If you Google how to get a job, how to write a cover letter, or how to handle an interview, you’re likely going to be overwhelmed with the number of tips and suggestions from well meaning people. Many will likely have good advice. There aren’t many blog posts on how to get an interview for a student job at an academic music library, though, so I thought I’d take a moment to highlight some tips that will help to improve the odds of your application getting seriously considered by our very own music library’s hiring committee. These suggestions are based on my experiences looking at student job applications over the past decade, and while they may not always translate well to other jobs you might apply for, they will likely be worth at least some consideration before you hit the “submit” button on your next application, regardless of where you’re applying.
1. Availability. When organizations are looking to hire students, they understand students have courses and study/practice time that impact students’ availability. If, however, a job posting stipulates that specific shifts like evenings or weekends will likely be required, make sure that your availability matches as best it can. Having no matching times available, or saying you’re only available after the library closes (true story!), is a sure way to make sure your application is not seriously considered.
2. Experience. Very few students who get hired by music libraries actually have previous experience working in a library. Worry less about that, and focus instead on familiarizing yourself with library resources and databases (physical and electronic). Be aware of standard policies like loan lengths, hours of operation, food and drink rules, and how things are organized on the shelves. Knowing the library and its resources, policies, and spaces as a user will go a long way towards demonstrating you have an interest in the library and its services.
3. Knowledge of music. Our library includes a large, historical collection of materials representing western/European art music, for all its strengths and weaknesses. You don’t need to be a specialist in western music history to get a job in our library, but it’s really helpful if you can look at a score and know what you’re seeing. Similarly, we have a growing collection of materials and knowledge about non-western art music cultures. Any experience and knowledge you bring of music outside of our traditional core is valuable and should be highlighted in your application.
4. Your CV/Resume. A resume for a student library job is different than an application for a scholarship or an academic posting like TA or RA positions. If you’re a music student, make sure to highlight your current program and what year you’re in, along with any previous and relevant employment opportunities you’ve had, especially if has anything to do with customer service. Consider providing some helpful bullet points to the committee explaining what you’ve done or special initiatives you’ve taken and the impact it had, as it tells us a lot about your personality and background (e.g. worked as a barista during the morning coffee rush, serving hundreds of people in two hours = can handle intense customer service, understands shift work and is reliable, etc). Similarly, if you’ve taken any courses that required you to do some library research, you can mention your familiarity with specific library databases alongside highlighting your research interests (which presumably align with a music-related topic). If you’ve done volunteering, were on student council, or done other community service, mention these, too, as it tells us a great deal about you and your interests. The challenge will be to try and condense all of this information into one page (maximum 2). One final piece of advice: don’t submit your academic CV with your list of publications, performances, or recordings. On a personal level I get pretty excited for you that you’ve had such great opportunities and experiences. Unfortunately, these types of activities tell the committee very little about your ability to handle the tasks listed in the job description. Taking the time to make your resume match the job description will go a long way toward helping ensure your application is seriously considered.
5. Cover letter. The standard UTL student library job board doesn’t include a separate spot to upload a cover letter at the time of me writing this, so consider writing a cover letter and combining it with your resume when you submit. Address it to the supervisor listed on the job application, if available, or do a little sleuthing to figure out who it might be. Keep the cover letter to a page, and highlight your best experiences/knowledge/traits and how they match the job description. Try to avoid hyperbole or overstating your abilities, as these elements become evident very quickly and make it harder to believe you’re painting a true picture of yourself. If you feel like you don’t have as much background experience as you’d like, take comfort in knowing that the hiring committee knows you’re a student and won’t likely have a lot of experience beyond being a user, so speak to what you do know and how that matches what is being asked as best you can.
If you've met all the above suggestions to the best of your ability, you are ready to submit your application. There is a lag of around a week between when a position closes and when we reach out to schedule interviews, as there is a fair amount of administrative work to do. Please be aware that the competition for library positions can be particularly fierce, especially in fall, where we easily have 200+ applicants for one or two openings. If you don't hear back from us, please don't take it personally and do try again the next time we have an opening if the position remains of interest.
Thank you for considering working with us! I look forward to reading your application.