the committee; put together an outfit.
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
A search committee asked me to imagine my current supervisor complimenting and criticizing me. They asked: What would he say? (Um, well, “he” is a “she” and I’m not going to invent an answer to this childish scenario.)
During your current search, have you had any of the following experiences:
- Submitted an application and got no response √ Not Applicable
- 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 √ Not Applicable
- Turned down an offer √ Not Applicable
If you have ever withdrawn an application, why?
Yes, 10 years ago. I was a finalist and during my campus visit the energy was bad. The search committee did not seem into it.
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:
In my first interview after graduate school, the search committee asked why I wanted the job. I said “because my current boss stopped paying me.” I was 25 years old, working at a non-profit that ran out of money and borrowing from my credit card to pay rent. It hadn’t occurred to me that interviewers might ask why I want a job. Like, isn’t it obvious? Fortunately they appreciated my unrehearsed answer and offer me one.
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Move it along more swiftly and send interview questions in advance.
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m optimistic,
√ I’m frustrated,
√ I’m energized,
√ I feel supported in my search
What are your job search self-care strategies?
Given the stresses in my current environment, job searching is a self-care strategy. It gives me something to do when I feel hopeless and helps me to envision a better future.
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?
Is has anyone here used executive coaching to improve their application materials and overall presentation abilities? I’m curious.
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?)
2007
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?
√ 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