Working as a Repository Assistant may seem a rather simple task, yet one needs to master a range of very specific skills and demonstrate high levels of proficiency in order to match the requirements set for the job. Although the responsibilities of a Repository Assistant are very numerous and demand great efforts, I believe that I am fully qualified for the above-mentioned job, since I have the responsibility, the dedication and the skills required to carry out the key tasks in a manner as efficient and expeditious as possible.
Moreover, being a Repository Assistant means making efficient use of the latest technological advances, which I support fully and approve of. In the realm of the 21st century, when information technologies define the course of people’s personal and professional lives, having a good command of the IT tools related to one’s job is an essential skill, which I have an excellent knowledge of. Not only am I capable of working with the computer programs that are traditionally utilised in navigating and allocating library resources, but also have a good command of using both the standard MS Windows operating system and the Ubuntu.
Additionally, I work on improving my skills in using the related software regularly; particularly, I am studying currently in order to have a better understanding of the XML and metadata schema. As a result, I am capable of recording, reviewing and updating the information that I work with. I believe that this skill will help me improve the arrangement and location of the resources of the University of Stanford, as well as the process of categorising the resources within the repository.
Apart from having an excellent command of the aforementioned issues, I have a vast experience in working with social media. Particularly, I have arranged a number of activities by using several key social media resources, such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterst, etc. for attracting the target population. Therefore, I am capable of working with a range of uncoordinated data and arrange it properly so that the information could be located easily and used successfully.
Moreover, I have a range of communication skills, which will help me carry out the tasks of a Repository Assistant in the most efficient manner. Specifically, my ability to negotiate successfully and prevent as well as manage workplace conflicts deserves to be mentioned. Although the responsibilities of a Repository Assistant are often restricted to arranging data, communication with the rest of the team members, as well as the Scholarly Communication Manager, remains a priority.
There is no secret, though, that even flawless communication skills cannot guarantee a complete absence of conflicts. Moreover, conflicts in the workplace are often inevitable. However, I am positively certain that even confrontations may be used as a tool for improving the operations within the library, as well as relationships in the workplace, as long as important lessons are learned in the process. In other words, I prefer adopting a Constructivism approach towards managing interpersonal communication processes in the workplace.
Additionally, I have developed a flexible approach towards the negotiation process. To be more exact, I deploy the strategy that allows for compromising and presupposes that all parties involved should be convinced to compromise in order to locate the solution that is favourable to all the stakeholders. Consequently, the approach adopted for negotiation promotes a more objective and peaceful process of decision making, in the course of which the stakeholders locate the solution, which addresses the needs of all those involved.
Despite the fact that the approach in question is rather complicated, I have developed the communication skills that help apply the necessary tactics and make a compromise. I believe that the specified skill is essential for a Repository Assistant, as the latter has to work with a variety of data and, thus, is exposed to the possibility of having a different perspective on the information acquired than the rest of the team members.
Finally, I must mention several personal characteristics of mine, such as scrupulosity and attention to details. While a range of people may find the specified qualities insignificant, while others may even relate them to a mere inclination for nitpicking, these traits of character are what makes me efficient as a Repository Assistant.
Since the job of the latter requires that a vast amount of information should be not only collected and categorised, but also checked carefully, it is essential that a Repository Assistant should be attentive to details. This is the point, at which my inclination to analysing data carefully factors in; I am fully capable of identifying the slightest inconsistencies and locating their source immediately.
Having a vast amount of experience and the skills that make me perfectly suitable for the position of a Repository Assistant, I hope that my application will be considered. Although I may not come up with the approach that will revolutionise the specified area, I am positively certain that I will be able to keep the data sets of the University of Stanford.