This past Saturday, we drove to Lake Erie. It had been on our list of places to visit since moving to Pittsburgh. I even drove part of the way, stopping only when I desperately needed something to drink. I’m not yet adept enough behind the wheel to drink water and drive. Or, in this instance, Gatorade. Even as I am improving.
The drive and day was gorgeous. The beach was too gravelly for our tastes; the sand too hot on my bare feet; the water too cold for me. (C. was the one who thoroughly enjoyed swimming. I waded to my knees.) The kid was not impressed. He didn’t like the sand in his diaper, he didn’t enjoy the waves. But we came home with multiple photos, and more memories, and perhaps the kid will like the beach better the next time. (Perhaps unfortunately, every photo we took have the kid in them, and C. and I have made the conscious decision to not post his photo anywhere online or social media. We kept saying how we should get a photo of the Lake, but every time I tried to frame one, there was always too many people in my shot.)
We also walked around Frontier Park, and listened to some music as there was a Blues and Jazz Festival happening. And we had dinner at Pineapple Eddie Southern Bistro. Which was fantastic. Every bit worth the five star reviews. (And a shot out to the family, who, hearing we were in Erie for the day, and didn’t have a reservation at the crowded restaurant, graciously let us share their table as members of their party backed out of dinner.)
It had been some time since we’d gone on a mini-adventure, and this one was a great amount of fun.
***
Outside of family beach adventures, I still find myself thinking on the things I learned at SLA 2018, nearly two months ago now, and how I can apply them to my career. I’m feeling like currently I am stuck in a rut, but it’s one I am not quite sure how I can get out. I have ideas, but most require planning, and planning requires time.
I am looking at ways I can improve my skills. I’ve always wanted to learn to code. And while I keep getting emails for the Knowledge Management courses through SLA, I do not have the extra money to pay the tuition. (If anyone does know of where I could take courses in Knowledge Management or Data Science at little to no cost, it’d be much appreciated if you could pass on the information.)
For me, the new year always starts more in the fall, and with just a month to go, I’m hopeful for great things to happen.
Wednesday, August 8, 2018
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Librarians are the secret masters of the universe.
It finally happened. In the past few weeks, I’ve been asked TWICE if I think libraries are still important. If I think having an MLIS is both necessary and/or important to having a Librarian job, that “anyone” can work at the library. And more so, technology is just going to take over anyway, so what’s the point of continuing to fund libraries? I honestly thought I’d be more prepared for this question. After all, I grew up in the library, I am a Librarian, and I paid good money for my degree. But both times when asked, I came up blank. How do I answer such questions?
1) In recent weeks/months, I’ve had several people ask me if I’ve seen that my alma matter, Simmons College (now Simmons University) has moved its Library and Information School into being a “department”. Clearly, this means, they are angling to close the program all together? Yes, Simmons combined with the Computer Science programs, and is moving their programs more towards Information Science. Do I think this means they are closing the program? No. I think it simply means Simmons is moving towards the trend of being a traditional “i-school”. Quite honestly, I think more schools should. The library profession is changing, is becoming more tech-heavy. Browse library jobs, and many now ask require their staff to know systems and technology requirements. Knowing SQL or certain computer languages is no longer an uncommon thing in libraries. Our roles, and the degrees we need, are changing to adapt to the world libraries now live, this does not mean library schools are disappearing.
2) Anyone can be a librarian, right??? I think this is a common misconception. There are certain jobs in the library, which do not require a MLIS. I do not think this means those people cannot use “Librarian” in their title, especially if the title itself has the word “Librarian” in it. But I also believe there are certain positions and jobs which do and should require an MLIS. Since graduating with my MLIS, I’ve argued the degree, at its core, is a research degree. And there are still places where having that degree, and having that research core is still important. Working outside the traditional sector, every library job I’ve applied for, all require an MLIS. Requires someone with a knowledge of library systems, taxonomies, metadata schemas, and research components. Are these things one can learn on the job? Sure, but having the degree, I find, means I have a deeper understanding than by just learning it on the job.
