MeghanIsMe

I submitted a job application!

I haven't done job hunting since moving to Europe 3-4 years ago, with the exception of when I worked for a bicycle food delivery company for a whole one day in Amsterdam.

The description of the job that I'm trying really hard to get an application together for says "Special Application Instructions: "We know imposter syndrome can get in the way, so please don’t hesitate to apply. We’d love to hear from you. Submit your application today!"

It's hard to express how much better that makes me feel about applying!

I only found the listing Thursday of last week and the application deadline was this past Monday, so I had to get my stuff together in a hurry. Miriam was a *hugs* help in getting a CV up to date, as was one of the local friends we stayed with after the fire and who is a librarian.

Oh, I didn't mention this is a library job. The official title is Archives Assistant. It doesn't require an MLIS so it probably doesn't pay as well as something that does, but I'd still rather be in the archives if I possibly can. I love archives so much! Actually, I joked that I wish I could make my cover letter just say:

Dear hiring committee:
OMG OMG pleeeeeease let me come touch the old books and maps and stuff? They're so cool and I want to be one of the cool kids again!
Sincerely,
xxx

On Friday afternoon, I emailed or messaged a few people I've worked with, asking if they would be willing to be professional references for me. I was worried I wouldn't here back from them, but in fact I heard from nearly all of them, all of whom were willing to be references. Two of them are current library directors, one is an assistant director, and one is an archivist, and they all said they enjoyed working with me and I did great work for them and that really helps with the impostor syndrome too.

I'm frankly terrified of figuring out how to deal with interviewing and working while masking against Covid. I'm scared that I won't be able to mesh socially with the people I work with. I'm scared that I'm going to stick out like this for the rest of my life and it's exhausting. But I'm going to do my best to figure this out, along with Miriam.

Miriam and I have talked about what we would put some money toward if I become gainfully employed and the first thing on the list is more consistent therapy for both of us. Because health plans still think brains (as well as teeth) are luxury organs.

This is the Abbot And Costello sketch of the journal world



Imagine two people on opposite sides of a bookshelf. The one behind it says:

"What's the name of this journal series?"

"Spine?"

"Yeah, it should be written right there. What's it say?"

"Spine."

"No, no, look *on* the spine? What's it say there."

"Spine!"

Yeah, right there on the spine. What's the label on the spine?"

"Spine! It's labeled Spine!"

"No kidding, the spine is labeled! I know! But what does the label *say*?"

Library snobbery?

An article I was reading contained a quote from someone saying that "This collection challenges our notion of what an archive is because it was never intended to be one."

I gave this comment a skeptical eyebrow raise and looked to see what this person's background was. I was not at all surprised to find that he is a professor of music and not even a librarian, let alone an archivist.