Applications to Thank You Notes

Going Pro: Marketing Yourself Applications to Thank you Notes

Presentation for Atlanta Emerging Librarians

By Mary Ann Cullen Library Director, Alpharetta Center and GPC Online

Georgia Perimeter College 3/30/13

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I am not an expert, but I am a hiring manager and a veteran of both the hiring and interviewing sides of search committees,so I hope what I have to say is valuable to you. I have discussed with fellow librarians their thoughts on these matters, so have some corroboration… Most of these examples are true-ish. That is, inspired by real events, but not actual examples. I wasn’t sure who was going to be here and I wanted to have some friends left by the time I walked out of the room!

Housekeeping

• GLA Scholarships - $1000 & $3000 – http://gla.georgialibraries.org

• Website: – http://guides.gpc.edu/AEL

http://gla.georgialibraries.org/

http://guides.gpc.edu/AEL

http://guides.gpc.edu/AEL

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I have assembled the documents from this presentation on a Libguide, along with some useful books and links.

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When we have a job opening, it is not unusual for us to get 50 or more applications. Since each applicant has a cover letter, resume, list of references, transcripts, and the application itself, often this can be 10 pages or so per person, meaning I may have 500 pages of documents to go through. When I sit down to review these documents, I am optimistically searching for the right person for the job. But as I get closer to the bottom of the stack, I start to get cranky. I’m going to talk about some of the things I look for and some of the things that drive me crazy.

Three Basic Interview Questions

1. Can you do the job? 2. Will you love the job? 3. Can we tolerate working with you?

~ George Bradt in Forbes Magazine

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In an Article in Forbes Magazine in April 2012, George Bradt said there are three basic interview questions…. Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/georgebradt/2011/04/27/top-executive-recruiters-agree-there-are-only-three-key-job-interview-questions/

Meets Minimum Requirements

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I work for the government. If you don’t meet the minimum requirements, I can’t hire you.

Solve a Need

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We hire to solve a need.

Solve a Need

• Tell me what you can do for me

• Address the ad

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As I get cranky, I don’t want to have to figure it out. Tell me what you can do for me. Your key to what I want is in the job ad.

Address the Ad – And Prove it!

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Here is a sample job ad.


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Here’s one response. It’s not bad. I’d give it a C-plus. (Note: It is helpful to stick with the terminology in the ad.)


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This is better.


Not a real website, to my knowledge.

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I really like it when you offer a portfolio of your work. I can not only see that you can do what you say you can, but I can see for myself how well you do it.

Soft Skills

Initiative Continuous learning Empathy Professionalism Problem-solving Good judgment

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We also look for soft skills. These are some soft-skills, not all of them.

Represents the library well

Professional Sells the library Doesn’t embarrass me.

Not your autobiography

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Your cover letter is NOT your autobiography. I don’t want to hear your life story. I just want you to address the task at hand.


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For example, this is all very nice, but why do I care?


http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjoselibrary/2477359372/

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Okay, so this person has practiced the skills used by a children’s librarian…


http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenni_froedrick/5384216937/

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This person can manage a budget, train, motivate, help with goal setting and achievement, and she knows the value of customer service skills. Terrific!


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Wow. Grant writing and collaboration. I need this person!

Cover letters demonstrate communication skills

Professional email address

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Keep your email address professional.

Social media/Google presence

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Be aware of your social media and Google presence. It’s okay to have a private life, but don’t post anything that really casts you in a bad light.

Social media/Google presence

Google image search for Dennis Rodman

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This is what I don’t want to see when I Google you.

Attention to detail

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Librarians are expected to have good attention to detail.

Follow instructions

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Follow the instructions in the job ad. Do what it tells you. I don’t want more. I don’t want less.

Get the name of the library right

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You’re applying to Georgia Perimeter College. (This happens more often than you’d think!)

Speeling counts

Speeling counts

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This one is real.

Check your work after submitting Actual cover letter!

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This is a cover letter I got recently. I’m sure it’s not what the person meant to submit, but apparently they didn’t check after they uploaded it. There’s nothing I can do with this but discard it.

Will you love the job? =

Will you be motivated to do a GOOD job?

And stick around for a while?

Why do you want THIS job?

