Saturday, 27 February 2010 07:37 pm
(no subject)
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deckardcanineYesterday my office mate asked whether I wanted to be a copyeditor forever. I said, "I don't know, but I don't see myself taking another job any time soon."
It touched on a nagging feeling that crops up every so often. Sometimes I feel like I should expand my duties, both to maximize my value to the company and to reinforce the security of my position. Some older employees don't know what to call their position anymore. And didn't Heinlein say, "Specialization is for insects"? (Tho I can think of better examples in nature.)
Thing is, editing is one of my greatest strengths and one of the few tasks that I still find pretty fun. Clients and supervisors usually appreciate my thoroughness and efficiency. As long as I continue my willingness and ability to work overtime for short-turnaround projects like on Thursday, I think I'll be able to keep my job for years to come.
I am aware of copyeditors and proofreaders being cut from companies less recession-proof than mine. My dad isn't the only one noticing a huge rise in errors in The Washington Post; some readers have written them about it. But in a way, that makes me feel good. It's the kind of work that people don't think about when it's done well; nice to get a reaffirmation that it matters. Just knowing that I can't be everywhere I'm needed produces a warm feeling.
This afternoon, my mom notified me that Street Sense, a monthly newspaper focused on homeless D.C. residents, is looking for volunteer copyeditors. I emailed the contact right away. Hopefully it's nothing I can't handle on top of a full-time job and a twice-a-week Web comic.
It touched on a nagging feeling that crops up every so often. Sometimes I feel like I should expand my duties, both to maximize my value to the company and to reinforce the security of my position. Some older employees don't know what to call their position anymore. And didn't Heinlein say, "Specialization is for insects"? (Tho I can think of better examples in nature.)
Thing is, editing is one of my greatest strengths and one of the few tasks that I still find pretty fun. Clients and supervisors usually appreciate my thoroughness and efficiency. As long as I continue my willingness and ability to work overtime for short-turnaround projects like on Thursday, I think I'll be able to keep my job for years to come.
I am aware of copyeditors and proofreaders being cut from companies less recession-proof than mine. My dad isn't the only one noticing a huge rise in errors in The Washington Post; some readers have written them about it. But in a way, that makes me feel good. It's the kind of work that people don't think about when it's done well; nice to get a reaffirmation that it matters. Just knowing that I can't be everywhere I'm needed produces a warm feeling.
This afternoon, my mom notified me that Street Sense, a monthly newspaper focused on homeless D.C. residents, is looking for volunteer copyeditors. I emailed the contact right away. Hopefully it's nothing I can't handle on top of a full-time job and a twice-a-week Web comic.