3) Technology is going to take over anyway, and soon libraries will be obsolete. This is not a new argument. Ebooks first came on the market, and oh, no one would want to read paper books anymore. Audiobooks came out, and oh, no one would want to read paper books anymore. People still read paper books. Library vendors are not hiring Librarians, and are moving into software development, and away from library services. There will always be library vendors. If one company moves away from providing library services, another company will step in to fill the gap. Libraries will continue to provide services. They’ll continue to be a community focal point. Proving books (electronic, audio, and yes, print). They’ll offer programs, and job help. Librarians will continue to provide taxonomies and research, and perhaps more and more, IT help.
Libraries are not going anywhere. Librarians are not going anywhere. We’re just always adapting.
1) In recent weeks/months, I’ve had several people ask me if I’ve seen that my alma matter, Simmons College (now Simmons University) has moved its Library and Information School into being a “department”. Clearly, this means, they are angling to close the program all together? Yes, Simmons combined with the Computer Science programs, and is moving their programs more towards Information Science. Do I think this means they are closing the program? No. I think it simply means Simmons is moving towards the trend of being a traditional “i-school”. Quite honestly, I think more schools should. The library profession is changing, is becoming more tech-heavy. Browse library jobs, and many now ask require their staff to know systems and technology requirements. Knowing SQL or certain computer languages is no longer an uncommon thing in libraries. Our roles, and the degrees we need, are changing to adapt to the world libraries now live, this does not mean library schools are disappearing.
2) Anyone can be a librarian, right??? I think this is a common misconception. There are certain jobs in the library, which do not require a MLIS. I do not think this means those people cannot use “Librarian” in their title, especially if the title itself has the word “Librarian” in it. But I also believe there are certain positions and jobs which do and should require an MLIS. Since graduating with my MLIS, I’ve argued the degree, at its core, is a research degree. And there are still places where having that degree, and having that research core is still important. Working outside the traditional sector, every library job I’ve applied for, all require an MLIS. Requires someone with a knowledge of library systems, taxonomies, metadata schemas, and research components. Are these things one can learn on the job? Sure, but having the degree, I find, means I have a deeper understanding than by just learning it on the job.
3) Technology is going to take over anyway, and soon libraries will be obsolete. This is not a new argument. Ebooks first came on the market, and oh, no one would want to read paper books anymore. Audiobooks came out, and oh, no one would want to read paper books anymore. People still read paper books. Library vendors are not hiring Librarians, and are moving into software development, and away from library services. There will always be library vendors. If one company moves away from providing library services, another company will step in to fill the gap. Libraries will continue to provide services. They’ll continue to be a community focal point. Proving books (electronic, audio, and yes, print). They’ll offer programs, and job help. Librarians will continue to provide taxonomies and research, and perhaps more and more, IT help.
Libraries are not going anywhere. Librarians are not going anywhere. We’re just always adapting.
Friday, July 13, 2018
SLA 2018: Reflections on Leadership and Career
A bit of backstory: In 2016, it was announced the 2018 conference was to be held in Charlotte, NC. This was directly after the “bathroom bill” was passed in the state, and many SLAers objected to the conference being held in a state where members could be made to feel unsafe. At the time I was serving out my term as the SLA New England Past President, and I quickly sent off emails to be heard at a few SLA meetings, in addition to rallying the New England Chapter behind me. We ordered ribbons. With the help of other chapter and divisions, we sponsored ribbons proclaiming ‘I stand against HB2’. We also got rainbow ribbons.
The rainbow ribbons disappeared quickly.
While making the social rounds at the conference the first night, I met Roberto Sarmiento at one of the many get-togethers for the night. He was campaigning to be the next President-Elect. And he mentioned a personal connection to our ribbons, how he had gone to get a rainbow ribbon, and there were none left. With no hesitation, I pulled mine off my badge, and handed it to him. He still has that ribbon.
Today: During the course of SLA 2018, SLA President Roberto Sarmiento encouraged all attendees to practice leadership. There was no one way to practice leadership, but rather, it was a way to celebrate our individual ways we make the organization better. With badge ribbons, of course. Because librarians *LOVE* our badge ribbons.
