"Why should you be any luckier than the rest of us?" retorted Job Centre John when I told him I wanted to hold out to find a job that was (1) relevant to my skills and experience and (2) meaningful [to me]. This was an interesting question and, six weeks on, I'm still pondering over it. The truth is, I'm not entitled to be any luckier, happier or satisfied than anybody else, but I am willing to strive. Are you? Is John? His question, in fact, could open an existential can of worms: What makes us happy? What is happiness? What is luck? Is there such a thing? Can we exercise free will or is life merely a stage, etc etc? I have a few things to say to John, though he was so gloomy that I'd rather not say them to him directly. These are: (1) It's not just about luck, it's about what we want to strive for; (2) If you dislike working in the job centre that much, make a change; (3) Just because I work in "education" doesn't mean that every "education" job is suitable. Could a dam engineer suddenly become a plumber?; (4) One man's dog is another man's dinner. I don't eat dog, but a job that could make me happy could be someone else's idea of misery.
On that note, I have some very exciting news and I'm still experiencing an endorphine rush from the phone call. After being 'between jobs' now since mid-December (that's when we stepped off the plane) Motherwell College called on Wednesday to offer me a job. What's more, it's my dream-come-true: Offender Learning Lecturer in HMP Porterfield, Inverness. There are several reasons why I'm still in a state of shock and extreme joy about this opportunity. Firstly, when I sat in Simao over the years, contemplating coming back to the Highlands, I thought, "I wonder if there's a learning centre in Inverness Prison. If I could get a job there I might just be content." Secondly, there were no jobs advertised but, on sending my CV and a speculative enquiry, I discovered that they were just about to carry out some interviews, postponed from January due to bad weather. Thirdly, and this is the great bit, they were looking for a Maths teacher. I've trained Maths teachers in student-centred methods, but I've never pretended to know very much about the subject. The great thing is, Motherwell College has been flexible and, taking me on for Numeracy and ELT, they have employed another person to cover the Higher Maths.
I still have to be security-cleared and go through induction, which could take several weeks. Meantime, I am swotting up on my Maths and racing through a pile of SVQ modules in preparation. I've even taken a few on-line Numeracy tests to reassure myself that I can manage. I can, of course, but it's a matter of confidence. It was hard walking away from my work with VSO, and it's been just as hard readjusting to life back in Scotland.
My one and a half day a week contract will barely keep us all fed, but I will be happy, which has inumerable benefits for the family as a whole. If I hadn't got this job, however, I would happily have worked in a coffee shop or filled my time with voluntary work in order to make my life meaninful. I'd already set the ball in motion for running free English classes in Dingwall to support the fairly large East European community in Easter Ross. I've also put in a proposal to Culbokie Primary school to run a Coffee Cart project with pupils. There's plenty to do if we put our mind to it.
It's not just about the job, itself, John. Nor is it about the money. It's about feeling fulfilled and, for different people, this means different things. There's no reason at all that I should be any happier or "luckier" than anyone else. In fact, someone living my life might well be thoroughly miserable but I pursued this life because it means something to me. What's more, while I recognise I was lucky that the interiviews were postponed due to bad weather, I would never have benefited from this had I not made call after call to the Scottish Prison Centre, to Inverness Prison and to Motherwell College , or had I not overcome my sense of doom and depression to update my CV and pop it in the post to an anonymous, distant employer yet again. I've worked hard, and given up a lot, to find the job of my dreams. I encourage you to do the same.
On that note, I have some very exciting news and I'm still experiencing an endorphine rush from the phone call. After being 'between jobs' now since mid-December (that's when we stepped off the plane) Motherwell College called on Wednesday to offer me a job. What's more, it's my dream-come-true: Offender Learning Lecturer in HMP Porterfield, Inverness. There are several reasons why I'm still in a state of shock and extreme joy about this opportunity. Firstly, when I sat in Simao over the years, contemplating coming back to the Highlands, I thought, "I wonder if there's a learning centre in Inverness Prison. If I could get a job there I might just be content." Secondly, there were no jobs advertised but, on sending my CV and a speculative enquiry, I discovered that they were just about to carry out some interviews, postponed from January due to bad weather. Thirdly, and this is the great bit, they were looking for a Maths teacher. I've trained Maths teachers in student-centred methods, but I've never pretended to know very much about the subject. The great thing is, Motherwell College has been flexible and, taking me on for Numeracy and ELT, they have employed another person to cover the Higher Maths.
I still have to be security-cleared and go through induction, which could take several weeks. Meantime, I am swotting up on my Maths and racing through a pile of SVQ modules in preparation. I've even taken a few on-line Numeracy tests to reassure myself that I can manage. I can, of course, but it's a matter of confidence. It was hard walking away from my work with VSO, and it's been just as hard readjusting to life back in Scotland.
My one and a half day a week contract will barely keep us all fed, but I will be happy, which has inumerable benefits for the family as a whole. If I hadn't got this job, however, I would happily have worked in a coffee shop or filled my time with voluntary work in order to make my life meaninful. I'd already set the ball in motion for running free English classes in Dingwall to support the fairly large East European community in Easter Ross. I've also put in a proposal to Culbokie Primary school to run a Coffee Cart project with pupils. There's plenty to do if we put our mind to it.
It's not just about the job, itself, John. Nor is it about the money. It's about feeling fulfilled and, for different people, this means different things. There's no reason at all that I should be any happier or "luckier" than anyone else. In fact, someone living my life might well be thoroughly miserable but I pursued this life because it means something to me. What's more, while I recognise I was lucky that the interiviews were postponed due to bad weather, I would never have benefited from this had I not made call after call to the Scottish Prison Centre, to Inverness Prison and to Motherwell College , or had I not overcome my sense of doom and depression to update my CV and pop it in the post to an anonymous, distant employer yet again. I've worked hard, and given up a lot, to find the job of my dreams. I encourage you to do the same.
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