hiringlibrarians

[hiringlibrarians]

"I want to tell others not to settle for the first crummy job offer you get just because you're new to the field."

"I once withdrew after accepting an interview invitation when the employer told me they'd give me an essay question and 30 minutes to answer it, AFTER a teaching demo and answering a series of questions." #LIS #GLAM #Libraries #LibraryJobs

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…

[hiringlibrarians]

Further Questions: If you could only ask three questions of a candidate, what questions would you ask?

"Imagine yourself as a customer who has received excellent service. What made the experience excellent for you?"

Oh hey! Periodically, I ask a question to a group of people who hire library and LIS workers.  If you have questions you think I should ask, if you’d like to be someone who responds to questions, or if you have any other thoughts and feelings please shoot me an email at hiringlibrarians AT gmail. Interview questions are of perpetual interest to readers on both sides of the hiring table – in…

[hiringlibrarians]

"We just did the interviews last week, so they're still in the process of notifying top candidates and getting references."

"I'd like to see more candidates realize that their experience in other jobs will translate over.  Too often, we ask an interview question about how their experience qualifies them for the position, and they'll shut themselves down..." #LIS #GLAM #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 hiring practices. I invite you to take what’s useful and leave the rest. If you are someone who hires Library, Archives or other LIS workers, please consider giving your own opinion by filling out the survey…

[hiringlibrarians]

"Please list salary range, state if you are willing to hire a new grad"

"An environment willing to teach me new skills, livable salary, interesting work responsibilities" #LIS #GLAM #Libraries #LibraryJobs

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…

[hiringlibrarians]

"There is still a demonstrated need for librarians--in local government, academia, etc."

"Will consider on a case-by-case basis, especially if the candidate has other attractive qualities, or if no applicants meet all requirements" #LIS #GLAM #LibraryJobs

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 hiring practices. I invite you to take what’s useful and leave the rest. If you are someone who hires Library, Archives or other LIS workers, please consider giving your own opinion by filling out the survey…

[hiringlibrarians]

"The process isn't necessarily the problem, the lack of open positions is."

"Pay, benefits, opportunity for leadership" #LIS #GLAM #Libraries #LibraryJobs

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…

[hiringlibrarians]

"We’re suburban/rural but not too isolated, and we struggle to find qualified candidates"

"Give libraries in less desirable communities a look. " #Libraries #LIS #GLAM #LibraryJobs #LibraryHiring

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 hiring practices. I invite you to take what’s useful and leave the rest. If you are someone who hires Library, Archives or other LIS workers, please consider giving your own opinion by filling out the survey…

[hiringlibrarians]

"A lot of my decisions also has to do with LGBTQ safety."

"Is the location safe, legally protected, and is trans Healthcare available. E.g. I never apply to Texas jobs and always try to ask about the LGBT community in the first interview so i can hear red flags early on." #LIS #GLAM #Libraries #LibraryJobs

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…

[hiringlibrarians]

Your Participation Requested! Crowdsourced Resume/CV Review, Interview Questions Repository, and LIS Salary Info

Many of the helpful resources here on Hiring Librarians depend on YOU for robustness and relevance. Of course you can always donate or take a survey about hiring or getting hired, but please also consider participating in these crowdsourced resources.

Oh hey! Consider this your irregular reminder that many of the helpful resources here on Hiring Librarians depend on YOU for robustness and relevance. Please consider participating in these crowdsourced resources: Are you interested in getting a lot of eyes on your resume or CV?   Here’s how it works: We post resumes or CVs from any library or LIS job hunter who submits one. Other job hunters,…

[hiringlibrarians]

"We need to continue adapting how we talk about our work and how it connects to the current world"

"First round interviews are always virtual. Some final rounds are virtual, some come to campus. The hiring manager and HR usually decide if a search will be entirely virtual or include a campus component."

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 hiring practices. I invite you to take what’s useful and leave the rest. If you are someone who hires Library, Archives or other LIS workers, please consider giving your own opinion by filling out the survey…

[hiringlibrarians]

"I had to be willing to move anywhere in the United States. That's simply not possible now with a family."

"There's too much expected for too little pay. There also seems to be an expectation (in my area) of having Ivy League level education, 2+ graduate degrees, and lots of publications for entry->mid-level jobs." #LIS #GLAM #Libraries #LibraryJobs

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…

[hiringlibrarians]

"we have to post a range, and of course, everyone thinks they qualify for the top of the range"

"We use a scoring rubric that lists required & preferred qualifications. We cannot interview everyone, so we limit to the top 10 or so for phone/zoom interviews and narrow down from there." #LIS #GLAM #LibraryJobs

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 hiring practices. I invite you to take what’s useful and leave the rest. If you are someone who hires Library, Archives or other LIS workers, please consider giving your own opinion by filling out the survey…

[hiringlibrarians]

"I asked how they were handling challenges to LGBTQ material and their answer was terrible."

"One library really liked me a lot and I liked them. They acknowledged that I was an excellent fit, but they were going with a different candidate. I was bummed, but have maintained a professionally friendly relationship with them, which is nice." #LIS

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…

[hiringlibrarians]

"Librarian candidates get lunch; paraprofessional candidates do not"

"This search functionally failed twice, first because Administration tried to class and pay too little for a managerial position, then because a wonderful candidate withdrew at the last minute for personal reasons." #LIS #GLAM #Libraries #LibraryJobs

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 hiring practices. I invite you to take what’s useful and leave the rest. If you are someone who hires Library, Archives or other LIS workers, please consider giving your own opinion by filling out the survey…

[hiringlibrarians]

"The permission paradox is real, but it should not be"

"Any phrase that indicates the job is in an unhealthy working environment, e.g. "fast paced environment," "Multitasking," "Hardcore," "Hard worker," or anything else that would indicate that the institution in question does not value employees time off."

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…

[hiringlibrarians]

"library-specific job listings get higher quality applicants"

"I find cover letters to be an important piece of the application because that's where a candidate can demonstrate understanding of both the role and the institution" #LIS #GLAM #Libraries #LibraryJobs

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 hiring practices. I invite you to take what’s useful and leave the rest. If you are someone who hires Library, Archives or other LIS workers, please consider giving your own opinion by filling out the survey…

[hiringlibrarians]

"I realised I couldn't live on the salary unfortunately, after further research"

"It is an isolating experience and doesn't seem to get easier with age.  It can be discouraging, especially if it could be handled better by the employer." #LIS #GLAM #Libraries #LibraryJobs

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…