This anonymous interview is with a job hunter who is currently not 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 Special libraries, at the following levels: Supervisory, Department Head, Senior Librarian and Other: A lot of these terms don’t apply to my setting, the private law firm library, where we commonly have research librarians, legislative librarians, corporate librarians. This job hunter is in a suburban area in the Northeastern US, and is willing to move Maybe. Depends on relo costs and the salary.
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
Challenges and growth
A commitment to and from a firm I respect
The camaraderie and mutual support that come from working with well-qualified colleagues as we provide the highest level of service to our requesters
Where do you look for open positions?
Can’t begin to list the places
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?
Depends, of course, on the requirements, but typically 30 — 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 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?
√ 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
√ Other: Opportunity to ask questions
What do you think is the secret to getting hired?
I don’t know. Bribes?
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 