In my last post, Reading Recap April 2023, I mentioned that the reason I didn’t read much during April was because I had something exciting going on in my life. Now that it’s official, I feel comfortable finally sharing it: I got a promotion at the library! I am now the Team Leader of my library branch!
I was the library programmer at my branch for nearly five years, which was a role I never particularly enjoyed. I knew this would be the case when I first applied for it, but I desperately needed the full-time hours and money to get me through college. The only aspect of the programmer position that I liked was the planning element of it because I’m a very detail-oriented person and it allowed me to use my creativity. However, I didn’t like executing the programs, mostly because I am extremely introverted and hate public speaking. I also didn’t like being micromanaged by my supervisor, because I’m an independent person who, quite frankly, doesn’t like being told what to do. The busy work she assigned us was also frustrating because it wasn’t helpful or logical, and I already knew how to do my job well. Therefore, nearly the entire time I was programmer I kept looking for new jobs and hoping that new positions would open up that better suited my personality and interests.
Which brings us to the Team Leader position. This role is the equivalent to being the manager of a store. You’re in charge of all the staff at your branch, must solve any problems that might arise, and get to handle any troublesome patrons. You are also directly involved with creating new policies or modifying old ones and have significantly more freedom and autonomy. Each of these responsibilities, minus the troublesome patrons one, corresponds to skills I have and elements I’ve always desired in a job, like leading, problem-solving, and enacting change. I’ve been waiting for this position to open up for years, and now that I finally have it, I am significantly happier.
This position also brings me one step closer to realizing my dream of becoming the Executive Director of the library system. I’m now only three rungs away on the library ladder from achieving that goal. This is a career I’ve been working toward since I was a 14-year-old library volunteer, and it feels like all my hard work and dedication are finally starting to pay off.
You can check out my updated Author Bio here, complete with my new job.
Allison Burton 