Pueblo Interview

So, I thought I'd share my latest experience with a library interview. A couple of months ago, I received a call from the Pueblo City-County Library, wanting to interview me. I had only applied for the job because I was desperate, as Pueblo is a good 2 hours away from Westminster. I didn't want to move, of course, but I thought the time had come to start looking outside the Denver Metro area.

Shortly after that, I also applied for the full-time library assistant position at my current library. It's the same exact thing I had been doing, only 40 hours instead of 20. More than anything, I desperately needed a full-time job so that John and I could get our own place and I'd have some actual money coming in (and possibly free insurance). After Christmas vacation (or maybe before, I can't honestly remember now) I had my Aurora interview. It was straight-forward and less nervewracking than any previous interview, because I already knew my interviewers and I knew exactly what to expect of the job. I received word that I got the job shortly before my Pueblo interview, but I decided to go ahead and keep that interview because it would be good experience, and they were putting me up at a nice-looking Bed and Breakfast for free. I had no idea what I would have done had I actually got the job.

So, on January 7, John and I drove down to Pueblo, making a few stops on the way to the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center (or its gift shop, anyway) and the Florissant Fossil Beds, both near CO Springs. We got into Pueblo later that evening. It was still light enough to see that Pueblo was probably not my kind of town. First off, the scenery wasn't very pretty to me. It was more desert-y and shrubby than I prefer, and obviously drier and warmer. When we got into the downtown area, it appeared junky and industrial. Smokestacks spouted filthy air off in the distance. Even the Riverwalk and the old historic Union street just seemed, well, worn-out, rather than quaint. At least the Abriendo Inn, where we were staying, was nice. We enjoyed the amenities at the B&B before going out to dinner and checking out the library. The library was new, big, and modern, but as John put it, it just didn't feel cozy. Definitely nice, but not what I picture my ideal library to look like.

We got up early the next morning to enjoy a delicious, multi-course breakfast made by the innkeepers, the highlights of which being the fruit/yogurt/granola parfait and the olive tapenade topping the poached eggs. My interview was at 11 am, so I had a little time to rest, prepare as much as I could, and play Zelda on my DS. Luckily, the library was only a minute away from the Inn. My interview was...less than spectacular in my opinion. There were many questions on which I completely blanked, and when I did speak, it came out as babbling. But the interviewers were very nice, helping me along when I couldn't think of anything to say. The second part of the interview was giving a mock pre-school storytime, a task which the Teen Librarian would have to do occasionally. That went better than I thought it would, although I was again helped along by the interviewers, who acted like real 4-year-olds and responded accordingly to my stories and rhymes. The third part of the interview was watching a video skit made by the Teen Advisory Council and answering their question about a disruptive teen. I came out of the interview still feeling anxious, but relieved to have it over. This was followed by a stroll down the Riverwalk and lunch on Union Street.

In the days after the interview, I didn't know what I wanted the outcome to be. Moving would be difficult within itself, but would also make things harder for John, who is counting on getting a position with Boulder OSMP again this spring or summer. But a full-time professional position, that's what I've been looking for since before I graduated. It would be hard to turn it down. A few days later, I had pretty much decided that, if offered the job, I would indeed turn it down (after more serious consideration). I know it seems an unwise action, but I think we'd be happier in the long run, staying here. As it turns out, it was a decision I didn't have to make. I got a call the day before yesterday saying that, while I'd make a good librarian, they had decided to hire someone else. Once more, my feelings were confusing: I didn't know whether to feel relieved, or disappointed. Of course, I had wanted to turn them down, and I just needed to feel like some library wanted me. It's better this way, though. Now that I officially have a full-time job, I'm more financially free to take my time and look for jobs in the Denver area. Hopefully the economy will turn around soon, and the hiring freeze that's affected many libraries now will be melted and more jobs will open up. Until then I'm just happy to be working full-time, and looking forward to getting an apartment in a few months.