Finding the Right Career Path

i know how you feel. once my kids were at school i didn't know if i should do what i've always done (secretarial) or look into the alternative field which has always had my interest. 3 years later i've realised that i could go on in a job that i wasn't passionate about and looked at going back to school (like i am now). have you got any experience in writing? maybe look at a position blogging somewhere? it's a start. are you wanting to do creative or journalist? you're never too old to go back to school

 

What color is my parachute? Good book.

Maybe go back to school and learn a new trade

 

I am getting out of the teaching profession in a few years. I am starting dental hygiene school. It is a high demand field and the pay is AWESOME.

 

Really? Why are you going to leave teaching? Wouldn't it be just as lucrative to garner tenure?

 

I have tenure, in MA you get it after 10 years(pension vestment that is) Professional tenure is after 3. By the time I finish the dental hygiene program I will have been teaching 23 years and that is enough time in one career.

Teaching is not a job that one can do half ass. I am not at the burn out point YET, but think that I could be in a few years. I am a firm believer that teachers who are burned out need to be done. The next generation is too important to not get the best.

I will probably continue to teach the adult ESL at night as that is AMAZING.

BTW 50% of all teachers in the US leave the profession after 5 years or less.

 

Try a hotel, pay aint great but you meet a variety of interesting people and it can be very fun at times....during busy seasons it can become very aggravating.

 

lol way to sell it northy...!!!

 

LMAO...makes me want a job in that industry for SURE...:smt043:smt043:smt043

 

I hope you find your way soon Tamstrong, I am in a rutt too at the moment, I need to get out of my industry big time, I have lost the passion for the business. I want more out of life and I guess I just want to be able to wake up each day and want to go to work. It isn't the fact it is work it is the type of job I have...

I think what Alectrona mentioned would be a geat start for you, if you enjoy writing bloging could be a first step for you.

 

Wow tam. On the one hand so glad you don't have to work for that jackass any longer but then on to the next issue and that is job hunting. It can be hard to put yourself on the line and go through all the interviews. There are lots of little tutorials I think it was on Monster.com. Also read saty's post about making your resume shine. One thing I think is interesting is looking on glassdoor.com. It kind of gives a peek at working at different places. One that might be a good or bad peek.

I think if you can get an interim job it might alleviate that stress and then you can focus on the future. It would be too much to look for an immediate job and the future all in one time period. A friend of mine lost her job........she was something like a dental assistant but with a gear towards making orthodontic appliances. She got fired twice in a row. In this job market I guess it's easy to do. She went into a community college to ask about something on a lark ........signed up for classes, took one semester and was offered a job in the oil and gas industry before she finished.

 

Subsititute teaching is good interim job...but stick to elementary kids..the older ones are harder.

 

Can I suggest looking up rat race rebellion..they are real home jobs..it might be enough to get you going until you get something else, I did it before I landed this job and it was a paycheck..its a great time since everyone is hiring at least seasonally.

Also check out
http:cloud10.com

If you apply there let me know , I know the people that pull the applications to at least get an interview to work with them and don't mind using my connections.

I also think this is a great time to learn about jobs you didn't even know existed, most of us have to work, should do something you love and are good at.

 

Duh, I have a career counseling class that I have tons of free resources from, to see what you might enjoy..if you are interested please send me an email and Ill send you the links..good luck praying for your success!

 

Build up your network, talk to everybody even people with bad breath about local career opportunities. Employers look at your experience as a track, so if you want to break out of what you were doing it will require the adoption of a different skill set. This doesn't presuppose formal education but prepare yourself to learn some new things to make yourself a more attractive candidate.

 

Tam, I think this is the time to take and actually catch your breath and not put so much pressure on yourself, cause with that hell hole of a job, you really never had a chance to focus on you and your wants and needs. You were relied on so heavily that you got lost in that jackass and his business. I know the bills have to be paid, but with this time off, you can write down the career paths that interest you. With each field, you can write down things - like your experience in said fields and what attributes you can bring to each one. Then maybe you can write down the pros and cons of those careers and what you're willing to do to sacrifice to do them, and how much you're really interested in them. This will help narrow down and maybe put things into better perspective and that'll help give you a better idea of how to proceed.