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
√ Looking for more money
√ Looking for a promotion/more responsibility
What position level are you looking for?
√ Entry level
√ Requiring at least two years of experience
√ Supervisory
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Archives
√ Special library
√ Other: Corporate Archives
What part of the world are you in?
√ Western US (including Pacific Northwest)
What’s your region like?
√ Suburban area
Are you willing/able to move for employment?
√ Yes, within my state
√ Yes, as long as at least some of my moving costs are covered
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
I am seeking a salary that pays me a living wage relative to the area where I work and live. I am also seeking opportunities where I can work and collaborate with an institution’s local communities. Finally, I am looking to work with archival collections that are more representative of our modern demographics or having the ability to improve holdings in this area.
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
2
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
√ Funding professional development
√ Prioritizing EDI work
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?
NDAs are red flags as well.
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
4 hours.
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
Draft cover letters and update resume.
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 month
How do you prepare for interviews?
I conduct research on the interviewing department and institution, while reviewing my set of skills and experiences I would like to highlight. I also prepare a list of questions I anticipate will be asked to prepare for most situations.
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
What is your weakest feature.
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 the majority of the time or always
- Interviewed for a job where an internal candidate was eventually chosen √ Happened more than 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
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Expedite the hiring process to account for the fast-pace nature of everyday life within a field that suffers greatly from limited contract employment.
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m optimistic
What are your job search self-care strategies?
I maintain a strict work/ life balance by refusing to read work-related correspondence outside my working hours.
I try not to discuss personal matters with most colleagues.
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?)
I anticipate to graduate from San Jose State University’s Master of Archives and Records Administration program in the Spring of 2024. [survey completed 2/8/2023]
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?
√ 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
Hiring Librarians 