"Don't Be Rory"
Nov. 30th, 2016 08:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lydamorehouseThis has become my new battle cry: "Don't be Rory!"
For instance, after writing up my whole long screed about the Gilmore Girls mini-series, it occurred to me that a good journalist would actually try to pitch that as a column. So I did. You can now read my thoughts at: http://bitterempire.com/gilmore-girls-year-life-whiny-baby-rory/. Ha! Take that, girl with no ideas to pitch!
Then, today I got a reply back from Quatrefoil Library about the volunteer positions I was interested in. The woman who contacted me said she would love to have a resume. My first thought was a very Rory-like, "What? For a volunteer position??" and then I thought, "No, don't be Rory."
Thing is, I think there's a real shot that Quatrefoil might consider me for a board position if I play my cards right. So, I actually spend a good deal of time a professional resume that highlights the skills and experiences I have both in the GLBTQ+ community, professional fiction writing, and in various library and archives positions I've had over the years. (I'm still actually fine-tuning and making sure Shawn, who gets a lot of resumes as part of her job, not only reviews it, but proofs it too!)
The upside? You know what? I actually look pretty damn good on paper. I've worked in libraries/archives for a LONG time: my current work at the Ramsey County Library system is very focused on practical library skills, but I also worked as office manager/processing assistant/receptionist at institutions like the Immigration History Research Center, the Ramsey County Historical Society, and the Minnesota Historical Society. At all of those jobs, while I wasn't always doing actual archival work, I learned a lot about what the point of archives is and how they function. Add to that the fact that I have a lot of general publishing knowledge, have been a teacher for DECADES at the Loft, and, you know, even my reviews of yaoi/yuri count towards a broader sense of the GLBTQ+ book/writing community. I mean, I used to be a regular contributor to Equal Time! (Oh! I should find a place to note that on the resume!)
And now, to complete my "Don't be Rory" I'm reading the History of the Quatrefoil Library so that when I go into this meeting, I won't be completely clueless about the organization!
So yeah, always ask yourself: what I can *I* bring to this organization?
Am I right!?
But I'm also excited to be volunteering for them (potentially) because I really feel like in this up-coming political environment, we're going to need our history. Particularly the history of marginalized and minority groups. Who knows, maybe we'll need these collections as a resource for how to rebuild a revolution, you know?
*sigh*
But one day at a time. Stand up! Fight!
For instance, after writing up my whole long screed about the Gilmore Girls mini-series, it occurred to me that a good journalist would actually try to pitch that as a column. So I did. You can now read my thoughts at: http://bitterempire.com/gilmore-girls-year-life-whiny-baby-rory/. Ha! Take that, girl with no ideas to pitch!
Then, today I got a reply back from Quatrefoil Library about the volunteer positions I was interested in. The woman who contacted me said she would love to have a resume. My first thought was a very Rory-like, "What? For a volunteer position??" and then I thought, "No, don't be Rory."
Thing is, I think there's a real shot that Quatrefoil might consider me for a board position if I play my cards right. So, I actually spend a good deal of time a professional resume that highlights the skills and experiences I have both in the GLBTQ+ community, professional fiction writing, and in various library and archives positions I've had over the years. (I'm still actually fine-tuning and making sure Shawn, who gets a lot of resumes as part of her job, not only reviews it, but proofs it too!)
The upside? You know what? I actually look pretty damn good on paper. I've worked in libraries/archives for a LONG time: my current work at the Ramsey County Library system is very focused on practical library skills, but I also worked as office manager/processing assistant/receptionist at institutions like the Immigration History Research Center, the Ramsey County Historical Society, and the Minnesota Historical Society. At all of those jobs, while I wasn't always doing actual archival work, I learned a lot about what the point of archives is and how they function. Add to that the fact that I have a lot of general publishing knowledge, have been a teacher for DECADES at the Loft, and, you know, even my reviews of yaoi/yuri count towards a broader sense of the GLBTQ+ book/writing community. I mean, I used to be a regular contributor to Equal Time! (Oh! I should find a place to note that on the resume!)
And now, to complete my "Don't be Rory" I'm reading the History of the Quatrefoil Library so that when I go into this meeting, I won't be completely clueless about the organization!
So yeah, always ask yourself: what I can *I* bring to this organization?
Am I right!?
But I'm also excited to be volunteering for them (potentially) because I really feel like in this up-coming political environment, we're going to need our history. Particularly the history of marginalized and minority groups. Who knows, maybe we'll need these collections as a resource for how to rebuild a revolution, you know?
*sigh*
But one day at a time. Stand up! Fight!