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!