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Hiring Librarians Podcast S02b E13: Talkin Union with Jaime Taylor
We’re back!
After an unintentionally long break, we’re back. Let’s consider this Season 2b.
This episode my guest is Jaime Taylor. Jaime is a contributing person-who-hires-library-workers on the Further Questions feature here on Hiring Librarians (which returns tomorrow), the Discovery & Resource Management Systems Coordinator at the W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts, a proud union member, AND a coordinator of library staff working in THREE different unions. On this episode of the hiring librarians podcast, we’re talking about unions, hiring, getting hired, and what exactly systems librarians do anyway. I hope you enjoy and I’d love to hear your thoughts on the topic.
An AI-generated and not completely error free transcript is here.
Speaking of links, in this episode we talk about:
- Massachusetts Society of Professors (MSP)
- Professional Staff Union of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Boston (PSU)
- University Staff Association (USA)
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
- Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA)
- National Education Association (NEA)
- Jorts (and Jean) One Step for Each Paw Four Steps to Form a Union
- DC37 (New York City Public Employee Union)
- United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW)
- Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
- And you’ll hear three different commercials for my upcoming class through ALA CORE which runs August 4 through August 29, 2025
This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube music and other various podcasting sites (let me know if you can’t find it on your preferred platform).
I’d love to hear your requests or other feedback for moving forward. And please do reach out if you want to be a guest!
#Librarian #librarians #libraries #Library #libraryCareers #libraryHiring #libraryJobs #LibraryUnions #LISCareers #Unions
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Winter Reruns: “Currently, we’re over 300% turnover since 2016 and cannot attract candidates.”
After taking a few months off, I’ve decided to sunset this project. I’m finishing up my scheduled selection of Hiring Librarians’ greatest hits and most reviled posts, and then will stop updating in late February/early March. Thanks so much for reading!
This survey was filled out on March 25, 2022 and originally ran on May 12, 2022. This person was not one of the more verbose respondents, but the sparse statements succeed in describing a tough story. Several folks told me it struck home with them, unfortunately.
Image: Anita Ozols works at typewriter in Chubb Library Cataloging Department, shortly before move to the new Alden Library by Ohio University Libraries on FlickrThis anonymous interview is with someone who hires for a:
√ Academic Library
Title: Head of Cataloging
Titles hired: Reference Librarian, acquisitions, circulation
Who makes hiring decisions at your organization:
√ A Committee or panel
Which of the following does your organization regularly require of candidates?
√ Online application
√ Cover letter
√ Resume
√ CV
√ References
Does your organization use automated application screening?
√ No
Briefly describe the hiring process at your organization and your role in it:
It’s a disaster. A committee makes and recommendation and the director ignores it.
Think about the last candidate who really wowed you, on paper, in an interview, or otherwise. Why were they so impressive?
Currently, we’re over 300% turnover since 2016 and cannot attract candidates.
How many pages should each of these documents be?
Cover Letter: √ Only One!
Resume: √ Two is ok, but no more
CV: √ As many as it takes, but keep it reasonable and relevant
Do you conduct virtual interviews? What do job hunters need to know about shining in this setting?
we have for COVID but are starting to perform on campus interviews
How can candidates looking to transition from paraprofessional work, from non-library work, or between library types convince you that their experience is relevant? Or do you have other advice for folks in this kind of situation?
technical skills
When does your organization *first* mention salary information?
√ We only discuss after we’ve made an offer
What does your organization do to reduce bias in hiring? What are the contexts in which discrimination still exists in this process?
We have a DEI statement that is ignored
What questions should candidates ask you? What is important for them to know about your organization and the position you are hiring for?
What happened to the the last three people that had this job?
Additional Demographics
What part of the world are you in?
√ Southwestern US
What’s your region like?
√ Urban
Is your workplace remote/virtual?
√ Some of the time and/or in some positions
How many staff members are at your organization?
√ 11-50
#libraries #libraryCareers #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #libraryJobs #LISCareers -
Hiring Librarians Hiatus
Well Hi There!
I’ve decided to take a couple months off from Hiring Librarians. My plan is to neither create content nor check email nor look at the socials through late January. Then I’ll start recording new podcast episodes and put together a new survey to release in February.
To help me out, please share ideas for new content, feedback on what I should focus on next year, or general opinions, on this survey. Feel free to skip any questions that don’t apply or interest you.
I do have a few posts scheduled to run while I’m on break. I’ve pulled some of the greatest hits and most reviled posts, and will be doing about one Winter Rerun a week.
If you really need me, you can find non-Hiring Librarians contact info over at my personal website. Otherwise, see you next year!
Your Pal,
Emily
#GLAM #librarians #libraries #libraryCareers #libraryHiring #libraryJobs #LISCareers #lisJobs -
“I have never been offered a ‘permanent’ position.”
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?
√ More than 18 months
Why are you job hunting?
√ I’m unemployed,
√ I’ve been threatened at my job or had to deal with hostility/danger/scary behavior from the public or coworkers
Where do you look for open positions?
Institutional websites, ALA and similar sites
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,
√ Special library
What part of the world are you in?
√ Southwestern 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?
1) Good pay & benefits 2) Professional work environment 3) Qualified & dedicated co-workers
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
several 100s
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,
√ Prioritizing work-life balance,
√ Other: Staff who are competent & qualified for their jobs
Do you expect to see the salary range listed in a job ad?
√ Yes, and it’s a red flag when it’s not
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
1-2 hours
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
ensure my cover letter and resume correlate to the job listing and institution
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ Email and mail
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?
1-2 months
How do you prepare for interviews?
I used to, but I don’t bother to anymore
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 more than once
- Interviewed for a job where an internal candidate was eventually chosen √ Happened the majority of the time or always
- Asked for an accommodation for a disability √ Not Applicable
- Withdrawn an application before the offer stage √ Happened once
- Turned down an offer √ Happened once
If you have ever withdrawn an application, why?
Because something the hiring committee said & did after my first interview made it clear to me that they already had someone local whom they were going to hire & who wasn’t the least bit qualified for the job. (And, when the hiring announcement was made, it turned out I was completely right.)
If you’ve turned down an offer (or offers), why?
I turned down one job early in my job hunt for many reasons, the top reasons included: they had a wide array of projects they wanted done but with no money budgeted for them; the library director made it clear she was only there for a couple of years passing her time on the way to something better; after visiting for the interview, I didn’t like the city or the library/college where the job was located; I didn’t like the one employee I would have to work with the most (& it was clear no one else already working there could stand her either); I resented the fact that they persistently lied about the other (non-existent) candidates for the job; it was clearly the workplace from hell
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
1) Quit asking for my SSN before you’ve hired me.
2) Get rid of online application services that require ‘creating accounts’ (especially ones that can not be deleted) and that require typing in hours worth of information into ‘fields’ on the computer in addition to uploading a resume when all the relevant information you need is already contained in the resume. I’ve gotten to the point where I prioritize applying for jobs where I can just upload or email or mail my cover letter and resume.
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ 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?
A word for employers: if you already know you are going to hire the department head’s ne’er-do-well nephew, or the library director’s alcoholic mistress, or the long time volunteer who isn’t remotely qualified for the job but deserves to be rewarded for all the years of serving up cake and punch during children’s programming, don’t post the job and waste applicants’ time. The 2 most frustrating things about my never-ending job search are: 1) Realizing that most jobs are already filled before they are posted. 2) Realizing that highly qualified candidates are frequently passed over for individuals with little to no qualifications whatsoever.
Job Hunting Post Graduate School
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 obtained my first full-time professional position before I graduated, but it was only temporary, grant-funded. And all my jobs have been temporary, grant-funded. I have never been offered a ‘permanent’ position.
What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position?
√ Full Time
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
No, my Library School was & is less than useless.
#glamJobs #librarians #libraries #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #libraryJobs #libraryWork #lisCareers #lisJobs
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“Sometimes who you know hurts the job process.”
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 unemployed,
√ I’m underemployed (not enough hours or overqualified for current position),
√ I’ve been threatened at my job or had to deal with hostility/danger/scary behavior from the public or coworkers,
√ Because I’m worried about a possible recession
Where do you look for open positions?
Archives Gig, LinkedIn, Library Job line, USA jobs, Indeed
What position level are you looking for?
√ Entry level
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library,
√ Archives,
√ Special library
What part of the world are you in?
√ Western US (including Pacific Northwest)
What’s your region like?
√ Urban area,
√ Suburban area,
√ Rural area
Are you willing/able to move for employment?
√ No,
√ Yes, to a specific list of places
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
Flexible, Opportunity to grow, non toxic workplace
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
15 estimate
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?
√ 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?
Not enough information. Seeing the job ad posted regularly indicating frequent turnover.
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
2-3 hours
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
Curate resume/cv to job ad. Write cover letter covering key experiences that fit with resume.
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ Email
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?
2 weeks
How do you prepare for interviews?
Reading the job ad, researching the company, reviewing my resume and cover letter. Rehearsing potential examples of experiences.
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
Tell me about a time… questions. This is popular right now but it creates a scenario where good story telling is required.
During your current search, have you had any of the following experiences:
- Submitted an application and got no response √ Happened once
- Had an interview and never heard back √ Happened once
- Interviewed for a job where an internal candidate was eventually chosen √ Happened the majority of the time or always
- Asked for an accommodation for a disability √ Not Applicable
- Withdrawn an application before the offer stage √ Not Applicable
- Turned down an offer √ Not Applicable
If you’ve asked for an accommodation, what happened?
Too scared to ask.
If you want to share a great, inspirational, funny, horrific or other story about an experience you have had at any stage in the hiring process, please do so here:
Sometimes who you know hurts the job process. The library/archive world is small. A few times my supervisor suddenly becomes unpopular within this world and because I worked under them I am not considered.
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Be honest. If you are probably going to hire an in internal candidate it should be clear. Having positions that don’t require so much experience up front. A masters is expensive and volunteering to get experience required takes a long time (archives and history related jobs specifically).
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m somewhat depressed,
√ I’m frustrated,
√ I’m running out of money,
√ I feel alone in my search
What are your job search self-care strategies?
Trying not to panic. Not obsessing about the process constantly.
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?
It’s hard. I’m struggling. I wish I had better advice.
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?)
2024
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?
√ Hasn’t happened yet – I’m still looking
What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position?
√ Volunteer
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
No
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about searching for or finding your first post-graduation position?
No
#glamJobs #librarians #libraries #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #libraryJobs #libraryWork #lisCareers #lisJobs
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Further Questions: Best Advice for Getting Hired and for People Who Hire
Let’s do a deeper dive into specific hiring questions! About once a month, I get answers from a group of people who hire library and LIS workers. I’d love to hear from you: what should I ask next time? Or, let me know if you’d like to join the pool of people who might answer.
