The purpose behind all of your placement work has been to gain an interview where your competence, experience, and manner will persuade an employer to select you rather than someone else. In a very real sense, this is your debut, you are on the stage, you are a performer and you need to prepare accordingly.
Attention to detail, enthusiasm for library service, and the ability to convince others that you possess needed library-specific skills are at the heart of the interview.
Typically, there will be three to four finalists who will interview for a position so there should be a reasonable opportunity for you to succeed.
There are many good books on interviewing. Your public library should have a good selection in the 650.14s. Campus career services also have good hard copy resources and many have clear, helpful websites such as this one at Virginia Tech .
Having
a successful job interview focuses on special libraries, but most content would
be useful for any information professional.
LISjobs.com also includes advice on good interviewing techniques.
Be careful with all interview books and guides. Learn from
them, but pick and choose content that fits you and your
situation.
Note that there are two interview types: structured uses a standard list of questions applied to each candidate while unstructured is more conversational beginning with a question or two and then going where the conversation goes. Often, the interview begins with structured questions and closes with some unstructured opportunities.
Similarly, you may be asked behavioral questions [how have you acted in particular situations in the past as well as situational questions [how would you act in a particular situation in the future]. Be prepared for both. These questions are more likely to be asked for public service or administrative positions.
It is particularly important to research the information agency, the parent organization, and the community served with some care well before the visit. Use appropriate sources to prepare for an overview. Use web search engines/directories and periodical indexes to find more specific information. Use sources appropriate for your potential employer. For example, review guides to colleges and universities and catalogs or bulletins for academic employers. You should be familiar with such variables as mission, goals, objectives, size, services, budget, staff, and use of information technology. Check websites and information science/library science biographical directories for information on leading information professionals employed by the agency where you will interview. Annual reports and house publications can be especially useful if you can find them. These are often available on the library website. Ask local information professionals for any informal information they may have on this agency. Don't believe all that you are told, but local information professionals will often have some sense of the assets and liabilities of a particular employer.
An effective interviewer has a list of relevant questions to ask at the interview. Some of these questions should be generated by your research and community analysis. Without being flashy, it is important to provide interviewers with evidence that you have done your homework.
Give some thought to the customers for information services and collections. Who is most likely to be a customer or user? What are their attributes? Any thoughts on how this audience might be reached or better served?
Don't forget about research on the community. A great position
will not be so great if you come to dislike the community where
you--and your family--live. Community questions should not
receive too much attention since the profession itself is the
first priority. Still, there will be some opportunity, especially
in less formal settings, to ask questions about schools, housing,
and the like. If the local newspaper has an online edition,
browse in it to learn more about community concerns and problems
before the interview.
I am not convinced that most site visits provide a good
opportunity for portfolio sharing. Still, some librarians and
some employers are enthusiastic about the portfolio containing
concrete examples of your best work and a good indication of what
you could do for the employer. Items in the portfolio should be
immediately relevant for the employer so content may vary from
interview to interview. A digital copy of the portfolio might be
more easily shared with employer prior to the interview.
Ordinarily, limit yourself to items created within the last two
years.
In the old days, interviews involved face to face contact at the employer's place of business. Today, telephone interviews, often with a group interviewing, may be used to screen finalists and determine which ones will receive an invitation to visit.
There are two important interview settings: at the information agency or at a national library association meeting. The latter are usually used for screening rather than the final interview, but a good interview at ALA, for example, can make a substantial difference in being selected for a position. If affordable, do go to the national professional meeting of your choice and use their placement service. If nothing else, the interview experience will be most helpful and you will be pleased by how quickly your interview skills develop.
Leave nothing to chance. When invited for an interview, make certain that the arrangements for travel, accommodations, and meal repayment are made clear. Don't assume that the information agency will pay for your costs. Know who will pay for what well BEFORE you accept an invitation for a site visit.
In some situations, you may decide not to interview when the costs are relatively high, you must pay a substantial part, and you are one of several finalists.
In most situations, you will receive a schedule with times, events, and names of those who will be involved in the interview process. Research the names of those on the list so you know something about them before you leave. Be a bit early for each scheduled event
Every interview gives you the opportunity to become more
confident and polished in the interview process. You also have
the opportunity to meet people who may become colleagues in the
future and to learn more about the information business. Every
interview is an opportunity for you to add to your knowledge and
skills, especially people skills.
