It's all Edward's fault

When I first came to Sheffield, intending to stay only for a year or so, I put in applications for a couple of library posts in various parts of England.  Given that I wasn't intending to stay in England there was nothing riding on the applications, but I was a bit surprised that I didn't get an interview for any of them, given that I easily met the selection criteria.  In the meantime, I had managed to get a clerical job at Sheffield Hallam University, working first in the HR department, and then in the Admissions Office.

I happened to mention this, one day in passing, to the head of the Admissions Department, herself a refugee librarian, and she suggested that I amble over to the relatively new and cutting edge Learning Centre and speak to Edward, one of its deputy directors, with whom she had been at University. She said that he was a wise and clever man who might be able to explain why I hadn't got any interviews and give me suggestions for improving my chances.  I was still, at that point, planning to return home eventually, but decided that I might was well come over and meet this person.

So I did.  And a few weeks later an application pack turned up on my desk in the Admissions Office, for a part time job in the Adsetts Centre.  I figured I might just as well apply for it.  It would be good practice.  So I did.  And much to my surprise, I got the job.  So I worked part time in the Admissions Office and part time in the Learning Centre for a year or so, before moving full time to the Learning Centre.  Where I still am. Some 12 or so years later.

In the meantime, the Director left and a new one came, very, very briefly.  Then a box of frogs took over and a hurricane of chaos overtook us.  Then the frogs disappeared and a new, uber-department was formed from several of the support departments, with a sane uber-head, and a certain level of calm reappeared.  Then Edward was appointed to what was effectively the position of Director of the Learning Centre (although that is not what he was called). And the building has grown and developed and been renovated, and our services have developed and changed, and our job descriptions have noticeably changed, and staff have come and gone. And sanity has more or less prevailed

And now Edward too has gone.  He retired on Friday. Lots of people came to his retirement do.  It was like watching a history of the Learning Centre walk through the doors!

So that's 4 directors I've seen out.  There's a new one coming in September.  I wonder if I'll outlast her as well!

But in the meantime, the fact that I seem to have been swallowed up by SHU is almost entirely Edward's fault.  I followed his advice on filling in library application forms absolutely to the letter.  And look at what happened!