CPD // Datblygu'n broffesiynol

Peth cyntaf i ddweud yw mod i'n gwybod nad yw teitlau fy cofnodau'r un peth yn yr un iaith ond mae hwn yn fwriadol.

Nid mod i'n meddwl mod i'n arbenigwr mewn bywyd ond hoffwn i feddwl mod i wedi cael tipyn o brofiad bywyd go iawn erbyn hyn. Rwyf wedi gweithio trwy gydol fy ngradd(au), ddim wedi bod mas o gyflogaeth ers oeddwn yn 16 oed a mewn gwirionedd, rwy'n gweithio'n galed am bopeth yr wy'n ei gael.

Fel nifer fawr o raddedigion/y rhain sy'n astudio'n bellach, rwyf wastad yn poeni am 'swyddi' a 'chyflogadwyaeth' - dau gair 'buzz' i ni'n clywed yn aml. Beth a fydd yn digwydd wedi i mi adael prifysgol? Rwy'n clywed am 'psychometric tests', 'grad schemes' ac mae pobl yn dweud 'nad oes swyddi ar gael' trwy'r amser. Y peth gorau i wneud yw sicrhau eich bod chi'n gwneud digon tra ydych yn astudio, dyna beth dwi wastad wedi gwneud.

Dim ond 6 mis dwi wedi bod yn astudio fy MA mewn Cyfieithu Proffesiynol (Cymraeg) yn Abertawe ac rwyf wedi dod o hyd i swydd 'freelance' yn Wolfestone (cwmni cyfieithu), wedi ennill interniaeth gyda Gwasanaeth Cyfieithu Llywodraeth Cymru, wedi cael fy apwyntio fel Myfyriwr Cyswllt Cymdeithas Cyfieithwyr Cymru ac rwyf wedi magu cysylltiadau â phobl sy'n ymwneud â'r byd teledu. Ddim yn rhy ffol, byddwn i'n dweud. Sut y gwnes i fe? Bach o ffonio, e-bostio, mynd i ddigwyddiadau rhwydweithio........... does dim fformiwla cuddiedig i gael beth ydych chi eisiau heb law am weithio'n ddigon caled a dyna ble mae pobl yn mynd o'i le.

Beth sy wedi digwydd i bobl yn ymdrechi? Dywedodd ffrind sy'n byw gyda fi (ymadrodd newydd Cymraeg am 'housemate' fyna) fod ni yng Nghymru wastad wedi cael swyddi ar ein stepen drws ac nad oedd angen i ni deithio yn yr hen dyddiau, pan oedd Cymru yn fwy diwylliannol. Llefydd fel Llanelli, Merthyr. Mae pawb yn mynd ymlaen am Gaerdydd fel hwb am swyddi, sy'n wir, ond a ydy hwn achos bod pobl Caerdydd yn fwy fodlon symud, neu a ydynt yn cael e'n rhwyddach na ni o'r ardaloedd diwylliannol traddodiadol?

Mae pobl yn iawn i symud i brifysgol ond o beth rwyf fi'n gweld, mae llawer yn symud nol gartref, i'r swyddi y maent wedi gadael ac sy'n croeso nhw nol gyda 'open arms' ac mae'r syniad o chwilio am swydd, tra oedd yn rwydd i'w gwneud tra yn brifysgol yn yr 'academic mindset' fel petai, yn beth i adael i ffwrdd, 'nes bod digon o amser ar gael i'w wneud e'.

Pob swydd dwi wedi cael, dwi ddim wedi ei gael wrth wneud cais 'yn y modd gywir'... ac rwy'n ysgrifennu hwn oherwydd dwi am bawb sy'n gwneud, neu wedi gwneud graddau, fel y mae llawer fy ffrindiau, i gael beth y maent yn haeddu.

Rant over ;)

Dyma llun o gacen gaws y gwnes i rhyw fis yn ol - mae coginio wedi dod yn rhan bwysig fy mywyd yn ddiweddar. Os ydych eisiau'r rysait, jesd gofyn!

First thing I want to say is that I know that my titles dont correspond exactly the same in English and in Welsh, this is intentional!

I don't think that I'm an expert in life but I'd like to think that I've had quite alot of life experience so far, which is something that university can't teach you. I've worked throughout my degree(s), have been employed since the age of 16 and to be honest, I've always worked hard for everything I've had.

