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, archives, public, and special libraries, at the following levels: entry level, requiring at least two years of experience. Here is this person’s experience with internships/volunteering:
2 internships at respected universities
This job hunter is in a suburban area in the Northeastern US and is willing to travel in NYC.
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
1. Full-Time
Where do you look for open positions?
Post listserv, Indeed.com, Monster.com and ALA joblist
Do you expect to see salary range listed in a job ad?
√ No (even if I might think it *should* be)
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 follow-up after an interview
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)?
√ Meeting department members/potential co-workers
√ Meeting with HR to talk about benefits/salary
What should employers do to make the hiring process less painful?
If the college got more involved. If the Professors had any connections to libraries that are hiring.
What do you think is the secret to getting hired?
living in a good economy
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 