Career Opportunities

Lately I've been snooping around the job market.  I've known since forever that my job isn't my dream job.  It's a *good* job and I'm lucky but it's not what I want to do every single work day for the rest of my career.

My first choice would be, of course, a writer that stays home to work.  I did that for about a year and loved it.  But, I want to be able to retire someday so it's not a permanent option.  Even if I did somehow land some sort of a writing gig, it certainly wouldn't be enough to stop working.

My second choice would be to return to the Early Childhood Education field.  I'm afraid that option has passed.  Not only am I not physically able to do it anymore, I would have to finish my degree.  The education cost versus salary earned is in the Why Would You Even category.  There is no such thing as a good paying job in E.C.E. especially when I wouldn't want to return to an administration job per se.

My third choice is just as unattainable as the first two: I would love to work at the racetrack.  There are multiple impossibilities to this idea: a) it's in Canada b) it's part-time temporary and c) we wouldn't be able to race also.

One possibly viable option I need to look into more is becoming a para-professional, which is a teacher's aide for the school districts.  There are two concerns with this: the physical ability and that they are usually non-contracted jobs.  (like teachers)  The inconsistency of working for a school district makes me a little anxious.
 
So....what to do...  I like most of my job.  I don't enjoy working with a percentage of clients as they are often addicts or mentally ill and often: both.  This part of social services is not something I've ever been interested in, yet here I am.  Upcoming changes to my job will add women who've experienced domestic violence which is something I've always avoided.

With this change is the opportunity to move into a different office.  That sounds exciting until I tell you that it would mean sharing an office....with three other people.  Those of you who know me in reals just tutted and shook your heads "no", didn't you?  Yeah, talk about setting me up to fail.


The job market in this region isn't terrible.  There are opportunities to be made, it's just making the leap.  Do I stay in social service or change to civil service or try the private industry...all of them have benefits and shortcomings.  The nice thing about staying in social services is that jobs are consistent; contracts don't expire, economic changes don't usually effect them, and there is a flexibility that the private sector doesn't provide.

I am usually a Make It Happen person but I'm finding as I age that it's not always possible.  I'm reaching the age of being able to see retirement on the horizon. (a little over 10 years for those of you wondering...providing Kevin retires as scheduled)  I'm not longer in my twenties when throwing caution to the wind is easier.

I don't subscribe to the Oprah way of thinking, as in "If you want it badly enough, it will happen."  This is magical thinking that I believe sets people up to fail.  I've become a "Let's look into it and see what happens" person. 

So what's a girl to do?  Tough it out?  Find another "This Will Do"? Try something completely different? I guess we'll see.