This anonymous interview is with an Academic librarian from an urban area in the Southern US. This person works at a library with 0-10 staff members and has been a member of a hiring or search committee.
What Candidates Should Wear
Should the candidate wear a suit to the interview?
√ Yes, absolutely! It shows respect and professionalism
An outfit with a coordinated blazer and trousers:
√ Counts as a suit
Bare arms are inappropriate in an interview, even in the summer.
√ True
If a woman wears a skirt to an interview, should she also wear pantyhose?
√ No, but it’s not a dealbreaker
Women should wear make-up to an interview:
√ I don’t care, as long as it’s not over-the-top
Is there anything a candidate might wear that would cause them to be instantly out of the running? If you have any funny stories about horrifying interview outfits, we’d love to hear them.
There was one candidate who showed up wearing birkenstocks, a sundress, and an oversized touristy zippered fleece sweater, none of which matched or coordinated. We were hiring for a position at a university where the students have a professional business attire dress code, so she was enormously underdressed.
It’s less about the specific items and more about matching formality of the hiring institution. If you are slightly overdressed, that is fine, but being more than slightly underdressed is a big no-no.
Do you expect different levels of formality of dress, depending on the position you’re hiring for?
√ Yes, the higher the position, the more formal I expect the candidate to dress
Which jewelry may candidates wear: (Please select all that are acceptable)
√ Single, simple necklace, bracelet, and/or ring
√ A few simple necklaces, bracelets, and/or rings
√ Arty or more elaborate necklaces, bracelets, or rings
√ Nose Ring (nostril)
√ Eyebrow Ring, Monroe piercing, septum piercing, or other face piercing
√ Earrings
√ Multiple Ear Piercings
√ Large gauge ear jewelry (stretched ears)
Which hair colors are acceptable for candidates:
√ All of them, even pink
The way a candidate dresses should:
√ Be fairly neutral
How does what a candidate wears affect your hiring decision?
Doing some research on the work environment before interviewing is important– the candidate should be dressed at least as formally as they would be expected to dress in their everyday duties. However, a suit or coordinated jacket and pants is never amiss. Even if the staff are very informal and free with clothing requirements, dressing a little more conservatively than you would on the job is a good idea.
What This Library Wears
How do you dress when you are going to conduct an interview?
I wear a suit or coordinated dress/skirt/pants and jacket.
On a scale of one (too dressed up for my workplace) to five (too casual), khakis and a polo shirt are:
5
What’s the dress code at your library/organization?
√ Business formal
Are there any specific items of clothing, etc. that are forbidden by your dress code? Please check all that apply
√ Jeans
√ Flip flops
√ Visible Tattoos
√ Short skirts/shorts
√ Tank tops
√ Logos/band insignia/slogans
√ Sneakers/trainers
Librarians at your organization wear: Please check all that apply
√ Name tags
This survey was co-authored by Jill of Librarian Hire Fashion – submit your interview outfit to her blog!
Photo: photostock on FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Hiring Librarians 