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?
√ Less than six months
Why are you job hunting?
√ This is the next step after finishing library/archives/other LIS graduate degree
√ I’m unemployed
Where do you look for open positions?
INALJ, Archives Gig, ALA JobLIST, institution websites
What position level are you looking for?
√ Entry level
√ Requiring at least two years of experience
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Archives
√ Special library
√ Other: Manuscript, archives, rare books departments at museums or historical societies
What part of the world are you in?
√ Mid-Atlantic 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?
Good salary, interesting collection/work, and room for growth
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
About 10
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
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
15 to 30 minutes
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
Ensure my resume is up to date, add any special skills or knowledge to my resume that are specifically relevant to the job I’m applying to, and write a cover letter for the position.
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
When would you like potential employers to contact you?
√ 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?
About a month
How do you prepare for interviews?
Research the institution/library/etc. more in depth, make a list of any questions I might have, do a mock interview with my partner
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
“Why do you want to work here?” – it is so broad and there are a lot of reasons usually, some I feel like employers don’t want to hear like the monetary benefits.
“How much are you expecting to be paid?” – It feels like they’re trying to get you to low ball yourself so they can pay you less.
During your current search, have you had any of the following experiences:
- Submitted an application and got no response √ Happened the majority of the time or always
- Had an interview and never heard back √ Not Applicable
- Interviewed for a job where an internal candidate was eventually chosen √ Not Applicable
- Asked for an accommodation for a disability √ Not Applicable
- Withdrawn an application before the offer stage √ Not Applicable
- Turned down an offer √ Not Applicable
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Be upfront and honest – about salary, hours, expectations. Provide more information in job postings whenever possible. Notify the applicant if they haven’t been selected or are not moving onto the next stage of hiring so we don’t sit around waiting to hear for something not coming.
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m maintaining
What are your job search self-care strategies?
I try not to over-stress myself. I set a specific amount of time aside to search for and apply to jobs each week. Outside of that, I try not to get too bogged down in worrying about it. (to varying levels of success)
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?)
Just graduated end of 2022 [Survey answered 2/8/2023]
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?
√ Hasn’t happened yet – I’m still looking
What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position?
√ N/A – hasn’t happened yet
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
Yes, my school provides a lot of help for job searching such as forwarding job postings, sharing listservs, holding job fairs, etc.
Hiring Librarians 