Changing Careers

Published on May 30, 2007 By cactoblasta In Blogging

As I think I may have mentioned before, for the last six months or so I've been working for the Man. It's been pretty much a full time job, but with a few classes of uni thrown in just to spice up the mix, and frankly I'm totally over it. Rather than enjoying working in the field for which I'm trained (ASEAN and general international politics analysis) I've instead found it boring, intellectually stifling and a black hole that sucks at my soul.

So recently I've started looking for other jobs. I graduate in a few weeks so it hasn't been a particularly strenuous search (I've got too much to do to spend much time on applications) but I have knocked off a few apps and sat for some interviews in fields as various and exciting as marketing, GR (gov relations; like public relations but replace the public with public servants), journalism and the 'soft' government fields like health and education.

I'm particularly sticking out for a job for a local newspaper that's going at the moment, so wish me luck or bad fortune (whichever floats your boat) and I'll let you know how it goes.

But yeah, in lieu of an apology this is an explanation for why I may have been a little irritable (and why I'm increasingly convinced JU is being infected with a zombie like insane rightie virus (danielost and all those nuts who came out for brad's islam articles? and I thought crazy ol' doc miler was frothing at the mouth!).

So yeah, cheers to those of my faves who still blog here. You know who you are.

Comments (Page 1)

shadesofgrey

on May 30, 2007

I've instead found it boring, intellectually stifling and a black hole that sucks at my soul.

I feel like we work in the same place.

Moderateman

on May 30, 2007

here is hoping you find the perfect job, one that is challenging, rewarding and pays a ton of money too.

oh yeh and benifits lots of benifits!

elie

Meg? this job is making you sad and unhappy, maybe time to move on?

Tova7

on May 30, 2007

Newspaper work is fun...not a sucking black hole that's for sure.

Hope you get it!

cactoblasta

on May 30, 2007

I feel like we work in the same place.

Probably! I'm pretty junior though. I spend most of my time ferrying paper around and doing research nobody reads. I think the people I work with though are the worst. Everyone senior is a pretentious knobjockey, and the few equal to me seemed to have no greater goal than to follow in the boss' footsteps.

If I never hear someone make jokes about obscure Malaysian ministers, or start a sentence with "When I volunteered in the Andes as {insert pious do-gooder mission here}..." again I'll know there is a god.

here is hoping you find the perfect job, one that is challenging, rewarding and pays a ton of money too.

I'm not expecting to make anywhere near as much money if I get this job (it'll be about 3/4 of the paycheck), but that's okay - I've decided I'd rather be poor than bored out of my skull.

Moderateman

on May 30, 2007

(Citizen)cactoblastaMay 30, 2007 11:14:12

I'm not expecting to make anywhere near as much money if I get this job (it'll be about 3/4 of the paycheck), but that's okay - I've decided I'd rather be poor than bored out of my skull.

cacto... All I was doing was wishing you the best of all worlds, this was about me being kind to you, not about what YOU expect.

foreverserenity

on May 30, 2007

Good luck with whatever comes your way!

Dr Guy

on May 30, 2007

I've decided I'd rather be poor than bored out of my skull.

You just won the prize! With that attitude, eventually you will have both! - No, not bored and poor! Good job and interesting!

Best of luck. Link your by-lines once you get it!

crimson

on May 30, 2007

I've been mulling over the idea of getting out of my career. While I love theatre, I hate the whole grantwriting, budgets, and grantwriting bit of it. Since it takes up much of my time, and production weeks are even more hellish hour-wise, I only spend about a tenth of my working week doing stuff that is actually interesting.

I agree with you about the money bit, too, though it's hard to make the adjustment to go lower, financially.

Good luck!

shadesofgrey

on May 30, 2007

If I never hear someone make jokes about obscure Malaysian ministers, or start a sentence with "When I volunteered in the Andes as {insert pious do-gooder mission here}..." again I'll know there is a god.

I think I know the type. When I was trying to get into the US Foreign Service I went to a bunch of events and prep sessions for the tests. I used to place bets on when the first person would chime in with "Last year, I singlehanddly brought water and electricty to a small rural village in Farflungistan, and that was after spending three years trying to save a rare species of beatles in Imfullabull -- do you think that I should mention this on the registration form?" (Note, the registration form asked only for your name and address).

