I wrote previously in my blog about the unfortunate necessity for some people to don a mask during interviews. How we obviously should be able to be ourselves for the best interest of both ourselves and the employer, but the reality is shy people would never have a fighting chance if we could be ourselves, so we have to fake it. No matter who we are, we all go into interviews as outgoing, smiley, pleasant people who fucking love work more than we love food.
That was one example of how (without lying, of course) we do have to make believe things in interviews that we know aren't true. However, there's another example of make believe that goes on in interviews, only in this case, BOTH parties know it's a lie. This is the part where we ask the employer questions because "we're interviewing them as much as they're interviewing us."
Ask anyone for interviewing advice, and that's on the short list. "Remember, you're interviewing them, too." We are-- supposedly-- sizing them up, getting a feel for the environment, and deciding if that place is good enough for us. The employers expect it too-- after all, if we're worth hiring, we can't be some desperate shlub, we need to be the cream of the crop. They should be wooing us.
Look, I understand we should ask questions just because we should have some curiosities of a place we may potentially work, but when I have to make believe that I'm an indispensable talent who is taking my expertise only to the very best place of business, I feel like I'm insulting their intelligence and my own.
Maybe there are people in even the library world like that. People with 20 years of experience who have run organizations, written books, given world famous (or, library famous) lectures around the country, and slain mimes with their adamantium claws. And if any of that were true of me, it would be on my fucking resume. Especially the claw thing.
No, I am most definitely and hilariously NOT in any position to "interview them as much as they're interviewing me," and it's laughable that I have to go through that charade. I know it and they know it, but there we sit, both politely pretending otherwise for no reason other than blind tradition, or perhaps to give them something to snicker about later. We in the library world-- all of us, you, me, and them-- know exactly how royally fucked our job market is. I am in absolutely no position to turn down a full time job, no matter how terrible the place is, and I'd venture to say few librarians and NO new or new-ish librarians are. If participation in their annual cactus hugging contest were a mandatory condition of hire, I would hug the crap out of some cacti and tearfully thank them for showing me more love than this career ever has.
I'm expected to work 50 hours a week for no extra pay? I have to work mornings the days after working nights every single week? Second shift? You have a little asbestos problem? I need to be on call 24/7? Turning my grimace into a smile, I say sign me up.
That's life. We're in an employer's market, and this is especially true of the library world. They have the work force by the short hairs, if you can forgive an expression that makes me cringe as well, and most of us are in absolutely no position to "interview" them and say "ehhhh, sorry but I'm looking for something on a tenure track," or "oooh, sorry but I was kind of hoping for a liberal arts college that offers a few Master's degrees as well." Yeah, right.
On one hand, it's not as unfortunate as having to pretend we're not the people we really are, and that instead we're outgoing, upbeat folks with a smile permanently on our lips. But on the other hand, it is a bit more insulting, since both sides of the table know better this time. These are desperate times and aspiring librarians are desperate people. Can we just drop the act? I'll still ask questions for curiosity's sake, but must I-- must I-- insult your intelligence by acting like I have any remote power of negotiation here?
I am your willing bitch.
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