I always say I'm going to get back into blogging, but really... I am! This time for sure! :)
I have had so many life changes since I last vented... uh, I mean shared. I have recently completed my Bachelor of Art degree and I'm job hunting. Just let me say this, job hunting is not for the weak of heart or the easily discouraged.
I am now a certified teacher and would LOVE to have my own elementary classroom, however it is December and there aren't a lot of jobs available mid-year. While there definitely are some that are available, they just aren't close enough to where I live to make the salary and the drive worth it. Regardless of how passionate I am about teaching, it just doesn't make sense for me to travel an hour or more for about $40K a year. Am I completely crazy here?
I'm not giving up...I've applied all over the area and not just for teaching positions, but also for office jobs which are in line with what I've been doing for the past 20+ years. When I embarked on this mid-life career change, I was well aware of the pay-cut and well aware of various other challenges. One huge challenge has been keeping my current office job; the same job I've had for over 16 years, while completing the 12 week student teaching assignment. The company I work for allowed me to continue my job and I continued to work on a remote, nights, and weekend basis. I was very appreciative and kept my commitment to the company without shirking any of my job responsibilities.
Unfortunately, the company didn't keep their word and commitment to me. The last week of my student teaching, one of owners asked me if I had found a teaching job. My response was 'no,' I was still planning to return to work full-time, just as we had discussed. Well to my surprise and disappointment, I was told I needed to find another job because my current position was being reduced to only 20 hours a week. All that went through my head was that I had given them 16 years of loyalty and service and put up with all of their crap... and taken care of their personal crap (lives). This was how I was going to be treated? Seriously? About 2 weeks before I started my student teaching assignment, this same person came into my office and tried to bully me or intimidate me into not doing my student teaching. I could not be persuaded and I continued on with my plan with the blessings of the 2 other business partners. I fully believe that this reduction of hours is all in retribution for my 12 week student teaching 'absence'. I still can't be bullied and I won't let one man's selfish and hateful attitude affect me and my future.
So currently, I am working only 20 hours a week, I've lost my benefits because of the part-time status, but I'm honestly starting to feel much less stress since I'm only working 3 days a week and my exposure to the toxicity of that office is reduced!! While the financial strain is there, I feel like my body is starting to recover from the past 2-3 years of working full-time, school full-time, and still being a mom and a wife. I've only been on this new work schedule for 3 weeks, but I'm slowly finding my creative brain again and my mental energy.
Perhaps the fact that I am being forced to change jobs is given me a renewed sense of excitement to start my mid-life career change as an elementary teacher. Additionally, I've started exploring online teaching positions, as well as virtual office jobs. I have been so involved in my college classes over the past couple of years and have let my media and technology skills slide. Not any more...I am all over this social media stuff and all of the ways I could earn money working online, while still working within the world of 'education'. I have so much more to tell you, but until next time....:)
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