In which the real world begins to loom uncomfortably over our heroine

[rhyll]

Yesterday was the culmination of a series of days in which the Real World got closer and more depressing.


I've been looking for jobs over the last couple of weeks, and have found only two that looked:
a) even vaguely interesting, and
b) worth applying for.

This is depressing in itself. I really, really, wanted to believe that the outcome of spending about two decades of my life being Educated would be that I was a useful and productive member of society. Rather than basically unemployable. Okay, yes, I've done an arts degree, but I would like to think there are still Uses for us. Thinking about it realistically, though, I guess that trying to stick to Perth is going to make things a lot harder. Also, given that my interests run more towards changing the status quo, I shouldn't be surprised that there aren't six thousand ads titled "CHANGE THE SYSTEM - GREAT PAY, BONUSES, CONTACT sarah@status.quo.com.au".

Yesterday I heard that I didn't even get an interview for the job at Oxfam I applied for. I also freaked out a bit about potentially getting a fill-in job, and then finding it hard to get work in research/teaching because of it. And then freaked out a bit more about the general lack of jobs in my field.

So, anyway. Yesterday I also went to a workshop on how to be a better teacher. It was, in itself, useful and interesting. But the whole thing was presented in the context of "OMFG GFC etc etc growing class sizes must save money for the uni by being a more 'efficient' teacher". Now, I want to be a better teacher. But I bristle at the suggestion that the uni is mightily impoverished and that teachers should be the first line of cost cutting. Teaching, learning, and researching is what the university is for. Maybe the uni could cut back on building huge !$#%#&%$ business buildings if it's feeling so very poor. Perhaps. When I suggested that perhaps teachers shouldn't just passively accept and react to such changes in the 'learning environment', the workshop coordinator looked at me like I was mad. And then started her next sentence with something about how "There are lots of ways that you, as an individual, can save yourself time and the university money".

I spent most of yesterday, once the workshop was over, sitting around the house, trying to summon up the energy to do difficult things like make tea.

Anyway. Then J gently pushed me out of the house on my bicycle, and I cycled to Greek, and I felt better and made Plans.

So I'm finally going to get my act together and join a union. Not just because I don't want to be screwed by the university (although I don't), but because I care about my students. I want some kind of vehicle for standing up for good teaching, and a good learning environment, as well as my own rights.

Of course, this is assuming I can get some teaching work.

For now, I am trying not to be too dispirited by the whole job situation. I should be able to get some tutoring in my department next semester, which will carry me through to the uni holidays. I'll use that time to finish off my thesis and send out book proposals and work on my Greek and maybe de-stress a bit (but probably not). After that, we'll see. I'm looking at government jobs, and I'm handing in CVs to other Perth unis, and I'm keeping my eyes out for anything else that might be interesting.

It's going to be okay.

Comments

[boxer-the-horse.livejournal.com]

Yeah I remember that feeling.

[droneboy.livejournal.com]

I've only got a BA, and I run the government[1].

Have you considered public service/QuaNGO jobs?

One thing you can't change is Teh Quo...[2]


[1] well, my own small corner of it
[2] long-running meme on b3ta.com

[alexmoon.livejournal.com]

I've been looking at pretty much everything, including government/governmentish stuff. I am not necessarily averse to public service/QuaNGO stuff, but have thus far been thwarted by the lack of any suitable positions to apply for.

[the-widow-black.livejournal.com]

You would be ridiculously over-qualified, but there's always the level 1 government pool. I got an expression of interest for something quite interesting in the Department of Arts from that.

[alexmoon.livejournal.com]

It may be worth a try!

[tiny-monster.livejournal.com]

Don't be discouraged, Sky! I had to work a fill-in job for about a year before I found this one. It paid the bills and actually taught me some stuff, and now I have a job I love! Just remember, just because it doesn't happen right away doesn't mean it'll never happen.

[alexmoon.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I have to admit, when I am thinking of Awesome Jobs your job often springs to mind, and it is cheering :)

[tiny-monster.livejournal.com]

My PA is an owl!

[boxer-the-horse.livejournal.com]

Mine is me :C

[boofuls.livejournal.com]

"Ah, Mr McOwlison, who is my 3 o'clock?"

"Hoooooooooooo"

"Yes, Mr McOwlison, who."

"Hoooooooooooo"

"Yes, Mr McOwlison. Who is my 3 o'clock? Who is it that I am meeting with at 3 o'clock in the afternoon?"

"Hooooooooooo"

"Oh, never mind. I'll just look in my calendar myself then."

"O RLY?"

[alexmoon.livejournal.com]

Please write more Stuff. I want to live in a world in which at least 75% of pop culture is scripted by you.

[campoalto.livejournal.com]

Decades on, it's still a shame the networks refused to pick up Abbott and Costellowl...

[lisamax.livejournal.com]

oh you guyses. you make me laugh.

[bondles.livejournal.com]

I don't disagree with you for a moment about where the University's priorities should lie, but in the interest of you Knowing Your Enemy, this:

Maybe the uni could cut back on building huge !$#%#&%$ business buildings if it's feeling so very poor.

is an unproductive line of argument against the university, because those buildings are pretty much entirely funded out of constrained money. In particular, a certain proportion of international student fees (of which the business school generates a lot) must, by law, be spent on new buildings. A lot comes from the government in the form of HEEF/EIF grants, which again are only given for building stuff and not for paying teachers. Huge research grants usually require huge financial commitments from the university as well, which ties up still more of the money. Universities have a lot of money, but very little that they have discretion over; they're not blowing smoke when they say they're pretty hard up at the moment.

I'm not defending the idea that teaching should suffer to cut corners; just informing.

[alexmoon.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the information. Of course, I should have acknowledged that many of these new developments don't just come from the uni, they're a result of broader government policies.

[boofuls.livejournal.com]

I hear that on average it takes 3 months to find a job? That's what I heard somewhere? I don't know where, or when, or if I just made it up, but maybe it's a thing?

Also, fill-in job doesn't mean you *have* to lose your will to live. If you're lucky (or have a phd), you could get some part time work somewhere unstressful while you use the other time to look for more better jobs? And, it's totally totally a lie what people say about wanting to hire fresh graduates for awesome jobs. Everyone wants some experience, even if it is just experience fupping about on the phone all day. So a fill-in job might be a good idea anyway, just to beef up your non-research part of your resume?

Also, remember, I have a stupid fill-in job that has made me lose the will to live, and I don't have any postgraduate qualifications and I was hired right out of graduating basically. And the job that I got by actually applying with an actual application and an interview ended up in court. So, y'know, my advice is pretty pointless.

In summation: hello! I like pie!

[alexmoon.livejournal.com]

Thank you! These are good things to remember. Also, I am taking the latter part of your advice to mean that I should probably not do any interviews. They turn out badly! :)