King County Library System Library Technical Assistant interview questions

Apply, wait 6 months, schedule the interview another month out. The interview itself took about an hour and had four managers from four different libraries. They said they had to make sure they all agree on the right candidate. KCLS forces you to work at every library in a region and change your hours every year, so you'll have to impress every supervisor.

The process can be lengthy. After the initial application materials are submitted there is a waiting period as the HR Department works its way through the applications. Eventually you are scheduled for a phone interview where several simple "classic" interview type questions are asked, including a few specific to library philosophy (free and open access for all). After making it through the phone interview you are eventually contacted for an in-person interview. This can vary widely based on who is interviewing you, but the selection of questions is generally about the same. A lot of things about working in fast environments, how you handle multiple priorities, what you would do in certain situations and questions regarding managing projects. You'll also be asked about experience in working with difficult patrons/customers, as well as difficult coworkers. Be prepared with several examples of accomplishments you're proud of and ones you're not so proud of. If you did well, and most do, you are now in the Library Technical Assistant Pool. But you don't have a job. Once your in the pool you can apply to specific positions. You are accepted based on the score you received from the various components of the initial application process. These interviews can also vary depending on what cluster you are interviewing at, but the questions are largely the same as the interview for the pool.