On Telephones and Interviews

I had a telephone interview last night – my first – and I think it went pretty well. Being out of the interview habit, and completely out of the telephone interview habit, I was a little rusty, and they asked me things I wasn’t as prepared for as I might have hoped. All the same, I feel like I presented myself pretty well, and I’m remaining optimistic. It’s important to focus on the positive selling points I made, rather than worry about the silly blunders. If everything goes well, I’ll progress one rung up on the applicant ladder; the next step being an interview with the Washington State Secretary of State. I don’t know if that would be on the phone or in person, but it sounds like an interesting experience either way.

The questions they asked were very job-specific. Did I have any experience working with virtual reference? A little. What experience did I have working with electronic database vendors? None, though some corollary experiences to share. What experience did I have as a go-between for customers and database vendors? Yikes, another corollary answer. I’m just a young future-librarian, yet, full of experiences I can use to relate to these experiences, but all the same with very little experience in what it means to be a real, professional librarian. I know that worked against me to some extent, but they mentioned they were emphasizing trainability and customer service, both of which are strong areas for me.

Thanks to everyone who consoled my consternation before the interview, and to all the well-wishers. It’s nice to know that in many ways, we’re all in this boat together, and the experience of one can work for the advantage of another. In the meantime, keep those fingers crossed (thumbs held), and I’ll let you know how it all turns out.