The weird things we do for...

Money! 

Of course! I am a post graduate student and have been for so long that I am likely to scratch your eyes out if you ask me how long (OK, I won't actually scratch your eyes out, but I might want to, and isn't that just as bad? So, Rather don't ask!) The one thing that most post grads have in common is a lack of money. (Unless they are really lucky and have awesome funding). We also have flexible schedules (I have discussed what this actually means) which means that we can squeeze random extra work in and make it up late at night or on the weekend, and, because we don't have any money, we are willing to do so! 

I have worked some weird jobs over the years. And, since I am hoping to start another (short-term but full-time) job (oh yes, I will be finishing my PhD late at night and on the weekends) shortly I thought I would reminisce and (probably) make you feel better about whatever work you are moaning about now. (There were some things that I did really enjoy, but I suspect they would still seem a little bizarre to non-biologists). 

Most bizarre: 

In undergrad I spent 100 hours sorting worms (and other invertebrates, but mostly worms) from Lake Victoria for a post grad that I can't even remember the name of. The worms were stored in Formalin, and to this day I believe that, after that work, my hands get wrinkled in water quicker than they did before. The money did help pay for a trip to the UK back in the day when you could fly there and back for ~R5000. 

Worst:

I can't think about work without thinking about how awful this job was and not just because it had nothing to do with biology. When a new shopping centre in Cape Town's northern suburbs opened up, they hired students to wear red overalls and be on hand to show people around or tell people where everything was. I was one of those red overalls. I know this doesn't seem particularly awful, does it? Shifts were 12 hours long, and we were paid (I think only just but possibly a little below) minimum wage. We weren't allowed to sit, or lean against the wall on threat of being fired. The centre turned people crazy and they took it out on the red overalls, swearing, being generally rude and one girl actually had someone kick her when the lift went down instead of up. It was chaos! Needless to say I have never been back to that shopping centre, nor have I worked for those "student recruiting" organisations again - although handed out fliers at traffic lights wasn't too bad and I was proposed to by a random while do a Clicks promotion. 

What I would actually do for free:

I could easily have a post that lists the things that I have done for free, I am a compulsive volunteer, but thankfully this is something I get paid for but still feel passionate about: promoting the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Although on a school day morning at the aquarium with children every where shouting and singing (you know what children are like when they are having fun - dreadful! - kidding!) I am pleased I get paid. It gets tiresome saying the word "sustainable" over and over again but it is an important word to say. I also love the fact that something like the MSC or SASSI program puts the power in the hand of the consumer to choose to buy sustainably and therefore encourage more fisheries to be responsible. I look really awful in this video but this is the message (I had no warning that someone was going to film me, I was pretty horrified). Incidentally, I tried to volunteer for SASSI when they first started up, but it didn't work out and it remains in my top 3 dream places to work.

What I would most recommend:

And actually what I am doing now: housesitting. You can work on the PhD while getting paid a little for looking after a house. Perfect. And, if there is a lovely kitty to sit on your lap while you drink tea in the really cold weather, or a sweet little dog to take on walks on sunny days, even better. The downside is that you don't have your stuff easily accessible and I worry a little about my own home so tend to go check up on it from time to time, and houses are colder than flats but otherwise it is good, and a change in scenery is as good as a holiday, right?

What has helped me survive with no funding for 18 months:

A friend was doing pretty intensive field work on mussels, and without that money I would have been eating two-minute noodles for the last two years. We had to install cages on the rocky shore (diesel generator and drilling into rocks between waves - pretty exciting stuff), check the cages and cleared patches (between waves, also exciting), and finally remove the cages (rusted screws - fun!) But actually it was really lovely to be on the rocky shore doing hands on experimental biology on a beautiful shore and working with friends is always a good thing. But I have mentioned this work before.






The other fairly constant supply of money has been from demonstrating for the second year practical sessions. The added bonus with that is I find I probably learn more than they do because I don't need to know it for exams, I just find it interesting. I really enjoy the interaction with the second years; sitting in an office working at a computer can get lonely and I love their (some of them, anyway) optimism and enthusiasm for science (before the PhD cynicism kicks in, these kids still think they can change the world). 

(PS my awesome family and friends have helped me out in so many ways that I would never have managed over the last 18 months without them!!!)

Lastly, my favourite:

Last year, I worked for a marine consulting group in Cape Town on a short term contract. For once I felt like the work I was doing was real and important. It felt like a useful project and I loved the applied nature of it. There was a whole different way of writing that it took me some to get used to but it was interesting and challenging and frustrating and I loved that for a little while I felt like I wasn't just a student doing odd jobs to have money for food (and, let's be honest, wine...) There was also a lot of weird bureaucracy so that's why I am not mentioning the name of the company or the details of the work.