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Source: Librarysupportstaff.com
Interviewing for the job
It is important when seeking jobs and going for interviews, that you appear confident, well spoken, and
are able to articulate your skills, experience and ability to handle the job you are interviewing for.
In today’s tough job market – the people who win out for the job, may very well be – those who master the
art of the interview. You might have terrific skills, you may be a wonderful fit for the employer – but if you don’t
demonstrate or display confidence in these facts, the interviewer will never know and may decide on someone less qualified, but who is a better communicator, and savvy about the job being offered.
Do your homework before going to an interview, get to know as much as you can about the workplace you want to be employed by. If it’s a University Library, a Public Library – visit it in person. If it is a corporate or other special type library, find out about the business it is associated with – what they do, what they sell, manufacture,etc. If it is within your public schools, find out about the school system – visit websites (many public schools have websites, and also have pages for their Libraries). Many businesses, most universities, etc – have a website presence, find the sites and visit them online.
Job Interview Resources:
Job Interviewing tips
Interview Success PlanSM
Getting Started
The Interview Success PlanSM is a step-by-step plan
that helps you:
Identify the requirements of the job that you’re
interviewing for.
Review interview questions and identify the question
you’ll most likely be asked.
Build a series of practice job interviews
Develop answers for both expected and unexpected
interview questions
Highlights the keys to interview success.
8 MYTHS ABOUT JOB HUNTING
Bernard Haldane Associates
Excerpt quoted directly from web page:
by Priscilla Klob, Trinity University
[reprinted by permission from NMRT Footnotes, v.26, no.2, January 1997]
Whew! You’ve written an outstanding cover letter and resume. A search committee has read hundreds of resumes, debated countless hours, and the librarians have now narrowed the pool to their top three picks. Congratulations! You’re one of them. What happens now, when you’ve survived the first severe cut and are one of the few candidates invited for a personal interview? Face-to-face or telephone interviews can be the most intimidating part of the job search process. You are no longer just a piece of paper; you must impress your interviewers, and potential co-workers, with your competence and personality. Here are a few suggestions for surviving, and perhaps even enjoying, your next job interview:
Read complete article online at:
SLA artcle online
Excerpt quoted directly from web page
By Margaret B. Hentz
(reprinted with permission from SLA CapLits, Summer 1997, Vol. 13.1, pp. 23-24)
The goal of a job interview is to sell yourself. Many of the same questions are asked by interviewers time after time. Therefore, the best way to sell yourself and have a successful interview, is to prepare answers that are honest and tell the interviewer what they need to hear. The good interviewers know which questions to ask to find out not only about the applicant’s skills, but also about how the applicant thinks and how committed she/he is to getting the job done. Here are some of the questions and some possible responses given by Raymond P. Harrison, a vice president in the Philadelphia office of Drake Beam Morin Inc., an international consulting firm.
Read complete article online
HOW TO Apply for a Library Job
If you’re new to the profession or haven’t searched for a library position in awhile, this guide is designed for you. It contains some checklists, guidelines, tips and tricks for how to get a library job.
Books
Fire Up Your Communication Skills
by Captain Bob, Captain Bob Smith
Paperback: 315 pages Publisher: Pub; (October 1997)
ISBN: 0965762068
101+ Commonly Asked Interview Questions
Quoted directly from website page:
These interview questions are taken from sheets I picked up at an Illinois Library Association conference session. And a few others which I’ve heard about. They are in no particular order.
LibRef -L discusssion list posting:
Questions for " interviewee"
Articles of interest
Excerpt quoted from article
What Your Words Say About You
by Thad Peterson
Monster Staff Writer
If you were under the impression that cramming for the SATs was the last
time you’d ever have to worry about vocabulary, you’re mistaken. In
interviews, your vocabulary is often viewed as related to your level of
education and general aptitude.
Whether you’re applying for your first post-college job
or trying to break into the executive ranks , it may be your vocabulary
— the subject you first encountered somewhere back around third grade —
that seals your fate.
