This anonymous interview is with someone who hires for a:
√ Academic Library
Title: Curator
Titles hired include: University Archivist, Head of Processing, 1st Year Success Librarian
Who makes hiring decisions at your organization:
√ The position’s supervisor
√ A Committee or panel
Which of the following does your organization regularly require of candidates?
√ Online application
√ Cover letter
√ Resume
√ CV
√ References
√ Proof of degree
√ Demonstration (teaching, storytime, etc)
√ More than one round of interviews
√ A meal with hiring personnel
Does your organization use automated application screening?
√ No
Do you have any instant dealbreakers?
Cover letters that aren’t targeted to the job qualifications. How many pages should each of these documents be?
Cover Letter: √ As many as it takes, but keep it reasonable and relevant
Resume: √ Two is ok, but no more
CV: √ As many as it takes, but keep it reasonable and relevant
How can candidates looking to transition from paraprofessional work, from non-library work, or between library types convince you that their experience is relevant? Or do you have other advice for folks in this kind of situation?
Talk about what they did that was exceptional and related to job description. Don’t make the committee guess whether a certain job experience was relevant.
When does your organization *first* mention salary information?
√ It’s part of the job ad
What does your organization do to reduce bias in hiring? What are the contexts in which discrimination still exists in this process?
EEOO training. Avoid asking questions where candidates might reveal protected categories.
What questions should candidates ask you? What is important for them to know about your organization and the position you are hiring for?
Anything that isn’t generic, something they want to know about this particular job.
Additional Demographics
What part of the world are you in?
√ Southeastern US
What’s your region like?
√ Suburban
Is your workplace remote/virtual?
√ Never or not anymore
How many staff members are at your organization?
√ 201+
Is there anything else you’d like to say, either to job hunters or to me, the survey author?
Please write a targeted cover letter. If I’m hiring for skill/experience A, it doesn’t matter how good you are at skill/experience B. It’s okay to tell me how your expertise in B will enhance your ability to do A but don’t ignore the fact that we want to know if they can do A.
Author’s note: Hey, thanks for reading! If you like reading, why not try commenting or sharing? Or are you somebody who hires Library, Archives or other LIS workers? Please consider giving your own opinion by filling out the survey here.
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