Recently I’ve had students emailing me for job searching advice, so I thought I’d post a bit about selecting references (for more on asking for references, see this post).

Whoever you select should be able to speak to your skills, knowledge and aptitude for professional librarianship. Although advertisements often request three references, job seekers often will have a pool of five or six people willing to serve as references and then use the three most appropriate names for a given application (or they will provide more than three names).

Potential References include:

• Professional Librarians – If you have library experience, whether paid or through an internship, practicum or other volunteer gig, it would be best to use your supervisor as a reference. If your supervisor is unable to provide a reference or you are concerned that he or she did not see enough of your work to write a good letter, you can ask a colleague. In fact, if you have any library experience, you may be able to find more than one reference from that experience (ideally people who can speak to different aspects of your work).
• LIS Faculty – As a new graduate without library experience, it would be appropriate (and expected) to use faculty from your MLS program as references.
• Non-LIS Faculty – If you have another graduate degree and it is both recent and relevant to the position, you could list that individual. For example, if you have a master’s in history, are applying for a tenure track position in a library, and plan to continue researching the history of libraries as part of your scholarly contributions to librarianship, it would be appropriate to list an advisor who oversaw your research in history.
• Other Employers – If you have work experience in another setting, you should consider listing a supervisor from that position. Supervisors, regardless of the nature of the work, should be able to speak to your interpersonal skills, initiative and creativity, etc., which will be of interest to a future employer. However, consider this carefully. If you worked for years in the publishing industry and are now earning an MLS and moving into librarianship, you would definitely want to list a former supervisor or colleague. If, on the other hand, you’ve been a full-time student and your last job was two years ago, working the checkout counter in a drugstore, listing a supervisor from that job may be less relevant (you’d probably be better served by listing another LIS faculty member who can speak to your grasp of professional issues).

When you provide a list of references, give the full name, title and contact information (mailing address, email, phone) for each person, as well as an indication of your relationship (phrases like, “Practicum Supervisor” or “Professor for 3 LIS courses, including Instruction in Libraries”).

In a recent post I recommended (okay, insisted on) wearing a suit to an interview. Lest you grumble that I don’t understand you are poor graduate students who can’t afford to buy a suit, here’s a follow-up post with advice on buying a good suit at a reasonable price. 

You have three basic choices in where to buy a suit:

• Department Store: Department stores usually have a wider variety of suits from which to pick and if you watch for sales, you can get a good deal. If you are sartorially challenged or this is your first suit, ask a salesperson for help (department store salespeople are like librarians at a reference desk – they want to help you be successful and they know more about the library, er, store, than you do). In some stores, you can even call ahead for an appointment with a consultant.
• Specialty Store: Men can shop at stores that specialize in men’s suits, while women can shop in mall stores that specialize in business attire. These stores have the advantage of helpful salespeople and well organized stock, but selection may be limited to store brands. Watch for a sale or you’ll pay too much.
• Discount Store (i.e., Ross, TJMaxx): For women, these stores can have great deals on designer suits, although you’ll need to feel confident enough to shop on your own, as the salespeople won’t be as knowledgeable (sorry, guys, I’m not as sure about men’s suits). Like everything in these stores, the stock can vary widely from week to week and store to store, so it is best to drop in to a few different stores periodically to see what is available.

Be prepared to have your suit tailored, either on-site or by taking it to a professional (ask around to find someone good).You’ll almost always need the pants hemmed, which in a pinch you can get done at most any dry cleaners. However, a professional tailor can make other alterations to improve the fit of your suit, taking it from merely nice to really great. I drive thirty minutes to an old downtown area where this wonderful Korean seamstress owns a little shop crowded with dress patterns, religious literature and clothes waiting to be altered. I don’t even tell her what I want, since I’ve learned she knows better than I what needs to be done – I just put the suit on and she tells me how she is going to alter it.

