This is the second of a two-part update for the Job-Hunting during Low-Morale Experiences data collection project, which began in March 2020. You can view the first part of this update, which summarizes the latest quantitative results.
This part offers qualitative data.
If you haven’t started looking for a job yet, how have your job search concerns impacted your daily work?
“Low pay makes me want to do a low amount of work.”
“Since i work 2 jobs, i really love the one job (library) and there isnt much to complain about because the staff is wonderful, the pay is decent for me, and I am learning a lot, I just wish I was full time. The other job (pool) is absolutely terrible and i hate every second of it.”
“When I felt I couldn’t change jobs, my confidence dropped. I felt stuck and unable to do my best. I know I’m not doing as well or as much as I want, but I feel overwhelmed. I have panic attacks often and dread going to work.”
“Not a lot because mostly I have nothing to do at work and no one cares. However, I do the job searching on non-work time including accrued paid leave days like today.”
How have offers and/or rejections impacted your daily work?
“I put a lot of time, work, and (although I try to avoid it) emotional investment into the job application process. I experience a surge of hopefulness when I get an interview, and the rejection come down is a total crash. The disappointment adds to my low morale in the current job, I think.”
“It tanks me. The primary reason I’m looking to leave my current job is because of low morale/toxic work environment. It’s hard enough trying to apply. Getting a rejection just reinforces that I’m still stuck. Nothing I do is enough. It’s hard to feel confident in yourself and your work when you’re repeatedly told “we’re not interested.”
“The stream of rejections is demoralizing. I work hard (I currently occupy two positions on our org chart; this is not unusual), get excellent evaluations, and am told during the interview process I am ‘doing well.’ I feel like there isn’t anything available for me except my current toxic situation.”
How have the offers and/or rejections impacted your perceptions of the library profession?
“It’s not for me, and I really should not have bothered. Also I cannot afford to subsidise becoming “the right sort of person” for the profession.”
“Many of the screeners have no idea about librarians (their work, education, etc) and this is greatly affecting librarians from getting jobs.”
“It hasn’t changed my perception of the library profession yet.”
“I applied for about 60 jobs during the final months I was at my last full time job. For most, I heard nothing, not even a rejection. I ended up leaving without another role. I also have experience in tech and training, so I am trying to find roles outside of libraries (higher pay, more flexibility, opportunities for remote work). I’m getting no traction and feel a bit at sea trying to convey how my skills apply. I’ve been told I am both ‘overqualified’ and also that I ‘don’t have enough industry experience.’ It’s baffling.”
Considering your job hunt activities (or desire to begin looking for a new job), how has your low-morale experience affected your perceptions of career mobility?
“I worry that any new place will be just as bad as my current work environment. I worry I will go through all this effort just to be profoundly disappointed.”
“Despite having an MLS and a second masters degree, I’ve found it’s difficult to be considered for anything above a paraprofessional position. I worry that the longer I stay in my current (Library Associate) job, the harder it will be to move to a higher rank.”
“I feel like I can’t do any of the things I see posted on most job postings.”
“I’m trying to stay on the east coast so I can be close(ish) to family. This has significantly cut down on roles I’m willing to go for. This restriction is entirely self-imposed, but I think a lot of library workers can relate to it. The fact that I have to move hours away from my soon-to-be elderly parents stresses me out. Picking up and relocating your life for a job that pays peanuts is not a desirable way to live.“
- Feel free to share other concerns, advice, or ideas about job hunting during low-morale experiences.
“My current manager routinely tells me not to leave my job. I don’t know how to respond to comments like this. I know that at a small organization people leaving can cause a world of problems, but I’m having trouble not feeling guilty while I look for better opportunities.”
“We need to advocate for better pay.”
“I left a ‘perfect’ job about 9 months ago because the environment was incredibly toxic; I was only there for 6 months and that was enough time to know I needed to get out. I’m currently employed very part time at a job I love that I can actually keep even with a full-time role. I’m concerned that my resume makes me look job-hopper and that it’s negatively impacting my applications. Overall, the whole job search experience is incredibly frustrating, made more so after reading articles and comments from LIS hiring managers who talk about low applicant pools and a lack of qualified candidates. There’s a vast disconnect between that rhetoric and the common narrative of highly qualified LIS job seekers who can’t seem to find full time roles.”
If you are job-hunting while facing a low-morale experience, consider participating in this data collection project. I will post updates periodically.
