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 libraries, Public libraries, and Juvenile Corrections, at the following levels: Entry level and Requiring at least two years of experience. This new grad/entry level applicant has internship/volunteering experience:
Intern at a small public library for 1 year
Intern with the outreach department for a large public library for 3.5 months
Part-time employee with the librarian substitute pool for a large public library
Part-time reference associate at a small liberal arts university
This job hunter is in a city/town in the Northeastern US, and is “Not necessarily” willing to move anywhere.
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
Community-oriented, both on the staff as well as the people being served
Innovate ideas for programs, materials, and services
Dynamic, not stagnant; I don’t want to be stuck behind a desk from 9 to 5
Where do you look for open positions?
INALJ
lisjobnet.com
Specific library websites
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 do a once over of the information needed and fill in the “easy” stuff, then I go back and spend more time filling in gaps and tweaking job descriptions on my resume to fit with the position. I spend anywhere from a couple hours to an hour each day for a couple days.
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 tell me if I have or have not been selected to move on to the interview stage
√ To follow-up after an interview
√ Once the position has been filled, even if it’s not me
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
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?
Employers should be careful how they select the Required and Preferred qualifications. I think that the best candidates sometimes get overlooked because employers aren’t willing to see them as investments. Maybe he/she doesn’t have everything the employer is looking for but they express the interest and desire and motivation to learn the necessary skills.
What should employers do to make the hiring process less painful?
Provide more candid and transparent communication. I know that the majority of the time I’m tailoring my resume and application to get through the initial HR screening. I want to be acknowledged for the effort of reaching out and expressing interest in the position besides, “Oh, this is one of many jobs I’ve applied for.”
What do you think is the secret to getting hired?
If there’s a secret I haven’t figured it out yet.
For some context, take a look at the most recently published summary of responses.
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 