You're going to make mistakes

A few days ago, a friend of mine called me, almost in tears, about what she felt was an unfair charge from a service provider. Unfortunately, since the service was irreplaceable and she felt that the person may bad mouth their company, making it more difficult to get help in the future, so she felt like she had to pay it. She also felt like she had no support from her managers and that she was going to be taken out to the woodshed over the cost.

I had bad news: suck it up. My next suggestion: how would you make sure this never happens again? Actually write out a plan that explains how you would get this service in the future and what choices you would have to deliver the service. When she goes to the meeting, yes, she has to mea maxima culpa, but she also has a plan on how to prevent the issue. Since the service was well-received and they would like to do it again, dealing with this issue is imperative.

I give you this little tip--try to fix the issue or come up with a plan to maintain the program--since this will happen to you during your first few years on the job or while you are the intern taking on your special summer project. You're going to try to make it spectacular, but to be really seen and shared, you need to make a record. Describe what you learned and what you would improve on. I wish I had done that on my internships: I did a few projects that I was really proud of, but do I have a record? Nope. Some of them could be really useful in my portfolio, but I have to make do with what I have now, not the progression in my career, no demonstration--except in my head--of how I got better by making mistakes.

What am I going to be doing?

Tell me about your ideal work environment.

There are a few points in the interview where the interviewer is going to probe to make sure you understand the duties of the job and the work environment. This is one of them. So it measures your research skills, but it also measures your fit. For example, if you respond that you have enjoyed working with children and that you like the daily interaction with clients and you like to have close relationships with your colleagues, if you are about to be consigned to a lonely outpost with limited interaction beyond phone or chat, you are not going to be a good fit for the position.

It is, however, a BDI question, so they are looking for an actual work environment that you have experienced that you felt brought out the best in you. Try to find a work environment that seems closest to the one you are currently interviewing for, with a similar managerial structure. I hope to Hades that this does match with what you are looking for...I'm not going to ask, if this position doesn't match with your ideal, why are you interviewing for it? I'm guessing you need grocery money.

If school was your ideal work environment, think about it: what made it so good? Structure, intellectual challenge, clear deadlines, interaction with knowledgeable supervisors and working with peers. You can also suggest that the ability to assume responsibility for tasks and complete them on time was also exciting and vital to your daily happiness. (There is one problem with using school as your ideal work environment: it's over. Don't look like you will run back to academia with open arms. So be careful how you phrase this.)

This question can also be used as a measure of your ability to mesh with management. If you have seen their org chart or if this is part of a series of questions that asks about management style or structure, you can reiterate some of the points about management style in this answer. But, be brief: you have already had a shot at those questions.

Come and get me: Using a headhunter

Headhunter, search firm, recruiter, temporary agency-- they are not really synonymous, but they do describe a similar purpose: they receive an assignment from an employer with a job opening and they try to fill it. Some work from their available candidate pools, filling relatively low-skilled positions, to others who have rolodexes of extremely versatile and talented execs who they may be able to finesse into the position. Their services vary based on the needs of the company and many of these firms specialize by industry or salary range. Some may offer additional HR services, such as payroll or reference checking, to organizations that have a hiring relationship with them.

Are there librarian headhunters?

Sort-of. Correctly, there are firms that work to fill a variety of positions in the library: clerk, administrative assistant, for example. There are other firms that fill senior level positions, such as branch manager, when a personal touch may be needed to encourage a candidate to apply. A library may have decided to use a recruitment firm because it is hard to fill positions--don't scoff, rural libraries or libraries in less desirable locations or even libraries that have outsourced their HR may have a hard time staffing positions and need to use a recruitment firm. So, yes, you as a librarian can use a recruitment firm.

But you need to do your research first:

• Find a recruitment firm that specializes in libraries. There are a few out there. Check the job postings and start looking at the websites of recruitment firms that are listed. Are there positions available that you can apply for? Do they attend any career fairs where you could meet with them in person and ask them about tailoring an application package?
• You need to pick a recruitment firm that matches with your position. If you are trying to get in with a Fortune 500 company that has a library, look for a recruitment firm that assists Fortune 500 companies; if you want one that deals with academic libraries, look for those firms. Be specific.
• Know what you want to do. I know that seems silly--you want to be a librarian. What kind? Where? Who for? With what duties? Can you do those things or do they seem like something you want to do? You need chemistry with the recruiter, but you should be able to make a bond with the position.
• It takes time. Surprise: there is no time saving when working with a recruiter unless they have called you directly to match with a position. And that only happens if you are on their radar, which means, research, interview and submit application materials.
  
• They aren't working for you. The recruiters work for the company that hired them to fill a position. You are important to the equation, yes, but if you have a bad attitude or unrealistic expectations, they can move to the next candidate on the list.

Using a recruitment firm or headhunter is not a time saver, but it can be an important part of your career management--especially if you see yourself moving up the management chain. Think about your strategy for approaching a recruiter and use some of the advice in Joe Borer's article How To Judge A Headhunter, to find the right one.

Similarities between job and house seeking

On the Jobacle blog today, a post compares house hunting with job seeking. The writer identifies certain qualities that the house/job would have--neighbours are to co-workers, price are to co-workers--and shows you how you can create your own "cost" (to employment) comparison. This metaphor might work for some job seekers--and, if you have to move to find work, be conducted as a simultaneous search--but try to keep your mind form drifting to sub-primes and foreclosures as you conduct your searches.