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Explain to me why you want THIS job, especially if it seems out of line with your goals and history. If this person wants to be a law librarian, why are they applying at Georgia Perimeter College? And the job doesn’t call for archiving or cataloging. One of my employees wrote that she wanted a job at a small library within a larger institution because she enjoyed getting to know the students and faculty as one does at a small library, but she enjoyed the opportunities for collaboration at larger institution. I knew she understood the job and would like it.

Is this job important to you?

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One, this person obviously didn’t take time to proofread, but also, this is the entire cover letter. Your cover letter is your chance to sell yourself. If you don’t take that opportunity in a cover letter, I don’t think you’d going to sell the library on a daily basis. Don’t blow it with a throw-away cover letter.

Don’t make me hunt you down.

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If I can’t find how to contact you, maybe I just won’t.

Explain Anomalies

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Your cover letter is the place to explain anomalies. For example, if you’ve been out of the workforce for 15 years, were you a stay at home mom….

Explain Anomalies

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…or in prison? Also, if this job seems out of place with your skills or experience, explain how your experiences relate. For example, I had an applicant who worked as a children’s librarian at a public library. She told me that there was a community college nearby that was closed on the weekends so she had frequently helped them with their assignments, especially literary criticism. I interviewed her.

References Random Thoughts

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Just some random thoughts on references…

Surprise is not good

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Make sure you ask before listing someone as a reference. For one thing, they may not be allowed by policy to give references. And surprise is not good. It’s not good when I call someone and say, “So and so listed you as a reference.” and they say, “Oh REALLY?!”

Include former supervisors

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We understand why you might not list your current supervisor, and there are a variety of reasons you might not list a former supervisor as well, but be aware that it is a red flag if you’ve had a variety of jobs and do not list any of your supervisors. It looks like you left on bad terms.

We may call them before we call you

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Be aware that we may call your reference before we call you, so don’t count on listing them now and telling them later. If possible, give them a heads up about the jobs you’re applying for. You might even want to give them a “cheat sheet” about how long they’ve known you and some of your accomplishments. Giving them your cover letter and resume is one easy way of doing this.


You got an Interview!

Contact before

• Confirm details • Ask appropriate questions • Limit to one or two emails

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Appropriate questions include things like the type of equipment available for a presentation, how many people will be in attendance, details about parking. Try to organize your thoughts so you limit contact to only a couple of emails.

Be prepared

• Be on time • Presentation within time limit • Have enough handouts

http://clipart.usscouts.org/library/Scouting_Images/cartoons/chubby_scout.gif

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These are some examples of ways to show you are prepared.

Pre-learn key people

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This information is on the web. You will be nervous the day of the interview so it might be hard to remember people’s names and what they do. If you don’t know who’s on the search committee, at least learn key people in the library and what they do. You can look at their LibGuides, etc. I am flattered if someone tells me they’ve watched my videos and like them. This can also give you some conversational topics for lunch, when you want to be more casual, but still can’t get too personal. Ask about how the person learned to do what they do, etc. Many librarians are somewhat shy when outside their element and lunch is awkward because we can’t ask you about anything personal that might be construed as discriminatory. So we’ll think you’re brilliant if you can keep the conversation going by asking us about US!

Anticipate Questions • “Tell us about yourself”

• “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”

• “How does this job fit your career goals?”

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Have canned answers prepared for common interview questions. (I ask these as much to see if the person prepared as I do to find out the answers!)

Think of stories

• Multitasking • Bad decision • Difficult patron? • Co-worker conflict? • Manager conflict? • Biggest accomplishment

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Think of stories for common scenario questions, especially negative ones. Even if the exact questions don’t come up, you can probably use the same stories for other questions. Make sure any negative questions have a spin that make you come out looking good – you resolved the problem, you learned from your mistakes, etc.

Be Yourself!

Be Your^self!

Be Your^self! Dress Grooming Body Language Language Attitude Confident

Make eye contact

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Make eye contact. I know it’s hard when you’re nervous, but if you look down or away, you look insincere.

Don’t speak negatively of others, especially by name.

Photo by Thomas Hawk

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Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:It's_a_Small_World!.jpgThere are probably two degrees of separation between every librarian in Atlanta. You don’t know who’s friends with who. If you speak negatively of someone, that person might be my best friend. And when you speak negatively of other people, the person who looks bad is YOU.