In the great way a conference should, I’ve been thinking about my own path as a leader in SLA. I’m a former SLA New England Chapter President. I was on the planning committee for the 2018 conference. I currently run the Twitter account for the Pittsburgh chapter. I also was a founding member of the Public Policy Task Force (of which, I was among the members to be recognized for a Presidential Citation). I keep thinking how I want to keep giving back to SLA next year.
I keep talking about how SLA is my “tribe”. How this is the group of Librarians I keep going back to, whether I’m in need of a job, mentorship, a question, or a general rant about how libraries are the pillar of our communities. I can learn, grow, make mistakes, and know someone will be there to listen.
I keep thinking how SLA has helped me to grow as a leader. How it has taught me the type of librarian I want to be. I’ve been feeling a lot of imposter syndrome lately, a lot of my career has gone sideways and I don’t know how to fix it syndrome. A lot of feeling stuck, and uncertain. I keep thinking if I still have the right and place to call myself a Librarian, an Information Professional, when there are days, I don’t even know what those words mean to me anymore.
It’s a winding road, my pathway through SLA, career, and life. And I know for everything I invest, I’ll get back.
I keep thinking how Roberto Sarmiento gave me a leadership ribbon. How I’ll keep it.
And what that means.
The rainbow ribbons disappeared quickly.
While making the social rounds at the conference the first night, I met Roberto Sarmiento at one of the many get-togethers for the night. He was campaigning to be the next President-Elect. And he mentioned a personal connection to our ribbons, how he had gone to get a rainbow ribbon, and there were none left. With no hesitation, I pulled mine off my badge, and handed it to him. He still has that ribbon.
Today: During the course of SLA 2018, SLA President Roberto Sarmiento encouraged all attendees to practice leadership. There was no one way to practice leadership, but rather, it was a way to celebrate our individual ways we make the organization better. With badge ribbons, of course. Because librarians *LOVE* our badge ribbons.
In the great way a conference should, I’ve been thinking about my own path as a leader in SLA. I’m a former SLA New England Chapter President. I was on the planning committee for the 2018 conference. I currently run the Twitter account for the Pittsburgh chapter. I also was a founding member of the Public Policy Task Force (of which, I was among the members to be recognized for a Presidential Citation). I keep thinking how I want to keep giving back to SLA next year.
I keep talking about how SLA is my “tribe”. How this is the group of Librarians I keep going back to, whether I’m in need of a job, mentorship, a question, or a general rant about how libraries are the pillar of our communities. I can learn, grow, make mistakes, and know someone will be there to listen.
I keep thinking how SLA has helped me to grow as a leader. How it has taught me the type of librarian I want to be. I’ve been feeling a lot of imposter syndrome lately, a lot of my career has gone sideways and I don’t know how to fix it syndrome. A lot of feeling stuck, and uncertain. I keep thinking if I still have the right and place to call myself a Librarian, an Information Professional, when there are days, I don’t even know what those words mean to me anymore.
It’s a winding road, my pathway through SLA, career, and life. And I know for everything I invest, I’ll get back.
I keep thinking how Roberto Sarmiento gave me a leadership ribbon. How I’ll keep it.
And what that means.
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Consultancy? - A SLA 2018 Panel reflection
I picked my SLA sessions very carefully this year, and Tuesday morning’s ‘How to Get Started as a Consultant’ was a priority.
Recently, I’ve been considering where I want my career to go. For the last several weeks, I feel rather at an impasse. When I was still a MLIS student, I had a very clear idea of what path in libraries I wanted to take. Currently, I am so far blown off-course, I don’t even recognize the landmarks. I don’t necessarily regret the career choices I have made, but they are certainly not the ones I thought I would make. Part of it is opportunities available, certainly part of it is money. More than once, I found myself in a position when I did not have the time to take my time to find “that job”, and instead needed to take a job, any job, which would pay me. It has made for an interesting, twisty path through special libraries, but I now also find myself wanting to get back on track; find more permanency, more stability.
