Selling Out?

It would be an understatement to say that my life has changed recently. Why, I almost thought that my role as chair of the Re:Generations committee should be brutally swept from under me. Two months ago, I took the plunge: I made the decision to leave the academic library and take a sales position with a well-known vendor.

The question I heard most often was "why?". My previous position, after all, was precisely what I'd wanted to do as I graduated from library school: I was a reference librarian in a large academic library, with committee, collections and instruction responsibilities. But as time went on, I realized that I didn't love the work anymore; my interests had changed, and I wanted to try something different. I wanted to travel. I wanted to explore an alternative set of skills. I wanted a fresh challenge.

In my new position, I am responsible for a very large territory and spend half of every month on the road. When I am not traveling, I work from a home office and report to a Director who lives over a hundred miles away. I have independence, and my work attire varies from a business suit to a pair of flannel pyjamas. And I love my job. For me, this was absolutely the right decision.

But it was not one I took lightly, and I believe that any such change of direction requires careful consideration. There is much more to consider than salary: do you currently have benefits? Union protection? Co-workers you can't bear to leave? Are you geographically mobile? Capable of managing your own time? Able to separate "work" and "home" when your office is in your living room?

I think it is valuable to recognize that the academic library extends beyond the university. Libraries are enabled by the associations, vendors and support services that surround them. It's worth remembering that a career in academic librarianship might not be exactly what you'd imagined. Keep your options open and don't ever think you're "selling out" if what makes you happy takes you out of the ivory tower and plunks you in a 747 or a rented Volvo.