Preparing for Today's Job Market - The Interview
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Congratulations, you got an interview... now what?! During this workshop we'll look at what to expect when interviewing at different types of libraries: academic, special, and public. We'll discuss both remote and in-person interviews, and talk about the importance of doing your research, preparing questions for your interviewers, and showing confidence and personality during your interview. We will talk about, and critique, interview-appropriate attire, as well as give you tips on staying comfortable while looking professional. We will work on developing your elevator pitch, and practice answering the most commonly asked interview questions. And, finally, we will provide advice on how to follow up after the interview. Throughout, we'll emphasize how to go beyond the qualifications listed on your resume in order to show a potential employer that you are the right candidate for the job.
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Preparing for Today's Job Market - The Interview
- 1. THE INTERVIEW ALA Annual Conference - Placement Center | June 26, 2016 Preparing for Today’s Job Market (Part 2) Susanne Markgren | Starr Hoffman
- 2. Who are We? Susanne Markgren Assistant Director for Technical Services Manhattan College Bronx, NY Starr Hoffman Head, Planning and Assessment University Libraries University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- 4. Your 30-second commercial • Things you LOVE about work • Things you do best • The type of environment you work best in • What you find most important about work Questions to think about: • What is your career goal? • What skill, strength, or experience do you have that would help you realize that goal? • What accomplishment proves you have that skill, strength, or experience? • What are you searching for in a job? Make a brief list for each of the following:
- 6. Remote Interviews • By phone: • Usually all candidates are asked the same questions • Study your resume: be able to respond confidently about how your skills and background apply to the vacancy • Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed for 20-60 minutes • Make sure you have good service (if using a cell phone) • Dress professionally even though they can’t see you • Breathe and smile and enjoy yourself - it will come through in your voice
- 7. Remote Interviews • By Videoconference (Skype or similar) • Dress as though you are going to an interview • Have a back-up plan • Sit at a desk or table with your materials within reach • Practice: ask a friend to do a dry run with you • Have a neutral background and decent lighting • Check the direction your web camera is facing (i.e., not up your nose), and remember to look into the camera (and smile!) • Have your materials - resume, job listing, etc. - out of sight in front of you, avoid shuffling papers - keep your attention on your audience • Relax, keep your answers brief, and use normal body language
- 8. In-Person Interviews • Can last a few hours, or all day • Know what is expected • Ask for an agenda, find out who you will meet • Will you be asked to do a presentation? • Expect to meet with different people • Decision-maker (director) • Supervisors (upper/mid management) • Potential future colleagues and collaborators • Could involve • Serial one-on-one meetings • Group meetings • Tours • Social gatherings • Or a combination
- 9. In-Person Interviews • Group Interviews • Meet with 2-8 people (or more) all at once • Usually lasts at least an hour • Field several questions from each person in the room • An opportunity to get a sense of the institutional culture
- 10. Behavioral Questions: The STAR Model Situation Task Action Result Experience 1 Experience 2 Situation Task Action Result Needed to create a communications plan Write a newsletter, start a blog and Twitter feed Tapped colleagues for web design help and content 50% increase in visits to our library’s main website, via all outlets Redesigned a study space Select furniture, etc. to encourage study Surveyed current library users for ideas Profiled in local newspaper
- 11. Know Before You Go Try to gain an understanding of the institution and people you will meet with before the interview. • Check their website. Is there a: • Mission statement • Org chart: tells you who reports to whom, indicates major departments • History of the organization • Bios of leaders • Statistics - number of students, size of the city/service area, circulation statistics, market share, etc.
