The interview for the library assistant position at the University of Cambridge was insightful and engaging. The panel’s questions were thoughtful, reflecting a deep commitment to academic support and library excellence.

The interview process consisted of a brief tour of the particular area of the library that I had applied to work in, along with an opportunity to meet the team with responsibility for that area and ask incumbent team members questions. Following the tour, I was taken by a member of the interview panel to the interview room. There were three panel members: the manager of the department that I had applied for a position within, the assistant manager of that department and a Director with overall responsibility and oversight. The interview itself included a series of sensible questions directed towards my employment history, generally requiring me to extrapolate the lessons that I had learnt in previous roles and demonstrate that I could apply the benefits of my experience within the library context. I was presented with a brief exercise that tested my ability to prioritise a potential future workload under different stressful conditions. Finally there was a period of open conversation which provided an opportunity to ask questions and determine the kinds of responsibilities and future projects that were presented to employees.