Some Interview Tips from a Recent Grad

Hello Re:Generations community! I am new to the blogging team, and I am so pleased to be a part of a group of such a vibrant group of academic librarians. This is my very first post!

As a brief introduction, my name is Meghan, and I completed the Master of Information Studies program at the University of Toronto this past April, and began working at York University in May. I’m a Business Librarian at the Bronfman Business Library – what you’d call a “traditional” academic librarian. My responsibilities breakdown along the typical lines: Reference, instruction, collections development, faculty liaison, and research.

I was lucky to have gotten the job offer several months before school ended, thus making those final school assignments nearly impossible to finish, but also offering me significant relief from the fear that I might never, ever, ever get a job (you might recall the state of the economy last winter and the doomsday news reports that accompanied...). I thought for this, my first post on the blog, that I would share some insights about why I think I got the job: what made my résumé stand out instead of getting shuffled to the back of the pile, what sorts of things I talked about in my interview, and how I prepared. Let it be known that this is based entirely on my own personal experiences, and might not ring true for everyone. However I hope there are some insights that students and recent grads will find helpful during their own job pursuits.

The Résumé, a.k.a., the Curriculum Vitae: An important lesson I’ve learned is that academic librarians are often very closely associated with the entire faculty (i.e. professors) of an academic institution. “But,” you say, “Academic librarians are different! We don’t toil in labs, we don’t get research assistants, and we get to buy books.” Indeed, librarians are different, but there are some similarities to professors: We both teach, we both do research, and we both belong to a university’s faculty association (or such is the case at York University). So, like professors, librarians are often expected to have a CV – curriculum vitae – rather than a more traditional résumé.

Now, you can infer from the Latin usage here, that CV’s are sort of heavy duty and rather intimidating, but don’t be afraid! Since librarians don’t have PhDs, and don’t have to write a thesis, or publish, or present papers, the expectations are different. Nonetheless, I found that reformatting my résumé into a CV was very helpful, since it allowed me to highlight my conference experience, my written work, and I even included courses I took that I felt were important to the job. It wasn’t a CV in the traditional sense, but it did span five pages, and made no attempt to whittle it down to two (which is something you’d probably have to do if you were applying to jobs in say, a corporate environment).

As well all know, however, writing one’s résumé is a bit like having a root canal. However there are lots of really valuable resources at your disposal during your time at library school (or as an alumni too). Check out your school’s career centre. Those places are so geared towards academic graduate programs, rather than our odd, befuddling professional degree, and CV’s are their specialty. So, book some time with the career centre to create your academic portfolio, stressing that you aren’t applying for a professorial position, but you still intend to be in an academic environment. Talk it out – they’ll come around, and will give you some good tips on how to create something more CV-esque than your current résumé.

The Re:Generations Résumé Review Service! No, this is not shameless self-promotion. I actually used this service during my first-year, and I got back lots of very valuable input from a Real Life Academic Librarian. It’s so helpful to get solid feedback from someone who is already doing the job you want to do. It beats the advice you’ll get from generic résumé-writing resources, or even librarians in non-academic fields.

My job application stipulated that a CV be included with the application; other academic library job posting won’t. However I think it’s important to underline extra-curricular work of an academic nature to ensure that your application goes beyond strictly work- and school-experience.

Which brings me to item number two:

Things to put on your curriculum vitae: I got a very valuable piece of advice from an academic librarian, when I asked her how to break into the “industry.” She said that publishing and conference work are viewed very highly in academic librarianship. But as a student, don’t feel like you have to start some gigantic research project to get an article into an academic publication. Start out small – I wrote a thought piece for my provincial library association’s monthly magazine, I worked for our faculty’s student journal, and I volunteered at local conferences. There are creative ways to turn school assignments into poster presentations for local conferences, which are a great way to get acquainted with the research process and to meet people in the field. Oh, and don’t think for a moment that your work isn’t “good enough” or “sophisticated enough” to get published in professionally-geared publications. Library associations are thirsty for input from students and new professionals, and are extremely supportive of students publishing, or participating in conferences. You just have to take the initiative!

I know that my demonstrated involvement with research and publishing were key assets during the application process. Interestingly, though, I didn’t have much on my resume in these areas until I really started to think seriously about career paths during my second year. So, it doesn’t take much time to quickly build up a well-rounded academic C.V. that will make your application stand out against other applicants.

I also insisted on including pertinent courses I had taken, and significant class assignments that I felt were important developments in my professional development. Don’t think that just because it was schoolwork and not “real” work, that it doesn’t count for anything. It’s important! Find a way to weave school experience in with your work and volunteer experience.

If you want to check out a generic copy of my CV, it's on my blog -- another great thing to get started as a means to showcasing your professional achievements. I think of my blog as a more relaxed extension of my CV, and include its link right in my CV. Both my current, and previous bosses said they read my blog upon receiving my job application and said it was an important reason that they ended up hiring me.

Interview: Without dwelling too much on interviews in general, I will point out a few unique aspects of my interview. I’m sure that each college or university does its interview processes differently, based on internal policies, human resources requirements, and stipulations from the faculty association. However I think in general, academic library interviews follow some common practices:

Beware that interviews in academic settings will often be panel-style; frightening! So many eyes staring back at you, as your attempt to navigate the interview question with some level of coherence. Be ready for that. Everyone will be extremely pleasant and professional – they’re librarians after all!

Since the position for which I was interviewing entailed reference and instruction, I was required to do a mini-presentation on a topic related to the subject specialization. Of course if you’re interviewing for a cataloguing position, the requirements for interview day will be different, but whatever the expectations, I think the soundest advice I can give is to practice. I treated my interview like a course assignment… One that was worth 100% of my final mark. I focused on designing and practicing my little presentation several times. I also typed out and recited the answers to several mock interview questions that I anticipated would come up in the interview. You can find some library interview questions online – you’ll be able to judge which are most appropriate for academic libraries. Of course you won’t necessarily anticipate the right questions, but the better prepared you are with examples of your awesomeness, the more easily you will be able to tailor your responses to the question being asked. It’s like having an exam: You can’t guarantee that the professor will ask a particular question, but if you don’t study at all, you probably won’t be very successful.

Be sure to prepare some questions for the panel as well. You will have specific questions of your own, but if you are at a loss for what else to inquire about, perhaps ask about the organizations and its priorities, library stuff like collections or information literacy manifestos, or the nature of the library’s user groups. I always struggle with creating questions for interviewees, but it’s a great opportunity to illustrate your existing knowledge, your curiosity and your interest in the position!

Oh, and a small note: You will be given tours. Lots of tours. Don’t make the same mistake I did and wear three inch heels. You will regret it. Trust me.

Follow-up: I always follow-up with a thank-you e-mail to the person conducting the hiring. I think this practice has greater value in the private sector than in academia, but it’s still a nice way to reiterate your interest in the position, and to express your appreciation for the opportunity to come in for an interview. And really, it’s true: Regardless of the outcome, I learned a lot about how to interview effectively, how I might improve for my next interview, and what goes on during the hiring process at a university library. It’s a helpful, insightful process whether or not you get the job in the end.

So, those are my sage and wise insights about the hiring process. It’s intense and nerve-wracking but if you’re successful you’ll have the opportunity to do some fascinating, fulfilling work. Good luck!