This document provides guidance on writing resumes and preparing for interviews. It discusses different types of resumes including chronological, functional, and combination formats. It outlines a seven step approach to writing a resume, including conducting a personal inventory, identifying a job objective, highlighting relevant skills and accomplishments, and formatting the resume. The document emphasizes quantifying accomplishments, using action verbs, and avoiding vague terminology. Sample resume sections and accomplishment statements are provided. The overall summary is that the document offers tips for crafting an effective resume and preparing for the job application process.

1. Resume Writing
And Interviewing Quick Start!
2009 Careers in Federal Libraries
Robert R. Newlen
July 10, 2009

2. Some Resume/Cover Letter Bloopers
 Reason for leaving last job: maturity leave
 Failed bar exam with relatively high grades
 Let’s meet, so you can “ooh” and “aah” over my
experience
 You will want me to be Head Honcho in no time
 Am a perfectionist and rarely if if ever forget details
 Marital status: often. Children: various.
 Finished eighth in my class of ten
2

3. Resume Writing - Goals
 Examine different types of resumes
 Review step-by-step the process for writing a
job-winning resume
 Take away at least one new idea
3

4. Chronological
Pros Cons
 Easy to read and write  Less desirable for those who
have been in one position
 Focuses on job progression
for an extended period
 Draws attention to name of  Can focus on employment
your library or organization gaps
 Makes all your jobs have
equal weight
 Not good for career
changers
 Can accentuate vague job
title
4

5. Senior Research Librarian, 1991 - Present
The Library of Congress, Legislative Reference Service
• Extensive reference service, including in-person assistance, to Members
of Congress and congressional staff.
• Specialize in issues related to arts and education.
• Expert searching skills using a wide range of databases such as NEXIS,
WESTLAW, and DIALOG. Use of Internet protocols and resources:
Gopher, World Wide Web, and E-mail.
• Experience with archival and special format materials using Library of
Congress and other collections related to film, photographs, and music.
• DOS, Windows, and Macintosh proficiency for research and technical
support.
• Supervisory experience in delegating and reviewing work of librarians.
Special Assignment, Team Member, User-Evaluation Special Project, 1991-93
The Library of Congress American Image Project
• Evaluated American Image prototype (an electronic version of archival
materials in Library of Congress collections).
• Chaired site selection subcommittee, prepared report, and presented results
to senior managers.
• Coordinated orientation and training sessions at Library and at selected
sites throughout the U.S.
• Wrote sections of instruction manual, interviewed site coordinators,
analyzed site experiences, and was one of three authors of final report.

6. Functional Resume - Pros
 Good if you have been in one position a long
time – focuses on skills and abilities
 Works well for career changers
 Works well for those re-entering the job
market
 Makes employment gaps less noticeable
 Good for job switchers or those in part-time
or temporary positions
6

7. Functional Resume - Pros
 Good for recent library school graduates and
those with limited job experience
 Works well for those with jobs which are
unrelated and don’t reveal a distinct career
path
7

8. Film reference and research
 Provided in-person and telephone reference service in major university film library.
 Created major bibliographies on film history, production, and personalities.
 Examined and prepared special collections inventory of Ritz Radio Theatre disk
recordings.
 Excellent research skills with archival and special format material using Library of
Congress and external collections related to film, photographs, and music.
Web and database searching
 Extensive searching experience including use of NEXIS and Dialog.
 Use of Internet protocols and resources: Gopher, World Wide Web, and E-mail.
 DOS, Windows, and Macintosh proficiency for research and technical support.

