Today I'm pleased to say that I have a blog post published in the online version of the Guardian newspaper. Despite a great demand for qualified linguists in the UK the job marker remains tough and getting the job (and indeed career) you dream of can take a lot of hard work, as well as tears and frustration. Then again you have to see it as a journey and not a one-way trip! (Sorry I hate that "journey" metaphor - it's very over-used!)
As you can see from the post I've recently started a new job so posts here on Happy Linguist have been a bit sparse this month - I can only apologise.
I've also had a blog post published on Heriot Watt University's lifeinlincs blog, written from a translator's perspective, please feel free to read and comment on that.
I hope to have some new and fresh blogs for you soon, so please bookmark the page and visit again soon!
Paul,
ReplyDeleteI saw your comments on the Guardian. You can email me at tomcasagranda@yahoo.co.uk as I am a Latin scholar. I have added what I think also of gubernatorial employment below.
Tom
Hi,
I missed this, and am tremendously disappointed as a consequence.
Many years' back I graduated with a first in Classics, and, consequently, took a Masters in the Classical Tradition, which is all about the reception of the Ancient World. Since graduating in 1997, employment has been awful in the extreme. I have gone through the mind-numbing low paid government roles, until I accepted redundancy. I have, perhaps misguidedly, perhaps hopefully, that employment should match ability, but this has never been the case.
I have always wished, always desired, always felt that a copy-writing job would be perfect for me. Ancient Greek Rhetoric was a course that I excelled in at university, but these jobs never come along. I have even suffered someone at my local Jobseekers recommend that I remove my degree as it would not create the scenario of me being over-qualified.
I find that, to think outside the box in an institutionalised gubernatorial role, is the equivalent of Macmurphy questioning Nurse Ratchett in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest: they, the powers that be, will only let you do it for so long, and then they will break you in two.
I am on my second spell of unemployment. I have, consequently, kicked into touch and refused to bother with applying for anything on www.directgov.uk, the officially sanctioned JSA website, as it is far too Procrustean, dumbed-down, for me, and the roles are not challenging enough for me.
I just wish someone would consider me for something talented, as I am a Briton with academic talents, intellectual talents, writing talents, and not someone that can bring a dog on stage. I am, also, introverted until I have a pen or a typewriter by my side, and then I can write away on any given subject.