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Library Interviews: Improving Your Odds
by Karen Evans
Interviews are a great opportunity to highlight your skills and abilities. Whether the interview is on-site or via telephone, your answers can make or break your chances of being offered a position. How can you improve your odds during the interview process?
Start Out Strong
Prepare for the interview. Think about the questions you may be asked and how you will respond. Read about the organization and look at its web site. Note areas you want to ask about or compliment the organization on; showing you have taken the time to read about an institution and explore their site will earn you points with the interviewer. Find questions to ask the search committee - if you do not ask questions, you give the impression you are not interested in them or the position.
Arrive a few minutes early, and use your extra time to check your appearance, take a deep breath and relax a little. When you announce yourself to the staff or secretary, your interview has started. Search committees often check with the staff and secretary to see how the interviewee treated them. Be cordial to everyone you meet. When you meet the search committee, give a firm handshake and look at each person as you are introduced. Be confident in yourself and your abilities!
Stay Straight
Do not lie or mislead during the interview. You will be asked questions which will help the employer decide if you are a "good fit" for the library and if your skills and personality mesh with those of existing employees. If you lie or exaggerate your skills, your employer will soon realize you have overstated your abilities. If you sense that a proficiency you lack is important to the interviewer, offer to learn the skill. Showing this initiative may boost your worth to the interviewer; at the least, it shows you are willing to learn new skills to be viable.
Be comfortable with yourself and know your strengths and weaknesses (we all have them - the important thing is how we present them). Can you turn your weakness into strengths? Think about the positive aspects of a weakness, and emphasize that area during an interview. Before an interview, try listing your weaknesses (as you see them), and next to each weakness list a positive aspect. Concentrate on that positive aspect!
Pay Attention
Listen to the questions being asked. You can take time to think about the question before responding. A moment of silence is not deadly, especially if followed by a good answer. If you did not understand the question or did not hear the entire question (which often happens during a telephone interview), ask for clarification. It is much better to ask for clarification than to answer a question incorrectly because you misunderstood.
When you answer a question, do not run on in your answer. This is where practice and pre-thought (thinking about possible questions and answers) comes into focus. Keep your answers focused, do not carry on and lose the gist of the question. If you are not sure about the types of questions you may be asked, do some searching on the Internet. Search under "interview questions" or "library interview questions" for examples, or see http://www.lisjobs.com/advice.htm#interview.
One of the most often asked questions is: "So, tell me about you." This is not an invitation to tell your entire life story. Think about what you want the search committee to know about you in relation to the position you are applying for and how you can incorporate that information into your answers. Center on how you fit into the position you are applying for, which is really what your interviewer is trying to determine.
You may be asked a question concerning age or marital status or religious affiliation. In the U.S., these questions are usually considered discriminatory, if you are denied a position based on your answer. Some interviewers disregard asking these questions, others will ask to see how you respond. For more information on discriminatory questions and how to respond, look at the EEOC web site at http://www.eeoc.gov.
It's Your Call
Many more organizations are using telephone interviews to cull their list of applicants. During the telephone interview, your voice should be your ally. Speak clearly and slowly enough for the search committee to understand you. If you rush through questions and mumble your answers, the search committee may have trouble understanding you. This could translate into questions concerning your ability to successfully assist patrons in the library. Try taking a deep breath before answering the question.
Have your information in front of you for a telephone interview. You want to be able to quickly locate the questions you want to ask or any specific information you want to be sure to tell the search committee. Rustling papers or thumbing through notes looking for specific information wastes time and may indicate a lack of organization to a search committee. Be organized for your interview!
Last Tips
Salary issues can be tricky during an interview. If you are asked for salary requirements (do not offer salary requests - wait to be asked), name a range rather than a specific figure. Naming a specific figure may immediately eliminate you from the applicant pool.
Ask for business cards from the search committee or interviewer, and from others who participate in your interview. By obtaining their business cards; you can remember their name (the correct spelling) and their title. Send each person a thank-you letter. Try to send the thank you within twenty-four hours after returning from the interview. Remind the search committee of your strengths, and add any additional information which may assist you in obtaining the position. Sending a thank-you letter shows you are interested in the position.
Prepare for the interview by thinking about possible interview questions and your answers. Be able to discuss your career plans and research interests. Greet the search committee with a firm handshake and a smile. Be confident!
Good luck!
Karen Evans has served on several search committees as chair or a member. She is currently an Instruction and Reference Librarian at Indiana State University.