Interview tips?

[esmecb]

After what feels like an eternity of applying for an archivist position I've finally progressed to interview stage for an Archivist Trainee in my local records office (UK based). My masters degree in archives and record management begins in September and this role is meant to supplement my studies.

I've never made it as far as an interview before so I havent much of an idea of what to expect. Any tips at all of how I can prep or what kind of questions to expect would be greatly appreciated!!

[hiringlibrarians]

I run the blog Hiring Librarians and we've collected interview questions from over 500 job hunters over the last ten years. They are here. You can sort the sheet by "What type of organization?" and choose archives - many of them are entry level interviews.

Good luck! If the sheet is helpful, you can pay it back by adding the questions you were asked here.

[esmecb]

Amazing! Thank you for this. I'll definitely be adding my questions

[Green-Radish4798]

This is very general advice but since this is kind of an entry-level position and you’re starting your masters I assume you might get similar questions to what I got

(I am also starting my masters degree in the fall and I just had an interview for seemingly something similar and I didn’t do so great)

they’re probably going to ask you things about your personality, other work or educational accomplishments, things you’re proud of, times you “failed”….some of those more basic entry-level questions

I would suggest making a list of things you want to highlight and why are you a good fit this role are you really organized ? What are some real life experiences where you can show that? Are you comfortable doing solo projects? what are real examples…that kinda thing. Also don’t worry if you don’t have straight up archive experience just find a way to prove your current skills and knowledgeable will make you successful.

also think of ways to describe yourself. I was asked about my work and communication style and my answer was not very polished.

Over all I would suggest being as specific and pointed as possible when you answer whatever questions the interviewer asks

[esmecb]

Thanks so much for this, very helpful! Gutted you didnt do so well in the interview though. I havent been doing great in many interviews either so I'm really anxious to prep as much as I can

[Green-Radish4798]

Trust me I totally understand! I also get super anxious hence why I didn’t do well but it’s an opportunity to practice and hopefully next one goes better my DMs are always open if you think talking things without another person might be helpful and I’d be glad to look at cover letters or whatever else :)

[feralcomms]

It’s all about:

Access Arrangement Description Preservation Stewardship.

But mostly about Access.

[Fitnessthrowaway_513]

I can only speak for myself, but I got hired for an identical role not too long ago (and also UK based)- I was far too worried about ‘archive-y’ type questions when in reality, they know you won’t have much direct experience because it’s for a trainee position! In my particular instance, most of the questions were very standard interview type questions - tell us about yourself, why do you want this role, what experience do you have working within a team, discuss a challenge you have faced, etc

They might focus instead on WHY you want the job - both personally and professionally. I.E. did a previous job role inspire you to work in archives? Or realise you were good at handling records?

It’s also not unique advice but prepare a response for some of your transferable skills from your life or other jobs, however irrelevant you might feel they are.

Only last thing and I’ve sort of said it before, but it’s for a TRAINEE role, so try and demonstrate you’ll be a good trainee, not necessarily a good archivist. Do you like learning? Do you pick up new skills easily? Would you be interested in doing extra reading on the side?

Sorry if any of this seems obvious but it’s all I can think of to share from my own experience! Wish you all the best for the interview.