Could do with some career advice please

[notacluewhattodo]

Our money situation is getting very precarious and I need to seriously think about earning some of the family crust.

My BA is in Theatre and I did a few teaching hours (badly) while doing my Masters in a specialised non-vocational area of the arts.

Other than that my paid work has been crap-work in shops and call centres.

I got pregnant straight after the MA, did a little student mentoring (badly) and have been SAHM for two years.

My confidence was very knocked as I discovered that I'm not the natural academic I'd always assumed, I actually needed to work hard on the MA and I had no support in the teaching/mentoring aspect and really struggled.

As I see it, going into teaching is the only way I can pay rent.

Any thoughts?

arts-participation facilitator? you know, delivering eg, theatre/drama workshops and projects with schools/communities. if you can find a way to make contact with people who do this you can often get free experience assisting them (there's always loads of work to do!) to fill your cv up.

I've been a bit reluctant to look into that as a non-driver I'm quite limited, but then I'd be limited as a teacher too.

Childcare is the other issue too.

Getting stuff on the CV is the main thing I suppose. Eek!

... do you live in the sticks then? sorry, i always assume people are in london and can hop on a bus like me! do you have any mates/near neighbours who you could perhaps arrange some reciprocal childcare with so you could start using days to look at options/train/get experience? if you're willing to do a bit for nowt i think loads of people would give you some time and feedback/advice. sometimes takes a bit of ringing round and not being contacted but eventually somebody will. if you have an idea of the sort of thing you might consider doing, look up some companies you like the sound of and see if they've got volunteering options - loads do in the arts, eithe rfor hands on stuff or just the office admin -you might consider arts admin as another option altho god knows it's not that well paid (but what is in the arts?). you could get teaching experience working with a community/youth theatre for example. you might have to consider getting a CRB check but that's not difficult

another option might be to contact local dance schools - they quite often lay on extra half term/summer workshops for the kids and doing some drama is a common way of filling the days up, they might be up for offering you a tryout.

I'm in Yorkshire. Transport isn't too bad where I am, but nothing like as handy as London.

I'm going to get going with this I think.

It's all stuff I know really, but it's been a while since I've thought about any of it, and it helps to talk about it.

know what you mean! i have been getting back into work following maternity leave and losing previous job, and am on the phone to my mentor every five mins getting her advice! luckily she's very patient... i well recommend getting a mentor by the way - someone else who's been in the same position after having kids maybe, or is in the industry you want to enter. it's like a shortcut round all the anxious worrying and desperate googling...