Here are three updates from past letter-writers.
1. Convention center will not turn down the music (#3 at the link)
I’m the guy who wrote about how, ever since the convention center my organization meets at was purchased by a chain, they blast loud music throughout the venue 24/7.
First of all, I was tickled by how many people were amused when I mentioned in the comments that we were a group of librarians. Secondly, we had our yearly meeting this spring at the same location. The music was turned way down and limited to the bars/common areas. I didn’t even notice it most of the time. However, on the last day when we were wrapping up, I noticed that the volume had cranked up again. Perhaps enough people groused last year that they turned it down just for us. That, or the management was terrified of being shushed by nearly a thousand stern librarians.
Another interesting thing: Due to the gender balance in librarianship, the convention center temporarily turns the main floor men’s bathroom into a women’s room, and us ‘guybrarians’ have to use another floor. I was wondering if any other career has such a gender imbalance that the restrooms reflect that.
2. My coworker said his boss kneed him in the groin
I don’t know how to start this update, to be honest, but I’ll give it my best go, regarding the knee-in-groin situation between Fergus, Jane, and Marshall.
My partner did go to HR, though it took some time to actually get ahold of anyone. That ended up being a very surprising conversation, because here’s the twist: HR had already investigated the situation when it happened… Last year! The whole shebang took place before my partner was ever hired! So Fergus may or may not have been lying about the incident (that’s still up for debate, although Jane and Marshall’s continued employment is a pretty big tell in my opinion), but he sure was playing fast and loose with the timeline.
As of right now, Fergus is on leave again, for the next two weeks. The scuttlebutt is that Jane is planning to revoke his access to the property completely, deactivating his passcodes, taking him off the schedule, and telling other security to let her know immediately if he’s seen there. My partner and I aren’t exactly sure if he’s outright fired or not, but it does sound like he’ll be enjoying his leave for longer than he expected.
3. Applying to a company where I previously withdrew from a hiring process (#5 at the link)
First of all, the comments were lovably unhinged that day (Diet Coke-Gate and feet pics trump my mild question). I really appreciated your advice!
It was mostly a non-issue. I addressed it in a matter-of-fact manner and we moved on. Short update is that I got the job!
Long answer: it turns out that I wasn’t the best fit for this exact role but the hiring manager slotted me in to interview for a position that hadn’t even been posted. I did a couple of rounds with them and got hugely positive feedback. They fast-tracked me through!
Coming from a slow, very bureaucratic industry (you can probably guess), this felt special! Downside, of course, is that they were fast tracking for a reason and it meant my fantasy life of a full week off between jobs won’t happen.
The negotiation phase was stressful — they came in lower than I would’ve liked — but worth it. Phew! Looking forward to the future.
I read the site daily and am so tickled you featured me!
