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Now what do i do?

Put your thinking caps on... I need help.

I'm an experienced linguist with lots of skills to offer but no job (my employment status is by choice because I'd almost worked myself into the ground). I want to stay in Katherine but I don't know what to do next. Where should I invest my time and energy? Career guidance needed... all suggestions considered! :-)

Comments

Perez said…
Dude,
I couldn't get language work in Hedland so I worked as a librarian (weird), then I did tutoring at the high school (awesome), sucked up for a short contract at the native title service (very ace), and then I started full time as a youth social worker on the outreach program (challenging). None of this was linguistics and there were many moments of utter crapitude but it was all sorta enriching. I also recently discovered that you can work as a teacher's assistant/aid without a dip ed. Freelance is another option but it has taken me a while to build up a client base. Is there a Link-up service in Katherine? Could be cool.
Perez.

PS. Don't put up with any crap from anyone, you dig?
11:29 pm
Catalin said…
I had this idea of starting a free, multi-generational school-in-the-park thing when I was there. You could rock up on a bicycle with a little wagon and set up a white-board easel and a bunch of fun manipulables to teach literacy and numeracy to anyone who was interested.

I don't know how you'd get funding. Private philanthropy? Government grants?

It's not linguistics, but it would draw on your excellent inter-personal skills, and your experience with literacy teaching in language.
3:37 am
bulanjdjan said…
"my employment status is by choice because I'd almost worked myself into the ground"

That's crap, Wamut. Being unemployed due to burn-out is not a 'choice'. It's a product of lots of bad things, many of which the individual has no control over, some which you do.

I say go easy, and have fun learning Warlpiri and Gurindji and Just. Relax. For. A. While. (Cos if you don't you may end up with burn-out, all over again.)

The right thing will come to you, when you're ready.
9:03 pm
Anonymous said…
Talk to Salome at the language centre about the ways she found to stay at Milingimbi on the dole. Various people at various times have done "consultancy" editing for the KLRC, short-term jobs like checking text, formatting, etc. You could volunteer for something in the Intervention :) Distance ed through UNSW? Apply for ANU's PhD position on kinship. See if any of the academics who work in the area have casual research work available. There's a lot of funding in weird places available in WA through various programs and there are probably some similar things in the NT.
~Claire
7:35 pm
Anonymous said…
Bulanjdjan Maïa said:
Well I'm falling from the sky as we said in French as I didn't know you left the language centre. I'm sure you did the right thing, but that's clearly a loss anyway...
Why not try and get money for a revitalisation program in a relevant area?
1:08 pm
Anonymous said…
Come on a gap year with me and Francheeeeese....what the hell..we can be adults later. What do you reckon? Em...
10:33 pm
Anonymous said…
Bulanjdjan Maïa said:
And yes, of course, in Katherine, you can work within the tourism industry. Set up an Aboriginal Adventure in Ngukurr with Denis Coburn ;-)!!
4:42 am
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