ISSUE 01
EPISODE INFINITE
IDENTITY IN A WORLD OF PRECARIOUS WORK ALEX ANDRA LINEHAN
I am now entering my final year of university, and as I realise that I will simply not be returning next year, new complexities emerge on my horizon. This summer, I have found myself hunched over my keyboard writing endless cover letters and job applications; embellishing my LinkedIn profile; and researching graduate programs. However, it has slowly become apparent to me that nothing is guaranteed. The weight of uncertainty hangs over me and many of my friends as we enter the end of our time at university. Unlike the regular rhythm of returning to university every year, the future now stretches out before me -- an intimidatingly unknown and vast landscape. Although I am powerless to predict what lies ahead, I want to retain some sort of agency as I start a process where my future is decided by seemingly everyone, but me. So I decided to spend time investigating and trying to make sense of what I have experienced during my studies. One thing has been made ardently clear to me since I started university in 2017. In many professions, even some traditionally considered stable, a degree is no longer enough. In the vast pool of job applicants, you have to be unique. To acquire a job you seemingly need it all: internships; part-time work; volunteering; studying abroad; connections; a network; and a sparkling LinkedIn profile which displays your achievements to the world. I’m sure everyone reading this will be somewhat familiar with what I am talking about. It’s when people volunteer in order to put it on their resumé; stand for club committee positions to gain ‘professional experience’; or complete co-curricular activities to get certificates. I saw this concept in action many times, but didn’t understand how to name it until one of my lecturers, Patrick O’Keefe, introduced me to the notion of ‘performativity.’ Performativity is the
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