I’m gearing up to take a couple months off, so to tide us over while I’m gone I have a very broad two-part question:
1. What is your most important piece of advice for people looking for LIS work?
2. What is your most important piece of advice for people who hire LIS workers?
Donna Pierce, Library Director, Krum Public Library:
For the person looking for work – Experience – volunteer for a small library so you have an idea of what really happens! Work on customer service skills unless you know that whatever you do you won’t be dealing with the public. (You would be surprised at how few areas don’t require some type of customer service!) Also, at least in public libraries, look at how your hobbies and interests can translate into programs or services.
For those hiring – customer service skills, ability to recognize patterns and ask questions (do all the books with a green sticker go in the same area? Why is this book different? Is this really where this book belongs?); plus attention to detail. If their application has misspellings (my favorite was the person who had an education degree and misspelled “education”!) that is a huge red flag.
Dr. Erica England, First-Year Experience Librarian, Washington State University:
1. Most important for people looking for LIS work: Sell yourself! Even if you don’t think that you have the necessary skills, I guarantee you have done something that can be translated into value. Whether it’s solving problems, learning quickly, or staying calm under pressure — those are all skills that employers are looking for. Don’t downplay your experience just because it doesn’t have a fancy label.
2. Most important for people hiring: The LIS degree matters and is invaluable. Don’t assume that holding a PhD means someone knows how to research effectively. LIS professionals are trained in information literacy, search strategy, and source evaluation — skills that many others lack. Our expertise fills critical gaps in how people find, assess, and use information. That should never be discounted.
Gretchen Corsillo, Director, Rutherford Public Library:
1. My most important piece of advice for people looking for LIS work is to show off why you want the job you’re applying for. I see too many applications come across my desk that are not at all tailored to the role in question, and that is usually an automatic no for me. If you’re invited for an interview, bring specific examples to show what appeals to you and highlight that you’ve done your research about the library. This sends the message that you’re invested in the organization and understand why you’d be a good fit.
2. My most important piece of advice for people who hire LIS workers is to look at non-library job experience as an asset. I’ve seen a lot of hiring professionals write great candidates off because they’ve transitioned from another field or otherwise had a lot of experience doing something different. Many skills are transferable to library work. Some of my best hires over the years have come from backgrounds in retail, education, etc. While there are many roles that do require specific library experience, it’s important not to discount outside-the-box skills as well. Try to look at the candidate’s background as a whole, rather than just how long they’ve been in the library world.
Dr. Colleen S. Harris, Dean, Killam Library, Texas A&M International University:
1. What is your most important piece of advice for people looking for LIS work?
Most importantly, where you can do so authentically, connect your interview question answers to your professional experience, lived experience, or what you know from your research about the institution. It grounds your answer in context which is helpful to the committee members who are likely using a set question list and rubric to ensure fairness across candidates. Even if your experience is outside libraries, customer service is customer service, and helping people solve problems is universal. Also, if you have questions, ask (and ALWAYS have questions).
A secondary piece of information, not really advice, is that at least in academic libraries we have very little control over the HR portion of the hiring process which includes important communication. We can set up the interview, but any communication after the in-person interview is not allowed to come from the search chair or even the dean, everything must come from HR. This means that as much as we would like to keep in communication to keep you updated, we are usually (in the various state systems I have worked in over my career) not allowed. Please know if you are not notified about a position closing or not being chosen until wildly late, we would very much prefer to be able to give you such information sooner but are restricted by our institutional processes and policies. I promise, we think it’s as shitty a system as you do–we genuinely value your time and effort.
2. What is your most important piece of advice for people who hire LIS workers?
I have three:
(1) Create spaces for kindness where you can. Interviewing is grueling, and the academic all-day interview is a gauntlet of being “on”. Build in time for bathroom/breathing breaks between interview sessions.
(2) Share the interview questions in advance via email with Zoom candidates, and in writing with in-person candidates so they have something to refer to or scribble on during the committee interview session. Especially in the Zoom scenario, receiving those 30-60 minutes prior can allow the committee to see the candidate performance without unnecessary stress shading things. It’s not enough time to heavily prep a question for a candidate to present themselves unrealistically, but it is enough time for the candidate to not feel blindsided and to shake off their nerves. Which leads me to:
(3) Remember that we want candidates to feel as comfortable as possible so they perform to the best of their ability. Whatever we can do to put them at ease gives us a more realistic baseline from which to judge their performance. We should do this as decent humans, but if you need a formal motivator to be kind, there you go!
Jess Herzog, Director of Adult Services, Spartanburg County Public Libraries:
1. What is your most important piece of advice for people looking for LIS work?
Be yourself. I know this can feel very hard in the moment, when you’re about to walk into an interview and you’ve been trying so hard to get a job for months/years on end. But if you embrace yourself and who you are, show your personality and your passions, you won’t go wrong. To me, every hire is a “personality hire”; I can teach you how to use an ILS or set up AV equipment, but I can’t teach you to be skilled at customer service, patient with new tech users, or lighthearted with kids. Those indications come through what I see of your personality, so don’t hide it.
2. What is your most important piece of advice for people who hire LIS workers?
Remember that you are being interviewed too. It is absolutely wild to me how many of us–both people I’ve been on interview panels with and panels I’ve interviewed for–completely ignore this part of the interview process. Sure, it’s hard to get a job right now, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be putting our best feet forward as a collective. We’re representing our libraries, our departments, and our staff to an interviewee, and the way we come across sends a message about the workplace culture. So dress nicely, answer questions honestly and openly, and sell yourself and the library a little bit. It can go a long way.
Celia Rabinowitz ,Assistant Vice-President for Academic Engagement and Director of Mason Library, Keene State College:
What is your most important piece of advice for people looking for LIS work?
I wonder about what seems to be a disconnect between the accounts of job-seeking library degree holders about how many jobs they apply for without success and what hiring managers (at least in academic libraries which is what I pay attention to) report as very thin candidate pools for jobs. It seems increasingly challenging but I encourage job seekers to be as geographically flexible as possible. There are lots of reasons for not being willing or able to move. But if you find positions in places that seem to match you professional and personal needs, it’s worth considering a move. No job has to last forever. Even if you see it as the job that gets you to the next one in the place you’d rather be. I think that is my most important piece of advice these days. But please don’t forget to keep at it, to ask people to read your stuff before you submit it (open invitation for you to send that CV or cover letter to me), and don’t underestimate the value of all your experience.
What is your most important piece of advice for people who hire LIS workers?
Based on what I read from job-seekers I have two pieces of advice. The first is to offer entry-level positions that are truly that. Give newly degreed professionals who may have limited job experience in library or information environments the opportunity to get that first job. If these positions do not require previous experience then offer them that way. If previous experience is preferred, in many hiring situations a committee will be obligated to prioritize those candidates. The second piece of advice is to be sure you understand the notification process that your institution or organization uses to let individuals know who do not progress in the search, or who are not selected in a finalist round. The stories of job-seekers who never receive any communication, even after an in-person interview is troubling. Someone should be responsible for this and I encourage hiring managers or search committee chairs to be sure you know who that is.
Laura Daniels (she/they), Assistant Director, Metadata Production and Acting Director, Cataloging and Metadata Services, Cornell University Library:
What is your most important piece of advice for people looking for LIS work?
Be a little (but not too) picky. Think about where you want to be (the institution itself, and the location) as well as what you want to be doing. Don’t waste time applying for positions you don’t want or for which you are not qualified.
What is your most important piece of advice for people who hire LIS workers?
Hire for capability and potential, not charisma. It’s easy to get distracted by someone who interviews well. Don’t let that get in the way of considering what qualities and qualifications actually matter for the role.
#glamJobs #librarian #librarians #libraries #library #libraryHiring #libraryJobs #libraryWork #lisCareers #lisJobs
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“It’s hard lol. There are so many jobs, I don’t know what to focus my time on.”
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,
√ Looking for more money,
√ I want to work at a different type of library/institution,
√ Looking for remote/virtual work (or at least hybrid),
√ I’m worried I will be laid off/let go/fired from my current position,
√ I need more flexibility in my schedule (to care for dependents or otherwise)
Where do you look for open positions?
INALJ, ALA JobLIST, LinkedIn, HigherEd Jobs, college/university career pages.
What position level are you looking for?
√ Entry level,
√ Requiring at least two years of experience,
√ Supervisory
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library,
√ Library vendor/service provider,
√ Public library,
√ Special library
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, anywhere
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
Pay, reasonable schedule, hybrid or remote work
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
exactly 12 so far
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,
√ Having a good reputation,
√ 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 large amounts of experience while offering low pay.
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
I spent a lot of time preparing my resume, CV, and cover letter templates. After that, I just make slight changes based on job listing.
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
Creating and/or updating resume and CV. Also, creating cover letter templates based on the kind of jobs I want to apply for.
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ Email
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 couple weeks max.
How do you prepare for interviews?
I look at the job listing and prepare answers for how I can carry out the job duties.
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
“Describe a time a patron was mad at you? What did you do?” I hate this question because I’ve answered a variation of this question too many times for many different jobs and it’s just annoying.
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 √ Not Applicable
If you have ever withdrawn an application, why?
I turned down an interview a year ago because I was still in grad school and wasn’t prepared to work full time yet.
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Review applications and start interviewing faster. Many of us fill out dozens, if not hundreds of applications, we need to know asap if we are rejected or getting an interview. Also, list the pay. You can help yourself as an employer by listing the pay because some people won’t apply and you won’t have to read as many applications.
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m despondent,
√ I’m frustrated,
√ I’m running out of money,
√ I feel alone in my search
What are your job search self-care strategies?
Taking breaks. Talking to my wife.
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?
For job hunters, please take a break and enjoy yourself. Also, you may need to take a low paying retail job while you search if you are having money problems. Employers, stop low balling qualified candidates, or anyone. Pay a living wage and people will stay.
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?)
2025
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?
√ I was actually hired before I graduated
What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position?
√ Full Time
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
University of Alabama sends out job posts the entire time we are enrolled and I still get the emails after graduation.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about searching for or finding your first post-graduation position?
It’s hard lol. There are so many jobs, I don’t know what to focus my time on. Even jobs that I am overqualified for, I worry that I won’t get a call back.
#glamJobs #librarians #libraries #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #libraryJobs #libraryWork #lisCareers #lisJobs
-
“While my school has resources for job hunting because I’m an online student who lives in another state it is often not applicable to me.”
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,
√ Looking for more money,
√ I want to work with a different population
Where do you look for open positions?
LinkedIn, Indeed, Handshake
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?
√ Public library,
√ School library
What part of the world are you in?
√ Southwestern US
What’s your region like?
√ Suburban area
Are you willing/able to move for employment?
√ Yes, anywhere
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
Collection development, chance for growth, and collaborative environment
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 (and describing) excellent benefits,
√ Introducing me to staff,
√ Having a good reputation,
√ 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
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
a few hours
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
making sure that know and have access to all vital information
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ Email
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 to a month
How do you prepare for interviews?
run through common and/or relevant interview questions and prepare answers
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
Do you work well under pressure? Why should we hire you?
