I’m not quite as old as “retired” suggests: I’m currently unable to work because of a medical condition. I don't want to sound like Pollyanna, but one good thing to come from my condition is that I have time to work with you on icouldbe.org. I look forward to meeting you and hope we can learn from each other.
Job Field: Information Technology Specialty: IT Admin, Management & Maintenance Job Level: Management Job Experience: 5 to 10 years
Job Field: Education, Training & Teaching Specialty: Professional or Community Training Job Level: Management Job Experience: 15 to 25 years
My job title:
Retired Automation Systems Librarian
Best time to communicate with me:
I'm usually online every morning, but if I'm prevented from being online in the morning, or we are having an urgent discussion, I will check in later in the day.
My hobbies:
My all-time favorite thing is reading. I volunteer as a "phone friend" for elderly people who live alone and enjoy hearing their stories. I also enjoy walking, needlework, and playing with my cat (picture above).
In high school and/or college, my favorite subjects included:
Foreign languages, history, anthropology, and psychology. I'm just curious about how different people live and think.
My current salary/per capita wages are approximately:
Zero since I'm no longer working.
For work, I travel:
When I was working I attended conferences in Tampa, FL, Philadelphia, PA, Salt Lake City, UT, and Seattle, WA.
I work in a:
I worked in a public library for over 20 years.
I work with a:
Personal computers, servers, software, and databases. I also worked with books and with all types of people.
I work at a place where I:
Worked indoors, primarily in one location. Most of my time was spent sitting at a desk and working on a PC, but I also had to attend meetings and conduct training classes.
I went to and/or graduated from a:
Ivy League university and then went to another major university for my graduate degree.
I went to a:
Both schools had large, diverse student populations and were located in urban areas.
Serendipity. I was unemployed and applied for a part-time job at the local public library as a temporary measure, but found I really enjoyed it.
My career and my long-term career plans:
My career was cut short when I developed a chronic illness and was no longer able to work. Now, I'm looking for ways to be useful while home-bound.
A typical day in my life at work:
Started at 7:30 AM and usually ended around 6:30 PM. Most of the time was in front of my computer, but I also attended meetings, gave public talks, ran staff training sessions, and visited other branches of the library.
General salary range for my occupation:
$33,190 - $81,130 depending on geographic location and type of library.
My favourite movie:
Kandukondain, Kandukondain is my current favorite.
My favourite book:
Generally whatever I'm currently reading.
My favourite album:
I like several different kinds of music.
My favourite historical figure:
Elizabeth I of England
My special skills or talents:
Learning independently and knowing how to listen to people have been very important for my career.
Awards and Honours I have received:
Dean's List, Haney Memorial Scholarship, National Merit Commendation, Beta Phi Mu Honor Society, Snowbird Library Leadership Institute 1992 and 1997
My general career advice:
Be realistic, but also have faith in your ability to learn and overcome challenges. You will regret not trying more than you will regret doing your best and failing.
Got mostly A's & B's, but was bored and really didn't like school.
How did I choose my trade school and/or college:
I wanted a school with a top reputation in my major field because I planned on grad school. I also wanted a large diverse student population.
What helped me to get into trade school and/or college:
I think taking time off to work helped me be more mature. Also well-thought-out career goals,and taking the trouble to have a personal interview helped.
I would have done differently:
I would have worried less about myself and my problems and been more interested in other people.
I attended:
Two different high schools because we moved. One was an inner-city school and the second was a large suburban school where I had trouble finding friends.
My academic focus was:
My BA was anthropology and I did some graduate work in it before family responsibilities forced me to stop. I later got a Master's in Information Science to work in libraries.
Activities/jobs that prepared me for my present career:
Looking back, almost everything, even things I thought were mistakes, contributed lessons that helped me.
The changes I've made in my career:
I never limited myself to what was in my job description: I kept learning new things and volunteering for new duties that interested me and brought me closer to my goals.
I did those because:
I wanted my supervisors to know that I wasn't content to do the same thing forever and could handle more responsibility. Also, to make work more interesting.
