Hello, Fancy Comma newsletter readers/listeners!
Sheeva here. At the time I am writing this newsletter, I’m a couple of days out from a week-long trip for one of my two side hustles (while also working on the other one). When I get back from my work travel, I am interviewing for a fourth (!) gig — a temp job grading standardized tests.
It would be nice amazing to get paid to do science communications and policy consulting, but the economic uncertainty has made freelance jobs more scarce and, from what I’ve seen, people continue to be strapped for cash and relying on ChatGPT or taking work in-house rather than hiring people. A lot of this work I have done, I have done for free, and I finally listed it ALL on my resume this month — to the tune of six (!!!) gigs! I highly recommend doing that — I feel (and seem) much more qualified now. Just because someone doesn’t pay you to do something, doesn’t mean it is not work…especially in our post-pandemic economic times where it feels like sometimes there is no money...period.
I’ve also been writing about some of this stuff for the Fancy Comma blog. I wrote about state-level science policy, normalizing scientists working in Congress, and my experience interviewing an astronaut on the Fancy Comma blog.
Surely, interviewing a literal astronaut launching to the International Space Station has got to count for something, but everywhere I pitched my journalism article to said “no” (at least they wrote back, I guess — it’s worse when you don’t get a reply at all). As an MIT grad and space nerd, though, that still felt utterly devastating.
So I published my article about Jonny Kim on our blog. On the same day Kim launched to space, I published an article for The Science Marketer, of which I’m a huge fan.
This month, thanks to my two part-time jobs besides running Fancy Comma, I also paid off the last of my credit card debt from working in Congress while living in a hotel.
Free from my crushing credit card debt, I decided I would step out of my comfort zone and do something I did not think I could do — apply to train the students that participate in the AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowships.
That’s the fellowship that I wanted to do in grad school that places scientists in government positions across the three branches of government. I dreamed of being a Congressional fellow, but never got to apply, since you need a PhD to do those.
I decided I would dream big and apply just to see what happens, so I did.
Even if I don’t get it, I am glad I put myself out there.
So, that’s what I’ve been doing lately. It’s been a lot of putting myself out there and a lot of surprisingly kind rejections that still feel disappointing and difficult. I have been at this for over ten years, so I wonder what it’s like for people just starting out in science freelancing, and can’t imagine what it feels like to be a federal worker (whether terminated or current) working in the science comms and policy space.
In what ways are you dreaming big lately despite it all? I would love to know. Reply to this email, if you are an email subscriber, or chime in in the comments.
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