Please note: this is an anonymous response to an online survey; I do not have any way of contacting the respondent or verifying responses. Their answers may reflect good, bad, or middling job searching practices. I invite you to take what’s useful and leave the rest.
Your Demographics and Search Parameters
How long have you been job hunting?
√ Less than six months
Why are you job hunting?
√ This is the next step after finishing library/archives/other LIS graduate degree
Where do you look for open positions?
Linkedin, indeed
What position level are you looking for?
√ Entry level
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library
√ Special library
What part of the world are you in?
√ UK
What’s your region like?
√ Urban area
Are you willing/able to move for employment?
√ No
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
Stable hours, reasonable pay, and a place of work that isn’t at risk of major funding cuts/restructuring
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
Approx 20
What steps, actions, or attributes are most important for employers to take to sell you on the job?
√ Pay well
√ Having a good reputation
√ Prioritizing work-life balance
Do you expect to see the salary range listed in a job ad?
√ No (even if I might think it *should* be)
Other than not listing a salary range, are there other “red flags” that would prevent you from applying to a job?
Unclear/disorganized job summary that doesn’t give a good idea of the position, extremely negative reviews on glassdoor, if there’s no information available about them online (no website/social media)
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
3 hours
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
Research the company, Edit my resume to directly appeal to the job requirements, write any application statements that are required
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
When would you like potential employers to contact you?
√ To acknowledge my application
√ To tell me if the search is at the interview stage, even if I have not been selected
√ Once the position has been filled, even if it’s not me
How long do you expect the application process to take, from the point you submit your documents to the point of either an offer or rejection?
About a month
How do you prepare for interviews?
Research the company, write out & memorize answers to basic practice questions, come up with questions to ask them about the job and brainstorm my skills that I want to be sure to emphasize in the interview
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
Questions about personality traits (like “how do you describe yourself” or “what sort of relationship do you want with your coworkers”)
During your current search, have you had any of the following experiences:
- Submitted an application and got no response √ Happened more than once
- Had an interview and never heard back √ Happened more than once
- Withdrawn an application before the offer stage √ Happened more than once
If you have ever withdrawn an application, why?
I hated the people I interviewed with
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Not require such a huge investment of time up-front for entry-level positions. I shouldn’t have to write 3 mini essays as part of my application statement when my resume clearly shows I don’t have the experience to draw from
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m maintaining
Job Hunting Post Graduate School
If you have an MLIS or other graduate level degree in a LIS field, what year did you graduate? (Or what year do you anticipate graduating?)
2022
When did you start your job search?
√ Less than six months before graduating with my MLIS/other LIS degree, but still before I graduated
In relation to your graduation, when did you find your first “professional” position?
√ Less than six months after graduating
What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position?
√ Full Time
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
Sort of- the school had a jobs board just for relevant jobs but didn’t support other than that
Hiring Librarians 