When I was studying economics in high school, my then teacher told us how the work of women at home, ie housewife, mother etc was not included in the GDP of the nation. He said that this seemed an inaccurate reflection of the population's real productivity as so much work goes on in the home and in the rearing of kinder. He asked what we thought the real value of such work would be?
He was an unlikely feminist with his Fair Isle knit cardigans and combover hair but what he said has stuck with me all these years.
And now it is time for me to stick my toe back into the dirty waters of paid work. It is time to take a break (yes, many women consider going back to work a break as child rearing is like non stop, unpaid domestic slavery) from my beloved 14 month old dictator and rejoin the masses.
But who'll have me?
Well I have a job interview next week; my first in years. I like job interviews. I see them as little ethnographic field trips into the inner workings of industry. Although I am the one being summoned to be assessed as to whether they should hire me to work like a slave for £10 an hour (I work in the arts and hey, it's more than I'm getting at home); I always enjoy job interviews because I am very much also, interviewing THEM.
I like meeting a a panel of strangers who have dedicated questions in front of them to ask me. The same questions it seems that all potential employees ask their interviewees. I like assessing what their work personalities might be like and whether I would like to work with them. Would we clash or would we become work buddies? Did they dress up for this interview or do they always wear such stiff clothes?
It's so much fun for that hour or two.
If you get the job, well that's when the fun stops.
He was an unlikely feminist with his Fair Isle knit cardigans and combover hair but what he said has stuck with me all these years.
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| A lovely selection of Fair Isle sweaters |
And now it is time for me to stick my toe back into the dirty waters of paid work. It is time to take a break (yes, many women consider going back to work a break as child rearing is like non stop, unpaid domestic slavery) from my beloved 14 month old dictator and rejoin the masses.
But who'll have me?
Well I have a job interview next week; my first in years. I like job interviews. I see them as little ethnographic field trips into the inner workings of industry. Although I am the one being summoned to be assessed as to whether they should hire me to work like a slave for £10 an hour (I work in the arts and hey, it's more than I'm getting at home); I always enjoy job interviews because I am very much also, interviewing THEM.
I like meeting a a panel of strangers who have dedicated questions in front of them to ask me. The same questions it seems that all potential employees ask their interviewees. I like assessing what their work personalities might be like and whether I would like to work with them. Would we clash or would we become work buddies? Did they dress up for this interview or do they always wear such stiff clothes?
It's so much fun for that hour or two.
If you get the job, well that's when the fun stops.
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