During your current search, have you had any of the following experiences:
- Submitted an application and got no response √ I don’t know
- Had an interview and never heard back √ Happened once
- 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 √ Not Applicable
- Turned down an offer √ Not Applicable
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m optimistic,
√ I’m maintaining
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?)
2025
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?
√ 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)?
While my school has resources for job hunting because I’m an online student who lives in another state it is often not applicable to me.
#GLAMJobs #librarians #libraries #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #libraryJobs #libraryWork #LISCareers #lisJobs
-
“My campus is being closed.”
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?
√ Looking for remote/virtual work (or at least hybrid),
√ Other: My campus is being closed. My position has been extended several times over the last year, but will end around May 2026.
Where do you look for open positions?
LinkedIn, ALA JobList, USAJobs, professional organization websites, corporate websites
What position level are you looking for?
√ Requiring at least two years of experience,
√ Supervisory,
√ Department Head,
√ Clerk/Library Assistant
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library,
√ Archives,
√ Library vendor/service provider,
√ Special library,
√ Other: non-library companies and organizations
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?
√ Other: I’d prefer a remote position
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
A good fit to my abilities and skills; a livable wage; congenial co-workers/administration
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
126 (exact)
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,
√ Having a good reputation,
√ Funding professional development,
√ 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?
Poorly written job description; skewed wages/experience ratio
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
2 hours
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
Research hiring institution; talk to anyone I know there or adjacent; edit resume to fit job description; fill out application; write cover letter; submit.
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ Email
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?
1-6 months
How do you prepare for interviews?
More research of the institution; look for anyone I know who has any insight to this particular institution; talk to colleagues in similar positions.
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
“Tell us about a time you faced a problem, and how you dealt with it.”
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 √ I don’t know
- Asked for an accommodation for a disability √ Not Applicable
- Withdrawn an application before the offer stage √ Not Applicable
- Turned down an offer √ Happened more than once
If you’ve turned down an offer (or offers), why?
Years ago I turned down a couple of offers when I realized they were not where I wanted to be, geographically.
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Communicate, communicate, communicate!
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m maintaining,
√ I’m somewhat depressed,
√ I feel alone in my search,
√ Other: I’m procrastinating, knowing that I have my current job for a few more months.
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?)
1994
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?
√ Less than six months after graduating
What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position?
√ Full Time
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
no
#GLAMJobs #librarians #libraries #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #libraryJobs #libraryWork #LISCareers #lisJobs
-
“No new employee can be expected to walk in the door and fix underlying staff issues right away.”
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 unemployed,
√ Looking for remote/virtual work (or at least hybrid),
√ I need more flexibility in my schedule (to care for dependents or otherwise)
Where do you look for open positions?
Library & organization websites, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Monster
What position level are you looking for?
√ Requiring at least two years of experience,
√ Other: Research/reference librarian, Database /Repository Data Librarian, Accesssibility Testing and Patron Support Librarian
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library,
√ Archives,
√ Library vendor/service provider,
√ Public library,
√ Special library,
√ Other: Other data and information centers
What part of the world are you in?
√ Southeastern US
What’s your region like?
√ Urban area,
√ Suburban area
Are you willing/able to move for employment?
√ No
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
Professional growth, pay/benefits, work -life balance
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
Approximately 20
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,
√ Having a good reputation,
√ Funding professional development,
√ Prioritizing EDI work,
√ Prioritizing work-life balance,
√ Other: Having & stating a clear understanding of how I can /will make a difference in the organization – why I am wanted for the position
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?
Saying they are all a family = poor work /life balance; a position where responsibilities and time commitment are not referenced clearly OR the position salary doesn’t match the expected employee time /responsibility level
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
At least 3-5 hours
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
Depends on what they want, but generally, I write a cover letter, make sure my resume fits the organization, proofread for typos, prepare anything else requested, practice, possible interview questions and prepare my own questions for that particular organization
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ No preference
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?
It depends on the seniority of the position and how many applicants they receive. If they receive less than 50 applications, the process could be finalized within two weeks. If they have more than 200 applicants, the process could take a month or more. The process for filling Director or other administrative positions sometimes takes two, three months, but, if they were not going to move my application through the interview process, I would expect to hear from them sooner rather than later.
How do you prepare for interviews?
Research the organization, review standard interview questions, and prepare my own questions for that particular organization and my goals
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
I don’t mind general scenario questions but I don’t like when I am asked specific scenario questions as if they want someone to come in and solve a problem. Especially when it is a personnel problem or a “personality conflict” question. No new employee can be expected to walk in the door and fix underlying staff issues right away.
I also don’t like being asked what is the least amount I will “take” for the job – as if I am buying something! (I’d rather ask what’s the most they will pay for my knowledge, skills, and experience)
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 more than once
- Interviewed for a job where an internal candidate was eventually chosen √ Happened more than once
- Asked for an accommodation for a disability √ Not Applicable
- Withdrawn an application before the offer stage √ Happened once, Not Applicable
- Turned down an offer √ Happened once
If you have ever withdrawn an application, why?
Requirements were added that I did not have
If you’ve turned down an offer (or offers), why?
A salary range was not in the position listing. The interview process was quick and when the offer was made, the proposed salary was less than I made 20 -25 years ago, for an exempt, salaried position, with minimal benefits.
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Communicate!!!
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m maintaining,
√ I’m frustrated,
√ I feel alone in my search
What are your job search self-care strategies?
Umm…what?
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?
Job hunting stinks. I was very optimistic last summer and even in the early fall, but by the time I finished my program and took care of some family issues during the winter, the job postings I had been seeing throughout my MLIS program were gone. I haven’t seen many like them – in my area – since. I cannot relocate so I feel like I wasted time and money for three years.
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?)
2024
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?
√ N/A – hasn’t happened yet
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
Not really just a list serve
#GLAMJobs #librarians #libraries #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #libraryJobs #libraryWork #LISCareers #lisJobs
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“I had an interviewer ask me how clean my car and my room was on a scale of 1-10 with no explanation.”
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),
√ I’m employed outside of the field and I’d like to be in it,
√ My current job provides insufficient or no benefits (Healthcare or beyond)
Where do you look for open positions?
LinkedIn, specific career pages (60+ on my list), AMIA listserv, Archivesgig.com
What position level are you looking for?
√ Entry level,
√ Clerk/Library Assistant
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library,
√ Archives,
√ Library vendor/service provider,
√ Public library,
√ Special library,
√ Media Archives
What part of the world are you in?
√ Southwestern 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?
relevance to my career goals as a film archivist, location, room for growth
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
80 (exact)
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?
√ 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?
If it’s a part-time or short-term role with little pay outside of where I’m willing to relocate to, then I don’t apply.
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
1+ hours.
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
I take notes on the job description, write/rewrite a cover letter tailored to the description, tweak my resume if needed, go through any application questions.
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ Email
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?
Depends on the type of institution, but anywhere from 3 weeks to 6 months (for an academic library).
How do you prepare for interviews?
I write out answers to potential interview questions and make sure I’ve researched their institution really well and have a good understanding of their collections and structure. I also try to write out as many questions as I can for them.
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
I hate the vague, “tell me a time when…” questions because I feel like I don’t know what they want from my answer.
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 √ 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 √ Not Applicable
- Turned down an offer √ Happened once
If you’ve turned down an offer (or offers), why?
Yes. I turned down an offer for a position that I didn’t feel ready for or qualified for and would’ve had to move across the country for (though they would’ve provided relocation assistance). It didn’t feel like the right job to warrant the move, though I probably would’ve taken the job if it were closer or in a more ideal location.
If you want to share a great, inspirational, funny, horrific or other story about an experience you have had at any stage in the hiring process, please do so here:
I had an interviewer ask me how clean my car and my room was on a scale of 1-10 with no explanation.
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Be quicker and more informative in the hiring process. Keep the candidate updated if they haven’t been selected. If there are interview questions you can share ahead of time, please do that!
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m maintaining,
√ I’m somewhat depressed,
√ I’m despondent,
√ I’m frustrated,
√ Not out of money yet, but worried,
√ I feel alone in my search
What are your job search self-care strategies?
Get lots of sleep. Don’t just stare at LinkedIn all day. Go for a walk.
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?
It feels like it’s an especially hard time right now to find jobs in the LIS field and being rejected from jobs doesn’t always mean you’re lacking as a person. Things will turn around and something good will happen soon.
Do you have any comments for Emily (the survey author) or are there any other questions you think we should add to this survey?
It’s nice to know that there are resources for people looking for jobs in this field. 🙂
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?)
2024
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?
√ N/A – hasn’t happened yet
#GLAMJobs #librarians #libraries #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #libraryJobs #libraryWork #LISCareers #lisJobs
-
“Sharing interview questions ahead of time is extremely helpful for me.”
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,
√ My current job is temporary
Where do you look for open positions?
HigherEdJobs, ArchivesGig, Code4Lib, ALA joblist, ATLA, LinkedIn
What position level are you looking for?
√ Entry level
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library,
√ Archives,
√ Special library
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, within my country
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
Type of work (cataloging), institution (special collections), and an urban setting
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
6 exactly
What steps, actions, or attributes are most important for employers to take to sell you on the job?
√ Pay well,
√ Funding professional development,
√ Other: Convey a workplace that is welcoming to continued learning and collaboration in professional interests
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?
I have an academic background in religious studies, and have looked at ATLA’s job postings, but many require a statement of faith as part of the application materials, or state that you will have to sign a document agreeing with their doctrines. Definitely a red flag.
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
Initially, after feeling too overwhelmed to start the process for weeks, I spent a few hours preparing a resume and cover letter for a specific cataloging job. Once that first application was out of the way, I took further time to revise and seek feedback
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
I asked two mentors for feedback on my materials, and adjusted accordingly. For each position, I write down key words and responsibilities from the posting and attempt to group them together in related categories, which I use to restructure my cover letter, and add sections if needed to my basic template for cataloging jobs. I also modify the language in my resume to match the wording in the posting, and remove any bullet points or positions not relevant so it is no longer than two pages.
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ Email
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?
3-6 months
How do you prepare for interviews?
Preparing answers to common situational questions and examples for collaboration, technologies, and specific use of cataloging skills/standards/tools mentioned in the posting. Also a mock interview with a family member or friend.
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 √ 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 √ Happened once
- Turned down an offer √ Not Applicable
If you have ever withdrawn an application, why?
I was offered another position with better pay, location, and a focus closer to my preferred area of librarianship.
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Sharing interview questions ahead of time is extremely helpful for me. I have anxiety, and find the interview process overwhelming to the point of physical sickness. This response is not representative of my actual capabilities at work, but to the specific context of an interview where I have no clear expectations and no familiarity with anyone involved. There’s a difference in expectations in the interview vs the workplace, and it’s unhelpful to insist that someone who can’t answer eloquently off the top of their head is unqualified or unequipped. If I know the questions 24 hours before or even just the morning of, its possible to have relevant experiences and thoughts on my mind that make the entire process better for the interviewer and for me.
