Careers advice by Keren David

 The government's careers service was inundated yesterday by people like me curious to find out what alternative jobs it would suggest for us, in a world where jobs are disappearing like Cinderella's party dress at midnight. 

 The system refused to play. Despite me answering all the questions with positivity and self confidence -  of course I love hearing other people's problems, yes, I am happy to take charge of any given situation - it turned coy when called upon to make actual suggestions. In the meantime it happily suggested to friends   -  mainly middle-aged writers -  that they become boxers, DJs or waiters. No word on whether any of these jobs actually exist, or are 'viable' right now. 

There was much fury yesterday at an interview in which the chancellor Rishi Sunak said -  it was claimed  -  that musicians and other creative people would have to retrain because there were no jobs for them. Except he didn't quite say that. The interviewer worked quite hard to get him to say that, and Mr Sunak wriggled around trying to avoid the question. No, he said, there were some jobs for musicians to do. And besides, he had announced a generous package to support the arts. And yet, lots of people from all walks of life would have to adapt and change. And perhaps, that might include some creative people....valued though they are... wriggle , wriggle The details are here 

The truth is that the pandemic is an economic disaster for millions of people. Some sectors have been hit particularly hard -  the arts and entertainment is one, the events industry is another. I edited an article yesterday written by a photographer, defending his 'unviable' business. His photographs capture precious memories and raise self esteem - yet in a world without parties, it's hard to see how he'll survive the next few months. The irony was that this is his second career. He started out as a computer programmer working for banks, but changed path after being made redundant four times.

Artists of all kinds, including writers, have long lived with uncertainty and uneven rewards. There are few of us who can survive on the proceeds of our writing alone - the average income of British writers is less than half of the national average wage. We juggle all kinds of work to subsidise our writing, we balance commercial realities with artistic ideals, we compromise endlessly. The uncertainty and insecurity that many people are experiencing for the first time -  we're used to it. 

My dad -  now 92 -  made his career choices as World War Two was ending. The economy was blighted, nothing was certain. He reckoned that people would always need clothes. So he signed up for a degree in textile chemistry and a career in making fabrics -  and later on other materials -  as indestructible as possible.  

What careers advice can anyone offer right now? Nothing is certain except that only the lucky and privileged are immune from the economic disaster of the pandemic. At least writers can carry on writing, with little needed except pen and paper and time.  We will always need stories.  The only question is whether anyone will pay for them. 

PS  ( I just tried the government careers service again, and got the following three suggestions: Office Manager, Estates Manager, Construction Contracts Manager)