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This week we asked people who hire librarians

What is your final piece of advice for Hiring Librarians readers?

The most important piece of advice I have is probably what I answered to the very first question. Answer the ad! Address the specific qualifications that the library is looking for in that position. If you aren’t sure if you directly meet the qualifications, find something that you can say that shows you have the skills to meet that qualification, even if it’s not in a library. Sell the fact that you meet the specifications of the position. If you can’t sell it, don’t apply. I recently applied for an administrative position and, in my phone interview, I asked what interested them about my particular qualifications. I expected something completely different as an answer, but they said, “you fully answered the ad.” Wow, at that level, I would expect it to be obvious. It should be obvious for anyone from recent grads to seasoned professionals.

– Laurie Phillips, Associate Dean for Technical Services, J. Edgar & Louise S. Monroe Library, Loyola University New Orleans

My final piece of advice for Hiring Librarians has two parts.  First, stay optimistic!!  I know that’s easy to say for someone with a job who is closer to retirement than I am to my first job.  I see how stressful the job search is these days, and how the market is changing, but I want to believe the right job is there for you (or else I have been watching too much “X-Files”).  It might not be the first, or even second, job, but it’s there and everything you do can help you be ready for it.

Second, when that dream job is there on the horizon, be READY!  Write a cover letter that stands out.  Tell your future coworkers what you love about the library and institution, and why you think you are the right candidate for the job.  Take advantage of mentors who offer to read your cover letter and CV.  We want to help!

Good luck.  Being a librarian is the best job ever!!

– Celia Rabinowitz,  Dean of Mason Library at Keene State College in Keene, NH

Last piece of advice is that you need to remember advice is that old stand by: your mileage may vary. Job hunting is an evolving thing and what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow, but you’ve got to keep on trying. Oh, and don’t forget: always have someone proofread and/or edit your application materials. Good luck!

– Jessica Olin, Director of Parker Library, Wesley College

My final piece of advice for hiring is relatively simple, yet I find that MANY applicants don’t practice this approach. AND to make it easier to put this in practice — let me state what the simple answer is and then list those things that provide evidence.

Advice

Convince me that you want me to hire you for the specific position posted….rather than applying for a position because you want ANY position.

That being said – employers realize that not every job is not your perfect match …and when you apply for and get interviews for multiple positions we realize that it would be hard and in some ways dishonest to try to convince employers that all three different jobs are each your dream job! So here’s what you don’t do and what you do!

…..Don’t…….

• Don’t turn in identical applications for multiple jobs at one time. Make your cover letters unique to each job but be honest and say you are applying for all – want to work for the organization (or the boss or the type of library, etc.) in general  – and you have competencies or experience for each and then state what is unique about “you” for each job.
• Don’t turn in identical applications for jobs advertised at different times. Organizations can ask you if you want your application kept on file and submitted for any open position and although that is fine to do, you need to make sure you provide some unique information so watch those postings and make sure you refresh each package by – as stated above: making your cover letters unique; being honest and saying you are applying for several positions or that you have applied before and why such as you want to work for the organization (or the boss or the type of library, etc.)
• Don’t think that people don’t remember answers to questions – that is – be careful how you prepare for package your answers so that you come prepared but not unimaginative or too exact in your answer. It’s also okay to reference one previous interview when answering questions for another…that is – you can say you prepared answers for a “mission statement question” but you have updated your information (read articles, talked to librarians, etc.) and you have now broadened your thoughts and answer.
• Don’t ask questions like “How fast you can apply for another job when it comes open?” (and yes, I have been asked that) or – nicer but still inappropriate – “How long must someone stay in one job before they apply for another?” or “When another position is available must they apply again or can they transfer into it?”

