Thanks ideal. Unfortunately, I've tried the volunteering route many times before in the past and it's never come to anything (except the rewards of doing the work). Jobs have come up, but I've got the same replies I always get when applying for jobs without the voluntary factor - sorry, but you've not got enough experience (despite doing the job unpaid for you for yonks? Yeah, CHEERS for that). Has been my experience that once they've had you work for them for nothing, they've fixed you in their minds as 'unpaid help' and can't or won't make the transition to accepting you as a 'proper' colleague. In the last few years, have been going to all sorts of experts that help you get jobs and so on and 3 told me (with various levels of tact) that basically at my age, with my history, I am never going to be able to get a well-paid job And now I'm hoping for a baby - making me even older and with yet another black mark against me, employment-wise, when I try and enter/re-enter the job market. Got places at TWO unis to do my PhD, but never get the funding.
Work is a touchy subject for me - I've only ever had 2 jobs where a friend didn't give me the shoe-in. And they were crap jobs anyway. Last year alone, I got turned down for over 150 jobs! Grrrrrrrrrrr. Including being turned down for one for politely refusing to eat a Maryland cookie (long story)! My inability to get a job is so marked that it's a running joke (sadly unfunny for me) that I'm jinxed.
Anyone want to give a brainy-but-inexperienced BESH a job? Gizzajob!
BTW - it may therefore surprise no-one that I intend to be a SAHM...