This anonymous interview is with an Academic librarian who has been a member of a hiring or search committee. This librarian works at a library with 0-10 staff members in a suburban area of the Western US.
What Candidates Should Wear
Should the candidate wear a suit to the interview?
√ I don’t care
An outfit with a coordinated blazer and trousers:
√ I do not know and/or care
Bare arms are inappropriate in an interview, even in the summer.
√ I don’t care
If a woman wears a skirt to an interview, should she also wear pantyhose?
√ Other: irrelevant
Women should wear make-up to an interview:
√ I don’t care what’s on the face, it’s what’s in the brain that counts
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.
breasts overly exposed
Can you share any stories about how a candidate nailed the proper interview outfit, especially if your organization does not expect suits?
librarian w/ 10 years of experience arrived in a long dress w/ a flowing scarf—it was a surprise to me, but she pulled it off—keeping the scarf away from her face—it never interfered or distracted from the interview
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)
√ Other: irrelevant to me
Which hair colors are acceptable for candidates:
√ All of them, even pink
The way a candidate dresses should:
√ Other: be clean & not distract from the conversation
How does what a candidate wears affect your hiring decision?
very little
What This Library Wears
How do you dress when you are going to conduct an interview?
slacks w/ blazer
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
√ N/A: We wear what we want!
This survey was co-authored by Jill of Librarian Hire Fashion – submit your interview outfit to her blog!
Photo: Ambro on FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Hiring Librarians 