Navigating in the Fog Shining a Light on the Library Job Search Process

Abstract

This interactive workshop prepared library professionals to navigate the library job search. The facilitators started by demystifying the hiring process and timeline. Second, the group looked at real job ads to identify the most important components. Third, attendees developed questions they should ask in the interview, learned how to anticipate and prepare for common interview questions, and learned how to navigate illegal or inappropriate questions that shouldn’t be asked in the first place (but frequently are). Fourth, the workshop provided hands-on activities to review and revise attendees’ cover letters and CVs. Finally, the workshop covered the most exhilarating and terrifying part of any job search process: negotiating an offer. Attendees left the workshop with a clear understanding of interview processes, a nuanced ability to interpret job descriptions, a list of interview questions to ask and answers to give, strategies for negotiation, and updates to their own individual documentation.