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m optimistic,
√ I’m maintaining,
√ I’m somewhat depressed
What are your job search self-care strategies?
designating time for it and trying not to worry outside of that time
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?)
2025
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?
√ I was actually hired before I graduated
What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position?
√ Full Time
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
No. It’s a high ranked school that frequently reminds us of the fact, but does not have specific career support for library students and gives no guidance.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about searching for or finding your first post-graduation position?
The support I had in my job search came from librarians I worked with in my school’s academic library. What allowed me to gain the skills I needed to get a job was prioritizing practical experience over classes, and taking every opportunity to do more varied work with a wide range of people.
#GLAMJobs #librarians #libraries #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #libraryJobs #libraryWork #LISCareers #lisJobs
-
“When they’ve cut people from the pool.”
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?
√ Looking for more money,
√ My current job is awful/toxic,
√ Other: I’d like to live in a different place
Where do you look for open positions?
ALA jobList, ARLIS JobList, HigherEd Jobs, AltAc Jobs, Idealist, grad school job email, Words of Mouth
What position level are you looking for?
√ Requiring at least two years of experience,
√ Supervisory,
√ Department Head
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library,
√ Library vendor/service provider,
√ Special library,
√ Museums
What part of the world are you in?
√ Southwestern US
What’s your region like?
√ Suburban 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?
Not a kitchen sink job (clearly two or three positions bolted together), focused on instruction/research, space to be a little creative
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
24 (exact)
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,
√ Having a good reputation,
√ 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?
really tight turn around times for library/higher ed jobs (tells me there’s an internal candidate that they’re fast tracking).
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
1-3 hours
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
tailor CV/resume to job, write cover letter (I write new ones for every job; I don’t have a template), prepare any other statements (less common in this search than in my post-library school search), submit
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ Email
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,
√ Other: when they’ve cut people from the pool. If I don’t make it past the phone interview stage, I want to get that automated email that says they’ve gone in a different direction
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?
3-5 months
How do you prepare for interviews?
If I have questions in advance, I write bullet point answers. If not, I review the materials I submitted and the job description and take a stab at what kinds of scenarios might be relevant to the interviewers and bullet point those. I also prepare a short list of questions, some that I always ask and some that are tailored to the job.
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
I’ve never actually been asked any of the classic trash questions, but I never know how to answer “how do you like to be managed”
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 more than once
- 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 √ Not Applicable
- Turned down an offer √ Not Applicable
If you’ve asked for an accommodation, what happened?
The only accomodations I’ve ever asked for are dietary, and people are fine about allergies and the fact that I don’t eat meat.
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Communicate, communicate, communicate. Also, and I feel a little strongly about this, don’t ask for references at the start. You’re not going to use those until the on-campus stage at the earliest.
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m optimistic,
√ I’m maintaining,
√ I feel alone in my search
What are your job search self-care strategies?
My task manager is game-ified and that’s really helpful. I get a little reward when I submit something. I also try to keep it at a managable pace, so not pressuring myself to do too many. If I get more done in a day great, but I set a manageable goal.
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?)
2019
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?
√ Six months to a year after graduating
What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position?
√ Full Time
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
not really
#GLAMJobs #librarians #libraries #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #libraryJobs #libraryWork #LISCareers #lisJobs
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“Rewarding myself with a little treat after each time I get an interview.”
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?
√ Looking for more money,
√ I want to work at a different type of library/institution,
√ My current job is boring,
√ I’m worried I will be laid off/let go/fired from my current position
Where do you look for open positions?
INALJ, Indeed, LinkedIn, ArchivesGig
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
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?
√ Other: Yes, to blue states
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
More interesting work, better pay, better commute
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
20
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,
√ 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?
Job descriptions that emphasize faith-based values
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
2-3 hours
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
Research institution, write cover letter, tweak resume to suit position, proofread. If it’s a job I’m really interested in I’ll have a friend look at it too.
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ Email
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?
2-3 months
How do you prepare for interviews?
Reread job posting, reread my cover letter, familiarize myself with the institution’s website and dig more deeply into it.
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 once
- Interviewed for a job where an internal candidate was eventually chosen √ Happened more than once
- Asked for an accommodation for a disability √ Not Applicable
- Withdrawn an application before the offer stage √ Happened once
- Turned down an offer √ Happened once
If you have ever withdrawn an application, why?
Found out at end of first interview that the pay was extremely low and decided it was not worth it
If you’ve turned down an offer (or offers), why?
Was told when offered the position that actually, someone in XYZ position has just left so the position I interviewed and was offered was also going to take on THOSE job duties – without any increase in pay
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
– Make it easier for people to apply; you have to jump through several hopes sometimes.
– Be clear, particularly about salaries.
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m maintaining,
√ I’m frustrated,
√ I feel supported in my search
What are your job search self-care strategies?
Ranting to friends who are in the same position, rewarding myself with a little treat after each time I get an interview.
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?
√ I was actually hired before I graduated
What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position?
√ Full Time
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
No.
#GLAMJobs #librarians #libraries #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #libraryJobs #libraryWork #LISCareers #lisJobs
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“If an hour is given for an interview and you finish in 15-20 minutes then you did not provide enough details in your answers.”
This anonymous interview is with someone who hires for a:
√ Public Library
Title: Branch Manager
Titles hired include: Public Services Librarian, Assistant Branch Manager, Branch Manager, Children’s Librarian, Mobile Services Supervisor
Who makes hiring decisions at your organization:
√ HR
√ Library Administration
√ The position’s supervisor
√ A Committee or panel
√ Employees at the position’s same level (on a panel or otherwise)
√ Other: Outside organization professional
Which of the following does your organization regularly require of candidates?
√ Online application
√ Resume
√ References
√ Supplemental Questions
√ Demonstration (teaching, storytime, etc)
Does your organization use automated application screening?
√ No
Briefly describe the hiring process at your organization and your role in it:
Job postings are made with a typical 2 week opening. Internal and external postings are done at the same time- no internal preference given. Applications require a resume, references, and short essay questions. Cover letter is optional. There are a few qualifying questions that weed out applicants. A panel independently scores the resume and essay questions with a structured rubric and the top 5-8 candidates receive an interview. Interview questions are given 24 hours in advance. The panel interviews the candidates and independently scores each candidate with a rubric. Executive director compiles the scores and we discuss the candidates, strengths in the position. The top candidate is typically offered the position, but occasionally the second candidate is offered the position at the directors discretion usually with the direct supervisors influence. I have served on 30+ interview panels.
Think about the last candidate who really wowed you, on paper, in an interview, or otherwise. Why were they so impressive?
Their personal story and what they overcame to get to this interview- immigrant from Africa, learned to read from classic books her dad brought home, immigrated as a young adult to the US, studied in public libraries until their English was strong enough to enter college. She educated her 9 children using the public library. There is nothing more she wants in life then to go back to Africa and open a public library which do not exist there.
Do you have any instant dealbreakers?
Using AI to answer application and interview questions. It is a regular occurrence in past year and a half.
What do you wish you could know about candidates that isn’t generally revealed in the hiring process?
Flexibility and willingness to pitch in to get a job done.
How many pages should each of these documents be?
Cover Letter: √ Only One!
Resume: √ Two is ok, but no more
CV: √ Two is ok, but no more
What is the most common mistake that people make in an interview?
If an hour is given for an interview and you finish in 15-20 minutes then you did not provide enough details in your answers. Applicants should use close to the allotted time without going over.
Do you conduct virtual interviews? What do job hunters need to know about shining in this setting?
Yes, dress in professional or at least smart casual. A crewneck is not good enough. Be aware of your background, blur it if need be. Use the time allotted without going over. Provide details and illustrate your answers with stories that showcase your skills.
How can candidates looking to transition from paraprofessional work, from non-library work, or between library types convince you that their experience is relevant? Or do you have other advice for folks in this kind of situation?
Stories bring skills and relevant experiences to life. Do not tell the same story more than once. It is a wasted opportunity to repeat yourself.
When does your organization *first* mention salary information?
√ It’s part of the job ad
What does your organization do to reduce bias in hiring? What are the contexts in which discrimination still exists in this process?
Hiring training on reducing bias in interview process. We openly talk about ways to reduce bias by learning about types of bias in depth.
What questions should candidates ask you? What is important for them to know about your organization and the position you are hiring for?
Ask questions of genuine interest or of things they want to know. I love a workplace culture question.
Additional Demographics
What part of the world are you in?
√ Notheastern US
What’s your region like?
√ Rural
Is your workplace remote/virtual?
√ Some of the time and/or in some positions
How many staff members are at your organization?
√ 51-100
Is there anything else you’d like to say, either to job hunters or to me, the survey author?
Very interested in crowdsourcing how people feel about applicants that use AI in their interview and application answers. I clearly have very strong feelings against it.
Author’s note: Hey, thanks for reading! If you like reading, why not try commenting or sharing? Or are you somebody who hires Library, Archives or other LIS workers? Please consider giving your own opinion by filling out the survey here.
#AcademicLibraries #libraryCareers #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #LISCareers
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“I spend my time pouring over their website or social media”
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 unemployed
Where do you look for open positions?
LinkedIn, Glassdoor, The Partnership, Indeed, local library job boards, local college job boards
What position level are you looking for?
√ Entry level,
√ Requiring at least two years of experience,
√ Clerk/Library Assistant
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library,
√ Archives,
√ Public library,
√ School library,
√ Special 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?
√ No
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
Livable salary, good benefits, strong & clear mission statments
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
estimated 50+
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,
√ 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?
Entry level work that requires five or more years of experience.
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
2 hours
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
Research institution, Check my resume and cover letter and try to tailor them to fit what the job requires.
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ Email
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?
2-4 Months
How do you prepare for interviews?
I spend my time pouring over their website or social media, this helps give me an idea of what that organization strives to accomplish, as well as how I can best fit within said organization.
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 √ I don’t know
- 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?
If the position has been filled, just send an email.
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m frustrated,
√ Not out of money yet, but worried,
√ I feel alone 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?)
2024
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?
√ Less than six months after graduating
What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position?
√ Substitute/Pool position
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
Occasional emails about new positions from my professors
#GLAMJobs #librarians #libraries #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #libraryJobs #libraryWork #LISCareers #lisJobs
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“It’s also okay if you decide to do something else for a while”
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?
√ More than 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 a promotion/more responsibility,
√ I want to work with a different population,
√ I want to work at a different type of library/institution
Where do you look for open positions?
LinkedIn, Simmons Jobline, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners jobs postings, specific local libraries’ employment sites, HigherEdJobs
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?
√ Public library
What part of the world are you in?
√ Northeastern US
What’s your region like?
√ Urban area
Are you willing/able to move for employment?
