This anonymous interview is with a job hunter who is currently employed (even if part-time or in an unrelated field), has 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 special libraries, at the following levels: requiring at least two years of experience.
This job hunter is in an urban area in the Midwestern US and is willing to move anywhere.
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
1. Salary
2. Opportunity to be creative and innovative
3. Job security
Where do you look for open positions?
ALA, listservs, Indeed, college library websites
Do you expect to see salary range listed in a job ad?
√ Only for certain kinds of employers
When would you like employers to contact you?
√ To acknowledge my application
√ 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
√ Meeting with HR to talk about benefits/salary
What do you think is the secret to getting hired?
Confidence and being passionate about the job/field.
Are you hunting for a new LIS job? Take the survey! http://tinyurl.com/hiringlibJOBHUNTERsurvey
This survey was co-authored by Naomi House from I Need A Library Job – Do you need one? Check it out!
Hiring Librarians 