Emily:
In my mid-twenties I joined the staff of a language school. The pay wasn’t brilliant but I could make a living 1 and there were many aspects of the job that I enjoyed. The other members of staff were nice and I enjoyed teaching the students. A few years later, after returning from maternity leave, I decided to go part-time. Luckily I was able to do a job-share 2 with another woman who had a small child. Then the school began to go through a difficult period and had to lay off staff 3. I decided to go freelance 4. I had managed to build up a network of contacts and this gave me a good start. I soon had a substantial volume of work – private students and marking exams – and was able to earn a good living.
1 earn enough to live (can also be used just to refer to one’s job and how one earns one’s money: She makes a living as a hairdresser)
2 situation where two people share equal parts of the same job
3 dismiss staff because there is no work for them to do
4 work for several different organisations rather than working full-time for one organisation
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