Nancy Cunningham, in her article In Search
of an Emotionally Healthy Library [LIScareer.com],
provides a lengthy list of the attributes of emotionally healthy
libraries with such elements as respect for all staff, staff
inclusion in planning, and a shared vision for the future. She
also has a list of the attributes of emotionally unhealthy
libraries with such elements as a negative or passive culture,
poor communication, and invisible leaders/managers. One of your
tasks in the interview is to determine the "emotional health" of
the library and whether it would allow you to develop and perform
at a high level. Interactions with agency staff and between staff
are often good indicators of a health environment. In particular,
look for relationships between supervisors and line employees. Is
this a happy, constructive environment? Do people seem to enjoy
working together? How well informed are the staff about what is
going on?
Your interview should validate and add to the information the potential employer has about your skills, knowledge, and experience. Employers want to know how hiring you will help them, and your job is to persuasively answer that question. You must be able to convince the employer that you would be a productive, enthusiastic employee.
The interview process also provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate that you would be a good colleague--that your manner, style, and personality would fit well with existing staff and clients. Bob Lewis makes an important point when he argues that the employer hires a person and not a resume. "The skills you're looking for today won't be the ones you'll need next year, so find people with the right aptitude and a habit of succeeding. They'll acquire whatever skills they need to succeed." Demonstrate that you have that habit of succeeding and acquiring needed skills.
You are there to discover as much as possible about the position, other information professionals and supervisors, the information agency, the parent organization, and the community.
The more information you can gather, the better the decision if you are offered this position. Now is the time to discover if this is not the right position. You need to know if you can be happy in this environment. "Vibrations" are often accurate indications of a problem. If an information agency just doesn't feel right, you should be concerned.
If you are interviewing for an advertised vacancy, review the position announcement, especially the list of required and desired skills and experiences. You need to be able to explain why and how you meet these criteria. Questions about your qualifications will be asked during the interview. Interview questions usually focus on your career goals [note that a career goal is a long range matter and not just initial employment] and objectives, the type of work desired, position expectations, personal, professional and educational qualifications, and past achievements.
Attributes of the successful interviewee include:
Employers vary in what they seek in a candidate, but here are general attributes that appear repeatedly in the literature and in anecdotal comment. Some of these are:
How might you make these attributes more visible to the employer?
Wear formal business clothes. This means coat and tie with appropriate shirt, pants and nicely shined shoes for men. While women do not need to wear a navy blue suit, they should look professional and style should be moderate or conservative. Clothing should be neat and clean. You should feel comfortable in your clothes so don't buy them just before you leave. Since you will likely do quite a bit of walking, shoes should be comfortable, well maintained, and well broken-in.
Grooming is important. Again, look like an accomplished professional who knows how to prepare for an important event. Library employers are often conservative so skin writing and body piercing may send a signal. At the same time, you need to be true to your own values and be accepted as you are.
In academic libraries, you will normally spend a day or a day and one half on campus. Every contact while on campus or with a member of the search committee is an "interview moment." You will normally meet supervisors, members of the department where you would work [including non-professionals], the Librarian, and perhaps a campus administrator. Your day will be long, but this is a wonderful learning opportunity.
Be a few minutes early if at all possible. Evidence suggests that many interviewers make up their mind about a candidate during the first few minutes of the interview. In some cases, the mind may be made up by behavior seen at the airport or at a meal long before the formal interview. It is important that all of your time with the employer be without error. Be on time and be prepared to begin on time. You should have strong eye contact, firm handshake, clear strong voice, minimal hesitation and fumbling in answering questions, positive body language, and appropriate dress and grooming.
When you consider that the interview is a performance, you can understand how important body language is. Be careful with your body language, including facial expressions, and especially eye contact. Your body language should say that you are alert, thoughtful, and focused -- not distracted or nervous.
You need to provide reasonably full responses, but do not talk too much. No one wants to hear a 20 minute response. It is OK to pause briefly to put your thoughts in order before speaking. If you have problem areas in your past or present, you might receive a question about them. Be prepared to respond. Be truthful and forthcoming when questions are asked. As much as is possible and ethical, attempt to place problems within a perspective that is positive rather than harmful. Do not snipe or make negative comments about previous employers or education. Even if your comments are accurate, they establish a negative tone and create the impression that you are a negative, never really happy person. Do not volunteer information about problems unless asked and unless it is SPECIFICALLY related to the position. Potential employers do not need to hear about your divorce or the problems that you are having with your teen-aged son.
