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Feb. 3rd, 2005
references
Feb. 3rd, 2005 11:30 amSo I'm wondering how I can find out if any of my past employers are giving good references or bad references out about me.
Has anyone ever done this by having a friend call around pretending to be a potential employer?
And do you generally check with a previous employer before using them as a reference?
Has anyone ever done this by having a friend call around pretending to be a potential employer?
And do you generally check with a previous employer before using them as a reference?
(no subject)
Feb. 3rd, 2005 12:05 pmOK, I'm usually big into lj-cuts for memes, but this one is particularly interesting to me. Specifically, I'm interested to see how I tend to choose my friends based on these interests, and the differences between my friends list and![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
northbard's, from whom I ganked this. I'll be interested to see other people's memes.
Oh, and it is in fact on crack. My friends are definitely not that normal.
northbard's, from whom I ganked this. I'll be interested to see other people's memes.Oh, and it is in fact on crack. My friends are definitely not that normal.
to student or not to student...
Feb. 3rd, 2005 04:56 pmI'm sitting in a nifty cafe at church and wellesley called lettieri stealing wifi from someone nearby. Anyway, the mature students tour at Ryerson was interesting and informative, but I'm still at a loss.
Do I want to go back to school, spend ~10K CAD to get a second bachelors degree?
I spoke with someone in the Magazine stream. Based on my background and what I said I'm looking for, he suggested that I take a course in their continuing education department on freelancing, and if I still feel like I'm missing something, go to this program.
Problem is, I've already started my application for this september, and will probably have to say yes or no to them (if I get accepted) before the next session of night classes begins. Meanwhile, the current session is four sessions into 14 session classes. I don't know that they'd let me in at this point. Besides, they cost nearly $500 each.
Bah. Being an adult is hard.
Do I want to go back to school, spend ~10K CAD to get a second bachelors degree?
I spoke with someone in the Magazine stream. Based on my background and what I said I'm looking for, he suggested that I take a course in their continuing education department on freelancing, and if I still feel like I'm missing something, go to this program.
Problem is, I've already started my application for this september, and will probably have to say yes or no to them (if I get accepted) before the next session of night classes begins. Meanwhile, the current session is four sessions into 14 session classes. I don't know that they'd let me in at this point. Besides, they cost nearly $500 each.
Bah. Being an adult is hard.
Options (edited 11:03 EST)
Feb. 3rd, 2005 05:42 pmOption 1:
Apply to Ryerson.
Option 1A:
If I happen to get the ball rolling on my writing by the time I get a decision from them and feel I don't need the program, I can turn it down then. Otherwise, hope for a yes and accept!
Option 1B:
Try to finish a continuing ed course before I have to accept (if I'm admitted) so that I can see if I need the whole degree after all. If I decide I do need the degree, I spent an extra $500 on the course. If I decide I don't need the degree, I will have spent an extra $170 on applying to Ryerson. The earliest I would hear back from them is in March. The latest I would need to get back to them is the last Friday in July (that's when tuition is due), but my decision deadline might be earlier.
Option 2:
Don't apply to Ryerson, saving myself the $65 remaining of my application fee, or apply to keep my options open. Next take one of the following options:
Option 2A:
Continue soul-searching with the hope that I'll figure out for sure what I want next (be it journalism, going back into physics, becoming a hermit, or being a figure skating coach for the rest of my life), and don't waste any money on further education until I'm absolutely sure I want to do that with my life.
Option 2B:
Take some kind of continuing education courses in Journalism. If the course doesn't give me the knowledge I need to write and I still want to write, I can apply to Ryerson for the next year, and maybe by then the Masters program which is apparently in the works will be up and running! Of course, it will be much more competitive than the Bachelors program I'm applying to which it is replacing, but the Masters degree will also likely be more valuable. In the meantime, make as much money possible by teaching etc., and see what happens.
Under options B, there are several places I could go to receive the education I desire.