Surely, going the way of a Consultant is not the way to go. And if I gleamed anything from that session, it’s not. It can take months to find your stability when working for yourself. I did it once. Freshly-minted librarian/archivist, I couldn’t find a permanent FT job, so I consulted. Took on short-term gigs until I was able to find something FT (the job of which, was my first unexpected bend in the road). And I enjoyed it. The thrill of a new project. The having a completion set. Always learning something new. Always a new experience. I was also in my late 20s, had roommates who, if needed, helped cover me for groceries or a utility bill. None of which are still true.
But Chrissy Geluk and Cindy Shamel also discussed the time needed to get started. The savings needed to cushion yourself until you first break even, then finally start making money. The strategy needed to find customers and market your skills. Starting a consultant business is a business in itself.
So while the panel was informative, and the discussion something I’ll keep in mind, it is something to perhaps consider further along in my career.
In the meantime, if anyone is hiring a remote-friendly postion where they need someone with… Reference, Information Literacy, Cataloging, Metadata, Archives, Data Asset Management skillsets… let’s talk.
Recently, I’ve been considering where I want my career to go. For the last several weeks, I feel rather at an impasse. When I was still a MLIS student, I had a very clear idea of what path in libraries I wanted to take. Currently, I am so far blown off-course, I don’t even recognize the landmarks. I don’t necessarily regret the career choices I have made, but they are certainly not the ones I thought I would make. Part of it is opportunities available, certainly part of it is money. More than once, I found myself in a position when I did not have the time to take my time to find “that job”, and instead needed to take a job, any job, which would pay me. It has made for an interesting, twisty path through special libraries, but I now also find myself wanting to get back on track; find more permanency, more stability.
Surely, going the way of a Consultant is not the way to go. And if I gleamed anything from that session, it’s not. It can take months to find your stability when working for yourself. I did it once. Freshly-minted librarian/archivist, I couldn’t find a permanent FT job, so I consulted. Took on short-term gigs until I was able to find something FT (the job of which, was my first unexpected bend in the road). And I enjoyed it. The thrill of a new project. The having a completion set. Always learning something new. Always a new experience. I was also in my late 20s, had roommates who, if needed, helped cover me for groceries or a utility bill. None of which are still true.
But Chrissy Geluk and Cindy Shamel also discussed the time needed to get started. The savings needed to cushion yourself until you first break even, then finally start making money. The strategy needed to find customers and market your skills. Starting a consultant business is a business in itself.
So while the panel was informative, and the discussion something I’ll keep in mind, it is something to perhaps consider further along in my career.
In the meantime, if anyone is hiring a remote-friendly postion where they need someone with… Reference, Information Literacy, Cataloging, Metadata, Archives, Data Asset Management skillsets… let’s talk.
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
SLA 2018: A Reflection
2018 Special Libraries Association (SLA) Conference was a very different experience than 2017 Special Libraries Association Conference. For one, I had my six month old with me. He was a star of the conference, charming nearly everyone who met him. It also meant, for me, balancing my double persona of “new mom” and “professional”. It meant skipping the chance to meet Dr. Carla Hayden to go back to the hotel room, where he was having bonding time with his aunt (my sister), to make sure he was fed. It meant during my own presentation Monday afternoon, sweltering under a blanket while he fed as I talked on Documenting Our Libraries for the Future. That’s an accomplishment I want to find some way to list on my CV – “presented at a professional conference while breastfeeding my kid. That’s multi-tasking.” It meant making the best of my time at the social events, and heading back to the hotel room earlier once he was getting tired. It meant making the most of my colleagues’ offer of help to watch him so I could still talk to vendors, or actually eat a meal. It meant knowing where every bathroom in the Convention Center was in case I needed to change a diaper.
It was a very different conference from last year, but in some ways, much more rewarding. I talk extensively how SLA is my professional tribe. From a new member when I was still an MLIS student, to now somehow, almost ten years later*, offering advice and help to new members, this organization is my go-to for job advice, the way I keep track of current informational trends, the people I want to keep updated in not just my professional accomplishments, but my personal. (Hence, bringing my six month old to the conference. Ok, that was me breastfeeding too, but still, definitely wanting to show off the tiny human in person, rather than just showing a million photos.)