9. Combo
Pro Con
 Can be useful if you  Needs special attention
have been in one in how it is presented
position or institution for graphically
a long time
 Highlights distinct jobs
as well as skill areas
9

10. Senior Research Li brarian, 1991 - Present
The Li brary of Congress, Legislati ve Reference Service
Reference and Research
• Extensive reference service, including in-p erson assistance to M embers of Congress and
congressional staff.
• Specialization in issues related to arts and education.
• Experience with archival and special for mat materials using Library of Congress and other
collections related to fil m, photographs, and music.
Au tomation
• Expert searching skills using a wide range of databases such as N EXIS and DIA LO G. Use of
In ternet proto cols and resources: Gopher, W orld W ide W eb, and E-mail.
• DOS, W indows, and Macintosh proficien cy for research and technical support.
S pecial Assig nment, Tea m Member, User- Evaluation S pecial Project, 1991-93
The Li brary of Congress A merican Image Project
Project Evaluation
• Evaluated A merican Memo ry prototype (an electro nic version of archival materials in Library of
Congress co llections).
• Chaired site selection subco mmittee and presented results to senior managers.
• Coo rdinated orientation and training sessions.
W riting
• Co-authored instruction manual fo r digital prototype.
• Wrote final report for th e project.

11. Seven step approach
 Personal inventory
 Identify job objective
 Identify knowledge, skills and abilities that
meet job objective
11

12. Seven Step Approach
 Identify YOUR major knowledges, skills, and
abilities that best meet your job objective
 Identify your accomplishments
 Assembling the resume – how it looks
 A final checklist
12

13. Step 1: Personal Inventory
Professional work history
 Reverse chronological order, list all position
titles and organizations
 List your accomplishments under each
position
13

14. Professional work history
 What are your responsibilities?
 How many employees have you supervised?
 Can you quantify your accomplishments?
 What personal skills have you developed?
 What did you initiate or implement?
 What leadership skills have you developed?
 Awards? Writing skills? Public speaking?
14

15. Assistant Director, Red ford County Public Library District, Redford, AR
199 1 to present
• Assisted Director in managing a budget of $4.5 million, a staff of 105, and a collection of over
275,000 items
• W orked closely with Bo ard consisting of 7 members
• Library Building Committee - Chaired this committee for 2 years
• Coo rdinated transition team to plan move to new building
• Designed Lib rary's Disaster Plan
• Designed and i mplemented ADA Strategic Plan
• W rote Supervisory M anual for the library
• Advised 5 Department Heads on writing job descriptions
• Counseled Depa rtment Head s on employee problems
Acting Director, Redford County Public Library District
199 0
• For six month period, served as Acting Director
• Neg otiated the new build ing plans with Bo ard and County government W orked closely with
co mmunity groups on all aspects of building pla n
• Proposed budget that was passed on the first a ttempt by Library Board
• Responsible fo r all ad ministrative functions of the Library
Associate Librarian/Head of Technical Services, Redford County Public Library District
198 9 - 1 991
• M anaged all aspects of Technical Service Department including acq uisitions, serials,
interlibrary loan, and cataloging functions
• Extensive use of OCLC and the Dynix automated library system
• Exp erience with AACR2 and M ARC formats
• Extensive audiovisual cataloging
• Supervised a staff of 7
• Outstand ing performance evaluation

16. Head of Reference, Redford County Public Library District
1987 - 1989
• Supervised a staff of 8 reference librarians and 4 library aides
• Served on the collection development committee
• Chaired com mittee on user access
• Revised and improved library reference guide
• Developed and monitored database budget of over $25,000.
Reference Librarian, San Angelo Free Public Library, San Angelo, TX
1984 - 1987
• Provided extensive reference service
• Coordinated staff training on new online catalog
• Redesigned quick reference collection for more efficient use
Elementary School Librarian, Sam Houston Elementary School, Eagle Pass, TX
1982 - 1984
• Developed and maintained library and multimedia center for school of 350
students
• Created Parent Advisory Committee for library to increase parent volunteers
• Implemented automated circulation control for the library
Substitute Reference Assistant, Springdale College, Springdale, TX
1981 - 1982
• Performed part-time reference services for college library serving 800 students
• Staffed reference and circulation desk
• Routinely used college automated catalog to assist patrons
Documents Technician (part-time), Grinnell College Undergraduate Library, Grinnell, IA
1977 - 1979
• Worked with Federal Depository Library collection
• Sorted and shelved documents
• Maintained collection