…..Do……

• Study the job description. If you don’t know what terms mean or you aren’t sure – make sure you check for definitions and examples – either in general in the professional literature, on other library websites or on the organization’s website.
• Thoroughly review the organization’s website…and not just the organization’s website but the umbrella institution’s web environment. This search may yield good information (do their mission statements resemble each other) or may offer opportunities to ask questions.
• Choose a journal from the professional literature that is centric to your specific type-of-library and search once year’s worth of table of contents to get an idea of overarching topics.
• Choose a journal from the professional literature that is centric to your specific type-of-library and search once year’s worth of editorials and opinion pieces as well as any letters from members…. to get an idea of classic and contemporary issues.
• Review the programs offered in ALA’s conference programming for this type of library and review the programs offered at the state and/or local or regional level association by type of library. These reviews offer you ideas of trends in this area of the profession.
• Review social media environments re: this type of library.
• Review architectural awards at the national level re: this type of library.
• If you can’t visit the library in advance or if you are applying for a general position and the location isn’t specific – do a general web search of the library.
• Search the professional literature and the general web for information about the staff (managers, middle managers, librarians, other employees, etc.) to see if there are publications, general PR, association leadership, community leadership, etc.
• Answer honestly. If you don’t have all of the position requirements and they are interviewing you anyway, they are signaling they can substitute some of your information for what is required. …so you might speculate on what those substitutions are – and if you can – ask in advance what “counts.”
• Be ready with your questions…bring them in writing.
• Take quick notes during the interview…. especially if you know you will keep applying to that organization.

And the best of luck!

– Julie Todaro, Dean, Library Services, Austin Community College

 

So, I don’t really hire librarians, although I’ve been on a few interview panels.  But I did spend the last few years interviewing hundreds of people who hire librarians.  Part of the reason I did so was because I was tired of hearing very authoritative hiring advice from single voices – the truth of the matter is that there are all kinds of people who hire librarians, and they have all kinds of opinions on what candidates should or should not do.

My main advice is: if the advice you’re receiving doesn’t let you be you, then disregard it.  If it feels weird, disregard it.  If the person dispensing it seems to be a pompous d-bag, disregard it.  There is no such thing as an authority on library hiring.  Feel free to ignore every piece of advice you receive.  People get jobs in all kinds of ways.   And there are all kinds of jobs. Find the ones that are best for you and try to articulate as clearly as possible why you would do real well in them.  Go for quality of applications rather than quantity.

One of the most insidious tyrannies in library hiring advice is the concept of professionalism.  Professional is a totally subjective and almost entirely meaningless concept.  It means “wear a suit” to one hiring librarian and “make sure your jeans are clean” to another.  And in a more sinister aspect, it is a code that is a real barrier to diversifying our monocultural field (yes, I mean white white white.  And female. And middle class. And ableist.)   Is an afro encompassed in professional dress?  A sari?  Or to think about something other than clothes, what if you have a learning disability that means you often misspell things in emails?  Is that “unprofessional”?  What if you didn’t get a chance to grow up with professional parents correcting your behavior and etiquette and molding you into an acceptably “professional” human being?  Professional is just a language.  Learn it, but you don’t need to live it. And stamp all over it when you can.

The other problematic concept is “fit”.  On one hand, “fit” is a great concept for figuring out if someone will do well within the specific culture of a workplace.  On the other hand, if

“fit” means “just like everybody else who works here,”  then there we are with our monocultural profession again.  In 2014, 87.1% of ALA members were white.  How can we hope to provide inclusive service to all the members of our community if people of color are so spectacularly under-represented behind the reference desk? This is my advice to people hiring: move beyond fit.  Cast your net wider.  Allow the center of your organization to shift as you invite different kinds of people in.  Is librarianship a dying profession?  It might be, if we continue to be a brigade of nice white ladies.

My final bit of advice, to job hunters and hiring librarians, is to be kind to yourselves and each other.  Job hunting and hiring are stressful.  Kindness goes a long way.  Set yourself up for small successes, and celebrate them.  Take breaks.  Get out in the sunshine.  Enjoy life beyond hiring librarians.

– Emily Weak, Ex-Blogger, Hiring Librarians

This week we asked people who hire librarians

How should job seekers display their degrees and certifications in documents like resumes or signatures (in cover letters or emails)? Should they put “John Smith, MLS, MIS” at the top of their resume or when signing a cover letter or email, or should that information be included elsewhere, as in an education section, or text in the cover letter? Does etiquette change if the degrees are terminal such as a PhD or JD (or the MLS)? What about librarians who hold other degrees beyond the master’s level such as a subject area PhD, EdD, etc.?