√ No
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
public-facing work, professional-level title and equivalent responsibilities, located in or near my community
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
48 (exact)
What steps, actions, or attributes are most important for employers to take to sell you on the job?
√ Pay well,
√ Introducing me to staff,
√ 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?
Complete absence of EDI language in listing; listings that include mostly librarian-level work but are presented as para-professional roles
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
3-6 hours
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
research library, including department structure, major initiatives, and current staff; adjust resume language to create a version that mirrors job posting; adapt the most relevant previous cover letter to fit role; proofread
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ Email
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?
The average over my search has been about 75 days, so I guess that’s what I expect at this point. That’s pretty terrible, though.
How do you prepare for interviews?
Researching committee members, department, larger library system, relevant topics, etc. and typing up copious notes. Writing out answers to common questions to find articulate ways to say things (obviously I don’t read the notes in the interview, but writing through things helps me). Making an extensive list of questions that I want to ask. Reading up on recent literature in the field for areas that I have less direct experience with.
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
“What tools or tricks do you use to stay organized?” – I don’t have many, but I’m still a pretty organized person, so it either comes off like I’m bragging or I haven’t thought about how to organize my work.
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 √ Not Applicable
- Interviewed for a job where an internal candidate was eventually chosen √ Happened the majority of the time or always
- 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?
The position wasn’t ideal in the first place, but I really wanted to move on to a new thing. Then during the interviewing process it became clear that it was a bad match.
If you’ve turned down an offer (or offers), why?
It turned out that working with children and young adults was a much larger part of the role than I had anticipated, and while I wasn’t opposed to that, the pay was quite low so those two things combined made me think it wasn’t the right job for me. I kind of regret that now, though.
If you want to share a great, inspirational, funny, horrific or other story about an experience you have had at any stage in the hiring process, please do so here:
I applied for a role that was fairly similar to the one I have now, but would have been a professional librarian position (my current role is classified as para-professional) and it was at a different type of library, about halfway between where I am now (academic special collections) and where I’d ideally like to be (public). During the interview, it became clear just how clearly matched my skills from my current role were to the role they were hiring for, and the hiring manager just said “I think you’d be bored in this job. Would you be bored?” I mean, he wasn’t wrong, but that was a weird thing to be asked/try to answer in an interview setting. Also I once went through four rounds of interviews for a job only to have one of the interviewers tell me (in a one-on-one zoom conversation) that I shouldn’t want the job because it would basically crush my spirit. Again, wasn’t wrong, but…how do you respond to that??
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
I know it’s never going to happen, but please, once you’re into final interviews, can you tell the rest of us that we’re out of the game?? Also, way more people should consider providing interview questions in advance, I don’t know why this isn’t normalized. Yes, many types of librarianship require being able to answer questions on the fly, but usually with resources at hand! And in a deeply interactive way! I’m also kind of sick of the idea of being “overqualified”–this is not my first career, I’m coming to it a little older than some others, and yes, I have the degree and some experience, but I can’t even get interviews for assistant/associate jobs, and I have to assume part of that is the assumption of being “overqualified” and/or that it would be a “stepping stone” but it’s really frustrating!
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m somewhat depressed,
√ I’m frustrated,
√ I feel alone in my search
What are your job search self-care strategies?
keeping data on the search is helpful for me in terms of feeling informed and managing expectations; existentialism?? idk
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?
This is kind of the worst, and I know that’s not inspiring, but hey, solidarity. It’s also okay if you decide to do something else for a while–I’ve had like three and a half careers and have multiple advanced degrees and I’m still in my thirties, you can broaden your horizons and it’s not the end of the world.
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’ve been reading these for so long and the responses are always meaningful, even the ones that seem to have very little in common with my own experiences. I didn’t realize the survey was still open until today, but I’m thrilled to be able to participate! I really appreciate your work on the site (and the podcast!)–thank you for this!
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)?
√ 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?
√ N/A – hasn’t happened yet
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
Ha no. I tried working with career services for resume/cover letter review. They gave me one formatting suggestion (which I didn’t take) and told me that my cover letter was “one of the best” they’d seen–I mean, thanks? But it’s not working? So???
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about searching for or finding your first post-graduation position?
See comment about about the “overqualified” paradox. Also switching from one type of library to another is shockingly hard??
#GLAMJobs #librarians #libraries #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #libraryJobs #libraryWork #LISCareers #lisJobs
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“Convenient location, interesting subject matter, good benefits.”
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?
√ More than 18 months
Why are you job hunting?
√ I’m unemployed
Where do you look for open positions?
SAA, INALJ
What position level are you looking for?
√ Supervisory
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Archives,
What part of the world are you in?
√ Mid-Atlantic 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?
Convenient location, interesting subject matter, good benefits.
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
6 (estimate)
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
Do you expect to see the salary range listed in a job ad?
√ Yes, and it’s a red flag when it’s not
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
1-2 days
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
Update and revise resume as needed prior to careful proofreading of all documents. Draft a list of questions, and if it is unclear why the position is open and consider whether to ask how long the position has been unfilled.
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ Email
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 do you prepare for interviews?
Review position description, note items that are vague or unclear. Consider whether to ask why the position is open.
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 √
- Asked for an accommodation for a disability √
- Withdrawn an application before the offer stage √
- Turned down an offer √ Happened once
If you’ve turned down an offer (or offers), why?
Did not want to relocate after seeing the city
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Explain their hiring procedure and indicate how long it may take before a final decision is made.
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I feel alone in my search
What are your job search self-care strategies?
Cook extra good meals, take an afternoon walk around my neighborhood for at least 30 min. Once back home I lie down and read for at least 1 hr.
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?)
1973
In relation to your graduation, when did you find your first “professional” position?
√ 18 months to two years after graduating
What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position?
√ Full Time
#GLAMJobs #librarians #libraries #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #libraryJobs #libraryWork #LISCareers #lisJobs
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“I’m retiring with a pension from a public school position I’ve held for many years, and looking for an entry-level position in an academic library.”
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?
√ I want to work at a different type of library/institution
Where do you look for open positions?
LinkedIn, ACRL, Google
What position level are you looking for?
√ Requiring at least two years of experience
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library
What part of the world are you in?
√ Northeastern US
What’s your region like?
√ Urban area,
√ Suburban area
Are you willing/able to move for employment?
√ No
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
New challenges, collaborative environment, intellectual stimulation
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
3
What steps, actions, or attributes are most important for employers to take to sell you on the job?
√ Introducing me to staff,
√ Having a good reputation,
√ Funding professional development
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?
Mismatch between salary and responsibilities/qualifications.
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
one hour
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
I tailor my resume and cover letter to the job description and the information on the college’s website.
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ Email
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?
Two months.
How do you prepare for interviews?
Review relevant standards, visit the library if possible, explore the information on their website, look at the LinkedIn profiles of library staff, take notes on the job description and how my experience might match what they’re looking for.
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years. It seems like there is simply no right answer to this question. If you say “doing this job I’m applying for,” it seems like you have no ambition. If you say, “moving into administration,” you could be a threat.
During your current search, have you had any of the following experiences:
- Submitted an application and got no response √ Happened once
- 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 √ Not Applicable
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Communicate, communicate, communicate. Submitting an application shouldn’t feel like buying a lottery ticket. Highly educated professionals are spending their time trying to present themselves to you. The least you can do is acknowledge applications and write to inform you about whether or not you are being considered.
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m optimistic
What are your job search self-care strategies?
I’m in an unusual position. I’m retiring with a pension from a public school position I’ve held for many years, and looking for an entry-level position in an academic library. I’m also adjuncting in information literacy. I have health insurance and a spouse who is not retired. So while I would like very much to have a new job by September, I’m not going to stress if I don’t get one. I can afford to wait a while, although not indefinitely.
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?
Employers, you are librarians. Please show respect for our profession by showing respect for applicants, all of whom are, in a larger sense, your colleagues.
Do you have any comments for Emily (the survey author) or are there any other questions you think we should add to this survey?
No, but thank you, Emily!
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?)
2003
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?
√ I was actually hired before I graduated
What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position?
√ Part Time
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
No, but I didn’t ask for any, either.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about searching for or finding your first post-graduation position?
I don’t know if this works anymore, but I visited the library, introduced myself, and scored an interview on the basis of that conversation! I don’t even think they had a job posted.
#GLAMJobs #librarians #libraries #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #libraryJobs #libraryWork #LISCareers #lisJobs
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Further Questions: AI and Hiring
Let’s do a deeper dive into specific hiring questions! About once a month, I get answers from a group of people who hire library and LIS workers. I’d love to hear from you: what should I ask next time? Or, let me know if you’d like to join the pool of people who might answer.
In a couple recent webinars I’ve conducted, I’ve heard from employers who want to know what to do about applications that are written by AI. Some are overwhelmed with poor or unqualified applications, and some are worried about inadvertently selecting a candidate who has “cheated” by having AI write their cover letter. I have also heard from applicants who are curious about using AI to help streamline their own application process – they wonder under what, if any, circumstances it would be a good idea. (I did previously ask about using AI to write cover letters in July of 2024).
So this month I’m asking multiple questions:
- Have you encountered AI-written applications in any of your searches?
- Were they obvious?
- What did you do?
- Do you have any advice or recommended tactics regarding AI for other people or organizations who hire?
- Do you have any advice or recommendations regarding AI for job seekers?
- Any additional concerns, open questions, or comments about AI and hiring that you’d like to share?
Melissa Moore, Head of Access Services, Ferndale Area District Library:
1. Have you encountered AI-written applications in any of your searches?
Yes. Not many, but I have seen a few AI cover letters
2. Were they obvious?
Very obvious. They are always very surface level answers that don’t really tell me anything. They also never include anything specific about the position or the library.
3. What did you do?
I stop reading and put that resume in my “no” pile.
4. Do you have any advice or recommended tactics regarding AI for other people or organizations who hire?
As a hiring manager, I firmly believe that using AI read/sort resumes is bad practice. If you ask for a cover letter, read it. It is also impossible for AI to find or understand nuance and interpret transferable skills that are not input into its programming. There is also the ethical concern of how LLMs are trained.
5. Do you have any advice or recommendations regarding AI for job seekers?
Don’t. Just don’t. Find already written examples and start there. Ask other people for help. Go to the library and check out one of the many resources tailored to creating resumes, cover letters, and more. Use your school’s career center (you can still get help even as an alumni).
6. Any additional concerns, open questions, or comments about AI and hiring that you’d like to share?
Using AI in the hiring process does not provide a diverse interview pool, contrary to what AI companies are telling you. AI resume screeners are shown to favor white males and tend to be more discriminatory than humans.
Using AI to write a resume or cover letter lacks personalization and detail that makes someone a stand out candidate that puts them at the top of the interview pile. I would rather have two sentences telling me why you want to work here than a perfectly constructed AI letter that doesn’t really tell me anything at all (or worse, has nothing to do with the job description or the library).
