Comments on: Soft Skills that Librarians Lack

By: Greg

Greg — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 23:24:30 +0000

I’m interviewing for a public information position for a library district in Northern California tomorrow. I found this article just in time. Engaging but not overwhelming, keep my AC/DC shirt at home, put on the nice suit (dry cleaned and pressed), eye contact…ok, I think I’m good to go. Thank you AL!

By: Sharon

Sharon — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:18:30 +0000

I do hope that you don’t tell too many people that you’ve gotten every job that you applied for. That’s not a remotely empowering statement; that’s an incredibly demoralizing statement for those who don’t get every job, or any job, or an interview, despite having a strong CV, solid social skills, and a decent suit.

By: mildred

mildred — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 06:07:53 +0000

How lovely,,, now if only a giraffe came in for an interview, would they be hired over a gorilla?

By: Mimi

Mimi — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 19:35:56 +0000

Try a Children’s Librarian with Selective Mutism….we had a one in our system for many years

By: Development Arrested

Development Arrested — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 14:01:47 +0000

A lot of people really don’t think you have to be able to interact with people to work at a library. I can understand their confusion as so few people go to libraries anymore. Now in theory, this is someone who should have known a little about the profession beforehand.

By: Development Arrested

Development Arrested — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 13:53:55 +0000

As I am getting older and some of my friends are having children, sometimes on Facebook I have to remind myself which are talking about children and which are talking about dogs.

By: Mary Jo

Mary Jo — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 20:58:34 +0000

I had an interviewee once who repeatedly commented on things that made her angry. That was unusual.

A friend was conducting interviews one time and it came down to two equal candidates, so she chose the one who was NOT wearing the bright nail polish. The one she DID choose turned up the first day with a nose ring! (She turned out to be excellent at her job, despite the ornament.)

A very smart candidate once said to me that she regarded the interview as a sort-of first date – she was trying to find a work relationship that would last a long time, so there was no point in presenting some dressed-up version of herself. She wore comfortable work clothes and had a small tattoo visible on her arm. She was hired and I am grateful every day she is here!

By: The Librarina

The Librarina — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 18:46:04 +0000

As one of those weird children’s librarians, I have learned to dampen that weirdness in interviews–at least until I’ve got a feel for the room. No purple sparkly nail polish or crazy hair colors, of course, and no talking about my infamous Dinosaur Storytime Hat unless I know it will be welcome.

Unfortunately, it also means not wearing my bespoke Tenth Doctor pinstripe suit to interviews, even though it looks fantastic on me… :)

By: Andrew Sherman

Andrew Sherman — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 18:32:13 +0000

Had a job applicant that said during the interview he wanted to start later in the day because it was “too hard to get up and make it across town by nine”. In my town, this is a 20 minute drive. Had a co-worker who quit after the first day. He said he didn’t know that he would have to talk to people as part of the job. I swear, you can’t make this stuff up.

By: Bobbi P

Bobbi P — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:31:54 +0000

As a cataloger, I feel the need to defend my kind. Most of us are in it because we enjoy it. I know many other catalogers who are friendly and enjoyable company.
I’m always saddened at conferences when I see shabbily dressed librarians who snatch up every freebie in sight and carry several large bags around with their “plunder.” I felt the need to apoligize to a very nice vender at ALA who had been ravaged by a horde of children’s librarians who took his swag but didn’t even look at his display. Disgusting.