Making a career of a hobbie
Isn't that the perfect job?! Doing something you are passionate about and being paid for it!
Our hobbies are the things we choose to do because we enjoy doing them. Wouldn't everyone like to be paid to do the things they love doing? Well I thought, foolishly it seems, that I could do just that. That I could realise my dream and become a full time communicator of science. It is my hobbie, my passion, and I am fortunate enough to have been able, on occassion, to make it part of my job!
I recently went to a job interview, it was for a science communication/outreach related post. I was really confident, I had a strong application that matched the job description and a good presentaion which went well...but then I was asked a barrage of questions I could not answer! Not elegant I know, but I sat there in stunned silence! So how did I get it so wrong?!
It turns out that I needed skills and experiences that I simply cannot obtain as a full time researcher, not whilst I am supposed to be doing...well...research!! It sounds like I'm bitter that I did a bad interview....oh no, not at all. Humiliated? Yes, but bitter? No. In fact, I am actually quite amused by the whole thing. Clearly the job was not for me. But am I committed to be an academic for the rest of my life? Will science communication only ever be a hobby? Maybe! Or maybe it's simply a question of priorities. I am, by my own admission, a jack of all trades and my communication experience reflects this. We can't all be experts in everything and I can't help thinking that I should pick a particular area that I enjoy (am good at!) and become a 'master' in that one field. Really taking it by the horns. It's going to take quite a lot of hard work, and possibly some retraining, to get there. But if you want something badly enough...
...if only one could simply order a career to be served on a silver platter!
Our hobbies are the things we choose to do because we enjoy doing them. Wouldn't everyone like to be paid to do the things they love doing? Well I thought, foolishly it seems, that I could do just that. That I could realise my dream and become a full time communicator of science. It is my hobbie, my passion, and I am fortunate enough to have been able, on occassion, to make it part of my job!
I recently went to a job interview, it was for a science communication/outreach related post. I was really confident, I had a strong application that matched the job description and a good presentaion which went well...but then I was asked a barrage of questions I could not answer! Not elegant I know, but I sat there in stunned silence! So how did I get it so wrong?!
It turns out that I needed skills and experiences that I simply cannot obtain as a full time researcher, not whilst I am supposed to be doing...well...research!! It sounds like I'm bitter that I did a bad interview....oh no, not at all. Humiliated? Yes, but bitter? No. In fact, I am actually quite amused by the whole thing. Clearly the job was not for me. But am I committed to be an academic for the rest of my life? Will science communication only ever be a hobby? Maybe! Or maybe it's simply a question of priorities. I am, by my own admission, a jack of all trades and my communication experience reflects this. We can't all be experts in everything and I can't help thinking that I should pick a particular area that I enjoy (am good at!) and become a 'master' in that one field. Really taking it by the horns. It's going to take quite a lot of hard work, and possibly some retraining, to get there. But if you want something badly enough...
...if only one could simply order a career to be served on a silver platter!
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Add a Comment
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Comment by Claire Ainsworth on May 22, 2009 at 11:03am -
Hi Emma,
Sorry to hear the interview didn't go your way! But rest assured there are many jobs out there that don't require knowledge of the National Curriculum. Jobs like this are regularly advertised on the psci-com mailing list--are you on that? If you are interested in learning more about schools outreach, the Science Learning Centre at York might be able to help: http://www.sciencelearningcentres.org.uk/
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Comment by Emma Johnson on May 20, 2009 at 12:40pm -
Additionally, there is an issue of supply and demand here, it seems to me that the market is flooded with full time science communicators - does it need any more?! Maybe I could serve the scientific commmunity better by remaining a scientist but keeping up the outreach in my spare time or as part of my job?
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Comment by Emma Johnson on May 20, 2009 at 12:37pm
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Thanks Dan. I agree that this would certainly be a good way forward. In 2005 I started the MSc Sci Comm at UWE. Fantastic course and I severely regret having to give it up. I did the whole of the first year (PT) but unfortunately the exams fell in the same week I had to go away for work. My job had to come first so I never completed the course. A few years on, maybe I should consider taking that up again.
I have loads of Sci comm experinece with the general public but what I seem to really be lacking, is a good working knowledge of the National Curriculum. So much public engagment is steared towards trying to address national educational issues (and rightly so) but as a Researcher, I have done very little work with schools and subsequently, I know very little about educational issues so this is something I would have to research extensively. Admitedly, not entirely necessary if I were to continue outreach as part of a full time scientific career.
I didnt know that the OU also does a course so I will definately look that up! Hopefully there will be more flexibility for distance learning. Thanks.
Do you think that attending the British Science Association conference would help? I would have to pay for it myself and take annual leave to attend. In your unbiased(!) view, do you think I could seriously gain something from attending?
PS Pardon my ramblings but I am doing a lot of soul searching at the moment. I am at a crossroads in my life where I really need to make some quite significant career decisions. I had hoped that by the time I reached my 30s, I would have a clear career path - apparently life doesnt work like that!! :-)
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Comment by Dan Richards on May 20, 2009 at 12:21pm -
Hi Emma, there are some really good part time courses in science communication out there that are definitely worth doing, but real experiences in communicating science are also really good. I'm doing one at the moment with Birkbeck that has been fantastic, and has a number of researchers on it (who since starting the course have gone into sci com). Unfortunately the Birkbeck diploma has been axed and it turned out we were the last year to do it, it maybe returning as an MSc :o( But there are loads out there, and the OU does a part-time course too.
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