Be prepared for both one-on-one and group interviews. Interviews should be interactive. That means that you answer questions and ask them. Some interviewers will be well-prepared and effective. Others may be poorly prepared and ineffective. For example, some interviewers speak so much that there is little opportunity for you to provide thoughtful replies. Other interviewers don't have enough to say and you may be faced with having to carry the interview by yourself. Interviewers often debrief after the candidate has left, so it is important to say the same thing to different interviewers. In a group situation, it is important to make eye contact with all members of the group. While some members may ask most questions, the others should be acknowledged. Do your best to learn the names of each member of the search committee.
Group interviews are common in academic and other research oriented agencies, especially larger ones. This means that you will need to respond to questions from several different individuals with different viewpoints and attitudes. Group dynamics are different and may be difficult, but you may not have to worry about too few questions. Be careful to give attention to the whole group, even if there is a dominant personality. Eye contact and attention should be paid to each member of the group.
On site situations vary from highly structured--with every minute accounted for--to loosely structured situations where you have some large blocks of free time. Even in informal situations--the trip in from the airport, a meal with a search committee member the evening before the interviews begin--you are being evaluated. They will talk about you after you have left. What will they say?
Given the cost of travel, a growing number of information organizations use telephone interviews to filter finalists before inviting a few [usually three] for an interview. The interviewer may be a single individual or a group. Because of the nature of the telephone, this type of interview requires some special preparation.
Keep a summary version of your employer research file as well as the details in an easily scanned folder. Be aware that you won't have much time to search for information while you're on the phone. Also have your cover letter and resume easily available. You should have two pens and sheets of paper so that you can easily make notes. Water should be available.
Consider where you will interview. Select a place where distractions -- noise, pets, children, others, TVs, stereos -- can be minimized. Depending on your situation, a land line may provide clearer communication than a cell phone. If you use a cell phone, be certain that you can receive a strong signal.
Although the interviewers cannot see you, it's best to treat the interview as a business experience so you're showered, alert.... Wear comfortable clothing. This is serious so no bunny slippers.
Telephone interviews place a premium on quality listening skills. It's helpful to take notes as others speak. When you speak, talk slowly enough to be clearly understood. Use professional language and be thoughtful and measured in your comments. It's OK to pause briefly as you collect your thoughts, but briefly. Be honest if you don't know or don't understand. You may ask for a clarification or for the question to be repeated -- but not too often.
A thoughtless remark on the way to hotel or boorish behavior at an evening meal, for example, could destroy your candidacy. Be circumspect and thoughtful from the moment you arrive until you are finally on the airplane or in the car and on the way home. This is an opportunity for you to show that you would be a comfortable colleague.
Be careful at meals. Let others order first and then order items in the same price range. Order the same type of beverage as others at your table. Don't order dessert unless others do. Be mannerly and careful. Avoid messy foods. If you have particular eating habits, do your best with the available choices, but don't allow the conversation to focus on your dietary habits. If you are a smoker, best to smoke on your own time and away from your hosts .Since people react differently to alcoholic beverages, be careful if you drink in any social situation. Better to wait until you get back to the hotel.
In many information agencies, it is customary for the candidate to make some sort of a presentation before a group as part of the interview situation. Ask if this will be true in your situation. If it is, be certain that you understand how much time is available, the nature of the audience, and the purpose of the presentation. The presentation should be specifically designed to meet the audience needs and interests. If you will be using ANY information technology, verify the availability of hardware and software. Let your host know your hardware/software requirements and how much setup time you will need before your presentation.
Always take manual backup material in case something doesn't work. Often, something will not work! Make your presentation as interesting and as interactive as possible. DO NOT look at the slides and present your back to your audience. DO NOT have 57 slides each crowded with bulleted items. Do limit slides to three to five bullets and no more than five words for each. The presentation needs to be clean, clear, and focused. It is a summary of something interesting and important. It is NOT a detailed research presentation. A common error is including too much content and then rushing toward the end.
Eye contact and interactivity with the audience are especially important. Your body language should be welcoming and positive -- even relaxed. Do use gestures. Walk around a bit.
If a question and answer session follows, provide relatively brief but focused responses to questions. Don't be afraid to say that you don't know or are uncertain. You can't know everything. However do consider that sort of questions that might be asked about your presentation.
The presentation will be evaluated as evidence of your knowledge and comfort level with technology, your ability to deal with the unexpected, and your speaking/teaching effectiveness. It is a major moment.
While presentations are not a major concern for many search committees, they are especially important for public service positions. Most search committees understand that a presentation in a strange place with strange equipment that does not always go well.
