h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Anyone who actually pays attention to my ramblings may recall that I'm looking for a job, having failed to get any money to do a PhD (um, I did mention that, didn't I? I forget). Unfortunately I still have little idea of where to apply, so getting as far as sending off my CV or an application form or whatever you do seems beyond me. Or at least I get a headache before I get that far. Now why didn't I study medicine or computing or something that obviously leads to a job?

Oh yeah, they didn't sound very interesting compared to mathematics.

Another problem may be that job hunting on the internet has obvious distractions. My tendency is to flit between areas of interest and at the moment it's webcomics, which is strange as I haven't generally been into many comics apart from the Beano, but here's the Bagpuss stuff I read when job-hunting is hard list:

http://www.thewotch.com/ - About a schoolgirl who does magic. It'a got a bit of a Buffy-esque setup, with extra Buffy references thrown in, but still manages to be original and, most importantly, funny.

http://www.elgoonishshive.com/ - Surely a classic. Contains aliens, magic, shapeshifting squirrel girls (well ok, just one, but she's a pretty major character), people getting hit with hammers and Manga jokes that go over my head.

http://www.damonk.com/ - Home of Framed!!!, a comic about people trapped in a comic. Or something. Basically it's just weird.

http://www.scarygoround.com/ - I got fed up with American comics, so searched for a British one. It's about supernatural stuff mostly. Again pretty odd and funny, but I keep losing track of the characters.

http://www.zortic.com/ - There's too much magic in comics so I found a sci-fi one. Rips off all sorts of stuff. If you've ever played Space Quest, it's like that, but with less plot.

What a coincidence! I'm looking for comics and silly jobs.

Not that the job I already have isn't silly much of the time.

Surely an advanced degree in math would translate into a job in the financial services or high-tech fields, wouldn't it?

Reference desk at a public library? I dread to think how that can get. Probably makes finding comics quite easy, though.

What you said seems to be the consensus on job areas. Trouble is, I'm kind of worried about getting a job I don't like, and financial stuff just seems boring. IT and so on might be worth a look, but I've never really done much in that area.

You could always look into jobs that just having a master's can help you get... After all, mathematics isn't as useless as art (considering that I've done *nothing* artistic except meet portraits since graduating, and that I was *never* planning on going into teaching)











Interested in teaching? Though now that I think of it, postions that you wouldn't ned a degree in education for probably require a doctorate, huh? I know community colleges over here 'just' require a master's in whatever your subject would be ('twas what Tom *was* going to do...), but I've no idea about over there, of course...

High schools often have trouble finding math and science teachers because the most promising candidates get lured away by higher salaries in private companies. On the other hand, as a high school teacher, you would have to deal with high school students. You could teach in a private school, though. If you pick wisely, you could find an environment that's not too bad.

Some of us (by which I mean myself in particular) have no business teaching, and should avoid it like the plague. I would understand perfectly if you decided to put yourself in that category.

As for the silliness of working at a reference desk in a library, here are some examples of what I put up with: a lady who brings in a dead snake and wants me to help her identify it. A tradition of coming to work in outlandish costumes on Halloween. Retirement parties complete with songs written for the occasion (I usually write the songs).

Yesterday, I would have encouraged you to be interested in teaching.

Today, however, I've had an absolutely grotty day, which culminated in some 12-year-old little brat calling me a 'bald prick' (I hasten to add that this isn't technically untrue), and getting suspended for four days. Bleah.

And surely no-one's degree actually bears any resemblance to what they do for a job?

B

Mostly bald through choice though. As to the other...

Hey Bagpuss, have you seen this? http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/F77636?thread=488831

Very constructive.

B

I'm not in fact not working. Been doing some warehouse work, but I'd like to do something else (something that uses maths), so yon TV show's out. I need the programme "Not Working Anywhere Very Interesting".

Master B - just so's I'm sure, it was the brat that got suspended and not you, right? Dealing with brats is what puts me off teaching. Kids are okay in ones and twos, but three or more is asking for trouble in my opinion.

Paul - Snake lady sounds like your typical danger in any job where you meet the public. Pretty weird, though.

Yes, it was the brat.

Although I'd have been quite grateful for 4 days off.

B

Sorry, it's the old pedant's humour coming through again. I'm trying to quit, I swear, but it's not easy.

Been there, done that.