Saturday, January 29, 2011

Helpful Advice

Student Loan Customer Service Rep: What was your degree in?

Me: Library and Information Science.

SLCSR: You should really get a library job, like at a school, or something.

Me: Yeah.  Thanks.  That's a good idea.

He meant to be encouraging, I think, but I question his knowledge of current events, you know, like the whole recession thing?  

Besides not wanting to be a School Media Specialist (as they're called because school librarians need to be multi-useful to justify such a position and an education degree is also required) budget cuts have forced schools all over the country to eliminate these jobs, entirely.  After all, what does a librarian do, anyway?   They just check out books, right?  If I worked as a librarian for a nonprofit, or in a school or a public library, after 10 years of loan repayment, as long as I've been in good standing, the remainder of my loans would be forgiven.  While I was in school they added librarians to the list of Public/Community Service Jobs That Don't Pay A Lot So We'll Give You a Break On Your Loans professions.  Of course, you have to be working in the field, not just be working, to qualify.  

That's alright.  My standard response to the question When are You Going to Be a Librarian has been to assure enquiring minds that I'm alright not being one; it also now includes, Hey!  I have a masters, which is pretty cool, huh?  (Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.  Look over here at my diploma, not my current employment status.)




1 comment:

saynomre said...

I think it's great you have your masters, and I don't care in the slightest if you ever use it or not! By the way, I totally know you don't like raisens!