It is important for you to ask questions. Questions indicate
much about your preparation, your interests, and how you handle
yourself. This is also an opportunity to share your personality,
style, and manner as well as your communication/presentation
skills. Don't ask questions that can be answered by looking at a
website or widely available items. Open-ended questions work
best. If well put, you may ask questions about their experience
with the library or agency.Questions should not be too
complicated, i.e. limit yourself to one variable at a time.
Questions should be positive or neutral and not critical. Don't
ask about salary or fringe benefits. Those come later. It is
easier if you have good questions written down before
hand.
Sample questions [not ranked] might include
Some excitement/enthusiasm about the position and information work is clearly expected. Be prepared for some questions used to determine your interest and understanding of current trends and problems. You need to be currently aware. Questions may be used to learn more about your character/behavior. These are behavior aspects of interest to employers:
As a profession with a strong technological orientation, interviewers are interested in your skills in specific areas such as public services, technical services, and administrative services. Be ready to discuss library specific skills important for the position. For example, in reference, your skills related to particular data bases, user instruction, virtual reference ....
Sample interview questions frequently encountered include:These are examples of questions that may be asked, perhaps innocently. However, state and federal law typically prohibits asking these sorts of questions because they provide a basis for discrimination. Use your own judgment when faced with these questions. But be prepared. Options include evasion, truthful response, ASKING THE INTERVIEWER TO SPECIFICALLY LINK THE QUESTION TO THE POSITION, and refusal to respond. Note that some of these will need to be answered on an application or personnel form following a hiring decision.
Salary questions may be difficult. You may be asked about your salary requirements. The whole interview may be nearly over with no mention of a particular salary. Many positions are announced with a salary range, sometimes fairly wide. Salary questions are appropriate, but should be asked toward the end of the interview [and usually after mentioned first by your host]. Professional and personal growth and not money are supposed to be your primary motivation.
To prepare yourself, estimate your likely expenses in the new community so that you have a good estimate of what your salary minimum must be. You may want to check the annual salary survey in Library Journal to arrive at a benchmarks mean salary [note that Southern salaries are lower than national averages]. Normally, you would identify an equitable salary range rather than a specific amount. You may be able to find such ranges in position announcements for similar positions.
Normally, you wait for the employer to make an offer before you deal with your salary expectations. You should begin negotiation with a salary figure a few thousand dollars higher than where you would like to settle -- if that is possible. Look at the total package since fringe benefits may be of considerable value and add substantially to the salary offer. Pay particular attention to the costs and benefits of health insurance and employer contributions toward retirement. Remind yourself that the opportunity for personal and professional growth is important and may warrant selecting a position that pays somewhat less.
When leaving an interview, always thank your host and make a cheery comment. If you are not certain what happens next, ask when the search process is likely to be completed and when you might expect to be notified. Send a brief hand written thank you note to your host [usually the chair of the search committee in academic libraries] or others who spent considerable time with you when you return and emphasize your continued interest in the position.The letter need not be long, but it should be cheery and personal with some specific comment on what you enjoyed during the visit. You may find tips and examples on the web. For example, " writing thank you letters."
If after two to three weeks you have not heard from an agency, it is appropriate to call and politely ask for the status of the search and your application. Besides your thank you letter, you may also use an inquiry letter to learn more about your status in the search process.
If you receive an offer, you will need to reply with a letter accepting or rejecting the position. If you need additional information in order to make this decision, better to use the telephone or email. The letter declining the position should express your appreciation for the interest of the information agency. While it is not necessary to give a reason for declining a position, that information is often helpful to the prospective employer. The letter of acceptance should also express your appreciation. Specifically refer to the offer letter or document and indicate when you expect to join the information agency.
You will probably not find a position as quickly as you would
like. Some "perfect" positions may go to another person. Be
prepared. Getting your foot in the door, getting interview
experience, making new friends, and influencing people are your
immediate objectives. Don't lose your sense of confidence and
self-worth. Believe that there is a right position for you. It is
a matter of time. The best response to rejection is to work
harder in identifying likely positions and continuing to apply.
The skills needed in job-seeking: perseverance, attention to
detail, planning, presenting yourself, and maximizing use of
appropriate resources are also needed for success as an
information professional. An information professional should have
an advantage in job seeking because of her ability to identity
and use a wide range of information useful in finding positions,
evaluating organizations and communities, and in effective
presentation.
Last major revision: April 2008
