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Been a year since this happened but thought I'd share, if only for the 'WTH...?' value 
I worked for a bookstore for 7 years but had been trying to get a job in a Library for 2 (I know, big leap career-wise ;p ). I finally got offered a job at a public library - YES! Finally! And considering what's happening with public libraries over here in the UK, nothing short of a minor miracle! I hand in my notice to the book store and wait to start my new job and new career, bright eyed, bushy tailed and full of ideas about how to contribute to Libraries. They're under severe threat in the UK so Libraries are going all out across the country to really revamp their image, get back into their communities needs and generally remind everyone of how awesome they are - what a career to join for someone new and eager!
I get there, and the first thing I do is get plonked in front of a computer to watch various videos about H&S and how to talk to the public (because God knows I hadn't done that in the 7 years I ran a section at the bookstore...). I ask if this is really neccessary because it's clear from my CV that I've done all this already. No, boxes have to tbe ticked so there I must sit.
Several hours later and I am informed that whilst I will work this weekend and will be helping the public with their enquiries, I will not have computer access or catalogue training until the following week, so no real helping the public for me. I am left to shelve for the last hour of my shift, all of which I finish in twenty minutes and spend the next 40 minutes ambling round looking for something to do. There is nothing - I geuinely have no idea what the other staff are so busy doing because there is literally NOTHING to do and no one to help.
I check my schedule. At interview I'd been shown a 4 day working week with what looked like alternate weekends. Now my schedule included working every Saturday (something which didn't even happen at my old retail job) and despite working onyl 4 days did not include any days off back-to-back. I would essentially have no weekend.
I asked if Library staff looked after any sections in particular or had any pet projects. I got blinks and a 'Well, I suppose you could say X is So-and-so's project'.... I asked about using a beautiful big display gallery in the Library for literary events, or something to really big the Library up at a time when public libraries are under severe threat. 'Oh no, no, that's Y's thing, we couldn't do that, maybe if you asked so-and-so they could have a think about it and ask the council and Z....?'.
I was dismayed. I'd just come from a job where I'd been in charge of a section, was used to working quickly and efficiently and had been given enough responsibility to try out and take on extra projects (something that was pretty risky considering how dodgy book retail could be). In one day at the library I'd learnt that not only was working quickly not really neccessary (what the Hell did they fill their days with?!) but that working on extra projects wasn't really going to happen either and would involve a lot of wool-gathering and navelgazing if so. Another lady had been hired at the same time as me for the same job but had started her training a week earlier - she still didn't know a week later what exactly she was going to be doing at the Library!
I couldn't believe it. I'd heard about libraries being in crisis in this country of course, and had heard about all the amazing things happening in public libraries around despite this. Librarians seemed geared up around the UK to prove that libraries are not the dry stereotype and are in fact vibrant, alive and the incredibly neccessary hearts of their communitities. This Library seemed to have not got the memo. This was not a place to be eager, ready and raring, creative or enterprising. This was somewhere to fill your day with.
I thought I was going to be bored out of my mind and spend most of my days frustrated. I was going to learn very little beyond how to use the Library catalogue and spend most of my days trying to find something to do. I asked for a meeting with my boss the next day, asked a few questions to make sure I hadn't got the wrong end of the stick and to doublcheck that I was right, then quit on the spot. I'd lasted less than 24 hours.
And that is how I quit my job in less than a day
I worked for a bookstore for 7 years but had been trying to get a job in a Library for 2 (I know, big leap career-wise ;p ). I finally got offered a job at a public library - YES! Finally! And considering what's happening with public libraries over here in the UK, nothing short of a minor miracle! I hand in my notice to the book store and wait to start my new job and new career, bright eyed, bushy tailed and full of ideas about how to contribute to Libraries. They're under severe threat in the UK so Libraries are going all out across the country to really revamp their image, get back into their communities needs and generally remind everyone of how awesome they are - what a career to join for someone new and eager!
I get there, and the first thing I do is get plonked in front of a computer to watch various videos about H&S and how to talk to the public (because God knows I hadn't done that in the 7 years I ran a section at the bookstore...). I ask if this is really neccessary because it's clear from my CV that I've done all this already. No, boxes have to tbe ticked so there I must sit.
Several hours later and I am informed that whilst I will work this weekend and will be helping the public with their enquiries, I will not have computer access or catalogue training until the following week, so no real helping the public for me. I am left to shelve for the last hour of my shift, all of which I finish in twenty minutes and spend the next 40 minutes ambling round looking for something to do. There is nothing - I geuinely have no idea what the other staff are so busy doing because there is literally NOTHING to do and no one to help.
I check my schedule. At interview I'd been shown a 4 day working week with what looked like alternate weekends. Now my schedule included working every Saturday (something which didn't even happen at my old retail job) and despite working onyl 4 days did not include any days off back-to-back. I would essentially have no weekend.
I asked if Library staff looked after any sections in particular or had any pet projects. I got blinks and a 'Well, I suppose you could say X is So-and-so's project'.... I asked about using a beautiful big display gallery in the Library for literary events, or something to really big the Library up at a time when public libraries are under severe threat. 'Oh no, no, that's Y's thing, we couldn't do that, maybe if you asked so-and-so they could have a think about it and ask the council and Z....?'.
I was dismayed. I'd just come from a job where I'd been in charge of a section, was used to working quickly and efficiently and had been given enough responsibility to try out and take on extra projects (something that was pretty risky considering how dodgy book retail could be). In one day at the library I'd learnt that not only was working quickly not really neccessary (what the Hell did they fill their days with?!) but that working on extra projects wasn't really going to happen either and would involve a lot of wool-gathering and navelgazing if so. Another lady had been hired at the same time as me for the same job but had started her training a week earlier - she still didn't know a week later what exactly she was going to be doing at the Library!
I couldn't believe it. I'd heard about libraries being in crisis in this country of course, and had heard about all the amazing things happening in public libraries around despite this. Librarians seemed geared up around the UK to prove that libraries are not the dry stereotype and are in fact vibrant, alive and the incredibly neccessary hearts of their communitities. This Library seemed to have not got the memo. This was not a place to be eager, ready and raring, creative or enterprising. This was somewhere to fill your day with.
I thought I was going to be bored out of my mind and spend most of my days frustrated. I was going to learn very little beyond how to use the Library catalogue and spend most of my days trying to find something to do. I asked for a meeting with my boss the next day, asked a few questions to make sure I hadn't got the wrong end of the stick and to doublcheck that I was right, then quit on the spot. I'd lasted less than 24 hours.
And that is how I quit my job in less than a day
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