Want a quick way to lower your self-esteem? Try looking for a new job.
In the past month and a half I've sent out more resumes than I can count and I've only heard back from 2 people. One wanted to pay way less than the work is worth and the other was willing to pay a decent wage but only for 4 hours a week.
I guess 20+ years of administrative work isn't worth much these days. I seriously wish I could have a do-over. I'd never have listened to my mother to "take typing and shorthand so that you'll always have a skill to fall back on." I've been "falling back" on it ever since...well, not the shorthand, that was a BIG waste of time.
Of course I've picked up a few more tricks along the way. Nobody really cares much about typing speeds anymore...which is too bad because that turns out to have been another big waste of time (when I could have been learning about astrophysics or something) and I really kind of enjoyed typing tests. But now I'm also good at planning big events, keeping volunteers motivated, bookkeeping (well, Quickbooks is good at it) and small graphics projects.
Really, I'm quite a catch but nobody else seems to see that. It's probably that I'm such an old catch, they see too many years on that resume.
It's not like I like office work anyway, I kind of hate it. That's another reason I'd like a do-over. I would go back and study to become a marine mammal researcher. I didn't even know that kind of job existed when I was going through school, locked away in the typing dungeon. And don't tell me it's not too late to go back and work for that dream because, yeah, it is. There are many ways I can reinvent myself at this stage in my life but that's not one of them.
And I guess that's what it's all about - reinvention. If I'm not going to be an office worker than what, realistically, can I be? There are many things that I love to do, how can I get paid for doing them? I wish I had answers.
"I'd like to add some beauty to life," said Anne dreamily. "I don't exactly want to make people KNOW more... though I know that IS the noblest ambition... but I'd love to make them have a pleasanter time because of me... to have some little joy or happy thought that would never have existed if I hadn't been born.” ― L.M. Montgomery, Anne's House of Dreams
Are we leading practically the same life? I haven't been doing that yet this year, but last year I did with absolutely nothing. Oh, unless you count the "thanks but not thanks" emails. It's hard when you've worked for yourself for 20+ years. I'm thinking prospective employers want to call someone and who would they call here? Me or Jim?
ReplyDeleteI'm getting scared about what will happen with us in the next year. I've even talked about not going this summer. Jim insists that I will, so I will be optimistic and hope things change.
When Jamie was a baby (many years ago), I was accepted into the nursing program at our local college, but decided I didn't want to leave her to work full time and go to school at the same time. But, boy, that nursing degree would have come in handy...
Oh, I'm sorry. Was this your blogpost? I think I just hi-jacked it.
I'm hoping and praying that something comes through for you!
When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a marine mammal researcher too! I didn't know what it was called, actually. I just wanted to work with dolphins. :o) Let's put our LIW researching skills to use and research dolphins. Let's see... Ma dolphin's lineage hails from Scotland, and I swear there's a connection there to the Loch Ness Monster... Pa dolphin has an itching fin... he's lived everywhere...
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