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?
√ My current job is temporary
Where do you look for open positions?
ALA JobLIST, Indeed, state library job board. I should look at INALJ more.
What position level are you looking for?
√ Requiring at least two years of experience
√ Senior Librarian
√ Other: Archivist
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library
√ Archives
√ Public library
√ Special library
What part of the world are you in?
√ Midwestern 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?
Variety of interesting and meaningful work, adequate pay, and health benefits.
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
25
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 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?
A lot of emphasis on “other duties as assigned” or “we are a lean library team” or a “single desk model” or similar language that might imply the job requires taking on a lot of extraneous responsibilities. Librarians are already stretched so thin, I don’t want to put myself in another gig where I’d need to wear two or three or seven hats.
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
About a half hour to an hour, depending on the application.
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
Read the listing thoroughly, review my CV/resume and make adjustments, write my cover letter, and finally send.
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?
√ Once the position has been filled, even if it’s not me
√ Other: I like getting an email updating me on the search process. I’ve had one phone call telling me I wasn’t selected for a position, and it was the nicest rejection I’ve ever had.
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?
A month or so, but it depends on the institution. I’ve had application processes take 3-6 months.
How do you prepare for interviews?
I read through the job description again, review my resume and rehearse my answer to “tell me about yourself”, and meditate.
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
“Tell me about yourself”. It’s too open ended for me, I always flounder it and end up reciting my work history instead of actually telling interviewers about myself and my professional interests. I rehearse my answer, but I still feel like I say something different every time.
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 √ Happened more than once
- 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 √ Happened once √ Not Applicable
- Turned down an offer √ Not Applicable
If you have ever withdrawn an application, why?
I applied for a job that sounded like an entry-level librarian job that was actually a low-level unskilled labor job in a digitization lab. I had no interest in using my masters degree and 10 years of experience to be a scanning minion.
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Communicate about the search process and hiring timeline. It’s extremely helpful for me to get an email saying I wasn’t selected for the position, and I appreciate getting those notifications as soon as possible after an interview.
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m frustrated
√ Not out of money yet, but worried
√ I feel alone in my search
What are your job search self-care strategies?
Talking to friends and colleagues about it helps, but I’m kind of starting to sound like a broken record at this point. I’ve had 4 interviews and 4 rejections in the last two months.
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 job hunters: you have amazing and unique skills to bring to the table, and your expertise and experience are valuable. Don’t give up on yourself, finding the right fit that will enable to you to continue serving your community. Keep going!
To employers: I’m sorry if you’re having trouble filling positions. I know that a lot of employers aren’t able to offer competitive wages or benefits, and there are many institutions that are still well worth working for, and I’m sure yours is too. Especially if you have a lot of competition for your openings, communicate well with applicants and they will appreciate it. Generally about job hunting, it’s a rollercoaster. I’ve interviewed for 7 jobs in the last 6 months, most of which seemed like a great fit to me, and where I found out who got the job it was clear that I’d been edged out by millimeters. Every job I’ve applied for has had dozens of applications, sometimes hundreds. It feels like there’s just no room for a mid-level librarian.
Do you have any comments for Emily (the survey author) or are there any other questions you think we should add to this survey?
Thanks Emily! This was a great survey, excellent questions that helped me represent my job hunt well.
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?)
2020
When did you start your first job search for a “professional” position (or other position that utilized your degree)?
√ Six months before graduating with my MLIS/other LIS degree
In relation to your graduation, when did you find your first “professional” position?
√ A year to 18 months after graduating
What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position?
√ Part Time
√ Temporary/Limited Term
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
No
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about searching for or finding your first post-graduation position?
I would have liked more support from my institution, and I think they do offer some sort of career services, but I haven’t taken advantage of them yet. [Survey completed 2/8/2023]
Hiring Librarians 