Create your good work
“My ambitions had shrunk alongside my options; we went from expecting greatness to expecting respectable work and then to hoping for something that paid.”
Sarah Idzik wrote this in her chapter for the new book Share or Die. She was talking about how unprepared and disillusioned she felt once she graduated university and entered the job market. She found it especially difficult to find fulfilling work in the midst of the economic crisis.
This struck a cord with me. There are similarities between how she felt then and how I felt earlier this year having just completed my qualification in Sustainable Practice. Things have been very different now to when I finished my first degree in 2004. Back then I took my qualifications in Zoology and Wildlife Management into a small, but established, world of government and conservation jobs. The economic and political situations were different and I easily slotted into a job consistent with my training.
This year has been different. The number of opportunities for those interested in social and environmental change are relatively few and, from what I can tell, there are more people interested in working in those fields than there are paid roles to employ them. Volunteer work abounds. However, surviving solely on volunteer roles long term is not an option for me. For the past 6 months in Queenstown I have worked unfulfilling part-time jobs simply to allow me to continue the volunteer work that ‘floats my boat’. I have been tired of feeling unfulfilled in my paid work. We are at the vanguard of a changing world where priorities are shifting from profits to people and environment, but the job market hasn’t caught up yet!
Whinging about this isn’t going to help. So what are we to do when society does not offer up enough fulfilling, paid job roles that allow us to contribute to the betterment of the world? We create our own opportunities.
This brings me to Do Good Jobs. Founded by my good friend Julia, I have become passionate about the cause as it is near to my heart. People should be able to make a living by helping to create a better world and doing what they love. Do Good Jobs is not only here to showcase the existing fulfilling roles that contribute towards a better world, Do Good Jobs is also here to help foster a supportive atmosphere where do-gooders can connect with each other to create their own job opportunities. I was lucky that I knew Julia. By opening up discussion forums on the website we are hoping that more of you will be able to inspire each other and team up to create your own dream job too. Watch this space.
268 total views, 2 today
Comment made by Jennifer Nickel on Jul 31st 2012 at 8:47 pm:
So true Amelia! Silly predicament young keen people like us are in! I look forward to embarking on the journey of ‘job creating’ just like you – lets learn together
Comment made by amelia on Aug 1st 2012 at 8:37 pm:
Thanks Jennifer! Great to meet you properly the other day. Sounds like a plan
Comment made by Isabel on Aug 9th 2012 at 5:03 pm:
Spot on Amelia. And Jennifer – this applies also to the “not-so-young but just as keen”. I’m more or less over trying to find satisfying paid work – have all but stopped looking. I’m trying to create my own opportunity to make some sort of living centred on sustainable practice, to show what I can DO. Trying to be entrepreneurial and withstand being labelled “idealistic”. It’s a challenge. I will certainly be watching your space even if it is to join in on encouraging others. Good thinking – reminds me of IfWeRanTheWorld
Comment made by amelia on Aug 10th 2012 at 6:25 pm:
Thanks Isabel. Keep coming back to visit us! Can you expand on what you mean by ‘I’m trying to create my own opportunity to make some sort of living centred on sustainable practice’? It might be helpful to others