• Question: Is your job tough?

    Asked by 925xygg26 to Roisin, Gavin, Karen, Mark, Michel on 13 Nov 2016. This question was also asked by Richey.
    • Photo: Roisin Jones

      Roisin Jones answered on 13 Nov 2016:

      Sometimes! It isn’t always easy to figure out what’s going on in my work, and it can be particularly tough if you have something that isn’t working and you can’t work out why. On the other hand, when you do solve a problem, it’s very rewarding, and there are a lot of positive things about my job as well: it’s interesting, I get to learn new things all the time, and I work with some very nice people, so that makes up for the tough parts.

    • Photo: Mark Kennedy

      Mark Kennedy answered on 15 Nov 2016:

      I think it is tough. I commit a lot of time to what I do, and most of my days are spent trying to motivate myself to get my work done. There’s also the constant pressure to get published, and the worry at the back of my mind about what I’ll do if the current work I’m doing just doesn’t work out.

      I also spend a lot of time fighting imposter syndrome, which is something a lot of PhD students suffer from. This is where I am convinced that everyone around me is a genius and knows what they’re doing, while I’m only here because no one has figured out that I’m a fraud. (Of course, I’m not actually a fraud, but it’s still something I worry about).

      But, as Roisin said, it can be very rewarding when things work out, which is why I don’t mind the tough parts.

    • Photo: Michel Destrade

      Michel Destrade answered on 15 Nov 2016:

      Yes it’s tough when you’re in it and try your best. At the same time, I once worked in a restaurant and that was tough on my body (bad hours, standing for ever, etc.) and I once worked at the Irish Times, and that was tough on my stress levels (having to meet the daily deadlines!). So I’m not complaining!

Comments