Job Applications and Commentary

As this semester winds down, the job search is heating up.  On Monday I sent out five applications to different libraries–three academic and two public.  This means that, theoretically, I could be moving in as little as a month from now.  Will that happen?  Not likely, especially judging by how my application luck has been thus far.  However, it’s still a possibility.  Even more likely are the impending phone interviews in my future.  I just got a questionnaire from one of the public libraries asking me what my approach would be to handling children of all ages.

There’s something about the interview process that is . . . strange for me.  I mean, everyone comes together and tries to put the best face on themselves (whether its the interviewer or the interviewee), and then once you’re hired, things change quite a bit.  I mean, just because someone’s good at coming up with theoretical answers doesn’t mean they’ll be any good at actually putting those answers into practice.  Part of me really wishes it were possible for employers and employees to just implicitly understand each other, doing away with all need of the interview.  You’d just “know.”

Of course, this probably has to do with the fact that I’m totally overbooked with other work right now, and filling out questionnaires is yet another thing for me to add to my list.  Sigh.  Such is life.  Still, I’m appreciative for it if for nothing more than the fact that it gives me a chance to show what I think about things.  A lot of times I don’t think I really make up my mind about something until I’m forced to.  I’m so big on keeping my options open that I postpone decisions until they’re necessary.  This isn’t to say that I don’t think about things ahead of time–I do that more than I ought to.  But since once I commit to something–anything–I feel tied to it, I try and wait to be sure it’s something I really want to commit to.  Even if it’s just an opinion.  Does that make sense?

Anyway–I probably have prattled on too much now.  I think I’ll go work on that questionnaire some, and then do my writing for the day.

Oh–and I just posted the commentary for chapter seven on my website.  Check it out.