As with most uni graduates/those who have decided upon further study, I've always worried about 'jobs' and 'employability' - two buzz words that we hear often. What will happen when I leave university? I hear about these 'psychometric tests', 'grad schemes' and people saying 'there's no jobs to be had' all the time. Surely the best thing to do is to do enough research and try your best to line up a job/interview/work experience/internship before you leave uni?

Now I could've graduated with my BA in Welsh and gone job hunting straight away but after careful consideration, as well as being denied entry to Cardiff University's prestigious 'Broadcast Journalism' programme, I decided upon further professional development in a field that was familiar to me and I knew I could do well in; a Masters in Professional Translation (Welsh specialisation).

I've only been doing it in Swansea University for the last 6 months or so and I've already been employed as a freelance translator for Wolfestone, secured an internship with the Translation Service in the Welsh Government, have been appointed as a Student Representative for the association of Welsh translators and interpreters and have networked with people in the television industry. Not trying to big myself up or anything but I wouldn't say I've done too badly for a Llanelli boy. How did I do it? A bit of phoning up, e-mailing, hounding, not giving up, going to networking events...... there is NO secret formula to success and I truly believe that if you want something badly, you will work tirelessly to ensure you get it. That's what I've always been taught and follow. Having said that, you don't always get what you want in life; I've learnt that aswell.

Genuinely though, what has happened with people's effort? Jobs don't just come to you on a plate.. My housemate was reflecting on the Welsh way of thinking yesterday (we'd recently watched that documentary with Michael Sheen about the valleys revolution); he said that industrialised areas such as Llanelli and Merthyr always had jobs on their front door in the good old days - there was no need to migrate and now people don't know what to do. As Welsh people, we are very family orientated but UNFORTUNATELY you sometimes need to move to get ahead and ensure a good career. Is this at expense of a sound family life? People always go on about Cardiff being the hub for jobs in Wales, which is true, but is this because people from Cardiff are more willing to move or have they had it too easy for too long, unlike their industrialised counterparts?

The way I see it, people are fine to move to university but then a lot move back home to the jobs that they thought they had left behind, which are more than willing to open them back with open arms. Their family is there, their home is there. The idea of looking for a well paid graduate job, whilst it was easy to do when in the academic mindset, becomes something to put to the side 'until they have enough time to do it'.

Well, the time is now and every job I've evr had, it hasn't been through 'the correct way' of applying for it... I'm writing this as a bit of an open letter to those who are currently studying in uni or who have left uni.... there are jobs out there, you just need to go out and grab them.

Rant over ;)

Please see the picture above of a Creme Egg cheesecake that I made a few weeks back - cooking has become a major part of my life these days and I dare say I will be incorporating my best (or worst) recipes into this blog in the near future!

Until next time............

Ail-ddechrau'r blog // Start of a new year

Yn gyntaf, blwyddyn newydd dda i chi!

Bron flwyddyn ar ôl i mi ddechrau'r blog ac rwy wedi penderfynu dod nôl ato fe. Mae wastod digon yn mynd ymlaen ar fy meddwl.

Mae pleser gennyf i ddweud mod i wedi graddio gyda BA yn y Gymraeg ac roedd y blog hwn yn help mawr yn ystod cwplhau'r traethawd estynedig, cefais y farc uchaf dwi erioed wedi cael yn y brifysgol ac roedd y peth yn cyfrif am bron chwarter y gradd, felly diolch i chi am hwnna. Mi oedd yr arbrawf cymdeithasol yn lwyddiant.

Un o'r pwyntiau a wnes i ar ddiwedd y traethawd oedd 'mae technoleg yn chwarae rôl fawr mewn bywydau pobl yn eu hugeiniau; fwy nag erioed' ac rwy dal yn cytuno gyda hwnna. Rwy'n parhau i'w defnyddio, pethau fel Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. Mae'n rhywbeth arall i wneud nag ateb e-byst trwy'r dydd sbo. Ond mae na rhai bobl sydd yn ei defnyddio i'r eithaf ac yn 'byw arno fe'. Rwy'n trial peidio â gwneud hwnna, ym mhersonol ond wrth gwrs, blogiau fel hyn yn un ffordd o ysgrifennu pethau a gweld a ydy pobl yn cytuno neu beth bynnag.

