Things are Falling Apart
I wish I had something poetic to say in this trying time. Perhaps something about a summer of discontent, but I'm at a loss for words right about now, at least words that are much more fluid and I'll settle for the harshest language I can muster. It seems that the old adage about it all coming down to "who you know" is quite fallible and, in my mind, false. Sure, who you know can amount to a lot these days, perhaps everything, but there's still instances where having someone in your corner doesn't guarantee anything, even the lowliest of positions.

To clue in those unfamiliar with the tale, I applied for a position, nothing stellar and certainly not something one builds a career on, at the very library that I was employed by these past two semesters. My confidence was high, to say the least, and the fact that someone so valiantly bowed out so as to not create an obvious conflict between candidates, although I know they don't see it quite in those terms, seemed to do nothing but bolster my chances.

Then it all came crashing down. A blow to my self-esteem, to be sure, and a definite signal to me that perhaps I haven't made the wisest decisions in the last year. Perhaps, and I'm just thinking out loud here in my forum, I made a mistake. Switching gears midstream, or not even setting off from the dock in the case of my former, previous degree, led me to believe this was a wise move on my part. The right move. Joining a profession that I thought would be a perfect fit, and all this because I was both encouraged and interested in pursuing it. I did so out of a genuine interest. Apparently, so did a lot of other people, people with a lot more to offer than I do.

In my honest, brutal assessment, and I realize I'm venting a lot of pent up frustration, this profession is a joke. Charlatans who profess a profound love for all things library related are coddled and rewarded for their phony, rose-tinted outlook. Others, not just myself, are forced to wallow in the muck fighting over the scraps, and these are the most meager of scraps to be sure. If this keeps up, though, those fighting for the scraps will have one less competitor to deal with. It's just not worth it.