I’ve been in the profession long enough to see some searches that did not go well and it was the institution’s fault

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 more than 18 months. This person is looking in academic libraries, at the following levels: requiring at least two years of experience, supervisory,and department head.

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

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

–good work environment
–location
–allows for research in my areas of interest

Where do you look for open positions?

ALA joblist
ili listserv
lisjobs.com
state library joblines

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?

read description
check out their website
write cover letter
gather other needed materials to apply
–around 60 minutes

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?

√ 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?

–post salaries and make sure the salary is a livable wage for the area
–run the search/interview process professionally (I’ve been in the profession long enough to see some searches that did not go well and it was the institution’s fault)

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

–interviews should be conducted professionally and with the candidate’s needs in mind
–take time to really think about the job description and align it to existing needs

What do you think is the secret to getting hired?

–knowing the right people
–interviewing well

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!