This anonymous interview is with an Academic librarian who has been a hiring manager and a member of a hiring or search committee. This librarian works at a library with 10-50 staff members in an Urban area in the Northeastern US
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?
√ 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.
No Jeans allowed, I think I’d have a problem with anything frayed as well. If you are going to wear cotton or linen, make sure it’s ironed, if it looks like it was pulled from a dirty hamper I think you can’t even take care of your clothes, how are you going to take care at your job?
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
√ Earrings
√ Multiple Ear Piercings
Which hair colors are acceptable for candidates:
√ Natural colors (black, brown, red, blonde, gray)
The way a candidate dresses should:
√ Be fairly neutral
How does what a candidate wears affect your hiring decision?
Unless they looked really bad I don’t think it affects my decision. I remember a time when a person we were hiring was wearing a gold lamé type shirt with her suit. It was an AWFUL shirt, we still hired the person.
What This Library Wears
How do you dress when you are going to conduct an interview?
I usually wear a dress or a suit.
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?
√ 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
√ Tank tops
√ Sneakers/trainers
This survey was co-authored by Jill of Librarian Hire Fashion – submit your interview outfit to her blog!
Photo: interview outfit by Flickr user k_hargrav, via Creative Commons License
Hiring Librarians 