As of today, I have been unemployed for a year.
This isn't tragic in that we are still okay financially -- and I know how very fortunate I am, to be able to say that. Academic librarianship is a tough industry in the best of times, and this is far from the best of times for higher education, so on that level it's not too surprising, either. But even still, I wasn't expecting this, and I am disappointed in some of the leads that didn't pan out.
I will keep plugging away at the job search -- I actually have a phone interview tomorrow -- but I do wonder if it's time to start thinking outside the box. But I like this box. It's comfortable here. I fit into it really well, and I don't want to have to leave it. On the other hand, what if it takes me another year to find a place inside the box?
I want to look at other options, too, to keep from losing focus: volunteering, freelance work (though I doubt I could be a full-time freelancer -- I need the structure of a workplace). I'm sure there are people out there who need me. They just don't know it yet. Now, figuring out how to find them, that's the tricky part. Wish me luck.
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