No. I personally think it’s pretentious. It should be in the education section of the resume. I wouldn’t ding someone for doing it, but it’s unnecessary. We require an ALA-accredited MLS (or equivalent degree) for our faculty positions and we do not require any other master’s degree or Ph.D. or Ed.D. Some do for Dean or Director level positions and some do for subject-specific librarian positions (for example, I believe a friend of mine completed her PhD in musicology for a position at UC Boulder, where they have stringent tenure requirements and she’s now teaching in the music school). Many of us have or have had second master’s degrees in a field. I have an M.A. in musicology but I would never put M.A., M.L.S. after my name. For hiring, it’s just not necessary. If someone were applying for a position as a law librarian where a J.D. is required, they might do it, but truly, putting the initials after the name is not necessary.

– Laurie Phillips, Associate Dean for Technical Services, J. Edgar & Louise S. Monroe Library, Loyola University New Orleans

At least once as initials, e.g.,

J. McRee Elrod,  A.B., MA, MA (CLT), MLIS

 

 

 

– J. McRee (Mac) Elrod, Special Libraries Catalouging

I personally don’t use my degree as part of my signature, so I really don’t notice it much when others do. Put all your education and degrees on your resume, most definitely, but putting a Ph.D. or JD after your name won’t be something I’ll note in a cover letter or email beyond a superficial sort of acknowledgement. I think those things probably carry more weight in  academic libraries than public, where specialization can be a very important part of the job (like having a Master’s in English and being the library liaison to that department).

– Margaret M. Neill, Regional Library Branch Manager, Main Library, El Paso Public Library

I think it is important for a job seeker to be sure potential employers know about their academic qualifications and credentials.  A resume or cv will have the person’s educational history and so I don’t think it is necessary to include the degrees (e.g., MLS, PhD) at the top of the document.  I think it is appropriate to put those at the bottom of a cover letter in the signature much as many of us do in our email signature files.  It makes most sense to include required or terminal degrees, but not others.  So – MLS holders already have a BA (or BS, etc.) so it is not necessary to include that.

Including that information in your personal or work email or other correspondence is partly a matter of personal preference, I think.  They can certainly send a message or reminder to our colleagues on campus about our professional preparation which is useful.  That might be preferable to feeling as if we have to tell people we have one, or more, graduate degrees.  So – for job applications and letters be sure you educational achievements are clear (what degrees, which institutions, what program), and for your ongoing digital or print identity, whatever makes you feel most comfortable about you represent yourself.

– Celia Rabinowitz,  Dean of Mason Library at Keene State College in Keene, NH

This week we asked people who hire librarians

Does your institution require any type of training to be part of a hiring committee? If so, did you find it useful? If not, what sort of training would be beneficial (diversity, human rights, conflict of interest, etc.)? How do you think training (or its absence) affects candidates?

I’m not sure if our institution requires it but, in the library, we require that every person go through HR’s training on appropriate/interactions with candidates. As in what is legal or not legal to ask or discuss with a candidate. If someone couldn’t be at that training, they could not be a part of the hiring process.

– Laurie Phillips, Associate Dean for Technical Services, J. Edgar & Louise S. Monroe Library, Loyola University New Orleans

No, the City does not. We depend heavily on our internal HR people and the City’s HR people to ensure we stick to the rules. As far as I know, the City doesn’t offer any training on hiring, so we just use the advice of our HR crew, best practices and common sense. I think its absence does impact our interviews, to a degree. We sometimes don’t know what the current policies are and I’ve sat on committees with people who don’t have a lot of experience interviewing and can be as nervous as the people sitting on the other end of the table-they can make it worse! If everyone is a ball of nerves, then the whole interview can go pear-shaped.

– Margaret M. Neill, Regional Library Branch Manager, Main Library, El Paso Public Library

All search committees must meet with a representative from Human Resources and with the chief diversity officer of the college.  The standard training is not especially exciting but includes important information about using the job ad criteria for establishing a baseline to evaluate candidates.  My current institution adheres strictly to these criteria and expects the search chair to document each candidate and the reasons why they continue on in a search or are eliminated at any stage. We also have to be sure to use the same set of questions with all candidates.  The meeting with HR give the committee time to begin that work and to review the online file review system.  The diversity officer reminds the committee about how to increase efforts to attract a diverse pool of applicants, and about those pesky questions that are off limits during an interview.

