Tonight, a sitcom character after my own heart professed to write three letters when he began each new job:
- an action plan;
- a letter to his four-year-old self; and
- a resignation letter.
I thought, cool. Cool cool cool.
Then I wrote those letters for my most recently-acquired role.
I'll post only a small fragment of the third letter, as abides good taste. Enjoy the brief spats of the others, with luck, as much as I did.
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Three letters for: Assistant Dealer (Rare Books and Manuscripts)
Action Plan
My survey of the first two and a half weeks leads me to use the priority system as my frame. Thus:
Priority 1
- update or master FileMaker to keep up with growing needs
- gain expertise in terms, systems and instincts of all rare book, manuscript, autograph and collections dealings.
- learn to juggle full scope of responsibilities and deadlines (full schedule) with finesse.
Letter to my Four-Year-Old Self
Hey little stranger. Four is so young. You don’t need someone else to tell you that. You’re learning so much!
When you’re twenty-eight (I know! A gazillion years! Yes, you’ll be that old! and older!!!) you’ll be learning a lot about books. Not just books. The people who wrote the books, too. And the people who liked those books, and how those people made other people like the books, and ways the books affected stuff. It’s a lot about books! You like books, don’t you? I love books. You have so much to learn from them.
In my (your) job, I research all about these books, writing stuff up and making other people’s writings prettier. Then my team and I (another nice lady and a cool eccentric older man) find people who like the books and things we have. We package all our books up and get them in the hands of people who value them. It’s neat! People are happy to have their books for a whole bunch of interesting reasons, and we’re happy to explain why these books are interesting, find the books, and get them to nice people who are excited to receive them.
There’s some boring stuff in the job. Working with tape and scissors (sometimes it knots and it’s frustrating), packaging stuff up to make sure it’s safe while traveling, rushing around to find things that get lost and pick up things that are too valuable to sit around alone. Mostly you’re happy now, at the old-old age of twenty-eight, to be working with books and so-ci-o-lo-gi-cal markers. No, not the kind that write.
You’ll get it when you learn to read. Love you! Bye.
Resignation Letter
Dear [employer],
Thank you for the incredible opportunity. I never dreamed that I would get to work with living historical artifacts, yet this exactly has been my privilege since my first day here. That is why it is with the deepest regret that, as of today, I must tender my ---.
...
I trust that this resignation will be received with the good and honest intent with which it was written, and with all my regard.
Sincerely,
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