I was slightly terrified in bringing him. Worried I would not have the time I needed to network, and… I was right. I had less time in the Exhibit Hall. Less time to linger in the convention halls shooting the breeze. But I also had so many great conversations over tea, making breakfast dates two of the three mornings to see people, of getting invited out for an afternoon caffeine pick-me-up one of the afternoons, stroller, baby, and all. This is a conference and organization, where I am a known entity, and everyone cooed over the baby, then asked how I was, how my job I was, and how I was balancing priorities.
It’s tough. There are days I am not balancing anything, but knowing I have a “safe place” in SLA to learn, grow, make mistakes, and bring my kid to the conferences, certainly helps immensely.
*(I became a full-fledged member in 2010, but I was a student member for the two years of my MLIS program before joining the larger organization. So depending on you count, I’ve been a member for either 8 or 10 years.)
There are a few sessions I attended I want to highlight here. Hopefully, I’ll have the time between babies with ear infections, trying to sleep myself, and basic work and mommying. Watch this space!
It was a very different conference from last year, but in some ways, much more rewarding. I talk extensively how SLA is my professional tribe. From a new member when I was still an MLIS student, to now somehow, almost ten years later*, offering advice and help to new members, this organization is my go-to for job advice, the way I keep track of current informational trends, the people I want to keep updated in not just my professional accomplishments, but my personal. (Hence, bringing my six month old to the conference. Ok, that was me breastfeeding too, but still, definitely wanting to show off the tiny human in person, rather than just showing a million photos.)
I was slightly terrified in bringing him. Worried I would not have the time I needed to network, and… I was right. I had less time in the Exhibit Hall. Less time to linger in the convention halls shooting the breeze. But I also had so many great conversations over tea, making breakfast dates two of the three mornings to see people, of getting invited out for an afternoon caffeine pick-me-up one of the afternoons, stroller, baby, and all. This is a conference and organization, where I am a known entity, and everyone cooed over the baby, then asked how I was, how my job I was, and how I was balancing priorities.
It’s tough. There are days I am not balancing anything, but knowing I have a “safe place” in SLA to learn, grow, make mistakes, and bring my kid to the conferences, certainly helps immensely.
*(I became a full-fledged member in 2010, but I was a student member for the two years of my MLIS program before joining the larger organization. So depending on you count, I’ve been a member for either 8 or 10 years.)
There are a few sessions I attended I want to highlight here. Hopefully, I’ll have the time between babies with ear infections, trying to sleep myself, and basic work and mommying. Watch this space!
Friday, March 23, 2018
Women and Financial Literacy: A response
Scrolling on LinkedIn, this link was promoted in my feed.
https://www.edwardjones.com/preparing-for-your-future/investing-considerations/women/approach.html
Specifically, it was shown with an image with the words, “42% of women* reduce their hours at some point in their careers to take care of children or parents”. When clicking on the link, it highlights five questions all women should ask to better invest for their futures.
These questions are,
Where I am today? Where would I like to be? Can I get there? How do I get there? How can I stay on track? The article and questions both assume two things, 1) a woman’s life expectancy is longer than that of men by three or four years on average, and 2) Many women leave the workforce for a period of time to take care of children or parents.
Certainly, there must be some truth to their claims, or else they would not be able to promote it. A quick google search of “women leaving work to take care of children statistics”, and the top hits do support this claim, with the most recent one being from 2016. And indeed being a parent these days certainly assumes at least one parent is home full-time.
However. A woman should not only invest in their financial futures just because there’s a 42% chance they will leave the workforce to take care of children or parents. Furthermore, these are questions ANYONE, not just a woman, should be asking when making investments. The very statistical evidence that women are expected to live longer should have them informed and engaged when it comes to their financial future. Not just because they may need to take care of other family members, but for themselves.
Too often women are painted as figures who know nothing of their finances. As figures who need help navigating this world. Who need to be told what questions need to be asked to secure their financial success. When being the ones more likely to stay at home to take care of children or parents, are also more likely the ones managing the household budget. Thus understanding finances, and long-term planning.
Is this a problem with our society? That it’s assumed and expected women are lacking in knowledge when it comes to financial literacy? Or that it is still assumed the women will be the ones to stay at home with their families?
