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) Meets required qualifications
2) Has breadth of experience
3) Communicates clearly, both verbally and in writing
Do you have any instant dealbreakers, either in the application packet or the interview process?
On application:
1) Bad grammar
2) Inattention to job description
3) Experience mismatchIn interview:
1) Rudeness
2) Arrogance
3) Poor listening skills
What are you tired of seeing on resumes/in cover letters?
Rah-rah, corporate-style overselling
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, I want to look at every accomplishment
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?
√ I don’t care
What’s the best way to win you over in an interview?
Show that you know something about the job/university/area that wasn’t in the ad
What are some of the most common mistakes people make in an interview?
Not treating every single person they meet with courtesy and attention
How has hiring changed at your organization since you’ve been in on the process?
We do less of it — and when we do it, we put a great deal of weight on whether or not we think the person will stay, because we don’t want to have to do it again next year.
Anything else you’d like to let job-seekers know?
It’s at least as much about what you can do for us as it is about what we can do for you.
I love this response. I’ve been told to limit the cover letter to 1 page, hype myself like ABILIFY, and look at any position as résumé-filler. Sadly, I just passed-up the chance to tell a potential employer that I wanted to “settle-down,” for fear that I would come across as someone who was just interested in a J-O-B. I know it didn’t serve me well, because I later found out they wanted folks to stay. It’s too bad hiring librarians can’t be more forthcoming in their posts–and interviews