Tips:

• A suit should be comfortable. If it pinches or feels confining, it is too small or a bad fit for your body type. I find that fit varies by designer, so you may want to try on suits from different designers until you find one that works for your body type.
• Buy a dark suit in a mid-weight fabric so that you can use it in any season. Dark suits are always appropriate and can be made seasonably appropriate with a different shirt, but a suit that is clearly designed for winter (heavy fabrics) or summer (very light fabrics or color) may not transition well to another season.
• Avoid anything too trendy. A good suit should last years and you can update the look by changing the shirt, tie and/or accessories you wear with it.
• Men’s ties should add a pop of color and interest to your suit without going over the top. Salespeople can usually consult on shirt and tie combinations that match your suit.
• Women especially can save money by layering a nice suit with an inexpensive shirt from Target or a discount store. 
• If you plan to be an academic librarian, remember that interviews often start with dinner the night before. You’ll want to have two nice outfits on hand, although men can probably get by with one suit and two shirts and ties.
• As you buy, think about shoes. A dark suit will match standard black, blue or brown shoes, which you may already own. If you need two outfits, you can save money by selecting two suits that match the same shoes.
• Start shopping now – if you leave suit shopping for the week before an interview, your chances of finding a good sale are slim (plus, you won’t have time for tailoring). Watch for sales in department stores or stop by a discount store on a regular basis until you find a suit you like at a price you can afford.

One of the questions students always ask is what to wear for interviews. The basic answer – a suit.

Although you may not plan to wear a suit to work everyday should you get the job, suits are the traditional and expected attire for interviews. By wearing a suit, you show you understand there is different attire for different occasions (and by extension, that should you get the job, you will dress appropriately for special occasions, such as meeting local officials).

Men should wear a dark suit. White shirts are traditional. A tie is essential, of course, although you certainly can add some subtle flair here.

Women should also wear a suit, although they do have more leeway than men – suits can be almost any color and you can liven up a dark suit by wearing a shirt with color or a pattern. If you wear a skirt, hose are absolutely required. If you don’t like to wear hose, wear a pantsuit.

Women should take care to project a business-like image. Shirts should be modest – nothing too low cut or tight. Jewelry should be tasteful. Shoes should be business-like – nothing backless, open-toed or too spikey.

Additional Tips:

• Wear something comfortable and conducive to moving and walking. Wear shoes you’ve worn before – you don’t want blisters halfway through the day.
• Carry a briefcase or portfolio to neatly hold papers you accumulate during the interview.
• Polish your shoes and iron your shirt. A little shoe polish can also renew a leather belt.
• Remember that you may want to remove your jacket if you get warm (it can be hard to regulate temperature in large buildings, including every library I have worked in) and select a shirt accordingly.

Students often ask me to serve as a reference when they begin job hunting. In fact, I received an email today asking me that very thing. The email was so nicely written, it inspired this post – a list of tips on asking instructors to serve as a reference.

• This should be obvious, but…you need to ask. Never assume someone is willing to serve as a reference. Not only is it rude, it is unprofessional. Neither is the type of person your potential employeer is trying to hire.
• Tell the instructor why you are asking him or her to serve as a reference, particularly if you hope that individual will speak to a specific aspect of your qualifications (e.g., if you took an instruction class with me and are now applying for instruction positions, that is helpful to know). You shouldn’t be making random choices in selecting those few important references, so write a sentence or two that explains your choice.
• Provide a copy of your resume or CV to each of your references. The best reference letters are full of detail and having a copy of your resume or CV reminds instructors of details they may have forgotten, such as what your undergraduate degree was in or the years you spent in the Peace Corps.  
• Remind the professor what class you took and when you took it. Although I do remember all my students’ names, the semesters and courses start to blur. It is often helpful to review your assignments and forum posts, so that your work is fresh in my mind as I write a letter. Knowing what semester I had you in class saves me time trolling through gradebooks and course websites to find you.
• If you’ve changed your name or if you used one name in school and one name professionally, clarify that (especially if your email reflects a different name than the one you are currently using). A statement as simple as, “You knew me as Sally Smith when I was in your class, but I use Sally Doe now” is fine.
• Email your references when you find a job (and whether or not they were asked to serve as a reference, be gracious and thank them for their support). After all, if I knew you well enough to be willing to serve as a reference, I darn sure want to hear about your success on the job market!