Winter Reruns: “Please, Please, Please Get Experience in a Library Before You Graduate From School”

After taking a few months off, I’ve decided to sunset this project. I’m finishing up my scheduled selection of Hiring Librarians’ greatest hits and most reviled posts, and then will stop updating in late February/early March. Thanks so much for reading!

This survey was filled out on March 27, 2012 and originally ran on April 3, 2012. This person’s main piece of advice still rings very true today: get experience in a library before you graduate. I talk to a lot of frustrated new grads who feel they have been sold a bill of goods when they realize how difficult it can be to get that first job.

This anonymous post is from a school librarian! S/he has been a hiring manager and a member of a hiring committee at a library with 0-10 staff members.


What are the top three things you look for in a candidate?

1. Obvious experience with technology and incorporating technology into daily activities.
2. Experience in libraries of some sort.  Yes, we are a school library and it is helpful to have school experience.  But so many of the applicants for our open position last year had no library experience at all, it was discouraging.  I honestly don’t understand how someone can go through a graduate library program and get no library experience.
3. Flexibility, openness to new ideas, willingness to work on projects that benefit the library as a whole.

Do you have any instant dealbreakers, either in the application packet or the interview process?

Dealbreakers for me are typos in the resume or cover letter.  Another dealbreaker is an obviously “standard” cover letter that shows the applicant has not taken the time to look at our school (i.e. a general “to whom it may concern” type letter).

What are you tired of seeing on resumes/in cover letters?

Objectives that state the obvious — “Looking for a challenging school library position that will enable me to….”

Is there anything that people don’t put on their resumes that you wish they did?

Information about how they have actively used technology in the classroom, links to a portfolio, etc.

How many pages should a cover letter be?

√  Two is ok, but no more

How many pages should a resume/CV be?

√  As many as it takes, but keep it short and sweet

Do you have a preferred format for application documents?

√ No preference, as long as I can open it

Should a resume/CV have an Objective statement?

√ No

If applications are emailed, how should the cover letter be submitted?

√ As an attachment only

What’s the best way to win you over in an interview?

Show me that you have looked at our school website and have an idea bout the mission of our school.  Show me that you have ideas on how to collaborate with teachers.  Show me that you are interested in furthering your professional development.

What are some of the most common mistakes people make in an interview?

Not being prepared to answer the “How would you_____?” questions.

Anything else you’d like to let job-seekers know?

Please, please, please get experience in a library before you graduate from school.  Even if it is a part time grad assistant position — it helps.  If you have never worked in a library you really do not know what it is like on a daily basis.  It isn’t all theory, rainbows, and unicorns.  Some days it is hard work.  I am more than willing to hire someone fresh out of school with no full time library experience.  But I will not hire anyone (and mostly likely, will not interview anyone) with no library experience at all.

Winter Reruns: “We’re Hiring a Person, Not a Robot”

I’m taking time off! I’ll be back with new content in February. Take this survey to share your opinions about what would be most helpful/interesting.

While I’m out, I’m running a selection of Hiring Librarians’ greatest hits and most reviled posts. This is the second most viewed of any survey response, 2012-2025. The anonymous respondent filled out my Original Hiring Librarians Survey on March 2, 2012, and the post originally ran on March 13, 2012.

I’m not really certain why it has so many views. It’s quite early on in the Hiring Librarians timeline, so the only thing I can think of is that this post was what folks grabbed when they first started sharing the website with others. Hiring Librarians went from very few views in the first month of existence (Feb 2012) to a whole gosh darn lot of views in the second month (March 2012). But it also was a good 2-3 years before the peak views of 2014-2015, so I’m not sure that this theory is correct.

There are a scant handful of comments on the original post, including one from me before I understood that hiring for fit is a concept that often reinforces our profession’s implicit biases and white monoculture. In case you don’t know, hiring for fit is uncool. See more here:

Cunningham, Sojourna, Samantha Guss, and Jennifer Stout. “Challenging the ‘Good Fit’ Narrative: Creating Inclusive Recruitment Practices in Academic Libraries.” In Recasting the Narrative: The Proceedings of the ACRL 2019 Conference, April 10–13, 2019, Cleveland, Ohio, edited by Dawn M. Mueller, 12-21. Cleveland, Ohio: ACRL, 2019. https://alair.ala.org/bitstream/handle/11213/17632/ChallengingtheGoodFitNarrative.pdf

This anonymous interview is with an Academic librarian who has been a hiring manager and a member of a hiring committee at a library with 0-10 staff members.

What are the top three things you look for in a candidate?

1. Do their skills match what we’re looking for?
2. Will they fit into our culture?  Do they play well with others?
3. Do they appear smart enough to learn what they don’t know?

Do you have any instant dealbreakers, either in the application packet or the interview process?

Application packet: poor grammar or spelling, not matching the cover letter/resume to the position.  To be honest, most cover letters are boring – they all sound the same.  Add some personality, use some humor.  We’re hiring a person, not a robot.

Interview process: nervous gestures/laughter/habits.  We just disregarded a candidate because she began the answers to every question during the phone interview with a squeaky “sure.” Dressing inappropriately.  We’re located in a northern climate with lots of snow – don’t wear high heels.  I know you want to impress but practicality is the best image to put forth.  Investigate where you’re going – is it hot?  Cold?  Windy?  Plan ahead; it proves you’re paying attention.

What are you tired of seeing on resumes/in cover letters?

The same old boilerplate language: “I look forward to hearing from you;” “I believe I would be a good candidate because . . .” etc.  Be a real person.  Stand out.

Is there anything that people don’t put on their resumes that you wish they did?

Not resumes but I wish cover letters addressed why someone chose this profession in general and this position in specific.  Everyone “just wants a job,” but why should we give you this job?

How many pages should a cover letter be?

√ As many as it takes, but shorter is better

How many pages should a resume/CV be?

√ As many as it takes, but keep it short and sweet

Do you have a preferred format for application documents?

√ No preference, as long as I can open it.

Should a resume/CV have an Objective statement?

√ I don’t care.

If applications are emailed, how should the cover letter be submitted?

√ I don’t care.

What’s the best way to win you over in an interview?

Be articulate, intelligent, funny.  Demonstrate you can fit into a small library, be a team player.  Be honest.

What are some of the most common mistakes people make in an interview?

Being surprised at basic questions.  If the position is Public Services in an academic library expect to be asked about information literacy assessment, teaching approaches, etc.
Being unprepared.  If you’re doing a presentation using your own technology make sure it works beforehand.

How has hiring changed at your organization since you’ve been in on the process?

It hasn’t.

Anything else you’d like to let job-seekers know?

We’ve hired many times since I’ve been at my institution and the one thing every person who landed the job had in common is that they had personality.  Don’t be afraid to laugh, make a joke, ask a stupid question.  As I said above, we’re hiring a person, not a robot.  Let us know who you are.  That’s just as important as what you can do.

One thing I forgot to add – another piece of advice: be assertive.  Don’t say “I think I’d be a good fit” or “I believe I can do the job” etc.  Say “I can” and “I know.”  Show confidence even if you don’t completely believe it.  It’s a tired old saying but still true – if you think you can you will.

#academic #careers #coverletter #Employment #Hiring #interviewers #interviews #JobInterview #jobs #librarians #libraries

Have you made the connection yet between disengaged employees and ineffective hiring practices that lead to poor (or BAD) hiring decisions? Once you do, everything begins to change.

#hr #hiring #interviewers #executive #leadership