Mae tipyn o newid wedi bod ers Ionawr 2014; rwy wedi symud i Abertawe, dechrau cwrs MA Cyfieithu Proffesiynol ac rwy'n dechrau meddwl am gyrfaoedd yn ddifrifol, ar ôl gweithio rhan-amser trwy gydol fy astudiaethau ers oeddwn yn 16 oed. Teimlo'n hen nawr.

Hefyd, dwi am wneud y blog hwn yn ddwyieithog o hyn ymlaen. Nad oedd digon o amser i fi gwneud y tro diwethaf ond bellach rwy'n credu fod angen ymestyn. Bydd e'n help i fi cyfieithu hefyd. Bydd y Gymraeg wastod yn bwysig i mi ond mae digonedd o bobl sy'n cael ei caeed mas o fy mywyd oherwydd nad ydynt yn siarad Cymraeg. Mae'r tool ar ochr y tudalen Google Translate ddim yn cyfieithu o Gymraeg i Saesneg hefyd felly fel mae nhw'n dweud yn Saesneg, 'if you want something done properly, do it yourself'.

Dyna fel mae Cymru fodern - nid yw pawb yn gallu siarad Cymraeg bellach ac nid yw'n bosib i fyw yn Gymraeg trwy'r dydd bob dydd, er mod i o'r farn y mae llawer o ddiddordeb yn fwy o bobl nag erioed, yn enwedig pobl yn eu hugeiniau. Ond nid ydynt am ddysgu Cymraeg pe bai nad oes angen iddynt, hynny yw bydden nhw ddim yn colli mas os nad ydynt yn gallu siarad Cymraeg. A gorfodaeth yw'r ateb?
 
Felly, bant â ni. Bydd y blog yn wahanol y tro hyn gan fydd e'n trafod pethau dyddiol, stwff teithio, materion cyfoes ac unrhywbeth dwi am drafod mewn gwirionedd, yn Gymraeg a Saesneg. 

Diolch am ddarlen a dyma llun o Bae Rhossili yn Abertawe a gymerais nôl ym mis Tachwedd i chi gael gweld.

 

Happy new year to you and hope you like the photo of Rhossili Bay in Swansea that I took back in November.
 
Almost a year has passed since I started this blog and I've decided to restart it.  There's always too much going on in my head to be honest.

First things first, I had the great pleasure of graduating from Swansea University with a BA in Welsh and this blog was a major help during my dissertation which got me the highest mark ever during my time at uni. Being that the dissertation counted for almost a quarter of my entire degree, I would very much like to thank my online audience for their involvement, as well as the Blogiadur and fellow friends and acquaintances who managed to promote it as well as they did; without you this would not have been possible. The social experiment was indeed a success in finding out to what extent do young adults use and care about the use of the Welsh language online.

One of the points I made at the end of the dissertation was how much technology plays a vital role in the everyday lives of young adults in their twenties. I still stand by that statement and continue to use things such as Faceboook, Twitter, LinkedIn (something to do instead of replying to e-mails every day I suppose) but there are alot of people who take this to the extreme and live on Facebook, which I don't agree with. I try not to do that personally but of course, blogs like this are one way of talking to the world and gaining a response, be it positive or negative. 
 
Quite a lot has changed for me since January 2014; I've moved to Swansea, started a new Masters course in Translation and I am starting to grasp opportunities whole heartedly, having worked part-time for so long throughout my studies. I definitely feel old now.
 
I am also making this blog bilingual from now on. There wasn't really enough time for me to do this last year, seeing as the blog was academic and had to be completed within certain time constraints but I think it needs extending. It will help me in my translation work, seeing as that is what I plan to make my living from. Also, quite frankly, the Google Translate function on the side of the page is rather useless and doesn't translate from Welsh into English straight away.

Welsh will always be important to me but there are so many people that get shut out of my life sometimes due to the fact that they don't speak Welsh. Unfortunately, that is modern Welsh society for you - not everyone has the ability to speak Welsh anymore and it isn't possible to live in Welsh all day everyday. Having said that, the interest to learn Welsh within people in their twenties is far greater than ever before, the people that I have met have proved that, but I think the overall consensus is, 'If I don't need to learn it, I won't' which calls for all sorts of arguments with compulsion, Welsh only schools etc.

Anyway, that's it for now. The blog will differ slightly this time as I will be discussing daily things, travelling, current affairs and anything I just want to talk about really, in Welsh and English.

Thanks for reading and have a good one.