The community itself matters more than physical location

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 Academic libraries, Public libraries,, at the following levels: Entry level, Requiring at least two years of experience, Supervisory. This new grad/entry level applicant has internship/volunteering experience

I just graduated with my MLS, but have 7 years of experience as a reference associate at a public library and 2 more of supervisory experience in an academic library. Before graduating I did an internship in a Medical Library.

This job hunter is in a suburban area, in the  Midwestern US, and is willing to move depending on city..

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

Decent salary, professional development, location (the community itself matters more than physical location)

Where do you look for open positions?

listservs, Metronet Jobline, ALA Joblist

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?

Usually I go through my CV and tweak it to match the position I’m applying for, then take notes from the job listing itself and use that as a guideline toward writing my cover letter. It usually takes me a few hours to get things just right.

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
√ 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?

I’ve seen so many job listings that are so bare bones that candidates have to guess what it is they’re applying for. We don’t want to waste our time applying for jobs that we’re not right for and I’m sure it wastes the employers time having to wade through all those irrelevant applications. Be clear about the expectations.

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

Communication is key. I realize that the hiring process can sometimes take months in large institutions, but candidates should be kept aware where they are in the process and when they should expect to hear about the next step.

What do you think is the secret to getting hired?

Luck. Having the *right* person see your application.

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!