New Job!

So I got a new job!

I am not a PT Library Assistant III in my holy grail of libraries.

If you are trying to remember which interview this one was from, it was the last one I post (remember with the really difficult reference questions?)

Anyways, here is how it went down. I got home from the interview....blogged...and took a nap. Well I received a phone call about an hour or so after I got home. I recognized the number as from the library. I thought "I must have left something".

They were calling to let me know that they realized that I was the only applicant that they wanted to hire. They weren't even going to bother with second round interviews ********EEEEEEEKKKKKKK*********

So why are you only hearing about this now? Because it was a conditional hire...meaning I had to pass a drug test (which they sent me to immediately), then a physical (which I took a week later and consisted of the doctor telling me I was alive)....then they had to wait on the results. This all took about two weeks. When the department head called to offer me the job, she asked that I wait another day or two before announcing it so they could inform the other applicants. Then I had to wait another two days because my current boss was out of town and I wanted to give her my notice before anything. I thought for a split second about working both jobs because they are part time, but scheduling was going to be a big problem. I decided to keep my job as a hostess at a local restaurant til a FT opens up in my holy grail of libraries.

Once I was finally able to tell people, I got lots of questions, which I am going to answer now.

Why leave one part-time job for another?

The library I was currently working in had no foreseeable full time positions. Zero. Also, this new library is my holy grail people! I cannot explain how much I have wanted to work here. Why? They only hire within, so starting out as a Library Assistant III is the perfect way to move up. They pay more than most. It is .5 miles from my apt so I'll be walking. And its just an overall awesome library.

What do I know about nonfiction and reference?

Not a clue. I am still shocked that they hired me because my main experience is in Children's but I plan to dive right in!

Am I still going to apply for other FT positions at different libraries?

Probably not. I am exactly where I want to be in 20 years. Ok, not PT, but I am at the library I want to be it. If I apply for any other library gigs it is because I want to gain more interview experience.

I have already started there as of this past Friday. I will update more because I had an interesting first day (think tornadoes) but now I'm slightly tired.


Before I go, I wanted to give a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who helped. Whether it was making my apply, advising me, references, encouragement, or just listening to me ramble. I appreciate your support and you!

Job Interviewing Continues ... (With Interview Questions)

On Thursday, I went on another job interview. I am applying for everything I can, just to build my interview experience. This interview, in my opinion, was a little more difficult than the one I had in the previous week. The questions were more about my interaction with the patrons, not necessarily work relationship with supervisors.

Here are some sample questions from the interview:

What was the last nonfiction book you read?

Will you be able to hold up the library’s policy of a censorship free environment?

If a patron asks for controversial material that you are not comfortable with or disagree with, will you be able to help them?

How many times in the last year have you had to call out for work?

Will you be able to work around these ____ days and hours?

What sets you apart from other applicants that we might interview?

If a patron has a research paper on a certain topic that they are not excited about, how would you go about helping them?

How would you help a patron research the tea party movement?

I had to rate my skills on several software programs on a scale of 1 – 10 and explain why.

I know a lot of my peers are going out on interviews and several people have mentioned what are some key things I do that sets me apart from others.

1. Laughter. I am a firm believe that getting people to laugh with you will leave them with an overall positive impression of you.
2. Smile. Another key factor is having a warm smile. This aspect is important, not just for interviews, but for every day life.
3. Sell yourself! I try to be modest, but when I interview, I know that I have to be a salesperson and the product I am selling is me.
4. Be honest. If you lie in an interview and they end up hiring you, they are going to find out that you initially lied about your experience/knowledge.
5. Before hand I prepare a set of questions that I want to ask my interviewers if given the opportunity.
6. I also try to think about what questions they might ask me. If I know what department I am interviewing for, I will research all the books that I have read in this genre, along with the popular choices at this moment.

I hope this helps anyone who is applying for a job. I know that this time, especially with graduation looming, can be very frightful and scary, but the important things to remember are to keep applying and keep putting yourself out there! Also, network! Your colleagues have been in this position before. Talk with them about it. I have asked several of my co-workers, friends, and really anyone I can find about their job searching experience. Another key factor is to decide what you want! Think about the things that are a requirement for you to have in a job. Salary? Benefits? Location? Hours? It is important to know what you want.