17. Non-professional work history
 Have you learned any skills that apply to
your job objective?
17

18. Education, Specialized Training, and
Language Skills
 List degrees, schools, dates of enrollment
 Awards, scholarships, fellowships, internship
s, etc.
 Training courses
 Technology skills
 Emphasize skill proficiency (routine or
occasional use of a system)
18

19. Professional Association Involvement
 Professional association memberships
 All activities and participation
 Attendance at professional conferences
19

20. Publications
 Names and titles of books and articles
 Experience in writing articles for association
or staff newsletters
 Keep a master file of publications
20

21. Presentations
 Presentations at professional
conferences, workshops or seminars
 Courses you have taught
 Tours you have led
21

22. Research and Grant Activities
 List ongoing research
 Grant supported research
22

23. Volunteer Work and Personal Interests
 List volunteer work
 Volunteer skills you have acquired:
organizational, public speaking, fund
raising, budgeting, publicity, meeting
deadlines, coordinating meetings, planning
for events, leading a
team, recruitment, training, scheduling
23

24. Personal Interests
 Sports
 Hobbies
 Community activities
24

25. Step 2: Identify Your Job Objective
 Helps you tailor your resume
25

26. Specific Job Objectives
 Coordinator of Children’s Services, Houston
Public Library
 Electronic Services and Reference
Librarian, Tennessee Technological
University
 Library Systems Administrator, Prince
Edward County Public Library
 Metadata Services Cataloger, Wichita State
University
26

27. Broad Job Objectives
 User instruction librarian in an academic
institution
 Collection development librarian
 Corporate librarian
 Archivist/special collections librarian
27

28. Step 3: Identify knowledges, skills,
and abilities or functional areas
 Link these to job objective
 Start thinking like the employer
 What skills are most desirable?
 Refer to critical skills identified in the job
announcement
28

29. Job objective: Instructional Services
Librarian in a public library
 Significant library instruction and reference
experience
 Knowledge of electronic resources and
library systems
 Experience with Web page design and
development
 Ability to work collaboratively
29

30. Step 4: Identify Accomplishments &
Abilities That Support Each Skill or
Quality
 For example, a job applicant (Janet Taylor)
wants to be a director in a small or medium-
sized library
 What skills are needed for this position?
30

31. Skills needed for position as director
of small or medium-sized public library
 Experience in a public library system
 Fiscal management skills
 Supervisory experience
 Ability to interact with community, library boards, and
local governments
 Leadership skills
 Experience with technology
 Strategic planning
 Organizational skills
31

32. Janet Taylor’s Selects These Skills and
Quality Areas
 Supervisory and administrative skills
 Community and government relations
experience
 Technology planning skills
 Fiscal management skills
32

33. STEP 5: Identify Your
Accomplishments That Support
Functional Statements
 Keep the language tight and phrases short
 Don’t use the first person “I”
33

34. Accomplishments: Use incomplete
sentences
 Planned and implemented the network
 Initiated after-school reading hour
 Coordinated acquisition proposals
 Evaluated cataloging policies
 Wrote training manual
 Administered budget of over $ 2 million
 Simplified archival acquisition procedure
34

35. Use Action Verbs!
 Achieved, administered, compiled, converted
, effected, expanded, improved, increased
planned, reorganized, streamlined, trained, e
tc
35

36. Avoid Terms Found in Job
Descriptions
 Responsible for….
 In charge of….
 Duties included….
 Scope of responsibilities….
36

37. Use Plain English
 Avoid insider technology and acronyms
 Don’t use: Represented the library on
District Steering Team for WPL-WASB Pilot
project
 Don’t use: Established the IMC routines
 Don’t use: Represented the section on
interlibrary team
37

38. Quantify Your Accomplishments
 How many people did you supervise?
 How much money did you save?
 What size budget did you manage?
 How much did circulation improve?
 How did productivity increase
38

39. Quantify, Quantify, Quantify
 Instead of “Changed procedures for
checking-in serials”
 Use: “Successfully streamlined procedures
for serial check-in which saved 8 hours of
staff time a week
39

