(no subject)
It takes a lot of courage to do follow your instincts.
I am a library school student. I work full-time in publishing with an awesome group of 20-somethings, but because publishing isn't an industry that can be found in every city and my husband to be also works in an industry that isn't found everywhere, I find myself back in school. For all that I enjoy doubting myself and second-guessing nearly everything I do, I have not once looked back since I decided to rejoin the world of academia. The unfortunate thing however is that, as a future librarian, I'm not really joining the coolest profession. I'll get looks sometimes from my friends when I tell them what I'm doing, or the occasional comment (one friend recently told me it's "fucking hilarious" that I'm going to school for this), but oddly enough I feel completely and utterly confident in my choice.
I'll be the first to admit that it's terrifying sometimes. One, at the age of 23, I'm changing careers. Two, I'm investing lots and lots of money in a professional graduate degree in an uncertain economy. Three, I'm still not entirely convinced that the vibrant community of librarians counts many people my age among them. I do subscribe to a listerv for next generation librarians, although I've stopped reading it as of late because there seems to be an awful lot of negativity regarding jobs and job possibilities. I know I'm a dreamer and an optimist, but it does kind of knock my ego down a few levels to know there's a strong possibility I might go from my current managerial job, where I have a lot of responsibility and even have an assistant, to a shitty menial job without a terribly bright light at the end of the tunnel. I have high goals for myself-I dream of working with books and artifacts that are old and/or rare in either a university or museum setting. How cool that would be. But who knows? I could wind up sorting through old files at a major company as their archivist.
This post has somewhat lost it's point, but I suppose the bottom line is I'm entering a profession that is often mocked and not entirely always respected with the possibility looming over my head that it really might not be much of an economic advantage at first. But I'm doing it, am passionate about it and thrilled with myself that I have the balls to do it. But that's what it takes-big cahones.
I am a library school student. I work full-time in publishing with an awesome group of 20-somethings, but because publishing isn't an industry that can be found in every city and my husband to be also works in an industry that isn't found everywhere, I find myself back in school. For all that I enjoy doubting myself and second-guessing nearly everything I do, I have not once looked back since I decided to rejoin the world of academia. The unfortunate thing however is that, as a future librarian, I'm not really joining the coolest profession. I'll get looks sometimes from my friends when I tell them what I'm doing, or the occasional comment (one friend recently told me it's "fucking hilarious" that I'm going to school for this), but oddly enough I feel completely and utterly confident in my choice.
I'll be the first to admit that it's terrifying sometimes. One, at the age of 23, I'm changing careers. Two, I'm investing lots and lots of money in a professional graduate degree in an uncertain economy. Three, I'm still not entirely convinced that the vibrant community of librarians counts many people my age among them. I do subscribe to a listerv for next generation librarians, although I've stopped reading it as of late because there seems to be an awful lot of negativity regarding jobs and job possibilities. I know I'm a dreamer and an optimist, but it does kind of knock my ego down a few levels to know there's a strong possibility I might go from my current managerial job, where I have a lot of responsibility and even have an assistant, to a shitty menial job without a terribly bright light at the end of the tunnel. I have high goals for myself-I dream of working with books and artifacts that are old and/or rare in either a university or museum setting. How cool that would be. But who knows? I could wind up sorting through old files at a major company as their archivist.
This post has somewhat lost it's point, but I suppose the bottom line is I'm entering a profession that is often mocked and not entirely always respected with the possibility looming over my head that it really might not be much of an economic advantage at first. But I'm doing it, am passionate about it and thrilled with myself that I have the balls to do it. But that's what it takes-big cahones.