In Flux
Posted April 1, 2012 by Danielle Geller
A lot of the friends, acquaintances, and colleagues Ive made since my time began at Simmons have been or have started to question the direction theyre going in library science/archives school. I cant say Ive been exempt! Through the classes Ive taken, internships Ive had, and even internships Ive applied for, Ive been molding and trying to figure out the course and shape of my future career.
Do I want to work in a corporate or academic environment? Out of all the areas and time periods of history that interest me, which do I want to continue to pursue? What will be the topic of my dissertation? Yes, Ive definitely been weighing that one in my head, even if its still two years down the road. Do I even want to continue pursuing history?
One thing Ive learned, which seems quite obvious but isnt necessarily always black and white, is that Ill never be happy in a job that doesnt interest me. Friends of mine that arent enjoying their internships find the material boring, and its hard to do a job day in and out that bores you. I enjoy my internship because, strangely, pouring over the material of the political campaign to abolish rent control in Cambridge doesntbore me.
I definitely didnt know what I was going to do out of high school, and I really didnt know what I wanted to do out of undergrad. Even when I applied to graduate school, my focus was a little fuzzy. But thats okay. I feel like if I continue to plug along with an open mind, Ill be able to connect the dots.
A few months ago, on a flight back to Boston from Arizona, I sat next to a very successful and established neurosurgeon who asked what I could possibly do with a degree in library science. Libraries, after all, are on the decline. But Im of the firm opinion that no matter what degree you get, its all what you make it. You need to really love what youre doing, and if you dont, you might want to consider doing something else. I feel like Ive found something that I truly believe in.