This anonymous interview is with a job hunter who is currently employed (even if part-time or in an unrelated field), has not been hired within the last two months, and has been looking for a new position for a year to 18 months. This person is looking in academic and public libraries at the Entry level. This job hunter is in a city/town in the Southern US, and is willing to move
Willing to move at most an hour or two away from my current location.
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
1. Full-time employment with a wage I can live on.
2. A working website that doesn’t look like it is from the 80s.
3. Easy going staff that care about their patrons.
Where do you look for open positions?
Do you expect to see salary range listed in a job ad?
√ Other: Yes, but if it isn’t I will apply anyway.
What’s your routine for preparing an application packet? How much time do you spend on it?
I spend around 30 minutes writing up a directed resume, cover letter, and I take my time learning more about the library that is hiring.
Have you ever stretched the truth, exaggerated, or lied on your resume, or at some other point during the hiring process?
√ No
When would you like employers to contact you?
√ To acknowledge my application
√ To tell me if I have or have not been selected to move on to the interview stage
√ To follow-up after an interview
√ Once the position has been filled, even if it’s not me
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
Which events during the interview/visit are most important to your assessment of the position (i.e. deciding if you want the job)?
√ Tour of facility
√ Meeting department members/potential co-workers
What do you think employers should do to get the best candidates to apply?
I think employers should have good websites. I also think they should be willing to convert some of their part-time positions into full-time. For example, many reference positions are turning part-time, but still require bachelor’s/master’s degrees. For one, anyone they hire is simply biding their time before they get a full-time position elsewhere.
What should employers do to make the hiring process less painful?
Employers should be more willing to contact applicants, at least by e-mail, about the status of their application. I also believe employers need to ask better questions on the interview that are only answerable by a few static answers. Instead of, “Why do you want the job?” ask “What do you think you will like most about the job?”
What do you think is the secret to getting hired?
The secret to getting hired is knowing people and having a great resume.
Do you have any comments, or are there any other questions you think we should add to this survey?
I think it would be interesting if you included a section that asked how much experience a person has. For example, I have about 3 years experience working in libraries… one year of that was totally part time, but the last two have involved working part-time, volunteering part-time, and then providing volunteer reference virtually.
This survey was co-authored by Naomi House from I Need A Library Job – Do you need one? Check it out!
Hiring Librarians 