HOLY CRAP!

I did it. I just accepted a verbal job offer for that project management positon. I’m excited yet totally scared. I’ve worked at USC for 10 frickn’ years – not counting my four years of school. I just got my 10 year anniversary letter (and lovely commemorative desk clock). Anyway, I will post more details about the job and the ALA Midwinter Conference I attended shortly. I’m going to go freak out a little more.

And we come now to the last semester….

So I’m still going through the whole interview stuff; I had a second interview and now it’s just the wait-n’-see. I guess I’ll find out if they like me. The pros: professional yet casual workplace, top of the line company and product, healthy salary and the chance to use my LIS knowledge in a “non-traditional” environment. Cons: not exactly a library, not every project may be LIS-related….But hey, none of this counts if I don’t get offered the job, right?

On another note, both syllabi for the Spring are up. I think it’s a combination of burn-out and experience, but my reaction was along the lines of “Oh crap, another rough semester. Oh well. I’ll deal.” I whined momentarily to both Sarah and Phil, but that was partly to warn them that I’d yet again be dealing with a crapload of schoolwork and that they would, of course, get to proofread most of it. I do have to say that the content for the classes looks interesting.

One class – Design of Digitally Mediated Information Systems – looks really promising. It’s going to be covering a lot of the stuff I love: users and the way they use information, wikis and blogs, organization. Of course, this is the class with the most daunting syllabus, but isn’t that always the way?

The other is Metadata. This class is going to be taught by a prof I’ve had twice before – once for Organization of Information and then again last semester for Digital Libraries – and I’ve sorta grown to love him. His syllabus doesn’t look like a party either, but at least I know how he works.

Anyway, it looks like late February until early April will blow big paper chunks, followed by a crappy late April/early May. At least it’s the last semester…..

Mini update

I think the interview yesterday went fairly well. The position definitely falls under the “non-traditional” category, so I got a lot of “Why Library Science? What do you learn as part of that program” questions. I’m happy to say that when I explained how broad the LIS field was and what sorts of courses I’ve taken, I was greeted with a lot of enthusiasm. One interviewer even thought aloud how they could put my LIS skills to work on a project they’ve been wanting to do.

That being said, I interviewed with this place a year ago and obviously, that didn’t work out. We’ll see what happens and I’m continuing to look forward to ALA. I’m still a little proud of myself that I spread good LIS PR at any rate.

However…

On a slightly different note from the last post….

I want to assure you that I’m not sitting by and not seeking jobs because I’m daunted. Oh no, not me. I do actually have a job interview tomorrow and I’m going to ALA Midwinter in Seattle to visit the Career Services folks in two weeks. It will also be my first, official LIS conference-type-thingie. I hope to feel better about my prospects soon….

A very queasy New Year

Happy New Year, everyone.

It’s hard to believe, but I’m swiftly approaching the beginning of my very last semester at GSLIS. It feels like I just started the program yesterday, and I remember bemoaning the fact that 2 years seemed so long. Boy, was I wrong.

I’m happy to report that I survived IML and DIL and got As in both. I really didn’t expect the A in IML – I was thinking I’d get an A- – but I’m not going to complain.

I am looking forward to my next two classes, Metadata (590MDL) and Design of Digitally Mediated Information Services (590DEL). They appear to be nice “capstones” for my time here at GSLIS. That being said, I am so, so tired.

My dad asked me if I was going to pursue my PhD after getting my degree, and I said, “Um, no.” First of all, I’m more of a “practice” person than “research.” My favorite classes and assignments where when I actually got to do what we were talking about instead of just talk about it. I really don’t see myself doing research at this time. Secondly, I’m really tired of school. I love school, but I need the break. I think this disappointed my dad, who has always hinted that he envisioned me as some high-ranking professor at some prestigious university (ideally in the sciences, but Library Science sorta counts, right?), but he understood.

The challenge facing me now, in addition to surviving one more semester, is figuring out what the heck I want to do. I started off this program with the idea of working at a university. Well, two years and lots of upheaval at work later, I’m not so sure. I’ve spent my entire post-college working life at a university. I’m not so sure it’s what I want to keep doing. Like my dad, I think I had this very shiny vision of what academic life was supposed to be, but now, 10 years later, I realize that academia is just as fraught with politics, competition, and, yes, focus on the bottom line as anywhere else. There’s a definite class system in academia – or at least at my university and a few others I know of – that’s hard to escape. I’ve seen how librarians here, who have faculty status, are still treated somewhat like second-class citizens. Since I’m a staff person, I’m already a full-fledged second-class citizen, so I’m not sure if I want the “upgrade.”

Then there’s the issue of what I can do. I took a lot of classes around the idea of working in a digital library, but the entry-level jobs in that area are scarce. I suppose I could get a job as a reference librarian, but I was never interested in doing that – I’m still not interested today. When I look at the “non-traditional” LIS jobs that entail data/information modeling, information architecture, etc., there are a lot of skills I don’t have: SQL, JSP, perl, etc. So I’m feeling a little daunted there as well.

Anyway, as it’s time to begin the job search, I have a lot to consider. I didn’t anticipate ending the program feeling more unsure about where my future lay than when I started.
I do know that I want to leave where I am now. I’m never going to move beyond what I’m doing now where I currently am, and the job is no longer challenging or fun. I do want to put my new degree and knowledge to work. The rest is more open than I’d like.