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 underemployed (not enough hours or overqualified for current position)
√ Looking for more money
√ I want to work at a different type of library/institution
√ My current job is temporary
√ My current job provides insufficient or no benefits (Healthcare or beyond)
√ Because I’m worried about a possible recession
√ Other: looking for work in a different location
Where do you look for open positions?
any job posting website that sends email notifications
What position level are you looking for?
√ Entry level
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Archives
√ Other: historical society, National Park Service, state park service, local government, records management, museums
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
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
location, pay, benefits
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
15
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
√ Prioritizing work-life balance
√ Other: describing/showing daily duties
Do you expect to see the salary range listed in a job ad?
√ Only for certain kinds of employers
Other than not listing a salary range, are there other “red flags” that would prevent you from applying to a job?
application link does not go directly to an employer’s website, website looks like a scam, description is vague or does not list expectations and requirements in detail, there is no direct contact information and name for the hiring manager/person
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
10 hours
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
revise CV, revise Linked In, revise online portfolio, contact references, write cover letter, fill out application materials
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
When would you like potential employers to contact you?
√ To acknowledge my application
√ 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?
*lmfao* This differs so widely that I have no idea. It would be nice though if employers gave an accurate estimation of the time; they usually don’t provide one, but when they do its is often weeks off.
How do you prepare for interviews?
practice, review cv, study the institution
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
all: none of them are straightforward and honest questions. Interviews make me feel like I’m being psychoanalysed and I have to word every sentence perfectly.
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 √ Not Applicable
- Interviewed for a job where an internal candidate was eventually chosen √ Not Applicable
- Asked for an accommodation for a disability √ Not Applicable
- Withdrawn an application before the offer stage √ Not Applicable
- Turned down an offer √ Happened once
If you’ve turned down an offer (or offers), why?
got a better part-time position
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
be honest, provide benefits, change interviews to demonstrations of skill/knowledge and tests of team cohesion rather than psychoanalyst questions, let people know they weren’t hired, write clear job descriptions/qualifications, include expected start dates/interview process dates in the job posting
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m running out of money
√ Other: about to start looking for work in a different field
What are your job search self-care strategies?
only apply to what matches my ‘perfect’ description: I’ll apply to anything once I’m desperate enough to start applying outside GLAMs
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?
Communication is key: when you don’t contact people to let them know about a job, you make your institution look like it sees people as resources not people. We put a lot of time into these applications, so don’t dismiss us.
Do you have any comments for Emily (the survey author) or are there any other questions you think we should add to this survey?
Just want to note that I am focused on a very narrow location region, and very few jobs are posted for this region (I’m trying to move home to care for ailing parents), so my job search experience and strategies might be very different than others who have more flexibility in their location options.
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?)
May 2023
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?
√ I was actually hired before I graduated
What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position?
√ Part Time
√ Temporary/Limited Term
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
kind of: they send out emails about positions
Hiring Librarians 
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