Strategies for Preparing for Interviews First Impressions Go A Long Way: How To Succeed In Job Interviews for Libraries Strategies for Preparing for Interviews

The Interview Worksheet! Organize all of your thoughts in one place! Self-guided tour through everything you need to address beforehand! Customized for your career path!

The Basics how to get there What you’re going to wear what are the library and its community like address your problem areas what changes/plans you have for their organization what do you want to ask them Bonus tip! Ask the interviewers “What do you like best and least about working here?” It never fails to yield good intel on the job situation!

General Questions Last book you read Favorite book Work/management styles Strengths/weaknesses Response to criticism Professional Interests Bonus tip! Even if they don’t ask, address how you’re working on improving your weaknesses. “I only read sci-fi books at home, so sometimes I struggle with reader’s advisory. I’ve starting reading blogs like The Early Word to help me keep current on popular reading trends in all genres.”

Deciphering Job Postings

Customer Service Questions Difficult customers Exceptional service Internal vs. external customer service Bonus tip! Think in terms of scenarios. A customer is upset because their turn on the computer ended before they saved their work – what do you do? One teen is being bullied by his peer group – what do you do? The head scientist wants relevant literature delivered for a meeting but isn’t giving you enough time to complete the task – what do you do?

Library Services Youth Services = book talks, school visits, programming School = lesson plans (inquiry based learning), programming & outreach, information literacy, Web 2.0 Teen Services = book talks, TAB, school visits Adult Services = book discussions, computer classes, reader’s advisory, programming Academic = information literacy, subject specialties, data software, database management, outreach, collection development, publishing Special = research skills, database familiarity Always use SPECIFIC EXAMPLES to demonstrate your skills in library services!

Use Specific Examples General Specific “At my last job, I taught monthly computer classes on Word and Excel. In six months I had three students tell me they were able to get jobs thanks to the skills they learned in my classes!” “I’m very comfortable working with children. My craft programs draw on average twenty-five kids every Friday after school. All week long, I have kids asking me what we’ll be making that week!” “My instruction leads students to perform inquiry based learning then effectively evaluate information, and think critically. They can transfer their knowledge from background to questions to thesis.” “I have experience teaching computer classes.” “I’m good with kids.” “I have strong information literacy skills.”

Think Ahead to the Next Interview Record examples as they happen Good and bad customer service interactions Ideas for library services/programs Journal articles/blog posts you read Use this list to inform your answers going forward

Learn from Each Interview After each interview, record the questions you did well on, to remember the answers for future interviews Also record the answers you didn’t think you did well on, so you can improve for next time

QUESTIONS? Eleanor Marquis Ocean County Library, Lakewood Branch emarquis@theoceancountylibrary.orgLorie Harding Bunn Library- The Lawrenceville Schoollharding@lawrenceville.org