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
√ I’m underemployed (not enough hours or overqualified for current position)
√ Looking for more money
√ Looking for a promotion/more responsibility
√ Looking for remote/virtual work (or at least hybrid)
√ My current job is awful/toxic
Where do you look for open positions?
Indeed, LinkedIn, Google, Institution websites
What position level are you looking for?
√ Entry level
√ Supervisory
√ Senior Librarian
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library
What part of the world are you in?
√ Southeastern US
What’s your region like?
√ Suburban area
Are you willing/able to move for employment?
√ Yes, within my state
√ Yes, to a specific list of places
√ Yes, as long as at least some of my moving costs are covered
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
Benefits/pay, location, responsibilities
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
4
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?
Listing higher level degrees but the responsibilities are for a lower level position, not giving a range for when the job will start
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
5-10 minutes
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
Check over resume, write/edit cover letter, double check references
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?
A few weeks
How do you prepare for interviews?
I don’t
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
Why do you want this job, because obviously I need to work. I want this job to survive. If there’s any other special reason it’ll come up or I’ll tell you but it’s a question that makes it seem like I’m not allowed to apply because I want to live.
During your current search, have you had any of the following experiences:
- Submitted an application and got no response √ Not Applicable
- Had an interview and never heard back √ Not Applicable
- Interviewed for a job where an internal candidate was eventually chosen √ I don’t know
- Asked for an accommodation for a disability √ Not Applicable
- Withdrawn an application before the offer stage √ Happened more than once
- Turned down an offer √ Happened once
If you have ever withdrawn an application, why?
I reassessed the job duties and decided they were too similar to what I already do and not worth the move/changes
If you’ve turned down an offer (or offers), why?
The pay wasn’t enough to sustain my lifestyle
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Be transparent at every stage
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m somewhat depressed
√ I feel supported in my search
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?)
expected Summer 2023
When did you start your first job search for a “professional” position (or other position that utilized your degree)?
√ Six months before graduating with my MLIS/other LIS degree
In relation to your graduation, when did you find your first “professional” position?
√ I was actually hired before I graduated
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
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Hiring Librarians 
