Making the Academic Librarian Interview Less Painful

To be unexpectedly unemployed in the U.S. is to be in a state of desperation. If you haven’t been out of work lately, it’s a particularly challenging time. The labor market is cooling, and people are struggling to find work, especially younger workers and people of color. There has been a sharp increase in the number of “ghost jobs,” job listings that never result in a hiring, and the rise in the use of AI means a human may never see your job application. 

Since being laid off last August, I’ve gone through fourteen interviews for eight positions at academic libraries. It’s been a mixed bag—at times, it’s felt as though employers didn’t recognize how their actions impacted me. I’d like to share my experience in the hopes that it gets hiring committees to take another look at their process and make some small but meaningful changes.

Some things that made my interview experiences harder than they had to be: 

• They didn’t tell me how many questions they were asking. If employers don’t provide the questions in advance, sometimes they just start asking questions without letting me know how many questions they have. That means I have to interrupt the speaker to ask, because I have to gauge how much time I have for each answer. Do you have six questions? Do you have twenty questions? Help candidates manage their time well by providing this info up front (preferably in advance).
• They didn’t know how many people this position supervised. During two separate interviews, I stumped the hiring committee when I asked how many people I’d be supervising. This seems like something that should be in the job description, to be honest, but if not, the hiring committee should know the answer.
• They contacted my references before the interview. I’ve applied for dozens of jobs, so I’m asking for a lot of effort from my references. When employers contact references before I’ve had a chance to decide whether I want that job, that’s wasted time and energy, not only for my references but for the employers as well.  
• They asked me to travel on Thanksgiving week. Why would you ask a candidate to fly across the country during the busiest travel week of the year? I already had plans to see family.
• They expected me to pay hundreds of dollars for a flight and to wait months to wait to receive reimbursement. This is a significant expense for unemployed candidates. At the very least, being clear about when candidates might expect reimbursement is helpful.
• They expected me to drive 375 miles in the dark after a full day interview. Interview days are grueling, and this request seemed unsafe to me.
• They chose a restaurant without asking about dietary restrictions. This is a basic thing that sometimes gets overlooked.
• They booked my travel through a system that automatically signs me up for spam emails. The employer probably doesn’t even know this happens, but it was frustrating nonetheless.
• They didn’t ask whether I had accessibility concerns. Honestly, no employers are doing well on this metric. No employer asked about captioning for Zoom meetings. No employer asked about on-site accommodations I might need, whether that’s wayfaring or travel to different campus buildings. I feel very bad for my fellow candidates who need accessibility accommodations and have to make difficult choices about whether they’re seen as “a problem” for asking for them. Why not show that you’re aware that people have different needs by asking what candidates need up front?

I pushed back on some of the requests I received because I thought they were unreasonable. But it’s not kind to expect candidates to push back when they may desperately need this job. 

Some things that made my interviews less painful:

• They provided the questions in advance. Honestly, this is the easiest thing you can do to not only make candidates more comfortable and successful in sharing their experience, but to equal the playing field. Unless the job duties in the positions I’m interviewing for require being good at on-the-spot responses, there’s no reason not to provide questions in advance.
• They shared with me in advance who would be at each meeting. That information means I’m able to research people and tailor my answers for the audience I’m speaking to.
• They provided a campus tour and information about the students at their school. It makes a big difference when employers provide opportunities for me to learn more about the environment I’m considering joining.
• They let me know by phone call when I didn’t get a job. I appreciated the consideration.
• They invited me to meet with them to get feedback on my candidacy when I didn’t get the job. I was grateful to get the chance to meet with the library dean to hear the reasons they didn’t select me; it means I have a better chance at finding a successful fit in the future.

So much of interviewing is about building trust and understanding—that old chestnut that we’re interviewing each other to ensure a good fit is true, but employers don’t always acknowledge that. The job search is inherently demoralizing and difficult; consider making changes in your workplace processes that make it less dehumanizing.