We hire people like ourselves, but…..

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We tend to hire people like ourselves, but I really don’t want a clone or someone who idolizes me. I want someone who brings new skills and ideas to the organization.

Questions for them What is the first project you’d like the new librarian to take on? What kinds of professional development opportunities are available? How would you describe the management style in the library? When can I expect to hear back?

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Question_in_a_question_in_a_question_in_a_question.gif

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Have questions prepared. Here are some examples.

Remember you are interviewing THEM!

Image excerpt from “The Crush” by Charles Gibson

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Remember the interview is about seeing if you like each other. It’s like dating, but without the cleavage.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Image by Social Media Max

I want the job, I’d be good at the job, and doggoneit, people

like me!

We didn’t get a chance to talk about

how I chaired the Reference

Committee.

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When they ask at the end of the interview if there’s anything else, don’t say no. Sell yourself! Summarize why you're a great candidate, say you’re still interested…. Address those “Can you do the job, will you like the job, and will we like working with you” questions. And if there’s something major that hasn’t come up, now’s the time to mention it!

Follow up

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After the interview….

Thank you

I’m interested. I’m polite. I still communicate effectively.

Image by Rogercarr

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I wouldn’t eliminate someone because they didn’t write a thank you note, but some people do. A thank you note tells me you’re still interested….. And because decisions can be made quickly, email is appropriate. You may want to follow up with a written note, but only a written note may be too slow.

And one more thing……

1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1+

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The “And one more thing” syndrome. If you think of something significant after the interview, by all means mention it. This might be something like, “When you asked if I had supervisory experience, I said no because I was thinking of paid positions. But I actually supervised many people as president of the PTA…” or if something significant changes, like you’ve decided to move to the Atlanta area regardless of whether you got the job. But most of the time the decision is made within a few days of the last interview and there is no point in one more thing and one more thing and one more thing…. You look desperate and disorganized. You don’t want me to get to the point of thinking, ‘What does she want NOW?” And it could be the first choice person doesn’t work out. If you are the second choice person, you don’t want them to decide you’re more trouble than you’re worth.

Wait 2-3 weeks to contact again

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If they’ve told you it will be three or four weeks before you’re likely to hear back, wait three or four weeks before writing a follow up to find out if a candidate has been selected and to say you’re still interested. Before that, it’s just being a pest.

Don’t be annoying.

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Don’t be a pest. I am looking for people to solve problems, not be a problem. Don’t be high maintenance. Don’t confront. Don’t be cloying.

Keep all communications professional

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This is not the time for text-speak. Even if we hit it off at lunch, this is still a formal situation. Is this how you're going to communicate to the Chair of the English Department?!

You have an offer!!!!

Now What?

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Now you have to make a decision. (This is my photo. Thanks to Lee and Alia for making the Decider! )

You don’t HAVE to take an offer!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tuchodi/

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Beware of red flags…

Red Flags


• The manager treats people badly while you’re there.

• People talk negatively about their colleagues to you.

• Your skills or personality are a poor fit for the position.

• The job is incompatible with the rest of your life.

• You think you’ll be miserable.

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Here are some red flags. You don’t want a hostile work environment, a manager who will give you bad reviews, or someone who keeps you from learning new things. You also don’t want to ruin your personal life because of job stresses. Also, if your skills and interests are far outside of the job, you may be setting yourself up for failure.

Great first job!


• You want opportunities to learn. • You want to practice your skills. • You want to build a good reputation.

Maybe next time will be better…..

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Even if you don’t get this job, you want to make a good lasting impression. Don't avoid applying again just because they rejected you once. There may be a job that fits you perfectly coming up that they’ll be looking for you to apply for or they will recommend you to other librarians. One time I had an applicant who didn’t have enough experience for the job, but I called her later to see if she wanted to work as a part time librarian. Another time, I was impressed enough with the applicant’s follow up that I made sure I interviewed her the next time.

Mary Ann Cullen [email protected]

• Website: – http://guides.gpc.edu/AEL

• GLA Scholarships - $1000 & $3000 – http://gla.georgialibraries.org

http://gla.georgialibraries.org/

Applications to Thank You Notes

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