There's a reason that I let that dream die even after getting all the way through and offered a job -- I can think of nothing worse than being stuck in an Embassy on some far corner of the earth with people like that -- I'd rather eat fire and walk over hot coals and broken glass for a living.

Which, on some days, isn't far from what I actually do...

PS. MM -- I'm starting to look. I'll take all advice and suggestions.

dynamaso

on Jun 01, 2007

boring, intellectually stifling and a black hole that sucks at my soul.

Hmm, this reminds me of the job I've had for the last 10 years. The pay off now is I have long service leave sitting in my account. If they decide to look for fresh souls, they will have to pay me out for this first.

Good luck with the newspaper job. Let me know which publication it is when you get the job and I'll write nasty letters to the editor criticising everything you write LOL

cactoblasta

on Jun 01, 2007

Everyone: Cheers for the support!

I agree with you about the money bit, too, though it's hard to make the adjustment to go lower, financially.

I'm only working part-time (part time as in 25 hours a week) at the moment so the pay would be roughly the same, I'd just be working 15 hours more. Not as good as shifting to full-time where I am but much better in the long-term, I think.

I'm with ya. I've been to a few parties for DFAT (foreign affairs and trade) folks and they're constantly launching into pretentious tales about their holiness. One of the main reasons I decided to 'forgot to reply' to a testing invite. Of course what I eventually accepted hasn't turned out so well either...

Good luck with the newspaper job. Let me know which publication it is when you get the job and I'll write nasty letters to the editor criticising everything you write LOL

fo sho. In related news I've been put off til monday to hear about it...which is good because it shows they're seriously considering me (they told me not to accept any other jobs before they get back to me) but it's bad because I won't know til monday.

Arrgh.

Gideon MacLeish

on Jun 02, 2007

Good luck, cacto. One of the many benefits of working many and various jobs with values like yours is that you get to experience a multitude of different settings, giving you broader insight into labor conditions and the real state of the working class. It can be a real populist education if you let it.

But being out of work sucks.

Tell the newspaper guys Gid sent ya. Of course they'll look at you strange having no farking clue who I am, but it'll boost my ego to be name dropped on t'other side of the world, and on the one-in-a-million chance they've actually heard of me, and the even smaller chance that they agree with my politics, it might help. Just don't forget what you learned about Google and ya should be fine (lol)!

Hope things get to looking better for yas. Have a beer for me next time you're out, allright?

cactoblasta

on Jun 02, 2007

One of the many benefits of working many and various jobs with values like yours is that you get to experience a multitude of different settings, giving you broader insight into labor conditions and the real state of the working class. It can be a real populist education if you let it.

Hmm, not really sure what you're saying here but I don't think there'll be a value change between working for the government and writing pleasant lies for private industry, let alone any fresh insights into the real state of the working class.

If you're saying I lack perspective on the lives of the poor then that's your judgement, but I would like to remind you that I lived in a peasant village in a third world country for six months so I do have some idea of what the really poor go through.

People I meet in the course of the newspaper job are likely to be as middle-class as I am.

But being out of work sucks.

I'm not out of work, I'm just looking for a career change, so I'm not really suffering for lack of funds, it's just a lifestyle thing.

Tell the newspaper guys Gid sent ya. Of course they'll look at you strange having no farking clue who I am, but it'll boost my ego to be name dropped on t'other side of the world, and on the one-in-a-million chance they've actually heard of me, and the even smaller chance that they agree with my politics, it might help. Just don't forget what you learned about Google and ya should be fine (lol)!

Isn't your nickname from literature? The paper itself is as literate as major metropolitans get so maybe they would know it.

Hope things get to looking better for yas. Have a beer for me next time you're out, allright?

just did so, although i believe the technical term is jagerbomb.

cactoblasta

on Jun 09, 2007

I'd just like to say I got the job, so come the beginning of next month I'll be working for a combination of the two least trusted industries in the country - advertising and journalism. Awesome.

Dr Guy

on Jun 11, 2007

I'll be working for a combination of the two least trusted industries in the country - advertising and journalism. Awesome.

At least you are not going to be a Used Car Saleman.

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