The sessions are useful, especially if you are at a new library or institution.  And committees are different each time and the training sessions or meetings are a good opportunity to be sure everyone is working together from a common set of expectations.

– Celia Rabinowitz,  Dean of Mason Library at Keene State College in Keene, NH

This week we asked people who hire librarians

How do you cope with hiring decisions you might not agree with? How might this affect working relationships later on, either with current colleagues or the new hire? If a candidate you think was amazing was not hired, do you have the ability to reach out afterwards to connect them with other libraries/later openings in your organization? Feel free to answer either personally or “for a friend/colleague.”

Over the years of being on many hiring committees, I can say there will be hiring decisions you may not agree with or were not your first choice.

First rule is be gracious and accept the decision (unless you really feel an egregious and/or illegal error has been made). Don’t undermine the committee’s decision. Keep the best interest of the library in mind.

If you were on the committee, respect the confidential nature of the hiring process and don’t engage in backbiting. If it turns out that it was indeed a bad hire, learn from the mistakes to make the next hiring process better.

If you were not on the committee, realize that you might not know all the details and try not to second-guess. For example, I’ve seen awesome candidates really botch their interview or teaching demonstration. I’ve also seen amazing candidates that simply weren’t the right fit for the job that was currently available.

Welcome the person hired with open arms and do what you can to help them succeed.

If you want to reach out to the amazing candidate that wasn’t hired, do so privately. Don’t try to second guess the committee’s decision, simply assure the person of their awesomeness and perhaps look for ways to work with them in other venues, such as conference planning or joint research opportunities. If another job opens up that might be a better fit, let the person know. Simply reaching out can be appreciated.

If you were the amazing candidate that wasn’t hired, don’t give up. Don’t let it destroy your self-esteem. It can be devastating to not get the job you really wanted and felt you were perfect for (or the one you had been doing in a temporary capacity but weren’t hired for when a permanent position came open). Your particular set of talents might not have matched the skill set needed for the position. Don’t let the rejection weigh you down. Keep looking for other opportunities and refocus as needed.

If you were an internal candidate who didn’t get the job, be kind to yourself and recognize that there may be awkward moments with the new hire. Try to be as gracious as possible. It’s not the new person’s fault that you weren’t hired.

It’s a small world and you may well run into the amazing person at conferences or other settings. Greet them warmly and compliment them on their work. I regularly see people we haven’t hired doing fabulous work in other libraries. In the back of my mind I might think, “I wonder how things might have been different if we’d hired so and so?” But for whatever reason, we didn’t, so move on.

– Paula Hammett, Sonoma State University Library

Well, let’s see. Twice at a previous library I worked at, I had strong objections to candidates who were hired. The main issue was that the candidate pools both times were poor and none of the people interviewed were really very good. I wanted to go back out and re-advertise and extend our reach (publish on listservs nationally, etc.), but both times I was overridden by my superiors who just wanted the positions filled. So, we were saddled with two librarians who were in no way prepared for the job. Both of whom, I might add, left within a year or so of their hiring-one was fired, the other was given a choice of quitting or being fired and chose to resign. I didn’t have much contact with them in the position I was in at the time, but I did try and help when I could-giving them guidance and information. I didn’t blame them, I was more annoyed at the penny-wise, pound-foolish approach management took at the time. They were more concerned with having a warm body in a seat than waiting for the right person to come along.

 

In my current position, I’ve been very lucky. There was one hire that I wanted, but my superiors didn’t, we talked it over and ultimately went with the hire. That person went on to be fabulous at their job, so it worked out well for the library.

 

As for great candidates who don’t get hired, we sometimes do internal promotions and we interview a lot of really good in-house people. It’s really difficult to pick one out a strong field of candidates, so usually what ends up happening is that we hire the best one for that position and we try to further nurture and encourage the unsuccessful internal candidates so that they can grow in our organization in positions best suited to them and their skills.

– Margaret M. Neill, Regional Library Branch Manager, Main Library, El Paso Public Library