- 12. Your Social Media Presence While you are job-seeking, and interviewing, you need to be extra conscious of your online presence and your social media activity: • Make sure your online information is up-to-date and professional • If you have a public Twitter account, stick to professional and/or harmless tweets • Google yourself often to see what comes up • Clean up, or “unfriend” any unprofessional or questionable content or “friends” • Use social media to promote yourself, and your professional content
- 13. Game Day
- 14. Game Day • Essentials to have close to you for remote interview • Copy of the job announcement • Your resume and cover letter • Organizational chart of the library / mission statement / names and titles of interviewers, information about the library/institution/etc. • Pen and notebook • Your questions for them • Tissues, water
- 15. Game Day • Essentials to bring with you for in-person interview • Copy of the job announcement • Your resume and cover letter • Directions, map, itinerary, tickets, contact information for your arrival, receipts (if you are getting reimbursed) • Portfolio of any extra materials (i.e., publications, samples of web designs, etc.) • Pen and notebook • Emergency kit (brush/comb, breath mints, safety pin, etc.) • Professional-looking bag or briefcase • USB drive for presentation backup and other files
- 16. What to wear
- 17. What NOT to wear
- 18. Traveling Tips • Pack light. If flying, use a carry-on suitcase. • Think about buying/bringing wrinkle-free business attire. • Know where you’re going, and how you will get from Point A to Point B. • Have contact information, and a backup plan. • Give yourself a time cushion. • If you have time, get to know the area. • Be economical. Keep your receipts. Know what you will be reimbursed for. • Get plenty of rest. • Stay relaxed with small comforts.
- 19. Questions you may be asked • What makes you the right candidate for this position? • Why do you want this position? • How do you keep up with the changing technologies in the library field? • When a patron makes a truly unreasonable demand, how do you approach saying no? • Describe an important goal that you achieved in the past. What strategies did you use to achieve it? • Describe a project you worked on that failed. What would you do differently, or what did you learn? • Talk about your project management skills. • Describe your supervisory style and experience • How does this position fit into your career plans?
- 20. Sample Questions to Ask Your Interviewers • What is a typical day like for a librarian in this role? • How do the librarians work together/collaborate? • How (by whom and how often) are the librarians evaluated on their performance? • Is professional development supported and/or encouraged? • What are some new initiatives you are working on? • What is the library’s reference/instruction/collection development philosophy? (tailor to fit the position) • What do you (the interviewers) like about your job? • What would a successful year in this position look like?
- 21. Preparing a “Job Talk” or Presentation • Know what is expected (what type of presentation you are doing, who is your audience, what is the time frame, how many people will attend, etc.). • Have something visual to show – a slideshow, a graphic, data sets, handouts, etc. • Don’t go over the time limit, or way under. (Don’t forget Q&A time!) • Practice ahead of time and get feedback. • Have backup for technical difficulties. • Stick with software you are very comfortable using. • Attempt to tailor to their environment. • Have fun.
- 22. After the Interview / Following Up • Email to say thank you (within a day after) • Follow up with written/typed thank you letters • Wait at least 2 weeks before following up on the status of the search; some will take months • Keep applying to other jobs - even if your interview went well, don’t assume you will receive an offer • Accept LinkedIn (or other social media) invites if they are offered; do not send them yourself • If you accept another position, contact them right away
- 23. Questions? …. And, Thank you! Susanne Markgren Assistant Director for Technical Services (starting August 1) Manhattan College smarkgren@gmail.com Twitter: @smarkgren Portfolio: https://smarkgren.wordpress.com/ Library Career People: https://librarycareerpeople.com/ Starr Hoffman Head, Planning & Assessment UNLV Libraries starr.hoffman@unlv.edu Twitter: @artgeeklibrarian Portfolio: https://geekyartistlibrarian.wordpress.com/
Editor's Notes
- Congratulations, you got an interview... now what?! During this workshop we'll look at what to expect when interviewing at different types of libraries: academic, special, and public. We'll discuss both remote and in-person interviews, and talk about the importance of doing your research, preparing questions for your interviewers, and showing confidence and personality during your interview. We will talk about, and critique, interview-appropriate attire, as well as give you tips on staying comfortable while looking professional. We will work on developing your elevator pitch, and practice answering the most commonly asked interview questions. And, finally, we will provide advice on how to follow up after the interview. Throughout, we'll emphasize how to go beyond the qualifications listed on your resume in order to show a potential employer that you are the right candidate for the job.
- It can feel strange to talk about yourself, your accomplishments/goals/experience, but when you’re job searching, you need to be able to do this effortlessly – you need to sell yourself, believe in yourself, be able talk about your strengths and your skills, and know what you want in a position.