40. Janet Taylor’s Accomplishment
Statements
Supervisory and administrative skills
 Wrote comprehensive library disaster plan
 Assisted in the administration of over 100 staff
 Coordinated transition team to move central library
to a new building
 Chaired library building committee and submitted
plan that was approved by library board
 Counseled department heads on employee
problems
40

41. Janet Taylor’s Accomplishment
Statements
Community and government relations
 Designed and implemented ADA Strategic
Plan
 Met monthly with library board on a wide
range of issues
 Represented library on Redford County
Business Development Committee
 Negotiated building plans
41

42. Step 6: How the Resume Looks
 Resume length – one page? Two pages?
More?
 Use plenty of white space
 Don’t compress margins
 Don’t shrink font size
 Used good quality paper
42

43. STEP 7: Final Checklist
 Proofread – check and recheck grammar,
spelling and punctuation
 Is it neat?
 Have someone else critique your resume:
peers, mentors, managers, some in the area
of librarianship which you are pursuing,
someone outside of the library world,
someone who hires in the area of your job
objective
43

44. Final Checklist
 Have you described your position in your
own words?
 Have you included relevant nonprofessional
work experience and volunteer experience?
 Have you accounted for periods of
unemployment?
 Have you used acronyms that will have no
meaning for the employer?
44

45. Final checklist
 Will your resume pass the New York Times
test?
 Is your resume concise and to the point?
 Have you checked and rechecked to make
sure every statement in your resume
supports your job objective?
 Have you carefully proofed for typos?
45

46. Recommended Reading
 Resume Writing and Interviewing Techniques That
Work by Robert R. Newlen. Neal-Schuman, 2006.
 Jump Start Your Career in Library and Information
Science by Priscilla K. Shontz.
 A Day in the Life: Career Options in Library and
Information Science by Priscilla K. Shontz.
 The Librarian’s Career Guidebook by Priscilla K.
Shontz.
 LIScareer.com
46

47. 47

48. 48

49. Interviewing
2009 Careers in Federal Libraries
Robert R. Newlen
July 10, 2009

50. Interviewing Goals
 Provide you with the tools you need to feel
confident about interviewing
 Come away with one new tip that will set you
apart from other candidates
50

51. Preparing for the Interview
 Conducting target employer research
 Anticipating questions and practicing
responses
 Completing an interview dress rehearsal
51

52. At the Interview: Delivering a Job-
Winning Performance
 Developing your personal interview style
 Techniques for answering questions
 What to do when you are stumped for an
answer
 Handling questions about salary
 Concluding the interview
52

53. Special Types of Interviews
 Informational
 Screening
 Telephone
 One-on-one vs. group
 Meal-time
53

54. Crash Course Interview Tips
 When you don’t have much time to prepare
for the interview
54

55. Conduct Research About the Potential
Employer
 Background information provided by the
employer
 Online and web search
Google the names of your interviewers
 Your personal network and library colleagues
55

56. Using Your Personal Research During
the Interview
 Demonstrate you have done your homework
 For example, you might say “according to
your annual report…” or “in reading about
your library in Library Journal I learned
that….”
56

57. Anticipate Interview Questions and
Develop Answers
 Write some questions and develop “bullet”
responses
 Behavioral questions: focuses on your
personal behaviors and qualities
 Situational questions: focuses on how you
approach and solve problems
 Practice your answers with a partner
57

58. Don’t Memorize Responses
 Have a general sense of how you will
respond
 Use specific examples
 Focus on results
 Quantify where appropriate
58

59. Sample Questions
 What do you like most/least about your
present job?
 Why are you interested in changing jobs
now?
59

60. Sample Questions
 Don’t you think you are overqualified?
There are positions at a higher level that I could
pursue, but I’m impressed with the
opportunities created by this position. I feel I
can make a significant contribution here.
This is the type of library where I think I can
learn and grow.
60

