Questions: What to Expect and What to Ask

Library-Specific Questions

"101+ Commonly Asked Interview Questions" (from Ann's Place)
http://www.geocities.com/aer_mcr/libjob/interview.html

"Frequently Asked Interview Questions" (from USC School of Library and Information Science)
http://www.libsci.sc.edu/career/invufaqs.htm

"What to Ask Your Interviewer" (from LIScareer.com)
http://www.liscareer.com/olmstadt_interview.htm
Covers 5 key questions new professionals often overlook.

"Interviews: Asking the Right Questions" (from LIScareer.com)
http://www.liscareer.com/kwaka_interviews.htm
Includes basic advice for interviewees plus 59 possible questions to ask the hiring committee.

General Resources

"Job Interview Questions Database for Jobseekers" (from Quintessential Careers)
http://www.quintcareers.com/interview_question_database/
Includes 109 questions, which you can view all at once or in groups of eight with sample responses. Also has a feature that allows you to practice writing your responses to common behavioral and traditional interview questions.

"Random Interview Question Generator" (from Monster.com)
http://tools.monster.com/virtualinterviews/random/
Test yourself with a virtual interview. Not sure how to handle a question? Click the link to the related article for some strategies.

"Worst Questions to Ask at an Interview" (from CNN.com)
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/Careers/10/09/cb.
questions/index.html
Hold off on details about benefits, negative comments, and slang, among other things.

"Illegal" Questions

During the hiring process, it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, sex, national origin, citizenship, age, marital status, disabilities, arrest record, military discharges, sexual orientation, or religion (per federal and MA state law). While there is no official list of "illegal questions," the following resources offer more information and examples of what is and is not permissable to ask.

"Discrimination in Hiring" (from MA Bar Association)
http://www.massbar.org/lawhelp/legal_info/?sw=3123&full_id=224
Offers helpful clarification about federal and state laws relating to discrimination in hiring, as well as contact information for agencies that enforce them.

"Interviewing Guidelines" (from Yale Library Human Resources)
http://www.library.yale.edu/jobs/Employment/interviewguidelines.html
Questions you can and can't ask, plus tips for organizing the interview and evaluating the candidate's answers.

"What You Can Ask and What You Can't: Legal/Illegal Interview Questions" (from Michigan Tech University HR)
http://www.admin.mtu.edu/hro/forms/
whatyoucanandcantasklongversionmay05.pdf
An extensive list of what is/is not permissable to ask on a variety of topics.

"Handling Illegal Interview Questions"
http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/CareerBytes/Hints1199.htm?cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=563a261c7f354ea08ad1baaa2c737b37-215777163-x9-2
Strategies and options for handling the situation if you are asked a potentially illegal question.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
http://www.eeoc.gov/
Details on federal laws prohibiting discrimination in employment.

"Company" Research

Library and/or Institution Website
Some things to look for:

• Mission
• Annual report
• News
• Strategic plan
• Programs/events
• Staff list
• Topic guides (to get a sense of patrons' needs)
• Resources page and catalog -- do they have enough databases? does the print collection seem current? etc.
• Jobs/HR page -- how many other openings? benefits? etc.

County or city website (for public libraries)
College website (for academic libraries)
Company or organization website (for special libraries)

News search

• Databases such as Newspaper Source
  (available at BPL -- http://search3.webfeat.org/BostonSearch.asp?cat=dbnewspapers)
• Google News
  http://news.google.com
• Local newspaper websites (See "US Newspaper List" -- http://www.usnpl.com/.)

Literature search
Check Expanded Academic, Library Literature (available at Simmons on-site), etc. for articles by the director or other librarians at the institution.

Public opinion

• Search newsgroup discussion at Google Groups (http://groups.google.com/.
• Search "forums" on the local Craigslist page.
  (http://www.craigslist.org/about/cities.html)

Presentation Essentials

"Surviving the Campus Interview Presentation" (from LIScareer.com)
http://www.liscareer.com/ewing_interview.htm
Advice on topics and preparation for the library job interview presentation.

"Effective Use of PowerPoint: Online Tutorial" (from Baruch College)
http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/dml/engine.php?action=viewAsset&mediaIndex=432
An excellent guide including examples of slides and video clips of actual presentation strategies.

"Ten Tips for Successful Public Speaking"
http://www.toastmasters.org/pdfs/top10.pdf
Direct from Toastmasters!

Highly recommended book:
Jeary, T. & Cottrell, D. (2002). 136 effective presentation tips. Dallas: Cornerstone LeadershipInstitute.
--This slim volume covers everything from organizing your presentation to keeping the audience's attention to effective use of visual aids and handouts.

Resources for the Library Interview

"Job Hunting" (from LIScareer.com)
http://www.liscareer.com/jobhunting.htm
Excellent resource with short articles from library professionals on topics such as "The Interview Process Broken Down" and "Deconstructing the Interview Process at a Small Academic Library."

"Interviewing" (from LISjobs.com)
http://www.lisjobs.com/advice.htm#interview
Links to a good selection of resources, such as tips for public library interviewing, common interview mistakes, and how to negotiate the panel interview.

Books

Gordon, R. (2006). The nextgen librarian's survival guide. Medford, NJ: Information Today.

Newlen, R. (2006). Resume writing and interviewing techniques that work: a how-to-d0-it manual for librarians. New York: Neal-Schuman.

Shontz, P. (2002). Jump start your career in library and information science. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.
--See section 2, "Job Searching." Includes bibliography.

Shontz, P. (Ed.). (2004). The librarian's career guidebook. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.
--Highly recommended, especially these chapters: "Interviews in Libraries: Planning, Preparation, and Perfection" by Tiffany Eatmen Allen and "Avoiding the Landmine: Evaluating a Potential Workplace" by Nancy Cunningham

General Resources on Interviewing

"Guide to Job Interviewing Resources" (from Quintessential Careers)
http://www.quintcareers.com/intvres.html
Includes questions lists, various techniques, a job interview tutorial, and articles on a variety of related topics.

"Interviewing" (from the Riley Guide)
http://www.rileyguide.com/interview.html
Interview advice, including how to deal with problem situations and how to follow up.

"Monster Interview Center"
http://interview.monster.com/
Dos and Don'ts, types of interviews, question lists, etiquette, etc.

"How to Conduct a Job Interview" (from NY State Dept. of Civil Service)
http://www.cs.state.ny.us/pio/interviewguide/index.cfm
Covers preparation tips, sample questions, follow-up protocol, and an interviewing checklist.

"Interviewing" (from the Simmons Career Resource Library)
http://my.simmons.edu/library/collections/career/interviewing.shtml
A resource list of tips, articles, and books about interviewing.

Tips to Beat Interview Anxiety

"How to Calm Your Interview Jitters"
http://www.collegejournal.com/jobhunting/interviewing/20001205-raudsepp.html
This article from CollegeJournal reminds us why there's "nothing to fear but fear itself" when it comes to interviews and offers helpful strategies to ease anxiety.

"Quick Relaxation Techniques"
http://www.law.uidaho.edu/quickrelax
Ideas to reduce stress prior to your interview or presentation.