- Susanne Your elevator pitch can also double as your "Tell me a little about yourself" answer during a job interview. If you are looking for a job, repeating your elevator pitch to yourself at the start of every day can be a quick but encouraging reminder of why you are the best at what you do. Make sure to practice saying it out loud and to tweak it to sound like normal speech. In other words, Don’t speak the way you write. Take no longer than 5-10 minutes… at the end, we will stop everyone and ask them to go around the room and introduce themselves, using their pitches, to 1-2 people they don’t know.
- Congratulations, you’ve made it to the interview stage! Now what? This is where you can shine, show your personality, talk about yourself, your skills, ask questions of your interviewers, scope out the place, potential colleagues, see if it feels like a good fit! and have fun.
- Starr Remote interviews What they are and why they are important Phone interviewing tips Skype / video interviewing tips Commonly asked questions (for both online and in-person – be ready!) Write down questions for follow up Back-up plan: provide both a landline and cell phone number, if possible, in case there are problems connecting on one of the lines.
- Starr Back-up plan: provide both a landline and cell phone number, if possible, in case there are problems connecting with the video. TEST it ahead of time with a friend! (can check the direction of your camera, your connection, and the specific software)—also be sure your account isn’t set to private or not allowing connections/contacts. Interview: fire drill story! = stay calm and have a sense of humor. If you have time, write down the questions (or notes/keywords) as they ask them. You can use these to prepare for future interviews.
- Susanne The final round. Usually, places bring in anywhere between 2-5 candidates for in-person interviews Preparing for the in-person interview What to expect from the organization (what should they provide you before your interview)
- Susanne Answering behavior-based questions – what would do in “this” type of situation, etc. Star Model
- Susanne Have an exercise (bring handout) where they fill out the STAR model with different scenarios. Have a slide with an example on it. (10 minutes)
- Starr
- Starr
- We will walk you through what you need to do to prepare for “the interview.”
- Starr
- Susanne Interview clothes in carry-on Emergency kit story from Starr – sometimes you really, really need a safety pin!
- Both
- Both
- Starr Recommend at least two outfit options (two shirts at least), just in case. Ahead of time, solidify: who is picking you up, from where, and when. Small comforts: Bring a favorite tea bag / lotion / etc with you, or something comfortable to wear after the interview. Plan downtime in the location, if possible. Learn about the place and enjoy yourself! Reward yourself afterward with a nice meal, new book, etc.
- Susanne Have them choose one or two questions (from this list or their own) and interview the person next to them. 10 minutes. Practice handshake and eye contact!
- Susanne And, throw in a question or two that is specific about their library or institution. This shows your interviewers that you have done your research on them. For example: I see that the library has a Facebook page. Do you find that it is a successful marketing tool? I noticed that you offer drop-in sessions for students. Who teaches these and which ones are the most popular? Your LibGuides are very informative and well-designed. If I was hired, would I be able to create and maintain guides? Be sure to ask questions that can inform whether YOU want this position or not! (ask riskier questions during in-person interview, as this is the basis on which you make the decision to take a position or not)
- Starr Don’t forget to check ahead of time on their A/V setup: PC or Mac, projector yes/no, audio yes/no (if you’re using video or audio clips), internet connection yes/no… PRACTICE! First, practice to time, to know when you have the right amount of content. Then, practice in front of others—colleagues, if possible. If you have librarian friends at other institutions far away, you could present it to them over Skype. Get feedback on: your presentation style/speech, as well as the content of the presentation, design of the slides, etc. Backups include: Printouts of your notes and of each slide (you can hold them up in a pinch). PDF copy of slideshow, not just PPT (formatting differences). Slideshow on USB drive, emailed to self, and in cloud storage. I also bring a tablet with a PDF copy – can use it as reference for my notes, but also a nice way to present slides in a pinch.
- Both Concluding the Interview Questions to ask them Timeframes Thanks you Follow up Think of it as a networking journey, interviewing is a skill!
- Career Q&A book signing following the workshop. Promo code to buy the book online: ALAQA (not case sensitive). $20!