There is no secret, but it helps to know someone and have good references.

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 less than six months. This person is looking in school libraries, at the entry level.

This job hunter is in an urban area in the Northeastern US, and is willing to move anywhere.

What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?

1. workplace community and support from administrators and staff
2. salary
3. commute, or lack thereof

Where do you look for open positions?

ALA Joblist, washingtonpost.com

Do you expect to see salary range listed in a job ad?

√ No (even if I might think it *should* be)

What’s your routine for preparing an application packet? How much time do you spend on it?

I spend a good deal of time preparing my cover letter and updating, editing my resume. It usually takes about a week or two.

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 tell me if I have or have not been selected to move on to the interview stage

How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?

√ Email

Which events during the interview/visit are most important to your assessment of the position (i.e. deciding if you want the job)?

√ Meeting department members/potential co-workers
√ Meeting with HR to talk about benefits/salary

What do you think employers should do to get the best candidates to apply?

They should reach out to graduate programs and listserves.

What should employers do to make the hiring process less painful?

Employers should be completely honest about the process with the applicant, especially how many interviews they are conducting, where the applicant stands at all times, even during the interview.

What do you think is the secret to getting hired?

There is no secret, but it helps to know someone and have good references.

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!