Published on 27 November 2008
in work.
What I’m reading at work at the moment: job applications.
I wish it was easier to tell what a person’s really like, from their written application and interview. This is so, so true:
I hire people for two reasons — and this is true — I hire people if they’re enthusiastic and if they’re nice. And to me nothing else matters… If they have those two things, we can teach ‘em.
Bobby Flay, at Learning2007 Conference. (As cited by Peter Bromberg on Library Garden.)
And it’s probably just me being churlish, but writing that you “love reading” is actually not a positive when you’re applying for a job in a library. I read your application, and I think: “Hmmph. I hope you realise you won’t have time to read while you’re at work.” (The moral of the story: read the job ad and the job description, then write your application accordingly.)
The other day I was sitting in the staff room at MPOW when I picked up a Times magazine and found an article in it entitled “Wisdom from famous over-65s”. The article itself is available online, of course. It’s a look at a book called Wisdom by Andrew Zuckerman, which has interviews with people ranging from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, through to Billy Connolly, Nelson Mandela, Malcolm Fraser and Dame Judy Dench.
Clint Eastwood’s words made me think:
Take your profession seriously; don’t take yourself seriously. Don’t take yourself seriously in the process, because you really only matter to a certain degree in the whole circus out here. If a person is confident enough in the way they feel, whether it’s an art form or whether it’s just in life, it comes off - you don’t have anything to prove; you can just be what you are.
The operation went well and Peppi is home.
The stitches are to come out in ten days. In the meantime the vet’s orders are that she has to be kept quiet. For TEN DAYS.
This means no walks, no running around, no jumping, and no playing with Paco. Normally they love wrestling and play fighting and can get quite rough with each other.
Peppi spent the night in the laundry last night. Much scratching at the barricades, whimpering and general distress. Paco didn’t sleep much either. He made many trips to the barrier where he whined and tried to get a glimpse of Peppi.
I’m not sure how we’ll all survive the next ten days.
The only good thing about this is, so far Peppi’s been too anxious about being separated, to worry at her stitches.