The latter would be fuck expensive, but would provide the opportunity to network with the huge amount of media which is based in NYC. A friend of mine has taken the media bistro boot camp course in SF, and thought it was very good.
Bah humbug! Decisions are hard.
Apply to Ryerson.
Option 1A:
If I happen to get the ball rolling on my writing by the time I get a decision from them and feel I don't need the program, I can turn it down then. Otherwise, hope for a yes and accept!
Option 1B:
Try to finish a continuing ed course before I have to accept (if I'm admitted) so that I can see if I need the whole degree after all. If I decide I do need the degree, I spent an extra $500 on the course. If I decide I don't need the degree, I will have spent an extra $170 on applying to Ryerson. The earliest I would hear back from them is in March. The latest I would need to get back to them is the last Friday in July (that's when tuition is due), but my decision deadline might be earlier.
Option 2:
Don't apply to Ryerson, saving myself the $65 remaining of my application fee, or apply to keep my options open. Next take one of the following options:
Option 2A:
Continue soul-searching with the hope that I'll figure out for sure what I want next (be it journalism, going back into physics, becoming a hermit, or being a figure skating coach for the rest of my life), and don't waste any money on further education until I'm absolutely sure I want to do that with my life.
Option 2B:
Take some kind of continuing education courses in Journalism. If the course doesn't give me the knowledge I need to write and I still want to write, I can apply to Ryerson for the next year, and maybe by then the Masters program which is apparently in the works will be up and running! Of course, it will be much more competitive than the Bachelors program I'm applying to which it is replacing, but the Masters degree will also likely be more valuable. In the meantime, make as much money possible by teaching etc., and see what happens.
Under options B, there are several places I could go to receive the education I desire.
- Ryerson: Feature Writing for the Freelance Market, 3 h/wk, 1/10-4/11 (can I weasel my way into this course late?), $474, 42 hours and 14 sessions (4 of which I've missed)
- Ryerson: Freelancing the Future, 3 h/wk, 5/4-6/15, $255, 21 hours in 7 sessions
- MediaBistro: Boot Camp for Journalists, online 8 week course, $475 3/28-5/16
- MediaBistro: Boot Camp for Journalists, 8 week course in NYC (24 hours in 8 sessions), $475 4/6-5/25
The latter would be fuck expensive, but would provide the opportunity to network with the huge amount of media which is based in NYC. A friend of mine has taken the media bistro boot camp course in SF, and thought it was very good.
Bah humbug! Decisions are hard.
Masochism Tango: Sanity Check
Feb. 3rd, 2005 11:06 pmI have enabled anonymous posting. All comments on this post will be screened -- and stay screened, for my eyes only. They will NOT be emailed to me but when I am in a frame of mind to cope with them, I will come read them.
Do you think that I'm mis-handling my life? What am I doing wrong? What do you think I should do?
I ask because I often feel that I am being foolish and wussy in taking this "vacation" to "recover my sanity," that perhaps I'm being too easy on myself. I'm frightened that I'm taking the easy way out, that if I don't push myself I'll never break free of this mess. Positive responses of encouragement, or responses on different topics relating to the above question, are of course also welcome.
This is not going to be a discussion. I will see your screened comment, and consider it. I may eventually discuss some of the suggestions made in my journal, at which point it WILL be a discussion, although not an anonymous one.
Do you think that I'm mis-handling my life? What am I doing wrong? What do you think I should do?
I ask because I often feel that I am being foolish and wussy in taking this "vacation" to "recover my sanity," that perhaps I'm being too easy on myself. I'm frightened that I'm taking the easy way out, that if I don't push myself I'll never break free of this mess. Positive responses of encouragement, or responses on different topics relating to the above question, are of course also welcome.
This is not going to be a discussion. I will see your screened comment, and consider it. I may eventually discuss some of the suggestions made in my journal, at which point it WILL be a discussion, although not an anonymous one.
