laurajanewrites's ShiftLog

Working for free … where to draw the line?

laurajanewrites — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:41:06 -0500

Well, I’m writing a lot more nowadays from blogs to my latest victory – an article for The Guardian (yay!) But to get into print I am also being forced to do something that I was initially determined to resist – working for free. It leaves a slightly sour taste in your mouth, to work hard on something and receive nothing but a pat on the back in return.

Fate has had a large part to play, but my shift is happening

laurajanewrites — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:18:13 -0500

Well, things are moving on at quite a pace for me. I’m doing it. I am actually shifting careers. For real.

I feel I have lots of gaps to fill since my last shiftlog but to save you all from a long rambling post, I will summarise with a few landmarks …

Career shifting – it’s surprisingly different to getting a new job!

laurajanewrites — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:10:52 -0500

I would like to reinforce what Sab has found. Career shifting for me is a long-term project. I’ve reluctantly accepted that it’s not going to happen for me over night and I’ve finally put my burning ambition to write ahead of my naturally impatient nature. When I first decided I wanted to do something different and pursue a new career, I approached it as I would approach finding a new job - with bags of enthusiasm and with the mis-guided expectation that success was months rather than years away. But changing careers is not always as simple as changing jobs.

Tears, fears and frustrations – it’s a rollercoaster ride

laurajanewrites — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 06:12:12 -0600

This whole career shifting malarkey is a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. The excited elation of even the most minor steps forward, deeply contrast with the frustrated impatience you feel when things aren't moving quite as quickly and successfully as you want. Then the fear sets in - will I ever emerge with my dream job at the end? What will I do if it never happens for me?

I've got my first words in print - yey!

laurajanewrites — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:54:41 -0600

As I shared in my first shiftlog, I've made the decision to take my passion for writing and try to make a career out of it. And I've had my first success. OK, I admit it's a small success and I haven't actually made any money out of it. But who cares, it was just the motivation I needed to confidently jump into my careershift.

Getting ready to shift ... but not quite brave enough yet!

laurajanewrites — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:49:26 -0600

Hi.This is my first shift log. So, I suppose I start with me and where
I've got to on my shift journey. The honest answer is not very far...If anyone out there has some words of wisdom, they'd be very enthusiastically received!