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?
√ Six months to a year
Why are you job hunting?
√ This is the next step after finishing library/archives/other LIS graduate degree
√ I’m unemployed
Where do you look for open positions?
ALA, ARL, MLA
What position level are you looking for?
√ Entry level
√ Clerk/Library Assistant
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library
√ Public library
√ Special library
What part of the world are you in?
√ Southwestern US
What’s your region like?
√ Urban area
√ Suburban area
Are you willing/able to move for employment?
√ Yes, within my country
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
Assistance in career advancement, decent pay and benefits, supportive environment
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
Just over 100
What steps, actions, or attributes are most important for employers to take to sell you on the job?
√ Having (and describing) excellent benefits
√ Introducing me to staff
√ Having a good reputation
√ Funding professional development
√ 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)
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
10-20 minutes
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
Edit cover letter and DEI statement to fit institution/job, fill out application
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ No preference
When would you like potential employers to contact you?
√ 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?
3-6 months
How do you prepare for interviews?
If sent interview questions in advance, I will determine how I’ll answer them. I will also research the institution and its facilities.
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
- 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 √ Happened more than once
- Turned down an offer √ Not Applicable
If you have ever withdrawn an application, why?
The area was not accessible
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m somewhat depressed
√ I’m despondent
√ I’m frustrated
√ Not out of money yet, but worried
√ I feel alone in my search
Do you have any advice or words of support you’d like to share with other job hunters, is there anything you’d like to say to employers, or is there anything else you’d like to say about job hunting?
I would like more transparency in the process.
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 first job search for a “professional” position (or other position that utilized your degree)?
√ 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?
√ Hasn’t happened yet – I’m still looking
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)?
No
Hiring Librarians 
