Oh My God, I Actually Got the Job: How Things Have Been for Me So Far
On May 19, 2023, I had previously applied for a reference clerk position at my local library. Since I hadn’t had much luck with job applications at that point, I figured I would apply and get ignored as usual.
That was not the case. Instead, I woke up to an email from one of the supervisors there wanting to interview me that next Friday. I was both ecstatic and shocked. I was so used to being ignored after applying for jobs that I didn’t expect anyone to contact for an interview. But apparently, the supervisors thought I was good enough for an interview.
The big day came — May 26, 2023. My interview was from 10:00 to 10:30. I had an interview prep with my job support person the previous day, and I felt like I was going to be good enough. I had some confidence, I wore my best dress, I had my hair up in a neat ponytail, and I even put a little bit makeup on.
And… okay, since I’ve already talked about this in my previous article, I’m just going to copy and paste what had happened that Friday:
Since I still can’t drive yet, my job support person drove me there. We arrived a little early, so we had some small talk. Then, a few minutes before my interview was to start, I walked inside the library. I didn’t see anybody at the front desk, but I did see a couple of people at the reference desk (ironic since I had applied for a reference clerk position there).
When I walked up to the reference desk, I asked if the lady that had emailed me (Let’s call her Melissa.) was there. It turned out one of the people at the reference desk, a lady, was Melissa. She told me where I was going to be interviewed (some conference room near the entrance) and to wait for a moment. So, I waited.
I didn’t have to wait for too long before Melissa walked towards me and into the conference room for my interview. Another lady, the library manager (Let’s call her Madison.) walked into the conference room with me and shut the door. The two ladies sat across from me, and I looked at their eyes (to the best of my abilities since I’m autistic).
They asked the usual job interview questions, and they also asked questions about what I would do in situations for the job I had applied for. I answered those questions with every ounce of confidence I had, but some of those questions were easier to answer. For the harder ones, I had to pause for a little bit. They probably noticed some of my nervousness, and Melissa told me it was normal to be a little nervous during an interview (which is the same thing my job support person had told me).
Still, I have to congratulate myself for not wavering to my anxiety one bit. I think the interview went okay. Madison said I would hear from them around Tuesday.
So, Tuesday came around. I waited all day for someone to call me back, and it finally happened at around 4:00. Was it one of the supervisors telling me I got the job? Was it a rejection call? I picked up my phone and answered. It turned out they weren’t able to reach one of my contacts I had put on my job application (my job support person).
That didn’t sound right. Some of my most recent contacts had been from my job support person (Let’s call him Timothy). So, I texted him about the problem, and he said to tell them that he had been incredibly busy and to try and contact him again. So, I emailed one the supervisors, Melissa, that.
Then, Wednesday came. I turned my phone on early in the morning, but I was expecting to get a call back late in the afternoon. But no. It was around 10:30 when I got a call back from them. And you wouldn’t believe this, but they offered me a position as a reference clerk.
In other words, I got the job. Oh, my God. I actually got the job! And I was to start on June 1st!
Finally, I got a job — a real job! The only other job I had was a writing job that barely paid $100 a month, and now I get to have a real job — a job with benefits and health insurance! I was excited (and nervous) to start!
So, June 1st arrived. I didn’t have to immediately go to my job because I had to get some paperwork at the library headquarters and take a drug test. I still need to finish the paperwork, but the drug test didn’t take nearly as long as I thought it would.
“But, Emily. What about the job? How has it been?” you might be asking. That’s where I’m going to right now. I arrived at the library I applied to at around 11:00 in the morning. Madison, the other supervisor, gave me a tour of the library and introduced me to the other people working there.
There were Sandra and Sierra working at the circulation desk, Kelly at the children’s section, and the main guy I was going to work at the reference desk with — Samuel… and Brandy, who works part-time. I also met an older guy who worked at the city where I live and work at, but I don’t remember his name yet. Either way, they’re all nice people.
I learned the basics about my job, including giving people access to computers and studies rooms. I also learned that we and other libraries associated with us trade books with each other for specific people. And I learned the different types of books we have and where to shelve them.
Overall, it’s been a lot to learn, but I’m enjoying my job so far. However, there are some minor downsides. For starters, it’s a lot of information to take in, but that shouldn’t be a problem for too long.
I get paid around $19,000 a year, which isn’t a lot. But then again, the library is tax-funded, so that may explain it. Then again, my last job only paid around $100 a month, so this is a huge increase for me. Plus, I won’t have to pay much for retirement benefits or health insurance.
Another thing is that, for one day (Thursday), I have to work until closing time at 8:00 P.M. On other days, I work until 5:30 on Monday and Wednesday and 6:00 on Tuesday. The only exceptions are Friday and Saturday. Friday closes at 5:00, while Saturday closes at 4:00. The upside to working until 8:00 on Thursday is that I don’t have to get there until 11:00 A.M.
Speaking of work schedule, I alternate on Fridays and Saturday. So, for the first two weeks, I work on Friday. However, starting June 17, I’m going to have to work on Saturday. Working on Saturday means I have to be there at 8:00 in the morning instead of 8:30 on weekdays. We’re closed on Sunday.
The biggest downside to working full-time is that I’m not going to be able to play with my dog and cat much anymore, especially not at lunch time. When my mom comes home for lunch, my dog Phoebe and I greet her for a bit, we turn on Friends on TBS, and then the dog and I go outside to play fetch. I’m not going to be able to do that anymore, so I’m hoping my sister will step up and play with her. Also, my cat Lily isn’t very excited about me being gone for at least eight hours a day. But hey, seeing them after a long day at work makes it all worth it!
Overall, I can see myself working there for a good, long time… at least, I hope I’m there for a good, long time. I loved visiting the library when I was a kid, and now I’m working there as a grown-up. If ten-year-old me saw at that reference desk right now, I think she would be very impressed and proud of me. I know I’m proud of myself for getting this job. I hope you’re proud of me, too.
