Per My Last Email

Anonymous questions about work, life, and everything in between

How old are you?

31

What is your job?

I am a Library & Information Technician in an academic library.

What is your yearly income?

$62,000

What is your relationship status?

Single

Do you have any children?

Yes, I have a 12 year old daughter.

Did you attend college?

Yes, I have a BA in English & Cultural Studies and a 2 year Library & Information Technician college diploma.

If yes, are you currently using the degree you went to school for?

Yes, I am. I am using my 2 year college diploma.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

I wanted to be a forensic pathologist who does autopsies to solve crimes.

What do you think your younger self would think of you today?

I think she would be a bit sad in how jaded I've become. I was a quiet and a bit shy of a child, always reading. I'm now a more bitter and angry person because of how my life has become.

Do you love your work?

I enjoy my work, but not the location of it. I enjoy seeing and working with my colleagues more than anything about my job.

Do you think you should love your work?

I think I should. If you don't enjoy it, it will make you a husk of yourself when you are going to a job you don't love. It will weigh you down and you will start to resent a lot.

What is your work-life balance like?

I find myself going to work and then home and that's it. I live in the city where I work, but the commute has been getting worse so a lot of time is wasted traveling. I'm normally too tired to do anything after work.

What is one thing you had to learn the hard way?

Your boss is not your friend. They're not someone you can tell all your problems to even if they seem like you can.

What is something you wish you'd known early in your career?

How to deal with difficult coworkers. Dealing with someone on a daily basis who puts their anxiety on you when they don't have control over decisions is a hard lesson to learn.

What is one piece of advice every woman needs to hear?

I think keeping your personal life separate from your work life makes everything a lot easier. When they crossover and coworkers become friends, it's hard to separate the two and lines become crossed, which can ultimately make it hard if you move on or if they do.

What's one thing you're struggling with? (at work or otherwise)

Coworker drama. I have a very difficult coworker that others also don't get along with because she has this need to control everything. If a decision is made within the space without her input or if she wasn't "consulted," she becomes very passive aggressive and it becomes toxic in the office.

What's one thing bringing you joy? (at work or otherwise)

My daughter. I look forward to seeing her everyday after work because she makes me smile so much. I've been trying to find the joy in life and she's been bringing it for me.

Have something you want to get off your desk? Answer this anonymous questionnaire to be included in a future edition of Per My Last Email: