Friday, November 7, 2014

Silence

I've gone a little while without updating my blog.  Don't worry, I still have plenty of scribbled notes of ideas for blog discussions.  I just haven't been interested in doing them lately for the same reason I haven't been very diligent in job hunting for librarian jobs lately.

When I first started writing about the impossibility of getting a job in this field, the advice I gave to myself, yet refused to accept, was "Give Up."  And while I haven't done this yet, the sentiment has crept deeper into my bones lately.  It's so hard to motivate myself to spend hours of my time going through job listings and applying to at least the lowest hanging fruit when more than six years of experience is telling m it's a waste of time, and my life will never move on from the stalled place it's at now.

For the past few months I've been begrudgingly doing the part-part-part time job I do have and then coming home and escaping into books or video games, not even bothering to waste my time applying anywhere.  I've just been feeling too defeated to pull myself up lately.

If you're not in this position it's probably so easy to say: "oh, but you need to apply, you never know!"  or "don't Give Up!"  Or "you may as well keep trying, no harm in trying after all!"  To you, I challenge you to go six straight years failing at something and not go through patches where you're just not motivated.  When you've had Mike Tyson beating you senseless for six years, there will be times when you lie on the mat for longer than needed, just to get a break.

My lack of interest in my career has also, as you have seen, translated to a lack of interest in talking about my career.  I still have plenty to say, though.  And really, that's sad.  I didn't know when I started two years ago that I'd have over two years worth of material to rant about regarding my own personal failure in life, and the death of the American dream.  No, not death.  Zombification.  It has died, but shuffles on as a cruel mockery of those who cared for it, devouring them in giant handfuls.  I don't know what to make of the fact that I've now used two analogies of fighting an opponent who likes to bite people.  Point is, it is appalling  that there's so much to say about how terrible one specific problem is.  Two years and still so much left to say about the futility of life for anyone trying to start a life for the first time post November, 2008.

And it will be said.  A few days ago I managed to bring myself to skim the job postings half-heartedly, and this should mark the start of more searching, more applications, and more posts about just how fucked this dead field is.

Enjoy.

2 comments:

  1. I've been trying to find a library job (even a part-time one) for over five years. I technically have two MLS's since the first program I did was non-ALA accredited. The non-ALA accredited one was far better. The last library job interview I did was in 2007 when I was just starting my first MLS program. I was one of three interviewed, but no cigar. I've never come that close to a library job since. I volunteer, take personal development skills classes at the local community college, and look at jobs (both library and non-library) from time-to-time. Sadly, I'm not seeing anything and I may very well end up taking a sad retail job for a long while or practicing my reference skills on the chinchillas at the local pet store.

    Anyway, it's nice to know someone else thinks similarly to the way I do about the librarian job market. Take care. I'll be reading!

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    Replies
    1. I'm so sorry to read about how hard of a time you're having, despite the efforts. I'm sure you already know everything I could tell you about applying and interviews, but I'll just say to make sure you're emphasizing your commitment to continuing education/lifelong learning/professional development, because librarians eat that up. Every single interview I've had I've been asked how I'm staying current.

      If you like to see other struggling pessimists, hiringlibrarians.com might be a good read if you haven't seen it. Lots of people currently searching for employment in this field are similarly pessimistic. I'm not personally sure if I should be taking comfort that I'm not the only one, or be concerned that I'm standing in what appears to be a very long line, but I think I also default to the former.

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