Gretchen Corsillo, Director, Rutherford Public Library:
AI can certainly be helpful in certain aspects of hiring and job seeking, but I do not see it as a replacement for either side of the process. I personally do not have a problem with candidates using AI to check grammar, correct awkward wording, etc. That being said, I would caution against using it to generate cover letters or resumes. As a potential hire, I want to hear your voice and see your natural writing style, as communication skills are important for most library roles. I think the critical thinking aspect of tying your experience into the qualities requested in a job ad is also very important. We lose that with GenAI. So, if you really want to use AI, think of it as an editing tool rather than a writer or creator. On the hiring side, I am generally not comfortable relying on AI to evaluate candidates for fear of accuracy issues, internal biases, etc. If I had to use it, I see it being more helpful in polishing responses to candidates and managing schedules – the more tedious and clerical aspects of the process. I know there are a lot of AI-based HR tools entering the market, so I’m curious to see how they impact hiring processes in the long term.
Celia Rabinowitz, Assistant Vice-President for Academic Engagement and Director of Mason Library, Keene State College: It has been over five years since I have been able to do a search for a library position. I am currently chairing a search for an endowed faculty position in one of our non-library academic departments but do not anticipate encountering any AI-generated materials (or at least I hope we do not). My advice for job seekers is to avoid AI, particularly for cover-letter writing. As we all know, AI tools do not write, they can only generate text. An AI-generated letter not only opens up the risk of being recognized as artificial, but also may not impress readers as much as your own writing (even if it does seem to save time). I am in the AI-resistor camp in general although I can see some potential for using a tool to take your existing resume or cv and offering some alternative formatting or restructuring of text.
I am curious about whether there are already Institutional/campus guidelines or policies about applications that hiring managers suspect have been generated or enhanced by AI. These types of guidelines probably exist and they can help establish consistent responses. I have already read a number of articles about students suspected or accused of using AI who have been able to prove otherwise (through the use of extensive screen shots during their writing process). So my worry is that suspecting AI-generated materials and verifying their existence is not easy. Are hiring managers rejecting these without giving the submitters an opportunity to demonstrate otherwise? Or is all of this too time consuming and labor intensive even to bother with and we just accept what is submitted either assuming professional integrity, or not particularly concerned?
I am not sure how all of this is playing out other than to be fairly certain it is a current reality that library search committees and hiring managers are confronting in all types of libraries. While the reduction in the size of my staff over the past decade has been significant and challenging, I’ll admit that I’m glad not to add this challenge to my list.
Dr. John Sandstrom, College Professor and Acquisitions Librarian, New Mexico State University Library:
1. Have you encountered AI-written applications in any of your searches? Yes, I have.
2. Were they obvious? Yes, they were.
3. What did you do? The applicant did not move forward for that reason.
4. Do you have any advice or recommended tactics regarding AI for other people or organizations who hire? Decide how you are going to handle it ahead of time
5. Do you have any advice or recommendations regarding AI for job seekers? Don’t. We want to hear your story in your own words.
6. Any additional concerns, open questions, or comments about AI and hiring that you’d like to share? See below
AI-written applications are a shortcut that shouldn’t be used. AI-generated documents are fairly obvious due to the stilted, artificial-sounding language and how it doesn’t read the way most people write. The committees I have been on have not moved forward, as we do not believe that the AI-generated documents are the applicant’s own work. I think the most important recommendation regarding AI for people or organizations who hire is to update their policies to control how AI can be used in the HR process. Without clearly stating that AI can’t be used or defining how AI can be used, they can open themselves up to lawsuits if they do not take people forward, just because of their use of AI. I don’t recommend the use of AI-generated documents because I want to hear about you in your own words.
Anonymous: I did a quick and unofficial poll among our library managers to ask if they are encountering AI in resumes and cover letters. About half of my small sample said that yes, they are encountering it. In the cases where they are encountering it, they feel it is obvious due to verbosity, repetitiveness, and corporate jargon. Managers want to hear from a candidate in their own words, even if the writing is not perfect. They want to hear the candidate’s story about why they wanted to pursue a career in libraries. Overall, they do not have a positive view of candidates who obviously use AI, but they feel it may be okay to use AI to help pull out job requirements from a job posting to compare against their resumes and cover letters. Concerns about AI included environmental impact and privacy.
I’ll add that our organization manually screens through applications and does not use AI to do that.
#GLAMJobs #Librarian #librarians #libraries #Library #libraryHiring #libraryJobs #libraryWork #LISCareers #lisJobs
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“My job search self-care strategy is pretty simple: I’ve stopped participating in the circus.”
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?
√ More than 18 months
Why are you job hunting?
√ I’m employed outside of the field and I’d like to be in it
Where do you look for open positions?
CLR+DLF Job Board, ALA JobLIST, Library school listserv, LinkedIn, institution websites, county/state gov websites
What position level are you looking for?
√ Entry level,
√ Requiring at least two years of experience,
√ Supervisory
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library,
√ Archives,
√ Library vendor/service provider,
√ Public library,
√ Special library
What part of the world are you in?
√ Southeastern US
What’s your region like?
√ Urban area,
√ Suburban 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?
Purpose, Fairness, Transparency
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
40
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,
√ Having a good reputation,
√ Funding professional development,
√ Prioritizing work-life balance,
√ Other: People who are hiring/already work there need to be competent and be able to demonstrate a clear purpose in what it is THEY do. Too often, I’ve found that people who are hiring or have held the same job for decades are unable to articulate the value they bring and the standards they are held to, while putting candidates through the ringer.
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?
High turnover
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
2-3 Hours
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
Preparing a LIS application packet feels like navigating a maze with no clear exit, where advice contradicts itself at every turn. I start by dissecting the job posting to uncover the keywords and tone, then agonize over whether my non-library customer service experience deserves a starring role or a quiet omission. On one hand, it proves I’ve worked steadily and can handle people; on the other, I fear it screams, “Not enough library jobs!” My resumé becomes a game of selective truth-telling, carefully tailored to the posting, while my cover letter attempts to strike that elusive balance between confident and a blow hard. After obsessively proofreading and second-guessing, I send it off knowing there’s no definitive right way no matter how much the career coaches try to convince you otherwise.
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ Email
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?
3 months tops.
How do you prepare for interviews?
Preparing for interviews feels like a bureaucratic ritual where you’re expected to recite the organization’s mission statement back to them while pretending you didn’t just memorize it an hour ago. I review the job description and tailor my responses to match the exact phrasing, knowing they’re likely checking for buzzwords. I rehearse answers to questions I’ll probably never be asked and debate whether mentioning my genuine accomplishments be evaluated in good faith.
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
My most hated interview questions are the dreaded “Tell me about a time…” prompts. They don’t evaluate problem-solving skills or how someone approaches challenges—they test your ability to craft a convincing narrative under pressure, which feels more like an acting exercise than an assessment of competence. These questions reward storytelling and improvisation, leaving room for embellishment or outright fabrication, rather than providing a realistic measure of how someone actually works through issues. I’d rather discuss my methods or strategies than spin an anecdote that sounds rehearsed or fictional.
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 more than once
- Interviewed for a job where an internal candidate was eventually chosen √ Happened more than 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
If you want to share a great, inspirational, funny, horrific or other story about an experience you have had at any stage in the hiring process, please do so here:
I was rejected for a role where I gave a presentation only to see the ideas from my presentation published on the institution’s website by a member from the committee.
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Hiring committees especially those in the public sector should be more scrutinized by other departments in the org. More checks and balances and less opaqueness.
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m frustrated,
√ I feel alone in my search
What are your job search self-care strategies?
My job search self-care strategy is pretty simple: I’ve stopped participating in the circus. I’ll no longer waste time on interviews that go beyond two rounds or create presentations for my ideas to be used without any guarantee of being hired. I’m done proving myself for free. I’m happy to discuss my experience, ask questions to learn more about the organization, and connect my skills to their needs. But that’s where it stops. I’m not going to jump through endless hoops or give away my expertise without knowing it’s a real opportunity. My time and energy are valuable, and if that’s not respected, then the process ends there.
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?
Job hunting in the LIS field has become a masterclass in pointless hoops and unnecessary qualifications. What used to be a relatively straightforward process is now bogged down by layers of bureaucracy, where your skills take a backseat to how well you can jump through the right hoops. But hey, if you’re into making things more complicated than they need to be, I guess it’s working for someone.
To employers, it’s fascinating how you’ve convinced yourselves this convoluted process is necessary. When you started 25 years ago, you didn’t have to deal with all this nonsense, but now you’ve created a system where the people who can withstand the most pointless scrutiny are somehow the best fit.
The idea that the LIS market is “oversaturated” is convenient. It’s a perfect excuse for why expectations are through the roof. But what if the oversaturation narrative is less about too many qualified candidates and more about creating a monoculture? What if it’s not about having “too many” professionals, but about shaping a field where only certain types of candidates are deemed acceptable, making it easier to filter out those who don’t fit the prescribed mold? Over-saturation, in this sense, isn’t the problem, but perhaps the cover for maintaining control over a system that thrives on conformity. The real competition is about fitting into a narrow, predefined idea of who should belong in the field.This, in turn, feeds into the cycle that benefits those at the top: LIS professors, who continue to push out graduates, and institutions offering pay-to-play certificate courses that promise to “fix” your qualifications. The more people funneled through this process, the more they reinforce a system that privileges those who can afford the constant stream of qualifications, while keeping the salaries and careers of those profiting from it intact. It’s not about too many candidates; it’s about making sure only a specific few make it to the top.
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)?
√ 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?
√ A year to 18 months after graduating
What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position?
√ Full Time
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
It wasn’t anything I didn’t already know.
#GLAMJobs #librarians #libraries #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #libraryJobs #libraryWork #LISCareers #lisJobs
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“If one more of my employed colleagues suggests volunteering as a means to gain more experience, I might lose it.”
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 unemployed,
√ Because I’m worried about a possible recession
Where do you look for open positions?
APALA listerv, WeHere, archivesgig, LinkedIn
What position level are you looking for?
√ Entry level,
√ Other: ACTUALLY entry level, not “2 to 3 years experience” entry level that seems to be inescapable
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library,
√ Archives,
√ Public library,
√ Special library
What part of the world are you in?
√ Southwestern US
What’s your region like?
√ Urban area
Are you willing/able to move for employment?
√ 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?
training, professional development opportunities, mentorship
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
64 (exact)
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,
√ Other: Hiring new grads
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?
If I have applied to the organization before and got ghosted after an interview in the past (which has happened to me 3 times this past year at the same public library system), I am not applying again.
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
Depending on the org, it can take me anywhere from 3 hours to a day or two.
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
I try to tailor my cover letter to match the job description. I also try have at least one other person proofread my cover letter so I can apply the feedback they give me. If I have a connection at the place I am applying, I try to reach out to ask them informational questions or if they have any advice/tip they can offer before I send in my application.
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ Phone for good news, email for bad news
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?
