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Of Interns And Others: Job Hunting Pointers For New Librarians
by Abigail Leah Plumb
Libraries are changing, and librarians' roles are changing. If you've picked up an issue of any library-related journal recently, or read a library web site recently, you already know all about it. For job seekers, and particularly for new librarians who haven't experienced a more traditional professional position firsthand, hearing all about the whirlwind changes can be thoroughly intimidating. As a recent library school graduate myself, I know all too well how confusing all this talk of flux can be when you're looking for a job.
As a recent interviewer, I've also seen firsthand the mistakes candidates make during the application process. Libraries are changing, and I wonder if library schools aren't giving out a lot of outdated advice. I'd like to provide a brief glimpse at the view from behind the desk, and give you a little ammo for your internship or first-job interviews.
* Know what the library's like. While looking for work, I frequently found job ads that were minimal, or verging on the cryptic. As an interviewer, I was continually surprised by candidates who didn't seem to have a clear idea of fundamentals: what was our area of specialty, for example? A quick Google search will reveal this, in the case of my library. However, an e-mail message or phone call to ask such questions is also well within the boundaries of good form. Don't make assumptions. Do ask the interviewer beforehand. Do ask your buddies or professors. Do look it up in a directory or other reference. As a budding information professional, you might as well place your research skills front and center.
* Sell your library enthusiasm. I know, I know. Producing a seemingly endless stream of cover letters is hardly conducive to feelings of excitement and good cheer. But, if you don't want to work in a library, I certainly don't want you to work in mine. Highlight your library skills and your library interests in your cover letter. Highlight them more in the interview. Don't talk about your secretarial skills or your coursework in primatology or your marketing savvy unless you can relate them to the particular job. Do articulate why you want to be a librarian, and make your reasons relevant to the particular job. If the job primarily requires database searching and web development, your love of books is pleasant but largely irrelevant.
* Look professional. Suits are expensive, and when you're still in school, a job-hunting wardrobe can just about break the bank. While I imagine that many colleagues take a different approach, I tell candidates up front that the interview will be informal. I don't see any reason for you to bother with business-formal attire, if I never do myself, but I still want to see you looking professional. Your really old signed Sonic Youth T-shirt is great, but, in the library world, hipness is not a primary hiring consideration. To me, an ironed shirt and brushed hair demonstrate that you care about your presentation, and speak to your ability to adapt to a new environment - even if it's "only" a paraprofessional position.
* Think on your feet - or fake it real good. When you're preparing feverishly for an interview, the idea of a left-field question can be terrifying. But remember all those articles in American Libraries and all those ALA sessions (and the first paragraph of this article) about the changing role of the librarian? Sometimes that role changes on a daily basis. The only consistent thing about my job is that it constantly surprises me, and I need to know that you can hit a moving target. Do prepare broadly for the interview. Do have some talking points. Don't be afraid to think out loud. I'd far rather you consider carefully and talk around a question intelligently than that you mumble "I don't know" without any followup.
When you're bitterly spending another unemployed day scanning the job ads, you're hardly feeling empathy for the poor interviewer - who, after all, already has a job. But consider the following: if I've invited you for an interview, I'm already prepared to be impressed. When you're interviewing in a "new library", you have a lot of opportunities to impress, since I'm looking for a broad spectrum of useful skills. By following these guidelines in presenting yourself, you're making my job easier, but you're also communicating your qualifications and enthusiasm, and showing the interviewer as explicitly as possible just what you have to offer.
Abigail Leah Plumb graduated from the University of Michigan School of Information but ten short months ago. She is now the librarian and information specialist at Lippincott Williams & Williams, a medical publisher in New York.