Consider this? Women know how to invest in their futures. Not all women can or do choose to stay at home with their children or parents. When trying to approach a demographic instead open it to everyone, not just a single percentage. Hear what they need to ask.
https://www.edwardjones.com/preparing-for-your-future/investing-considerations/women/approach.html
Specifically, it was shown with an image with the words, “42% of women* reduce their hours at some point in their careers to take care of children or parents”. When clicking on the link, it highlights five questions all women should ask to better invest for their futures.
These questions are,
Where I am today? Where would I like to be? Can I get there? How do I get there? How can I stay on track? The article and questions both assume two things, 1) a woman’s life expectancy is longer than that of men by three or four years on average, and 2) Many women leave the workforce for a period of time to take care of children or parents.
Certainly, there must be some truth to their claims, or else they would not be able to promote it. A quick google search of “women leaving work to take care of children statistics”, and the top hits do support this claim, with the most recent one being from 2016. And indeed being a parent these days certainly assumes at least one parent is home full-time.
However. A woman should not only invest in their financial futures just because there’s a 42% chance they will leave the workforce to take care of children or parents. Furthermore, these are questions ANYONE, not just a woman, should be asking when making investments. The very statistical evidence that women are expected to live longer should have them informed and engaged when it comes to their financial future. Not just because they may need to take care of other family members, but for themselves.
Too often women are painted as figures who know nothing of their finances. As figures who need help navigating this world. Who need to be told what questions need to be asked to secure their financial success. When being the ones more likely to stay at home to take care of children or parents, are also more likely the ones managing the household budget. Thus understanding finances, and long-term planning.
Is this a problem with our society? That it’s assumed and expected women are lacking in knowledge when it comes to financial literacy? Or that it is still assumed the women will be the ones to stay at home with their families?
Consider this? Women know how to invest in their futures. Not all women can or do choose to stay at home with their children or parents. When trying to approach a demographic instead open it to everyone, not just a single percentage. Hear what they need to ask.
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Been awhile.
So. It's been awhile. *brushes this ol' blog off*. Hello? Anyone still out there?
When we last left adventuring, I had just started driving lessons. Well, I have my license. I have a car. I'm driving. And so far I've not got into trouble with either.
I also have a baby. C. and I kept it mostly under wraps, but he's here, he's two and half months already, and somehow has worked his way into everything about our lives.
(I returned to work February 19, having been home nine weeks with him. If there's one thing I learned in those nine weeks, it's that I am not SAHM material. I will be a better mom for him for working. I also promise this will not become a parenting blog, though it's natural he'll pop in and out of here on occasion.)
So. Back to work. Many cool projects in the upcoming months. Have a baby.
Hi.
When we last left adventuring, I had just started driving lessons. Well, I have my license. I have a car. I'm driving. And so far I've not got into trouble with either.
I also have a baby. C. and I kept it mostly under wraps, but he's here, he's two and half months already, and somehow has worked his way into everything about our lives.
(I returned to work February 19, having been home nine weeks with him. If there's one thing I learned in those nine weeks, it's that I am not SAHM material. I will be a better mom for him for working. I also promise this will not become a parenting blog, though it's natural he'll pop in and out of here on occasion.)
So. Back to work. Many cool projects in the upcoming months. Have a baby.
Hi.
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Confidence.
Last night, I had my first driving lesson. It's a very interesting feeling being behind the wheel of a car. This is not my first time trying to get my license. There was once in Connecticut when I was 17, and a second time in Massachusetts when I was in my late 20s. The time I was in my late 20s? That was attempting to learn to drive a manual. Not an experience I am exactly looking forward to repeat immediately.
It's an interesting feeling because despite it being at least five years since I was behind the wheel of a car, I could definitely feel things coming back to me. And while I refused to go on the road for my first lesson, I spent 45 minutes or so driving around a cemetery, practicing driving, including down a hill, turning, stopping. I even got a to do a three-point turn, which though took me a moment to remember how to make the second point, I executed nearly perfectly.
I still have a number of lessons to go. I need to re-learn how to park and how to drive with other cars, but I'm feeling slightly more confident in doing this.
