This anonymous interview is with a job hunter who is not 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 six months to a year. This person is looking in academic libraries, library vendor/service providers, special libraries, at the following levels: entry level; requiring at least two years of experience.
This job hunter is in a city/town in the Midwestern US and is not willing to move.
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
Is the position worthy of my degree or can anyone do it?
Salary
Hours
Where do you look for open positions?
listservs
joblists
web sites of well known companies in my area
Do you expect to see salary range listed in a job ad?
√ Only for certain kinds of employers
What’s your routine for preparing an application packet? How much time do you spend on it?
I read the description a few times and note the keywords. I have a template for a cover letter that I’ll change based on the job description. My resume typically stays the same for every application. I change my references based on the job description.
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
√ Once the position has been filled, even if it’s not me
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ Phone for good news, email for bad news
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
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!
