One of the most important parts of an interview comes at the end. Most committees you interview with will ask “do you have any questions for us” and how you answer can make a difference. There is also a discussion going on on LinkedIn on this topic here: INALJ LinkedIn page
My tips are:
- Always have at least two questions ready. I always ask about the dress code at every single job interview and I take that opportunity to explain that I have worked at various libraries whose dress codes ranged from casual to business casual to what I called ‘librarians in heals’ in which business dress was required. This question lets me showcase my range once again while emphasizing my comfort in each situation.
- Ask a question that shows you have dug deeper than the homepage on their website. At one interview I mentioned that I had searched their website extensively and used search engines such as Google to search within the website and found no mention of the library. This showed I had been thorough and let the library tell me a bit about why they have no web presence.
- Take notes during the interview so that you will have follow up questions at the ready. It also shows you have been paying attention.
- Ask a long term question. This shows you are not just using the job as a stepping stone but actually want to grow within the company. For example ask about training and career development.
One aspect of the whole interview process I cannot emphasize enough is that you only can control you. Sometimes the reason you are not chosen says more about the committee and its members than you or your qualifications. I have heard stories from people who have served on search committees telling me that their favorite candidate wasn’t chosen and the one that was chosen a)did not ask questions, or b)under-dressed for the interview, or c)fit a criteria that wasn’t necessary for the job (language skills in one case I heard of) while better candidates were turned down.
The reality is going into the interview all you can do is do your best- you can’t control the committee. By doing your best to be prepared, have questions, smile, be engaged and truly be interested in the job you can at least breathe easy that you did your part to the best of your ability. And don’t forget the thank you notes! I wish this sounded less like a finishing school lesson and more like the key to interviewing success but there are no hard and fast rules you can apply to always get the job.
Interviewing isn’t at all like baking where if you are precise and follow the recipe exactly as you are told it means you’ll get the result you want, in this case the job. It is much more like cooking without the aide of any measuring instruments. You do your best, follow common sense, take the tips that resonate with you and apply them and hope for the best.
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