Thus I was greeted at the Job Centre this morning by the officer who was supposed to help me with my job search. 'I am a librarian", I replied, I hope courteously.
For all that the place is stocked with IKEA-y furniture, the grilles have gone, the staff call each other, and the unemployed, by their first names and smoking is forbidden, I do not believe that the attitudes have changed much since the dismal unemployment office I used to attend in Cambridge in the mid-1970s, in ramshackle huts off Brooklands Avenue. I tried to ask the officer who interviewed me for advice on my cv, on overcoming age discrimination, on the possibilities of late entry into the civil service, but it was plain she was going through the motions.
I had a virtual bet with @SmilyLibrarian; I wagered an imaginary £5 I could make the Job Centre officer smile. I lost.
On a positive note, I don't really expect the Job Centre to be the source of anything worth applying for. But I do have hopes for recruitment by blog and tweet. So if you're reading this and could use a highly experienced and versatile information professional, with a flair for using social media and innovation, here's my cv. Do get in touch.