@jwax55 – generational differences can certainly account for a lot of these gaps! That wasn’t the case in my situation, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind. I can, however, blame a difference in archival training, as the individuals against whom I was butting heads (ever so gently!) aren’t archivists, or librarians, at heart, but rather programmers. That makes it even more difficult when trying to explain your perspective – they really cannot relate, while at the same time, I may not be able to relate to all the programming aspects.

@heidi – sorry your experience was such a downer – I hope you’re much happier where you’re at now!

@mgschultz – Good thing this job comes with dental, as I’m definitely cutting my teeth to the max! Also, I’d like to know more about MetaArchive – sounds like a cool gig!

@S – you are so very right. An outsider’s perspective could be valuable as I move forward. However, it can be difficult to get and outsider’s perspective sometimes without it feeling gossipy!

@Lance – I often feel like my inexperience is a burden to coworkers. I try to navigate the waters a lot myself, and I am a self-starter, but I always hesitate to ask “what’s next?” or “what should I be doing?” as I sometimes feel like I am bothering them.

One thing I think we should all remember is that our bosses should also be our mentors. Helping us, and teaching us, is what they are supposed to do. If they seem bothered (hopefully not exasperated) maybe we can just relax and think “hey, that’s their problem.” what, too snarky?

I think a lot of that stress is determined by the relationship we have with our colleagues. Do they also view themselves as our mentors, and view our missteps or misunderstandings as opportunities for growth (I mean everyday missteps here, not coming to work naked or eating manuscripts)? Or, do they view our inexperience as a burden? It is a great thing when it works out, but I am guessing that you need a lot more of the diplomacy and compromise that Bria and the commentors here mentioned when that is not the case. I wish I could relate a sure-fire method of making sure we enter a job that will be conducive to our professional growth, but I guessing that will come with experience, by which point we will not need any mentors. Curse you, irony.

Great job Bria!

Perhaps it helps to talk to someone outside of your department but within the same organization who is familiar with the inner workings of your department? That outsider’s perspective could provide considerations you have not thought of about how to navigate the climate and associated personalities.

Know the feeling. I’m not easily humbled, but certainly was over the previous Summer while I was doing digital preservation auditing for LOCKSS. My take-away from the Summer was that young librarians, archivists and preservationists really need to suck it up on some levels because for better or worse the professional climate in these fields are awash in big brains (who deserve respect), hard-workers, (who REALLY deserve respect), big egos, and lots of entitlement cases.

Not sure what the specifics of your case were but when I realized that in the end it does not really matter how much I ACTUALLY know, how much I THINK I know, how badly I BELIEVE things need to change – you don’t get to make an impact until you have done some swimming for a while and cut your teeth.

And interestingly, I have found that in my new work for the MetaArchive that when I have paused before thinking I have got the next biggest or best idea, that I am usually surprised by what I was missing in terms of the big picture. Good luck with navigating these crazy waters! Keep trusting your instincts and practicing your diplomacy!