Where shall
I start? Maybe the dodgy one first. Well, it’s not really dodgy but I will call
it that as it looks good next to doggy.
When I was
still doing my PhD on top of and in spite of my research I completed a
Postgraduate Diploma in Public Relations. There were two reasons why I decided
to do it; partly to gain more skills as
a backup for my PhD – by principle to make sure I am capable of doing something
that isn’t research. And partly to have a twist in my CV to make it easier to
get out of the lab and do something FUN with my science degree.
A few years
down the line – it was a brilliant decision. My PR degree got me into far more
interviews than my PhD in the past 6 months.
But there
is a BUT. Having graduated a couple of years ago and doing full time research
means I did not have experience. So these interviews went very well but jobs
were given to people who had more experience (du’uh). And as it was a vicious
circle of not being able to gain more experience without having experience, I
gave myself a chance to gain more experience and opened a PR agency.
The
business was also aimed at keeping me busy and optimistic against all the
difficulties with finding jobs.
So here I
am, totally new to Bristol and the UK and running a business that is based
mostly on contacts.
I am
gaining experience, but it is far slower than it would have been if someone was
wishing to introduce me to it. I am making contacts. I am getting media
interested in my clients. As with everything, this has been an up-and-down
experience. Some topics are being picked up by the media without much effort,
and some need to be forced upon the media with a lot of effort.
Bottom line
is that I am self-employed unemployed. How does it look on my CV? That is the
question. My business is what I have been doing since my PhD. It proves I have
been trying to make use of my time, it means I have been gaining experience in
PR, it means I have initiative and that
I am not afraid of taking charge of the situation. It means I understand how to
run a business, not just a lab. I had to learn how to make a website, how to
run a Facebook fanpage, I learned how to use Twitter and Pinterest. I even had
to understand far more than I ever wanted about Search Engline Optimisation. I would like to put it on my CV. BUT… But then
why would I be applying for a job if my business was going well? Won’t a
potential employer think I must be failing if I am still interested in jobs? Or
that I must be indecisive if I apply for jobs a few months after deciding to
start a business. One of my friends recommended naming it freelancing. One of
those PR words that do the brilliant jobs while being gibberish really…
What about
doggy business? As I am unemployed and home a lot I signed up as a host to take
care of dogs while their owners go on holiday. The doggy arrives for a few days
with all the necessary equipment, food, leads, grooming kits and toys and I
give it walks, open food tins and play with it. Genius! Loads of fun and early
mornings! Everything an unemployed person needs!
