skills I actually enjoy using #1
A blogging facebook friend posted a status message asking for advice on a recipe today so I happily chased down the answer via google. This isn't someone I've had much direct contact with, so I kind of felt like a loser, or at least awkward, for being so eager to help, but I love finding answers for people. After fighting with apathy all morning when faced with my experiments (I have done some real work, too), it was nice to feel some enthusiasm and like I could be helpful.
Several of the career search books I've read include exercises involving identifying your favourite skills. I tend to think I don't have any useful skills, or at least any people would pay for, so I've had trouble making these lists. I'm going to try taking note whenever I actually enjoy something, though, even if I can't immediately think of a job that would use it.
So, number one on the new list is looking up answers to questions for people.
I know I have much more enthusiasm for answering questions that don't require experimentation. I think I also prefer answering questions for other people. I can follow google results or wikipedia entries out of interest for a while, but I lose interest much more quickly if I'm not trying to help someone else out. I like feeling useful, and smart, if it takes some thinking to find the right answer or the right way to explain it.
I've wondered about being a medical librarian since seeing it listed as an alternative to medical research in this article about why research is an over-rated career. It sounds like they might get to answer questions like this. I need to find out what that job's actually like. Someone on an alternative careers panel I went to years ago had a job doing lit reviews for a company that published them. At the time, I thought it sounded boring, but maybe something like that could involve answering questions for people. I might want to have more direct contact with the person whose question I was answering, though. If you have any thoughts about potential careers, let me know.
I often feel awkward for being overenthusiastic when someone asks for help, like I'm being needy and just doing it to prop up my self-esteem. I wonder if it's such a bad thing to try to think of careers that would complement my neuroses, though, instead of trying to overcome them.
Labels: skillz
posted by Lucy @ 6:02 PM
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comments
6 Comments:
Being a medical librarian sounds like a really cool job. I don't know what all is required to get into it, but I have two close friends that just started MLIS degrees and they both love it. (One of those friends -- the Queen of East Procrastination -- was actually just shy of finishing her English PhD and then switched to library school to become an academic librarian.)
And I don't think it's a bad thing to enjoy looking things up for other people. I love doing it, too (considering the fact that I just spent a couple of minutes looking up what would be involved in becoming a medical librarian).
I think going with a career that involves things you enjoy is a great way to go. :) And I was going to suggest librarian, too. I have a friend who's a medical librarian here--not sure what all he does, but I know he likes it. I can find out more from him, if you want.
And I have seriously been considering the academic librarian route...
ooo... I love the train of thought that you're on here! I think it's a great idea to think about the kind of work that best fits YOU as a person and go from there. I mean, I think one of the reasons why I like teaching is because I like being the center of attention. That's not the best reason to be a teacher, but I think it's possible to do interesting jobs that help people that ALSO fit with your neuroses. Then it all comes together.
My mom works at a library. Not that this information does anything for you. I just felt like sharing.
Exit strategies are very important when your current path seems non-ideal. It was what got me through my post-doc on some days - trying to figure out which pieces worked and how I could apply them to some future career.
I'm so sorry you're unhappy, Lucy. I wish I had some insightful solution or personal story to tell. The only comment that seems valuable is that I'm so completely confident you'll figure this out. You're smart and self-aware and you'll find a career that matters and makes you happy. I just hope it happens soon.
I have often wondered whether there would be a market for a service where you offer to find things out for people. I'm thinking of the sorts of answers you can find online relatively easily, but that someone who isn't very familiar with the internet would have trouble finding (i.e. my parents and lots of people of their generation). You could charge a fee depending on the amount of time it takes you to find the answer, or just a flat fee and assume that you will make up for the more time-consuming searches on the 20-second ones. I guess you'd have to advertise in places where people who don't use the internet go... which is?
Anyway, I'm only half joking. I've often thought it might be a fun side-business to start up.
Maybe consultancy would be a good future move? Also, one of our PhD students left when her contract finished and moved on to a position as a psychology librarian. Afterwards, she told us she really hates writing now, and she's loving her new job.
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