This anonymous interview is with an Academic librarian from a city/town in the Southern US. This librarian works at a library with 10-50 staff members and has been a hiring manager as well as a member of a hiring or search committee.
What Candidates Should Wear
Should the candidate wear a suit to the interview?
√ Probably, yes (but it’s ok if the candidate wears something a little less formal)
An outfit with a coordinated blazer and trousers:
√ Counts as a suit
Bare arms are inappropriate in an interview, even in the summer.
√ False
If a woman wears a skirt to an interview, should she also wear pantyhose?
√ Yes, true professionals always wear pantyhose
Women should wear make-up to an interview:
√ Always
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.
Jeans, flip-flops, t-shirts, sweatshirts. Candidates should not wear anything torn or dirty.
NO GUM CHEWING.
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
√ Earrings
Which hair colors are acceptable for candidates:
√ Natural colors (black, brown, red, blonde, gray)
The way a candidate dresses should:
√ Show personality
How does what a candidate wears affect your hiring decision?
A candidate that doesn’t care enough to dress appropriately for an interview looses points in my eye. Inappropriate dress is equivalent to typos in a resume.
If a candidate takes the time to care about their dress they will take the time to care about their job.
What This Library Wears
How do you dress when you are going to conduct an interview?
Professional. Coordinated outfit, skirt with jacket or sweater, pantyhose, heels, make-up. I try to set an example for the candidate of what is expected.
On a scale of one (too dressed up for my workplace) to five (too casual), khakis and a polo shirt are:
4
What’s the dress code at your library/organization?
√ Business casual
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/trainer
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: by Flickr user Parker Michael Knight
Hiring Librarians 