This anonymous interview is with an archivist who has been a hiring manager and a member of a hiring committee at an organization with 0-10 staff members.
What are the top three things you look for in a candidate?
Intelligence/skills, good personality, and enthusiasm.
Do you have any instant dealbreakers, either in the application packet or the interview process?
Badly written and generic cover letter, one that doesn’t specifically address the position applying for.
In the interview process, a bad personality and someone that can’t listen is a bad sign.
What are you tired of seeing on resumes/in cover letters?
Cover letters that don’t really address the position applying for!
Is there anything that people don’t put on their resumes that you wish they did?
Links to work they have done that is online. It is extremely helpful!
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?
Should a resume/CV have an Objective statement?
√ I don’t care
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?
Enthusiasm! Also, if you ask a great question which shows you did your homework on the institution beforehand.
What are some of the most common mistakes people make in an interview?
Talking in a tangent which is unrelated to the question asked, or not knowing an answer and making something up (which is obvious!).
