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?
√ A year to 18 months
Why are you job hunting?
√ This is the next step after finishing library/archives/other LIS graduate degree
√ I’m underemployed (not enough hours or overqualified for current position)
√ Looking for more money
√ Looking for a promotion/more responsibility
√ My current job provides insufficient or no benefits (Healthcare or beyond)
√ Because I’m worried about a possible recession
Where do you look for open positions?
ArchivesGig, various professional listservs, passed down from coworkers
What position level are you looking for?
√ Entry level
√ Requiring at least two years of experience
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library
√ Archives
√ Public library
√ Special library
√ Other: Government
What part of the world are you in?
√ Midwestern US
What’s your region like?
√ Urban area
Are you willing/able to move for employment?
√ Yes, to a specific list of places
√ Yes, as long as at least some of my moving costs are covered
√ Other: I would rather not move, if possible.
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
Stability, livable pay with benefits, friendly atmosphere/coworkers that I enjoy being around
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
5-6
What steps, actions, or attributes are most important for employers to take to sell you on the job?
√ Pay well
√ Having (and describing) excellent benefits
√ Introducing me to staff
√ Funding professional development
√ Prioritizing EDI work
√ Prioritizing work-life balance
Do you expect to see the salary range listed in a job ad?
√ Yes, and it’s a red flag when it’s not
Other than not listing a salary range, are there other “red flags” that would prevent you from applying to a job?
Requiring a master’s degree for a part-time or insultingly-low-paying position
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
Multiple days
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
Research organization, refine resume, write tailored cover letter, fill out info in an organization’s application portal
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 an organization’s application process to take, from the point you submit your documents to the point of either an offer or rejection?
Ideally, no more than a couple months
How do you prepare for interviews?
Write out answers to various interview questions and repeatedly go over them in my head or out loud.
During your current search, have you had any of the following experiences:
- Submitted an application and got no response √ Happened the majority of the time or always
- Had an interview and never heard back √ Happened once
- Interviewed for a job where an internal candidate was eventually chosen √ Happened once
- Asked for an accommodation for a disability √ Not Applicable
- Withdrawn an application before the offer stage √ Not Applicable
- Turned down an offer √ Not Applicable
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Be more communicative rather than ghosting applicants who spend hours of their time and emotional energy applying for these jobs.
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m maintaining
√ I’m despondent
√ I’m frustrated
√ I feel alone in my search
What are your job search self-care strategies?
Try not to feel optimistic or have high expectations about an application I submit.
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?)
2021
When did you start your first job search for a “professional” position (or other position that utilized your degree)?
√ More than six months before graduating with my MLIS/other LIS degree
In relation to your graduation, when did you find your first “professional” position?
√ Other: I am employed in the field but have never yet held a “professional” position
What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position?
√ N/A – hasn’t happened yet
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
Only that the school had a job board listserv I always looked at.
Hiring Librarians 
