InBlogNito

Lately I’ve been feeling really disenchanted with the work I do in the public service. It may be the particular role I’m in now, where it’s all reactive and very rarely strategic. It may be that government is just not the place for me. I figured I’d give it five years and see what happens, but one year in and I’m ready for a change. So when I was down south, stuck in a meeting I didn’t need to be in, I got to thinking ‘what else might I like to do?’. I came up with these options:

• Something in the banking industry. Only I checked the rate of pay for a personal banker and it was rubbish. But I’m going to see my bank person tomorrow so I might harrass him about his salary while I’m there! Or at least gain some insight into the sector.
• Sign-language intepreter. But you have to do a 1 or 2 year course (I think it’s two) in Auckland. Worst city in NZ. Dunno why a quarter of the population chooses to live there, I certainly wouldn’t!
• An editor/publisher. This seems the most viable. I’m always getting good feedback at work about how great I am at editing documents and writing letters, but there is not a creative bone in my body, so I couldn’t become a writer as such. And I checked out the necessary quals. There is a one year diploma that you need a previous tertiary qualification to enter, and it’s by interview etc etc, very exclusive. However it is at a polytech (which I think might be along the lines of a community college?), so I don’t know if it’s as revered in the publishing world as the polytech would like it to be. However, it’s worth checking out and my aunty is an editor so I can ask her about whether it’s worthwhile doing the qual first or just jumping right into an entry level job.

Either way, I’m stuck where I am for the rest of the year, I need that long to weigh up my options and save appropriately, because whatever I do, I can’t get into more student debt. There is an online option for the publishing course, but I’d rather attend classes.

As a 4th option I could move into strategic policy work proper and continue with the public sector where the money is relatively good at the lower levels and there are great benefits.

So that’s my thoughts at the moment…. all other’s two cents worth are more than welcome, just leave a comment.