I have seen tattoos, but was glad that I did

This  anonymous interview is with the same hiring librarian from yesterday’s post – that Hired a girl who worked at a convenience store.

This person is a school 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 capital city in the Middle East.

What Candidates Should Wear

Should the candidate wear a suit to the interview?

√ Yes, absolutely! It shows respect and professionalism

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?

√ No, but it’s not a dealbreaker

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.

I have seen tattoos, but was glad that I did. This did not impact my decision, but instead brought up an interesting conversation about art. I did mention that certain areas would need to be covered and if she would be okay with that.

Can you share any stories about how a candidate nailed the proper interview outfit, especially if your organization does not expect suits?

Go for comfortable/professional. If you are at ease you will give a good interview. if you are not at ease it will show, but do take the extra time to put forth an effort into your outfit. It shows you CARE and take the interview SERIOUSLY.

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

Which hair colors are acceptable for candidates:

√ Natural colors (black, brown, red, blonde, gray)

The way a candidate dresses should:

√ Other: be professional, not too over the top.

How does what a candidate wears affect your hiring decision?

If they dress up it shows me that they do care, took the extra time to make an effort, that they take the interview seriously and probably really want the job. SLOPPY, DIRTY, TOO FLAMBOYANT are RED FLAGS and WARNING signs. Again go for COMFORT first and PROFESSIONAL LOOK second. If you can pull this off by adding a bit of your own style and sense of humor – YOU ARE HIRED! 😉

What This Library Wears

How do you dress when you are going to conduct an interview?

I dress up.

On a scale of one (too dressed up for my workplace) to five (too casual), khakis and a polo shirt are:

5

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/trainers

Librarians at your organization wear: (Please check all that apply)

√ Other: casual professional

This survey was co-authored by Jill of Librarian Hire Fashion – submit your interview outfit to her blog!

Photo: Clint in a suit 105-0503_IMG by Flickr user Rev. Xanatos Satanicos Bombasticos (ClintJCL) via Creative Commons License