Paolo

I’m not having the best of luck sourcing work in Toronto and it must be the worst time to be looking. I’ve applied to anything and everything (literally from Starbucks to jobs at prestigious publishing houses and law firms) and haven’t had a single interview. I have a law degree so I could, at some point, write the bar here in Canada but I’m not sure that’s what I want to be doing. I’m really passionate about books and am very tempted to try and get into publishing but without a publishing degree I’m not sure how easy that will be. I think I would be a very happy publishing person.

I read somewhere that the Danish Physicist Niels Bohr learnt English by reading Charles Dickens and that left me in awe of his intelligence. Then I read Cultural Amnesia by Clive James, the Australian cultural critic, and discovered that he has taught himself to read eight languages French, German, Italian, Spanish, Latin, Ancient Greek, Russian and Japanese all by sitting with foreign language books and a dictionary looking up all the words he doesn’t understand until he’s fluent. Crazy eh? Well I want to get on to some of that language action!

I need a job that’s more me…I’ve known this since I started working in insurance 15 months ago and it becomes more pressing as time goes by. I’ve had two promotions in that time and am due a raise next month. I get my bonus next march and then I want out so I had better start thinking now so that the next job is not just a job but something I can enjoy.

• I don’t want to work in the ‘square mile’ any longer.
• I’d prefer not to have to wear a suit but I can be flexible.
• I want to feel like I am working to some positive good rather than lining the pockets of shareholders.
• Perhaps something political but maybe not party political.

I’ll have to add to this list as I narrow down my options and focus my ideas.