This anonymous interview is with a Public 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 a City/town in the Western US.
What Candidates Should Wear
Should the candidate wear a suit to the interview?
√ Probably not (but it’s ok if the candidate does wear one)
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: who is looking at someone’s legs?
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.
knives in belt pouches
Do you expect different levels of formality of dress, depending on the position you’re hiring for?
√ I don’t care
Which jewelry may candidates wear: (Please select all that are acceptable)
√ Other: don’t care
Which hair colors are acceptable for candidates:
√ All of them, even pink
The way a candidate dresses should:
√ Other: Show respect for the job
How does what a candidate wears affect your hiring decision?
it doesn’t unless the candidate is wearing super casual attire – jeans, shorts, teeshirts.
What This Library Wears
How do you dress when you are going to conduct an interview?
Business
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
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: Shopping for the big day by Flickr user Loving Earth via Creative Commons License
Hiring Librarians 