It's a confidence I've noticed recently. In how I am approaching work projects, in how I am approaching day-to-day. How in the last two months I've been testing databases, and presenting the findings to my boss with knowledge and evidence. Or how I am trying new things.
This is a confidence I am hoping will continue in the months to come.
It's an interesting feeling because despite it being at least five years since I was behind the wheel of a car, I could definitely feel things coming back to me. And while I refused to go on the road for my first lesson, I spent 45 minutes or so driving around a cemetery, practicing driving, including down a hill, turning, stopping. I even got a to do a three-point turn, which though took me a moment to remember how to make the second point, I executed nearly perfectly.
I still have a number of lessons to go. I need to re-learn how to park and how to drive with other cars, but I'm feeling slightly more confident in doing this.
It's a confidence I've noticed recently. In how I am approaching work projects, in how I am approaching day-to-day. How in the last two months I've been testing databases, and presenting the findings to my boss with knowledge and evidence. Or how I am trying new things.
This is a confidence I am hoping will continue in the months to come.
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
Good ol' LinkedIn inspiration
I saw this recently on a LinkedIn post, and it was a punch in the gut – how truthful these words are!
1. You don't resign when you resign. Mental resignation happens much before. Physical resignation is the outcome of a complete loss of hope more than anything else.
2. Money motivates, but only to a point. Rarely will an employee leave just for money.
3. Every single job will plateau at some point in time. Create a training plan and a career path for each employee and structure it to the point where the employee knows the dates for his/her next training session, and the outcome of performing well in training.
4. Act in ways that constantly assure employees that their problems are your problems. You own up to their problems, they own up to yours.
5. Trust is not a word, it is an attitude. Only trust can inspire trust. Your policies should constantly reinforce trust in employees
I’ve “resigned” from a few jobs. Most were retail jobs I worked while in college and/or grad school, and the reasons ranged from a new job to “oh my gosh, I hate everyone, I need to not be in this place right now”. This results in what some employers might see as “job-hopping”. I’ve held multiple jobs, most, if not all, for periods of 1-3 years. Now part of this is when I first graduated with my MLIS in 2010, there were very few FT jobs for someone with two internships, but no other practical library experience. So I did what I could, and I took any job which came my way. This had me working as a Consultant fresh from library school, with a three month job here, or in one such lucky case, a 12-month gig. It saw me working at Borders in the five months before they closed completely, archiving photographs for the Perkins School for the Blind, and building a library from scratch for a photographic center (the lucky 12-month gig). My first “stable” gig was still part-time at an academic library, and had me working a second job as security for an art museum. While perhaps in the rare case, I’ve had to defend myself for being “job-flaky”, these experiences have provided me with a wide range of skills, which have helped to prepare me for full-time librarian life.
But my first true resignation, the one which really highlighted the five points above, was not a retail job, or a “I got a new job reason”. It was a slow decline into me no longer trusting those who I worked with.
1. I think in some ways, I had mentally resigned a full year before I ultimately left the position. I was still 100% capable of completing the job requirements, but my heart was no longer in it.
2. Boston is one of the most expensive cities in which to live. But I could have been making twice what I was making, and it would not have been enough.
3. I plateaued. I was never in a position to ascend the corporate ladder. I worked the same job for the 3 years and four months I was there. It never changed, it never offered more than what it was.
4/5. These two are connected. Certainly, there were problems with this job, as there are with any job. Some of it had to do with how I was trained. Some of it had to do that the way I approached customer service was different than how I was expected to approach customer service. But what it came down to, in that last year I was there, I no longer trusted my team to be there if I had a problem I alone could not solve. Too many things taken out of context, or not understood (on both sides), and when I needed my team to be there in one particular case, they weren’t.
If I’ve learned anything in my seven years in the workforce (longer, if you’re counting those retail jobs and consulting gigs), it is that trust and communication are two-way streets. I admit I’m not always the best communicator. I have trust issues.
When I was most recently looking for a new job, I took these things into consideration. And I’m working on improving them. On being more open with what I am doing, and trusting those around me to tell me if what I am doing is not helping them. Working with them to change the status quo, so what I am doing does help them.