Why Vocabulary Matters
“I think it’s one of the major reasons why an individual gets hired or not,"
says Tom Defillipo, a 15-year veteran of a recruiting business that places
IT candidates. “Very often, clients will ask us to qualify people on their
ability to communicate verbally."
Read complete story
You Are What You Say
by Carole Martin
Want the Job? Learn the Lingo Make the First Impression a Good One
(from ABC news)
University of Calif. Santa Barbara
Interview Tips
Vocabulary and Grammar Skills Part II
Idioms (*from an English as a second language website – but still useful)
Phone Interview Etiquette Can Propel You
to the Next Step in the Hiring Process
by Maureen Crawford Hentz
And to make sure you understand “Library" vocabulary –
be sure to consult the:
ODLIS: Online Dictionary of
Library and Information Science
Other useful resources
Information Technology – Dictionary
Webopedia
The only online dictionary and search engine you need for computer and
Internet technology.
Glossary of Internet Terms
Vocabulary Power
Job Interview Skills
The Secrets of Interview Success
Excerpt quoted from website:
As a candidate you should be able to express yourself with clarity and
precision. To do this you must make adequate preparation, anticipating
likely questions and rehearsing your responses. Your answers should appear
spontaneous. At the same time, you should come across as thoughtful,
articulate and coherent. So preparation is essential.
During the interview you should speak confidently, making sure to support
your answers with relevant examples from your work experience. It is up to
you during the course of the interview to acquaint the interviewer with
whatever information you consider to be important in advancing
your claims to the job on offer.
Always relate your answers to the job for which you are applying. This is
particularly important in the case of candidates who are faced with the sort
of indirect questions favoured by many interviewers. For example, the
interviewer may ask you to describe your current job. This is an indirect
way of asking you to what extent your present skills and experience relate
to the job for which you are applying.
Always present a positive face. Having studied your application form,
interviewers will have identified the weaker aspects of your case. So it is
in your own best interests to examine your application critically with a
view to identifying any significant weaknesses or negative aspects. Prepare
positive and convincing explanations of any shortcomings;
and emphasise what you have done or are doing to rectify matters.
Since interviewers are looking for candidates who display a positive
attitude, you should state and supply evidence that you enjoy your job; that
you are enthusiastic and ambitious; and that you welcome challenge.
It is important to tell the truth in interviews. However, try to present the
facts as persuasively as you can. So examine and assess your own case and
tailor the facts to create the best and most positive impression.
It is essential to develop a rapport with the interviewer right from the
start. If you can give the impression that you have a lot in common with the
interviewer and if he or takes a liking to you, you will greatly improve
your chances of success.
Interviewers usually place a greater emphasis on practical experience than
on paper qualifications, so it is up to you to convince them that your
experience qualifies you for the job on offer. This will involve using your
experience as evidence to support statements that you make in answers to
questions.
From ‘Four Minutes to Job Interview Success’
published by Assignments Plus Business Publications
How to Master the Art of Interviewing
Guide to Job Interviewing Resources
Essential job interviewing tools and resources for all job-seekers.
Interviews & Resumes
Interview Resources
Book Suggestions:
Fearless Interviewing: How to Win the Job by Communicating with Confidence
Marky Stein | ISBN: 0071408843 | c. 2003
Knock Em Dead 2004: Great Answers to Over 200 tough Interview Questions –
Plus the Latest Job Search Strategies
Martin Yate | ISBN: 1580629385 | Available late fall 2003
Kick off Your Career: Write a Winning Resume, Ace Your Interview, Negotiate a Great Salary
Kate Wendleton | ISBN: 156414643X | c. 2002
Online skills forms/tutorials/worksheets
Body Language & Personal Space
Different articles – for on the job or job hunting
Resume writing
Prepare for career tests
See more on “Personality & Career Interest Tests"
Jobmap 