Having become more than a little disenchanted with the world of newspaper journalism (but holding a pretty decent portfolio of work from the sector), I've decided to put my skills and experience to different uses and explore the different avenues of work that I could pursue. I can always return to reporting and working as a trainee reporter (tea monkey/photocopier/Pensioner-Approved Non-Threatening Young Person) at a later date. Don't get me wrong, a lot of my friends from my post-grad are now working as PANTYPs and seem to love it, as I did when I was one for a few months - but it just isn't for me at the minute.
Without wanting to oversimplify or misjudge any types of jobs from the image I currently hold of them, I like to think I could adapt my knowledge to do something to the effect of these:
Without wanting to oversimplify or misjudge any types of jobs from the image I currently hold of them, I like to think I could adapt my knowledge to do something to the effect of these:
PR. Lovingly referred to as "the dark side" by journalists. I've gained a little experience of acting voluntarily as a press officer for, oh, the UK Computer Nerds Committee, for the last six months. I've been to positively thrilling meetings, talks and day outings to Other Universities, made press releases and generally collated information and been a useful go-between for the UKCNC and the people they are dealing with. It's fairly simple and enjoyable enough, and looks like something I could have a go at. I know there's an awful lot more to the job than just talking to people and banging out a couple of press releases now and then, but I've enjoyed these bits so far and shouldn't mind having a closer look at the ins and outs of the industry. Plus, my friend Annie works as the press officer for a Successful Midlands Rugby Club and is having a ball. (No pun intended, honestly. It just sort of happened.) I think working as a junior press officer or editorial assistant could suit me quite well.
Publishing. I would love to get into publishing, specifically into marketing or promotion for children's books. I read the local library inside-out, back to front and page to page when I was a nipper (before I realised how to read books properly) and always had an obnoxiously high reading age as compared to my actual age. I still love kid's books now, as well as regular fiction, especially bad teenage horrors (no, not that series) and anything with talking animals is always a bonus. I think how books are marketed towards children is incredibly important, and there's one publishing house in Scotland who are doing an excellent job producing easy to read and accessible books for kids who either struggle with reading or are dyslexic, or just don't fancy books that much. I've picked up a few of their short stories before and they really are great and not patronising in the slightest, which I think is vital for helping kids to not stand out for the wrong reasons. I can't empathise with struggling to read, but I can definitely empathise from a mathematical viewpoint, as maths may as well be a foreign language to me. If I could be involved with a company helping kids to love reading then I would feel like I was doing something useful and important as well as working with something I love.
I'm keeping it short and sweet today! These two job sectors are the main ones I'm having a peek at at the moment, I'm doing my research like a good little journo - I guess that part will never lose its appeal.