My job history will likely always have me approaching customer service and reference work differently. I like to think that is a good thing.
1. You don't resign when you resign. Mental resignation happens much before. Physical resignation is the outcome of a complete loss of hope more than anything else.
2. Money motivates, but only to a point. Rarely will an employee leave just for money.
3. Every single job will plateau at some point in time. Create a training plan and a career path for each employee and structure it to the point where the employee knows the dates for his/her next training session, and the outcome of performing well in training.
4. Act in ways that constantly assure employees that their problems are your problems. You own up to their problems, they own up to yours.
5. Trust is not a word, it is an attitude. Only trust can inspire trust. Your policies should constantly reinforce trust in employees
I’ve “resigned” from a few jobs. Most were retail jobs I worked while in college and/or grad school, and the reasons ranged from a new job to “oh my gosh, I hate everyone, I need to not be in this place right now”. This results in what some employers might see as “job-hopping”. I’ve held multiple jobs, most, if not all, for periods of 1-3 years. Now part of this is when I first graduated with my MLIS in 2010, there were very few FT jobs for someone with two internships, but no other practical library experience. So I did what I could, and I took any job which came my way. This had me working as a Consultant fresh from library school, with a three month job here, or in one such lucky case, a 12-month gig. It saw me working at Borders in the five months before they closed completely, archiving photographs for the Perkins School for the Blind, and building a library from scratch for a photographic center (the lucky 12-month gig). My first “stable” gig was still part-time at an academic library, and had me working a second job as security for an art museum. While perhaps in the rare case, I’ve had to defend myself for being “job-flaky”, these experiences have provided me with a wide range of skills, which have helped to prepare me for full-time librarian life.
But my first true resignation, the one which really highlighted the five points above, was not a retail job, or a “I got a new job reason”. It was a slow decline into me no longer trusting those who I worked with.
1. I think in some ways, I had mentally resigned a full year before I ultimately left the position. I was still 100% capable of completing the job requirements, but my heart was no longer in it.
2. Boston is one of the most expensive cities in which to live. But I could have been making twice what I was making, and it would not have been enough.
3. I plateaued. I was never in a position to ascend the corporate ladder. I worked the same job for the 3 years and four months I was there. It never changed, it never offered more than what it was.
4/5. These two are connected. Certainly, there were problems with this job, as there are with any job. Some of it had to do with how I was trained. Some of it had to do that the way I approached customer service was different than how I was expected to approach customer service. But what it came down to, in that last year I was there, I no longer trusted my team to be there if I had a problem I alone could not solve. Too many things taken out of context, or not understood (on both sides), and when I needed my team to be there in one particular case, they weren’t.
If I’ve learned anything in my seven years in the workforce (longer, if you’re counting those retail jobs and consulting gigs), it is that trust and communication are two-way streets. I admit I’m not always the best communicator. I have trust issues.
When I was most recently looking for a new job, I took these things into consideration. And I’m working on improving them. On being more open with what I am doing, and trusting those around me to tell me if what I am doing is not helping them. Working with them to change the status quo, so what I am doing does help them.
My job history will likely always have me approaching customer service and reference work differently. I like to think that is a good thing.
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
A brief update
We found a few items missed when organizing everything in the filing room. Which means the next spaces of time will be adding them to the collection.
Thursday, July 20th, was C. and mine three year wedding anniversary. Seeing as we celebrated with brunch and In the Heights on the Sunday before, we spent Thursday with the SLA Pittsburgh chapter playing trivia. We hosted Rick Sebak, who is popular on the local public radio stations. It was a great amount of fun, though a very surreal way to learn about Pittsburgh-area history.
In other news, we've officially joined the synagogue we've been "trying out" for the last six months or so.
Thursday, July 20th, was C. and mine three year wedding anniversary. Seeing as we celebrated with brunch and In the Heights on the Sunday before, we spent Thursday with the SLA Pittsburgh chapter playing trivia. We hosted Rick Sebak, who is popular on the local public radio stations. It was a great amount of fun, though a very surreal way to learn about Pittsburgh-area history.
In other news, we've officially joined the synagogue we've been "trying out" for the last six months or so.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)