61. Personal Characteristics Questions
 Can you tell me something about yourself?
 How would describe your strengths and
weaknesses?
In the past, I tended to take on too many projects at
work. In one instance, I came close to not meeting
an important deadline. That experience taught me
the importance of planning and allowing for the
unexpected.
61

62. Personal Characteristics
Questions
 What is the best way to motivate you?
 How do you stay current in your area of
librarianship?
 Are you active in any professional
organizations?
62

63. Skill-related Questions
Tell me about a time when you:
 Worked effectively under pressure
 Anticipated potential problems and
developed preventative measures
 Had to deal with an irate customer or patron
 Had to adapt to a difficult situation
 Made the wrong decision
63

64. Hypothetical Questions
Test your problem-solving skills:
 If a contractor was not completing work in a timely
manner, how would you handle it?
 How would you manage a situation where a patron
was looking at inappropriate material on the
Internet?
 If you could select only ten reference sources in your
area of expertise, what would they be?
64

65. Questions that Entry-level or New
Librarians Might Encounter
 Which courses in your graduate program
relate directly to this position?
 What would you do if you heard a colleague
give out incorrect information or misstate
library policy?
 What do you think the
(school, public, academic, etc.) library of the
future will look like?
65

66. Managerial Questions
 How do you motivate staff?
 Have you ever fired an employee?
 What is the largest budget you have
managed?
66

67. Interview Dress Rehearsal
The Interview Rehearsal Book: 7 Steps to Job-
Winning Interviews Using Acting Skills You
Never Knew You Had
By Deb Gottesman and Buzz Mauro (New
York: Berkley Books, 1999)
67

68. Plan Your Wardrobe
 Wearing something new? Wear it ahead of
time so you know how your clothing will “act”
– no wardrobe malfunctions!
 Err on the side of conservative
68

69. Questions to Ask the Interviewers
 What are the major challenges facing the library?
 What is the work culture like? Collegial? Collaborative?
 What is the typical day like?
 What is the most important thing you would like me to accomplish in
the first six months on the job?
 What are the next steps in the hiring process and what is your time
frame?
 What is your timetable for selection of this position?
69

70. At the Interview
 Know the location in advance
 Arrive 10 minutes early
 Obtain the names and pronunciation of your
interviewers in advance
 Take water with you
70

71. First Impressions Count
 Greet everyone enthusiastically
 Shake hands firmly
 If the interview starts with small talk,
remember there is no such thing as small
talk
 Smile
 Speak slowly and clearly
71

72. At the Interview
 Don’t be afraid to pause
 Ask the interviewer to repeat the question, if necessary
 Engage all interviewers
 Pay attention to interviewer body language
72

73. At the Interview
 Know when to stop talking
 Answer the question, then stop
 Don’t drone on and on….
73

74. Techniques for Answering Questions
 Use specific examples
 Quantify answers where appropriate
 Always define your role
 Never say anything critical or negative about
yourself
 Mention current trends in the field that may
pertain to the target library
74

75. Questions About Salary
 Wait, if possible, to discuss salary until the
job is offered
 Do your research ahead of time, just in case
75

76. Stumped for an Answer?
 Pause
 Stall
Ask clarifying questions
 Acknowledge you don’t know the answer
Don’t make it up
76

77. Concluding the Interview
 Return to an earlier question which you had
difficulty answering
 At the end of the interview, you will be asked
if there is anything you want to add. Make a
strong closing statement
 Thank the employer for the interview
77

78. After the Interview
 Thank you letters to each interviewer
78

79. Special Type of Interviews
 Informational
Great opportunity for students
 Screening
 Telephone
 One-on-one vs. group
 Meal-time
79

80. Interview Survival Skills
 Bring copies of your current resume
 Bring copies of writing samples
 Dress conservatively
 Smile, be enthusiastic, and display energy
 Stop talking when you have answered the question
 Vary the tone of your voice
 Always think in terms of results – what did you
produce?
80

81. Interview Survival Skills
 Maintain good eye contact
 At the end of the interview, ask questions
about the position and the library
 Thank the employer for the interview
 If you want the job, say so
81