3 to 6 months (the snail’s pace of academic hiring process has worn me down)
How do you prepare for interviews?
I practice answering interview questions using Big Interview, which is especially useful for remote interviews. I still have access to my grad school’s career counseling services, so I also like to set up a mock interview with a career counselor. For in-person interviews (which are less common in my experience) I prefer an IRL mock interview with a trusted colleague.
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
“Where do you see yourself in five years?” Since 2019, the past five years of my life have been completely derailed by ongoing the COVID-19 pandemic. When I started my MLS in January 2020, I was certain I would finish in 2 years. It took nearly 4 years after the death of my mother in April 2020, becoming a caretaker for my dad, and taking on odd jobs to make ends meet. I have learned not to share these struggles at work, so I never mentioned them in interviews over past year. This job search has been quite dehumanizing so I do not expect empathy from employers, especially not during the hiring process. I know this comes off as cynical but this where I am at after the five years.
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 more than once
- Interviewed for a job where an internal candidate was eventually chosen √ Happened more than 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
If you have ever withdrawn an application, why?
n/a
If you’ve turned down an offer (or offers), why?
I’m not in a position to turn down any offers. 😦
If you’ve asked for an accommodation, what happened?
I have yet to ask because I fear of being discriminated against. However, I would LOVE to have interview questions sent to me ahead of time. I know this is common in other states but sadly not in mine.
If you want to share a great, inspirational, funny, horrific or other story about an experience you have had at any stage in the hiring process, please do so here:
Buckle up for this one: A month after applying for a librarian job at a special library, I was over the moon when I was offered zoom interview for a position I could see myself thriving in. A day after that initial interview, I was offered a second interview in-person. This was a 3.5 hour interview that an agenda that included back-to-back, one-on-one interviews with the HR manager, department manager, library director, and a panel interview with the entire department. Following the interviews, I also had to take a quiz on Boolean logic before giving a 20 minute presentation (10 minutes to perform a database search and 10 minutes for Q&A). I created an accompanying mini zine to distribute to each person present, which took quite a bit of time, on top of the hours I spent practicing interview questions.
To add insult to injury, this interview took place the morning after the presidential election. For the sake of my own mental health, I did not watch the news or use social media the week leading up to 11/6, so I did not know the results of the election until after the interview. I’m glad I made this decision because it helped me perform but it ultimately felt like I was put through the ringer for no good reason.
Two weeks later, I was informed that I was not selected via email. When I asked for feedback, I was told that “Everyone loved your personality and thought you would be a great fit. The selected candidate did come in with about 2 years of experience so that gave them a bit of an edge over you.” It was a little victory for me, as this was first time I ever got a response after asking for feedback following a rejection. But this feedback was still quite frustrating to receive, as it did not have any actionable steps to take in my job search moving forward.
How am I supposed to get paid experience if I keep getting rejected for not having enough experience? (Of course, I didn’t respond to the feedback with this question. I just said “Thank you!” and licked my wounds offline.) If one more of my employed colleagues suggests volunteering as a means to gain more experience, I might lose it. In the past year, I have given plenty of hours of unpaid labor for different professional orgs and during my graduate practicum. I have yet to see that strategy pay off in the form of a job offer.
TLDR: I had the horrific experience of having to endure a 3.5 hour interview which included a quiz and a presentation, only to come second to someone who had two years of experience.
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
I know this is not common practice in the south, but it would be amazing if more employers provided interview questions ahead of time so candidates can answer these questions thoughtfully. This practice alleviates the already nerve-wracking ordeal of interviews, especially for neurodivergent candidates.
Please consider hiring new grads for their potential to learn on the job. If you are willing to hire new grads, please say so in the job posting. Even with an internship, a practicum, and past experience as a library assistant, I am still being rejected due to “lack of experience.” I know I am not the only new grad struggling with this and I really wish more employers had more empathy for those of us fresh out of library school, especially since 2020.
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m frustrated,
√ Not out of money yet, but worried,
√ I feel supported in my search,
√ I feel alone in my search,
√ Other: I’m very depressed. While I’m grateful to have loved ones and colleagues supporting me by sending me job postings, I still struggle to find hope the longer my job search drags on.
What are your job search self-care strategies?
Unplugging does wonders! It can be really easy for me to doomscroll on LinkedIn in the I can find that elusive “good fit” job, so I try to not apply for jobs after 5 pm on weekdays. I also avoid applying on the weekend or holidays, it’s really easy for me to spiral over I try to reward myself for effort rather than the coveted outcome of a job offer. In the past I have been too hard on myself for not getting the offer. In the last 13 months of my job search, I have learned that no matter where I am in the application process, it is worth celebrating each victory: that could look like taking a walk with my dog after working on a particularly tedious application, treating myself to a nice meal after an interview, etc. I’m not going to wait until I have a job offer for permission to give myself grace, especially in this dumpster fire of a job market.
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 fellow job hunters: If you are a BIPOC LIS professional and not already part of WeHere, please join. Free tools that have made the job search less daunting include Teal, which is a job application tracker to keep tabs on the status of multiple applications. As I mentioned before, Big Interview is another great tool to practice interview questions, especially for remote interviews. A helpful mantra for me has been “Practice will never make you worse.”
To employers: If you are posting entry level jobs, hire candidates who are actually entry level. Requiring two years of experience is, by definition, not entry level. Please give new grads, especially those who endured grad school through the COVID-19 lockdown, a chance. There were not a lot of opportunities for students at that time to get on-hands experience, especially those of us who lost loved ones during that time. If you were lucky enough to get through 2020 to the present without COVID-19 having a material impact on your personal and professional life, please have empathy for those of us were not as fortunate.
Do you have any comments for Emily (the survey author) or are there any other questions you think we should add to this survey?
Emily, thank you so much for this survey. It is invaluable for folks like me, especially during times when I wonder if I am the only one struggling to find paid work.
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?)
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?
√ 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)?
To some extent, yes. I’m grateful I have access to my library school’s career counseling services. However, my library school could have done a better job at matching students with practicum experiences and internships aligned with our interests. Even when I was speaking regularly with my advisor, I still struggled to find those opportunities on my own. With a bit more guidance and direction from my institution, I wonder if I could have landed a job by now.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about searching for or finding your first post-graduation position?
n/a
#GLAMJobs #librarians #libraries #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #libraryJobs #libraryWork #LISCareers #lisJobs
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New Survey! It’s For You, Dear Readers!
Oh hey!
In contrast to my usual slapdash approach, I’m looking to plan Hiring Librarians projects and content for 2026. My hope is to take some time off in December and January, returning in February with new and amazingly helpful posts and podcasts.
In order to determine what would be most helpful, I’d love to hear from you. While you can always email me directly at hiringlibrarians AT gmail, I can’t resist creating a survey. So, would you please fill out What Should Hiring Librarians Do Next? to share your requests, suggestions and/or opinions? No questions are required, please feel free to just respond to what calls you. Note that I won’t know who you are, unless you choose the option to leave your email.
Thanks in advance for your feedback and suggestions! Please share widely with all your friends, colleagues, and compatriots.
Your Pal,
Emily
#GLAM #librarians #libraries #libraryCareers #libraryHiring #libraryJobs #LISCareers #lisJobs
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“Consider whether that desk job REALLY requires a driver’s license.”
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?
√ Other: 8 months, short break once i got my internship, now starting again
Why are you job hunting?
√ My current job is temporary
Where do you look for open positions?
ALA Joblist, SAA, ARL, HigherEd Jobs, school/professional listservs, local public and academic library websites
What position level are you looking for?
√ Entry level
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library,
√ Archives
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: Yes, to a city with acceptable public transit
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
Enough money to rent a 1BR apartment on my own, stable environment, opportunity for advancement
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
0 (my current job lasts about 5 more months. i’m getting an early start to take the pressure off, but am not quite available yet.)
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?
Seeing the same positions open up over and over again. When the job search takes months, we can see your high turnover!
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
1-2 hours
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
Review the institution’s website and job description, research the city, tailor resume, write cover letter, call my references
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ Phone for good news, email for bad news
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
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?
1-2 months
How do you prepare for interviews?
Get a good night’s sleep and a good breakfast, leave the house early, review the job description and the cover letter I sent, double check the interviewer’s name
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
“How did you prepare for this interview?” is a wild thing to ask when we’re in the interview. Are you busting my chops or what! Best/worst quality is also very bad – I could say anything!
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
If you want to share a great, inspirational, funny, horrific or other story about an experience you have had at any stage in the hiring process, please do so here:
I showed up 20 minutes late and soaking wet to an interview inside a labyrinthine government compound where I had gotten lost in the rain. 6 months later they informed me that I didn’t get the job!
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Consider whether that desk job REALLY requires a driver’s license. Occasional travel within the city I can bus or Uber. For frequent travel outside the city… why are you sending the cataloger?
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m optimistic,
√ I’m maintaining,
√ I’m running out of money,
√ I feel alone in my search
What are your job search self-care strategies?
Only apply for jobs I actually really want. (The shotgun approach will get you nowhere!) Limit the number of times per day I’m allowed to refresh the job boards. Know that it’s not the end of the world if I have to go work a cash register for a while.
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’m in my 30s. I got a house and a life. I am not packing up and moving out of state for a job that lasts one year with no benefits.
Do you have any comments for Emily (the survey author) or are there any other questions you think we should add to this survey?
thank you!
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?)
2025
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?
√ Hasn’t happened yet – I’m still looking
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
No, except for the occasional job posts on the school listserv
#GLAMJobs #librarians #libraries #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #libraryJobs #libraryWork #LISCareers #lisJobs
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Researcher’s Corner: Recruiting for Cultural Competency
In this installment of Researcher’s Corner, Dawn Schmitz explores how to hire for the skill of cultural competency. I am grateful to Dawn for writing a thoughtful post that addresses not only the theory and practice of hiring, but how questions become research and subsequently, scholarly papers.
I think you will find the following post very interesting, and if you’d like to read more, see the following citation:
Smith, H. W., Schmitz, D., Shein, C., & Schmitz, with L. (2024). Recruiting for Cultural Competency: A Content Analysis of Archives Job Postings. American Archivist, 87(2), 438–465. https://doi-org.ezproxy.sfpl.org/10.17723/2327-9702-87.2.438
In 2018, I was working on a job posting for a new faculty position in our academic library: Community Engagement Archivist. How could we maximize our chances of recruiting and hiring a candidate who was capable of competently and ethically engaging with students, colleagues, and community partners? There is a wide range of cultural backgrounds represented on our campus and in our city of Charlotte, NC. We needed to be sure to carefully craft the required qualifications for this position.
For previous postings, we had used language like “Commitment to fostering an environment of mutual respect and inclusion in the classroom and workplace” (for an instruction archivist) or “Commitment to fostering an environment of multiculturalism and inclusion in the workplace” (for a digital archivist). But I wanted to move further in the direction of cultural competency as a requirement for this new position. In looking for language that would work, I perused other position postings in the field, but I didn’t find very much that helped.
