Whoever said the world’s economy is improving, they forgot to tell Ireland. This country is still in the grips of jobs loss fever, and despite depositing enough CVs around town to single-handedly find the University’s photocopier, I haven’t had so much as a call to interview. Of the three language schools in Galway, one has just laid off ten of their teachers, and another is so small I can’t imagine they have more than a couple of classrooms. As for more general jobs, I’m pretty sure I’m suffering from the ‘you’re overqualified’ problem, in which potential employers disregard anyone who they thinks’ likely to leave for something better. The chances of something better coming along anytime soon is very low, so that’s actually quite incredibly misguided, but short of writing an entirely false resume that portrays me as a man who’s spent most of his life in a supermarket, I there’s not a lot I can do.
Fortunately things are a little better on the writing front. Sean’s designed me a beautiful new website, which makes me look a whole lot more professional then before. I’m hoping it’s going to be a great help in picking up future work. Incidentally, if anyone has a few spare minutes and feels like heading over there and posting a few comments, you’d be doing me a massive favour. Having it look ‘used’ could make a big difference.
I’ve also landed a 3 month travel writing contract with a fairly large website. I’ll be producing 3 short city/ country overviews a day for that time, and whilst the income won’t be enough to live off, it’ll put me in a position where the ‘can afford to live off writing’ line is just about in site. Which leaves me with a bit of a dilemma: push for going fully freelance, and achieve something that’s been an aim pretty much since I first picked up a pen for financial purposes, or keep hunting for awful menial jobs that will keep me going until the economy looks even a fraction above absolutely dire.
The answer, I think, will depend on how the financial side of things go. If I find my bank account slowly draining, I’ll be forced to hit the CV trail again, but it’d be far preferable to go for some higher paid writing jobs, hopefully land a few, and push myself into a position where it could be a serious – if incredibly rocky – career path. I’m sure I’m not the only one, but I’m seriously sick of the recession, and the lack of options that come with it, but at least if the freelancing works out, I’ll be able to say that something great came out of it all.
Time to email some editors,
J x