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 six months to a year. This person is looking in academic, public, and special libraries at the entry level. Here is this person’s experience with internships/volunteering:
Interned at an Academic Library, worked as a Student Supervisor during grad school at another academic library, volunteered as an instructor at a public library, currently volunteering at a medical library.
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?
Location, organization’s ideas and reputation, opportunity for growth in the position.
Where do you look for open positions?
Indeed, professional listserv, ALA, SLA.
Do you expect to see salary range listed in a job ad?
√ Yes, and it’s a red flag when it’s not
What’s your routine for preparing an application packet? How much time do you spend on it?
Read the job description, write the cover letter, and make the reference list. I usually spend no more than an hour on it.
Have you ever stretched the truth, exaggerated, or lied on your resume, or at some other point during the hiring process?
√ Yes
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
√ 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
What do you think employers should do to get the best candidates to apply?
Be flexible.
What should employers do to make the hiring process less painful?
Make applying for the job easier by accepting resumes through email instead of having to create an account and try to remember all the different passwords for each job you’re applying for.
What do you think is the secret to getting hired?
I don’t know. If I did, I’d probably have a full-time by now 😛
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 