After careful thought, we came up with two separate bullet points:
- Commitment to continuous personal and professional improvement in cultural diversity competence.
- Commitment to fostering an environment of mutual respect and inclusion in the community, reading room, classroom, and workplace.
Having these requirements for the position cleared the way for us to ask interview questions such as:
- “Tell us about a time when you have had the opportunity to play a role in making an organization, group, or environment more diverse, inclusive, or equitable. What steps did you take, and what was the result? This can relate to a workplace, educational or volunteer setting, social setting, or any other situation.”
- “If you were personally conducting an oral history interview with a member of an underrepresented community of which you yourself are not a member, what steps would you take to ensure you were honoring that community’s cultural values, ways of knowing, and perspectives?”
In the end, our search was successful, and I credit these interview questions with helping us discern which candidate would be most capable in the role. But I had a lingering concern: Since both the library and archives professions have institutionalized the value of cultural competency, then why don’t archivist job postings usually have anything related to cultural competency as a requirement?
But my sample was small. I decided it might be a good research project to look further into this: What is the commitment of the archives and library professions to cultural competency, and how common (or uncommon) is it for position announcements to reflect these values?
At the 2019 annual meeting of the Society of American Archivists, I caught up with Helen Wong Smith, who conducts workshops on cultural competency and has championed it in many other ways within the archives profession, and Cyndi Shein, whom I knew had done a lot of great work on DEI in recruitment. (I was fortunate to have shared with these two colleagues the experience of being part of the 2016 cohort of the Archives Leadership Institute.) We hatched a plan to systematically analyze postings for archives jobs and write about our results. We brought in Lisa Schmitz, a statistician (and my sister), to analyze our results. I knew she would help us make sense of the findings and write about them intelligently.
During three specified time periods between March and September of 2021, we downloaded all of the jobs posted by U.S. employers on the Archives Gig blog, a total of 499 postings after deduplication. We decided to manually code each one according to whether it called for cultural competency as a required or preferred qualification for the position.
First, we needed to write a code book to guide our discernment of what constitutes a cultural competency requirement in a job posting. We decided it was not necessary for the words “cultural competency” to appear (and we don’t necessarily endorse using that term, since not everyone is familiar with it). What should we look for?
We started with the basic concept that cultural competency is a framework used to advance one’s ability to function with awareness, knowledge, and interpersonal skills when engaging with people of different backgrounds, assumptions, beliefs, values, and behaviors.* Then, in order to further guide our understanding of how cultural competency is conceptualized within the LIS professions in particular, we conducted a literature review that looked at how the term was used and discussed by librarians and archivists.
We found that these writers viewed cultural competency as including elements of introspection and continual growth, and that it was not limited to the interpersonal realm but included an understanding of structural factors. So we derived a definition of cultural competency that included these concepts:
The capacity to continually improve one’s ability to function with self-awareness, open-mindedness, humility, respect, knowledge, and interpersonal skills when engaging people from all backgrounds and experiences. It involves an awareness and understanding of the significance of culture, beginning with one’s own, and an orientation of respectful curiosity towards the beliefs, values, and practices of others. A key component is the recognition of the structural, socioeconomic, and political factors that adversely affect diverse populations and the commitment to respond with policies or practices that recognize, affirm, and protect the dignity of individuals, families, and communities.
We determined that if any part of the above definition applied to a position, we would score it as requiring cultural competency. We also decided to look for language like “cultural awareness,” “cultural sensitivity,” “demonstrated ability working successfully with diverse cultures,” and “valuing differences.” We decided not to count postings that simply call for experience working in diverse environments or for candidates who will add to the diversity of the workplace.
With this guidance in hand, we completed the coding. When we had finished, we were stunned by our findings: only seven percent of job postings for archivists and related positions listed any knowledge, skills, or abilities relating to cultural competency among the requirements. We found this proportion was shockingly low, particularly since both the library and archives professions have made it a point to include cultural competency among their stated values for the past 15-20 years.
We also coded the job postings for several other factors, allowing us to discover some notable patterns. We found that ads for public-facing positions were much more likely to include cultural competency requirements than were those for technical service positions. While we understood why this was the case, we argue in the paper that every employee in the organization needs to be expected to strive for cultural competency. And those creating archival description and metadata have a unique responsibility to do so, given the need for responsible and, at times, reparative work in this area.
We also found that corporate employers were less likely to include cultural competency requirements than academic employers, and employers in the Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast regions of the U.S. were less likely to include them than those in the West.
With regard to the latter finding, given current political realities, it is likely that if this research were replicated today, this disparity would be even more stark and the Southeast would be even further behind the other regions. As an employee of a state university in the Southeast, I am acutely aware of how anti-DEI rules and regulations enacted at the state level can affect hiring practices, including how recruitment is now often circumscribed with respect to asking candidates about their views on diversity, equity, and inclusion. However, I would advise anyone who works at an institution that has enacted such anti-DEI provisions not to assume they cannot include a requirement that gets to cultural competency at some level.
While it may be forbidden to use a very strongly-worded requirement that gets at candidates’ personal values, it may be possible to include one that focuses on cultural competency as a basic job skill. For example, a strong statement such as this may not be allowed: “We are seeking professionals who enthusiastically embrace the empathy, courage, self-reflection, and respect of a multicultural, diverse, and inclusive workplace, and who strive to incorporate these values into their work and interactions.” However, the following may be allowed: “We are seeking candidates with a demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement in the ability to interact effectively with people from the full range of cultural backgrounds represented in our [company/campus/community].”
In my experience, it was worth asking for clarification on the guidance we received. I did so at my institution and confirmed that we are still allowed to include language such as the latter example above, despite the anti-DEI rules that have come down from the state level over the past few years. This paves the way for us to include cultural competency on our hiring matrices and ask interview questions pertaining to these important skills, thus enhancing our ability to recruit qualified candidates.
*(Mikel Hogan-Garcia, The Four Skills of Cultural Diversity Competence: A Process for Understanding and Practice (Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, 1999).)
Dawn Schmitz is the Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she previously served as Associate Dean for Special Collections and University Archives. In these roles she has served on or chaired quite a few search committees for faculty and staff positions, continuously working with others to improve recruitment practices. She is an active member of the Society of American Archivists and a word nerd who served for 11 years on the committee that writes the Dictionary of Archives Terminology.
#culturalCompetency #librarians #libraries #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #LISCareers
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Hiring Librarians Podcast S02b E13: Talkin Union with Jaime Taylor
We’re back!
After an unintentionally long break, we’re back. Let’s consider this Season 2b.
This episode my guest is Jaime Taylor. Jaime is a contributing person-who-hires-library-workers on the Further Questions feature here on Hiring Librarians (which returns tomorrow), the Discovery & Resource Management Systems Coordinator at the W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts, a proud union member, AND a coordinator of library staff working in THREE different unions. On this episode of the hiring librarians podcast, we’re talking about unions, hiring, getting hired, and what exactly systems librarians do anyway. I hope you enjoy and I’d love to hear your thoughts on the topic.
An AI-generated and not completely error free transcript is here.
Speaking of links, in this episode we talk about:
- Massachusetts Society of Professors (MSP)
- Professional Staff Union of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Boston (PSU)
- University Staff Association (USA)
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
- Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA)
- National Education Association (NEA)
- Jorts (and Jean) One Step for Each Paw Four Steps to Form a Union
- DC37 (New York City Public Employee Union)
- United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW)
- Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
- And you’ll hear three different commercials for my upcoming class through ALA CORE which runs August 4 through August 29, 2025
This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube music and other various podcasting sites (let me know if you can’t find it on your preferred platform).
I’d love to hear your requests or other feedback for moving forward. And please do reach out if you want to be a guest!
#Librarian #librarians #libraries #Library #libraryCareers #libraryHiring #libraryJobs #LibraryUnions #LISCareers #Unions
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Hiring Librarians Podcast S02b E13: Talkin Union with Jaime Taylor
We’re back!
After an unintentionally long break, we’re back. Let’s consider this Season 2b.
This episode my guest is Jaime Taylor. Jaime is a contributing person-who-hires-library-workers on the Further Questions feature here on Hiring Librarians (which returns tomorrow), the Discovery & Resource Management Systems Coordinator at the W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts, a proud union member, AND a coordinator of library staff working in THREE different unions. On this episode of the hiring librarians podcast, we’re talking about unions, hiring, getting hired, and what exactly systems librarians do anyway. I hope you enjoy and I’d love to hear your thoughts on the topic.
An AI-generated and not completely error free transcript is here.
Speaking of links, in this episode we talk about:
- Massachusetts Society of Professors (MSP)
- Professional Staff Union of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Boston (PSU)
- University Staff Association (USA)
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
- Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA)
- National Education Association (NEA)
- Jorts (and Jean) One Step for Each Paw Four Steps to Form a Union
- DC37 (New York City Public Employee Union)
- United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW)
- Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
- And you’ll hear three different commercials for my upcoming class through ALA CORE which runs August 4 through August 29, 2025
This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube music and other various podcasting sites (let me know if you can’t find it on your preferred platform).
I’d love to hear your requests or other feedback for moving forward. And please do reach out if you want to be a guest!
#Librarian #librarians #libraries #Library #libraryCareers #libraryHiring #libraryJobs #LibraryUnions #LISCareers #Unions
-
Hiring Librarians Podcast S02b E13: Talkin Union with Jaime Taylor
We’re back!
After an unintentionally long break, we’re back. Let’s consider this Season 2b.
This episode my guest is Jaime Taylor. Jaime is a contributing person-who-hires-library-workers on the Further Questions feature here on Hiring Librarians (which returns tomorrow), the Discovery & Resource Management Systems Coordinator at the W.E.B. Du Bois Library, University of Massachusetts, a proud union member, AND a coordinator of library staff working in THREE different unions. On this episode of the hiring librarians podcast, we’re talking about unions, hiring, getting hired, and what exactly systems librarians do anyway. I hope you enjoy and I’d love to hear your thoughts on the topic.
An AI-generated and not completely error free transcript is here.
Speaking of links, in this episode we talk about:
- Massachusetts Society of Professors (MSP)
- Professional Staff Union of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Boston (PSU)
- University Staff Association (USA)
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
- Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA)
- National Education Association (NEA)
- Jorts (and Jean) One Step for Each Paw Four Steps to Form a Union
- DC37 (New York City Public Employee Union)
- United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW)
- Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
- And you’ll hear three different commercials for my upcoming class through ALA CORE which runs August 4 through August 29, 2025
This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube music and other various podcasting sites (let me know if you can’t find it on your preferred platform).
I’d love to hear your requests or other feedback for moving forward. And please do reach out if you want to be a guest!
#Librarian #librarians #libraries #Library #libraryCareers #libraryHiring #libraryJobs #LibraryUnions #LISCareers #Unions