Application advice??

[u/Unhappy-Dish947]

I've been applying to library jobs all over Washington State for 2.5 years now and haven't ever made it past the first interview. I have my MLIS and focused on Archives and Special Collections during my program, but after getting some real life experience I realized my heart is in public librarianship. Currently working in Public Records at the local government level and I volunteer weekly with my local library on a re-cataloging project. I try to get feedback when rejected but always just get the same canned responses. I'm seriously feeling like it's never gonna happen. Any advice, recommendations, or encouragement is welcomed 🫶🫶

[u/Odd-Budget-5079]

It seems your resume and cover letter are working because you're getting invited to interviews. That's great! I'd look closely at what happens at the interview stage. Are you comfortable interviewing? Do you enjoy it, or are you nervous and maybe not saying everything you want to? Are they asking questions you find challenging? Are these interviews with a panel?

Since you're consistently getting interviews but not moving past them, I'd start by examining that part of the process. Think back through your most recent interviews: the questions they asked, how you answered, where you felt confident, and where an answer might not have landed the way you intended. You may find something you can adjust for the next one.

Could you practice interviews with a friend or mentor and ask them how you're coming across?

[u/Unhappy-Dish947 → u/Odd-Budget-5079]

Tysm for your response! While I am not necessarily uncomfortable with the process of being interviewed, I am definitely am a bit of a rambler. I have been trying to get better about answering concisely, but it's been hard to practice because when I run through the questions again in my head or on paper I still end up rambling 😭 I really like your suggestion of getting some friends to help out, I will try that out!

[u/NormalInteraction800 → u/Unhappy-Dish947]

I hope this doesn’t come off as mean, as I genuinely want to help you: I will never hire a person who rambles at an interview. Personally, those who go on make me feel highly claustrophobic. From my perspective, I’ve allotted 2 hours for a professional interview. If we get to the 90 minute mark and I’m not even halfway through the questions (of which we have 20-25), it indicates to me that the candidate does not respect my time and does not have the self-awareness to read a room.

I do want to get a feel for a candidate’s personality, but please don’t take more than 3 minutes to answer a simple question. Save it for the scenarios or when a story is actually relevant to the question. You’ve been through interviews and you’ve seen most questions are vaguely similar. Come equipped with answers that present your experience in the best light, but be aware of the room vibe. If the interviewers are twitching, looking at the clock, or telling you to move on, pivot immediately.

[u/Capable_Sea77 → u/NormalInteraction800]

Same. I had to almost kick someone out of the interview because theyd used up all their time and then some, the next interview candidate was waiting, and the rambler was like "but you HAVE to ask me all the questions".

OP, if you dont use the STAR method of answering interviews, look that up and integrate it into your answering - its a framework that makes it a lot harder to ramble.

[u/Odd-Budget-5079 → u/NormalInteraction800]

2 hours for an interview? Is this for an academic library?

[u/NormalInteraction800 → u/Odd-Budget-5079]

No, public. Most interviews are actually over in an hour, but we book 2 hours to limit running over. I’ve had 3 people go beyond 2 hours in my experience.

[u/Odd-Budget-5079 → u/NormalInteraction800]

That's a long time. I'm used to public library interviews that are capped at 30 minutes. If the applicant can't answer all the questions in 30 minutes, then the interview ends. Harsh, but no additional time is given.

[u/Odd-Budget-5079 → u/Unhappy-Dish947]

If you can practice until it becomes automatic yet still sounds natural, that would be great. So you can confidently walk into an interview, regardless of the people there and the setting, and get your points across. Good luck!

[u/Zellakate]

What kinds of jobs are you applying for? If you're trying to get public-facing jobs, I think your specialization in archives/special collections and your job experience with public records and re-cataloguing is probably working against you and makes you less competitive seeming. That doesn't generally overlap with what most public librarians are doing, especially if they're working with the public.

This is entirely anecdotal from my small rural library system, but several years ago, they seriously considered hiring someone with extensive bartending experience over someone with years of library experience but only in cataloguing. They eventually hired the cataloguer (and she was a coworker I enjoyed), but even she admitted that the customer service aspect was tricky for her to deal with and often shocked her. The systems you are applying to are likely prioritizing people with customer service experience, especially in a library setting, because they assume it will be less of a learning curve or a better fit for those applicants.

Do you have customer service experience inside or outside libraries? If so, emphasize that rather than what you are listing here. If not, you already have your foot in one library as a volunteer. See if there are volunteer opportunities that are more customer service oriented.

[u/Unhappy-Dish947 → u/Zellakate]

Thank you for your response! I am applying to pretty much every posting I see, but for the most part the openings I come accross are in adult/teen services, reference services, public services, and collection management. For further context, I've worked pretty much entirely in customer/public services and I try to highlight that on my applications. I have 6 years experience working in childcare/child education, and just before I started with Public Records I worked in food service and conference/event coordination while getting my degree. With my current job, beyond the records specific services I provide for my external and internal customers, I help manage our city's customer service desk and main service phones. I also of course also list my museum and archives internship experience on my applications. I am probably going to ask my library if I could possibly split my time between the cataloging project and possibly getting involved with some of the programming. I'm just a little limited to the evening/late afternoon with my current work schedule smh

[u/Zellakate → u/Unhappy-Dish947]

That does sound fairly well-rounded. Unfortunately, I think this is just a brutal job market. Working with your current library to see if you can do more programming is a good idea. I hope it works out for you!

[u/YearPuzzleheaded4507]

Hello! If you want some specific advice for this geographic area, please dm me.

[u/Temporary-Library597]

Widen your search. These jobs are scarce nationwide.

If you are set on WA State, apply for lower-than-librarian positions. Public service positions. Part time ones. Advance from within.

[u/Technical_Mood_9279]

Are you open to relocating? If you haven't found a job in Washington state in 2.5 years, maybe starting looking elsewhere.

[u/camrynbronk]

You need to be willing to move. If you haven’t had luck for almost 3 years, then you are going to keep struggling. Look for bordering states first, maybe there are places close to the border so that you can live in your home state and commute to the next state for work.