Print the application, think about it for a few days, apply at last minute (sad, but true).

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

Interned at a museum library doing archives for 5 months
Volunteered at a museum library as a librarian for 2 years

This job hunter is in an urban area in the Canada and is not willing to move anywhere.

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

Supportive manager;
Ability to grow in a position/place of employment;
Benefits

Where do you look for open positions?

Local university’s LIS job site;
INALJ
National Library Association job board

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?

Print the application, think about it for a few days, apply at last minute (sad, but true).

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)?

√ Meeting department members/potential co-workers

What do you think employers should do to get the best candidates to apply?

I don’t know about applying, but when considering resumes look at applicants that have a diverse background/work experience. I think a lot of libraries miss out on hiring excellent people because they haven’t done the same exact job since high school.

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

Don’t ask multi-part questions all at once. This recently happened to me in an interview. As a person who also conducts hiring interviews I consider this a no-no. Ask one question at a time. This allows for careful consideration of all the questions asked.
Also, employers shouldn’t leave candidates in the dark after interviewing. If they didn’t get the job let them know by email or mail. It’s considerate.

What do you think is the secret to getting hired?

Knowing the right people.

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!