Interviewing: Step 1

I am heartened by the fact that I got to schedule three phone interviews last week with three different universities looking for academic librarians. I have had two of them, and one is scheduled in January. I am thankful that the first interview went better than I expected. I’m feeling hopeful that I will get invited for an in-person interview for this particular position after the new semester begins.

The reason why it went well I think is because I really connected with the person giving the interview. One of my strengths is connecting with people, and I’m trying to use that to my advantage in the interview process, by viewing these phone interviews as opportunities to connect with and meet new people.

The second interview did not go as well since I did not feel that I had adequate time to prepare. Thankfully, in both interviews, I was asked similar questions, and now I know how to better prepare for the next one in January.

Over the break I’m definitely going to do some research on the trends in reference and the challenges that reference librarians face. I’m also going to formulate a response to the question about the challenge of providing service to a diverse communities of patrons and brush up on my knowledge of trends in information literacy instruction.

I am excited about the changes to come and hopeful about my future. It is a good place to be in the midst of all the bad news about the economy.