Well done, you’ve met the minimum requirements, your personal statement has been warmly received and you’ve made it to the shortlist. Given how tough the library job market is these days, it’s a great achievement to secure an interview.

For anyone who has had a career break, the interview is an early test of being in a formal workplace.

You may have doubts about whether you are ready to return to work or feel fully confident that this is the right job to go for and the right time to get it.

If you’ve had a long career break, the looming interview can feel like a hurdle to overcome. Your past experience of job searching and interviews will also influence your feelings, determining whether you feel intimidated or comfortable about the situation.

The best way to alleviate stress from this scenario is to prepare thoroughly – long before you leave the house.

Welcome to the Library Returner guide to preparing for an interview.

1. Find some time to research

Your career outlook may have changed. Depending on why you took the break and for how long, you may not feel like the person you were before. Every job advice article, blog and website will tell you to prepare well. However it may be hard to do this in practice, particularly if you took your career break to look after small children. Try to negotiate with your partner, friends or relatives, some time to prepare and try to use that time effectively (i.e. leave the tidying up for another day and get down to it).

2. Research the organisation

Do your research; seek out what is available about the organisation such as their mission statement, stock selection policy, corporate business plan, even the events calendar. Explore the library website and assess their social media presence. Sign up for any information about them (Do they have a newsletter? A ‘Friends of’ group? Are they large enough to set up a Google Alert?) Talk to library staff if you know them. Visit the actual library if you can. Use your investigation to get a feel of the organisation ahead of the day of the interview. This groundwork will be important for increasing your knowledge about your potential employer but it will also help you further decide whether you really want to work for them now that they have provided you with the opportunity to interview.

3. Research the job

Review the job description and person specification again. Remind yourself of the answers you gave in your application form. What are they looking for? Start to match your attributes to this information. Make up your own list of questions that you think you could be asked and practice them out loud. Enlist a friend to conduct a mock interview. If you haven’t got a willing volunteer record yourself and play back your answers.

4. Research the task

If you are being interviewed for a mid-career post you are likely to be set a presenting task at your interview. If you are in consideration for a junior library position you may have an exercise. Allow time to prepare for whatever task you are to be set. It is unlikely that you will discover the marking criteria for an interview task ahead of time. However try to remember that any assessment will form part of an overall interview and you will still need to nail the interview questions in order to succeed.

5. Research the people

Who are you meeting on the day? It is acceptable to call the HR department to ask them who will be on the panel in case there is a conflict of interest. You are within your rights to say that you would prefer if that person would not sit on the panel or to decide to withdraw. Check out the LinkedIn profiles of the interviewers that you will be meeting.

6. Research yourself

How confident are you feeling? Gaining an interview shows that an organisation believes you do have the skills to do a job. Writing down the skills and experience gained in your career to date alongside what you have learnt while being on your break (the relevant transferable skills) should go some way to building confidence. There will inevitably be some nerves on the day and perhaps you might want to learn some breathing exercises to help with this.

7. Research your route and your wardrobe

Planning your route and what you are going to wear in advance also assists nerves. Work out how you will travel to the interview. Chart the route you are going to take. If you are driving locate the car park and study the map. It is best not to rely solely on GPS. You want to arrive in the location early. Find somewhere nearby, for example a park or coffee shop, even a library, to pass the time and review your materials.

Pick out clothes a few days ahead. There may be an outlay if items you relied on previously fit less well or have become a little out-of-date. The financial cost can be difficult to accommodate. Try to keep this down by purchasing second-hand or investing in something that you will get the value from in the future. If you are an unemployed woman and live close by one of its locations consider seriously the organisation Smart Works. The charity helps people dress for job interviews and when successful assists with a working wardrobe. The testimonials regarding the support and confidence building are amazing. Chaps don’t miss out either, visit Suited&Booted.

Pack your bag. Make sure it is waterproof to protect any papers if it rains on the day. Check your invitation to interview letter to see if you need to take anything specific. Take a hard copy of your presentation (if relevant) and pop a copy on a memory stick even if the organisation has pre-requested an e-copy. Add the contact telephone number into your mobile. Usually copies of your CV, the application form, qualifications, map, tissues, pen, paper, mints, water, are a good idea.

Okay. I’ve tried to cover some of the areas you need to think about when preparing for a library interview following a career break. A clear omission is detail regarding the type of questions you may receive at the actual interview. Stay tuned for Part Two: On the day. To be written at some point in the near future!