Cafe Hitch-hike

2004-04-28

At least I have some freaking work!

I went to the interview at the ethnic studies museum. Despite yesterday's notion, I did not throw away the flyer and packet of information they gave me at the job fair. It was in the burgundy fakish-leather portfolio I carried. John and I read over the stuff and he rehearsed me for the interview.

I drove to the building. My, what an exotic location. I drove past an abandoned steel mill and a live, sprawling steel processing plant owned by one of the Big Three car companies. A trainyard was tucked in the middle of the massive industrial plant. Everything was covered with concrete and metal. While I was driving, a gust of wind blew and tossed a bunch of asphalt into the car! The office was just a few blocks from there.

The interview turned out to be just as grating and uncomfortable as the locale.

According to the job description, they wanted a full and part-time librarian. Wrong-o!!! They wanted a part-time, temporary librarian. They had ambitious plans for the damn library, but no clue how to do it or what they were willing to do or pay for the position. I felt so stupid at the interview. I also felt bad for them, and for their not-knowing. What they really needed was a library consultant to talk over these things. However, I realized the library was a lower priority in their organization. They had all kinds of parties and festivals throughout the year, events that brought them money-baby. Libraries, well, they mostly add aesthetics and an intangible capital. They help the quality of life, but just not directly in terms of cash flow.

The people who interviewed me liked my qualifications and were willing to offer me a part-time temporary job, but I just couldn't accept that. That got on my nerves even more.

In short, I had never had such a haphazard interview! Well, these folks never had to hire a librarian. I put in a good word about myself as a full-time librarian, but if that happens it will be months and months down the road.

*Sighhhhhhh* It's back to the drawing board.

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Some university library positions opened up here. One is at a law school. I heard the head librarian was psycho, but someone said maybe we will be able to get along. Some others are going to open up where the closest thing I have to an enemy works (hahah, 'enemy,' isn't that so high school?). They will be hiring a bunch of new librarians, so I can get lost in the shuffle.

I can't wait until next week because then my work schedule will be more sane and level. Only 2 days of my week will be unpredictable but at least I won't be working any 12 hour workdays between my 2 jobs. The trade-off is that I won't have any full weekends unless I call in sick at the pub.lib (*boo, boo!*). But, at least I have some freaking work!

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I really need to change my notions of success. For Christ's sake, just because I have a college education and grad. degree doesn't mean I'll make big bucks! It's really consoling to know that some guy with a GED working at Rouge Steel makes twice the money I make!

If I look at the bigger picture, at least I have all I need, and that I'm alive, healthy, and not dead yet.

If anything's consoling, it's that I'm 5 or 6 years behind my peers in terms of where my life is. No kids, no marriage, no mortgage payment. Instead of saying I'm 30, I might as well say I'm 25 and I'm just starting out. Ha-hah-hah.

downwind | upstream