This anonymous interview is with an Academic librarian who has been a member of a hiring or search committee. This librarian works in a city/town in the Western US, at a library with 10-50 staff members.
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.
√ 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:
√ 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.
showing tats, inappropriate outfits suited to leisure @ home or weekend picnics. Professional and business professional is the rule for interviews, always!
we interviewed a man for the job – he wore casual clothing, wrinkled shirt and unpolished shoes — not good.
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
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?
It matters – candidate should care about appearing professional – a librarian is considered smart — act and dress like it during an interview.
What This Library Wears
How do you dress when you are going to conduct an interview?
suit or business casual – always a jacket
On a scale of one (too dressed up for my workplace) to five (too casual), khakis and a polo shirt are:
3
What’s the dress code at your library/organization?
√ Casual
Are there any specific items of clothing, etc. that are forbidden by your dress code? Please check all that apply
√ Short skirts/shorts
√ Tank tops
√ Other: revealing clothing on women
Librarians at your organization wear: Please check all that apply
√ Name tags
√ Shirt, waistcoat/vest, or other single piece of clothing issued by the library
This survey was co-authored by Jill of Librarian Hire Fashion – submit your interview outfit to her blog!
Photo: job interview by flickr user Kino Praxis
Anything else you’d like to share with my readers about your site in particular, or about library hiring/job hunting in general? 
When reviewing a candidate’s application, the person’s current employment status doesn’t matter to me, whether they are employed part-time, full-time or unemployed. However, if there is a/are significantly long gap(s) in their employment history that is unexplained (either in their resume or cover), then I may consider that a red flag and I will discuss it with the other members of the search committee as to how to proceed in the review process of that candidate’s application. We won’t necessarily rule that person out as a suitable candidate but it can raise some concern.
Whether an applicant is currently employed in a full time, permanent, position, in a contract or temporary role, or is unemployed and seeking work, can have an influence on a hirer’s decision making process.
Hiring Librarians 