career counselling
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- paraselene
since you're all primed for a feeding frenzy today, maybe you wouldn't mind brainstorming some new ideas for me vis-a-vis what i want to be when i grow up.
next week i'm going to start passionately pounding the pavement in search of gainful employment.
i'm gonna go ahead and apply to do this css/front end/accessibility stuff that moth has been so good as to teach me, but that's not really the be-all end-all for me.
i'm not good enough to design things and i've moved around so much and been all over the map for so long that i feel like whatever i do i'll still be a novice.
i'm gonna try and shop around at translation agencies, but i don't know how hard it is to get your foot in the door with those.
i rather fancy doing some kind of freelance project management sort of thing, and i know there must be agencies out there for that, but google isn't very helpful and i don't really know anyone in the industry. do they exist?
i don't know what to do next. not sure i can do this office nonsense anymore.
you lot know me as well as anyone in irl, so... what do you think?
- kelpie0
-£10 for the first person who says cake-jumper
- Concrete0
My advice depends on how long we've got before you grow up.
When will you be grown up?
- paraselene0
i'll be 30 in may.
i'll never grow up.
i need to be something that pays me enough money to live by mid-april at the latest.
- Concrete0
I'm a firm believer
(*chuckle - 'firm') in projecting an image of success.
- paraselene0
what the hell does that mean?
- soda0
hey para, silly question but what do you want to do?
I mean really want to do?
Like, really? Where do you want to go, where do you want to be?
- soda0
..and I'm sorry for saying 'Like, really?'
gawd.
- paraselene0
that's the problem, soda. i don't really know.
i've always been one of those people that had too many opportunities, too many interests, too many skills.
i could probably be good at a lot of things, but i don't have any particular drive or fire or passion to do one thing.
i get really envious of people like architects, who knew what they wanted to be and made it happen.
sometimes i think about going back to school. doing a textile design course or yoga teacher training or curatorial theory or finish that stupid linguistics phd (don't think i'll do that, though...).
but going back to school seems kind of useless and impractical when i've spent half my life in schools and know that i can teach myself anything i want to learn...
i dunno. i think i'm just having a bit of a mid-life crisis.
i've been completely hamstrung for three years and now that i'm free it's like i've forgotten how to walk.
:l
- Concrete0
I understand how you feel para, I'm in a similar position myself.
You could do something like freelancing from home whilst looking into learning or acquiring the skill set you need for something more long term.
I know that would be boring but you wouldn't need to be in an office and you could pick and choose your work.
- soda0
Okay, well let's try this instead:
If a job the same as your old one (the charity place) came up again but with more money would you go for it?
If so, why?
What did you like about it?
What did you not like about it?
From the way you talk about yourself that sort of role seemed ideal?
- paraselene0
not sure i'd get enough work, is the problem. although i probably would...
thing is, that'd be a household with two freelancers, which just feels really unstable and scary to me.
part of me thinks i ought to just translate as much as possible (it's money for old rope, really and i don't have to think very hard to do it), maybe work in a cafe or something to bring in a bit of pocket money and get out of the house, and sit down and think and explore and really figure out what the hell i WANT to do.
- agentfour0
definately know how you feel.
MajorPlayers and Represent both recruit for design/project management i think. You can make good money being a project manager and work in some nice studios round london. Getting in at a big place might let you bridge from that into production if you have any knowledge or desire to work in film/broadcast.
Knowledge of usability and accessability could possibly get you well paid work in a government sector dealing with online work i'm guessing.....but would be pretty annoying/boring to work in most places like that im guessing.
I think a good way to change paths would be to get into a multi-disciplinary company where you can see everything going on around you and see where you can move around the company when opportunities arise.
- paraselene0
yeah, i suppose that job, without the shit pay and people taking credit for my work and a bit more editorial control would be great.
i'll keep looking at ngos, but part of me wants to work alone.
did you used to work at bd network, soda? i think i've got something there, but it seems a bit scary. didn't they have a massive wave of redundancies at one point?
- paraselene0
wow, thanks agentfour! that's brilliant information. i've worked in documentary film before and really loved it. i'll have a look at those agencies - thanks!
- Concrete0
Sounds like a plan para. It's not a decision to be made over night. Take as much time as you can afford to and things will fall into place.
- _salisae_0
cake juMPer
203 13th street #9 ne
atlanta, ga 30309you're very talented and living in a city of much opportunity .. i'm sure it will all work out in your favor
- Concrete0
paraselene means moon-like so just reach for the stars!
_salisae_
(Mar 8 07, 04:35)
- kelpie0
I second/third/whatever production
*tuppence added
- UndoUndo0
I always though you make a great Acc/Project Manager Para - remember that pitch we did? and the client feedback was all you!!
its probably more enjoyable (and better paid) than pushing around dots and hypens.
you've always seemed fairly free spirited to me but i think its that office thats the problem not offices in general - you didnt fancy going for the job i sent ya then?
- letters0
So, I got some other questions – as I think these things apply.
Are you married/single?
Children yet?
Are you interested in childern soon?I am asking because different people value different things.
If the only motivation at the moment is work/career – and you dont have a family of your own yet, my suggestion is thus:
Take some time and figure out what you *really* want to be doing now. That doesnt have to be your career for life, I think too many of us think our choices today have to be for always... So, maybe you need to do some soul-searching (so to speak), and find yourself a dream currently.
Once you have a good idea of that – make it happen. If you dont have any family obligations yet, and career at this point is important, I think its best if you take advantage of that position.