Nose Studs OK for Library Interviews

I got my nose pierced when I was 20 or 21 years old. In this piercing, I have on occasion worn a nose ring, but I've mostly worn a nose stud. The stud itself is tiny, silver, and so unobtrusive. Ninety-eight percent of the time, I don't even think about it. I'm only aware of it when I have a cold...and when I have an interview.
 

Like hers, my nose stud is small, silver...and OK for interviews.
Image via Pinterest.com

When going on interviews, I would always wonder if I should remove my nose stud beforehand. Back when I interviewed for my current full-time job, I wore it and got hired anyway. For an interview earlier this month for a summer internship, I kept it in and was brought on anyway. I'm thinking it would be the same story if I was trying out for a library job: wearing a nose stud to the interview wouldn't hurt my chances of getting the position. A hiring manager for an academic library, who was recently interviewed for the website Hiring Librarians, would agree.

Emily at Hiring Librarians asked the hiring manager, who remained anonymous: Which jewelry may candidates wear to an interview? The hiring manager said:
 

• A few simple necklaces, bracelets, and/or rings
• Arty or more elaborate necklaces, bracelets, and/or rings
• Eyebrow ring, Monroe piercing, septum piercing, or other face piercing
• Earrings
• Multiple ear piercings
• Other: Nose stud, not ring

I think it's interesting that the hiring manager said nose studs are acceptable for an interview but nose rings aren't. I can only guess it's because nose studs are generally more discreet than nose rings, and that's why they're considered okay. But eyebrow rings, Monroe piercings, and septum piercings are much more obvious than nose rings in my opinion, so perhaps this hiring manager works at a small liberal arts college in a comparatively progressive part of the country. At any rate, my rule of thumb when dressing for interviews is, "Less is more": minimal jewelry, smell clean but no detectable fragrance, simple hairstyle, and an outfit that leans toward the conservative side. But the nose stud stays in.

For more interview attire tips from this hiring manager, you can read the Hiring Librarians article at THIS LINK. And if you happen to be an "alternative-looking" library job seeker, take heart in knowing that if the interviewer shrivels his or her nose at your piercings, tattoos, or blue hair, then that probably isn't a place where you would want to work anyway.

Librarian: 'I don't hire based on school'

As you already know, I'm in library school. It's accredited by the American Library Association (ALA), but it's not the most expensive library school in the region. That's good for my wallet, but my classmates and I wonder if that's good for our future job prospects. After all, for many people, most expensive equals best quality. This goes for cars, clothes, and even schools. Fortunately, where you went to library school won't be a big factor when librarians consider you for a job.
 

Library work experience matters more than where you went to library school.
Image of Lego library via manliuscoralreef.blogspot.com

At least one librarian has gone on record saying where you went to library school won't matter. In an interview posted on the Hiring Librarians website, an academic librarian who has been a hiring manager and member of a search committee was asked, "Which library schools give candidates an edge (you prefer candidates from these schools)?" In response, the librarian said, "I don't hire based on school." When further probed with the question "Are there any library schools whose alumni you would be reluctant to hire?," the librarian said, "No."
  

What skills and experience do you need to get a job at a library?
Image of Lego library via mrlibrarydude.wordpress.com

So if the librarian doesn't hire based on school, what DOES matter when you are up for a job? For the academic librarian, who works with 10 to 50 staff members at a library in the Midwestern United States, it matters that you have:
 

• Library work experience
• Conference presentation
• Other presentation
• Student organization involvement
• Teaching assistant/other instructional experience

Talking about library work experience, the librarian admitted, "I think most skills are learned on the job." But that's not to discredit the skills and knowledge acquired in the classroom. What's learned in the course of a library school education can be quite relevant. Some coursework is even considered as crucial by many hiring managers. When asked "What coursework do you think all (or most) MLS/MLIS holders should take, regardless of focus?," the librarian replied:
 

• Cataloging
• Budget/accounting
• Grant writing
• Project management
• Collection management
• Reference
• Outreach
• Instruction
• Field work/internships

This is very good to know. Past courses have given me an introduction to cataloging and reference, and the entirety of library school thus far has been a lesson in project management. Next semester, I'm taking a class in collection management. And although I don't have the daytime hours for fieldwork or an internship, I have volunteered (and will continue to volunteer) at archival institutions in my free time in order to gain current work experience.

To read the full interview with the academic librarian, which includes advice for students who want to make the most of their time in library school, see the Hiring Librarians post at THIS LINK.

Blog Offers Inside Tips on Getting a Library Job

Want to work in a library? Maybe you're fresh out of library school and looking for a job. Or you are an unemployed librarian who is on a job hunt. Either way, it's worth checking out Hiring Librarians, a blog dedicated to getting inside the minds of those who hire for libraries.

                               

Hiring managers, members of hiring committees, and library directors spill the beans on this blog about what makes you an attractive candidate (or not) for a library job - from your cover letter and resume to how you conduct yourself during the interview. By publishing a plethora of inside tips on getting that seemingly elusive library job, the Hiring Librarians blog takes a bit of the mystery (and, hopefully, some of the frustration) out of the job hunt. 

Photo: http://www.ebr.lib.la.us/reference/ourafamlegacy/photogallery.htm