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?
√ I’m employed outside of the field and I’d like to be in it
√ I want to work with a different population
Where do you look for open positions?
ALA JobLIST, LinkedIn
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
√ Public library
What part of the world are you in?
√ Canada
What’s your region like?
√ Urban area
Are you willing/able to move for employment?
√ Yes, anywhere
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
Career progression,good salary and flexible job
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
16
What steps, actions, or attributes are most important for employers to take to sell you on the job?
√ Pay well
√ 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)
Other than not listing a salary range, are there other “red flags” that would prevent you from applying to a job?
Lack of career progression
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
An hour
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
Check through application requirements,
List out relevant work experience on my resume
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
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
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?
Two weeks
How do you prepare for interviews?
By going through the organization website to know more about them and learn more about the job role i applied for
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
None
During your current search, have you had any of the following experiences:
- Submitted an application and got no response √ Happened more than once
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Employers should please understands that not every qualified applicants have many years of work experience, we should be considered for entry level role to build up the experience needed
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m optimistic
√ I’m energized
√ I feel alone in my search
What are your job search self-care strategies?
To always send mail to organisation asking if the application process is still on, most especially when i dont get a feedback in time
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?
To job hunter, i will say never give up on your dream. Pursue it
Do you have any comments for Emily (the survey author) or are there any other questions you think we should add to this survey?
I would like to say thank you for this opportunity
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?)
2018
When did you start your first job search for a “professional” position (or other position that utilized your degree)?
√ After graduating with my MLIS/other LIS degree
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?
√ Contract
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
No
Hiring Librarians 
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