I've been delaying this post because I honestly don't know the answer to this question I've had on my mind. Maybe you all can help me.
My degree is in social psychology (i.e. something I can't do anything with unless I have a graduate degree), and my career experience is mainly in business - specifically in training. These are fields that I really have no interest in at the moment. Especially business. Ugh.
So, now I have my children all in school all day, and I figure it is time for me to find something to do with myself other than volunteer work and the occasional substitute teaching. There are several reasons for this: First and foremost, we need the money. Second, I really enjoy aspects of working outside the home. I like the social contact, I like having the structure, a place to be, people who need me, people who tell me what a good job I do all day. I like challenging myself, and using my mind. Not that you don't do those things as a stay at home because you certainly do. There is just an aspect of outside work that I enjoy.
On the other hand, I want to be home when my kids are. I need something that is flexible, because my number one priority is my kids. We need the money, but we don't need it badly enough that I'm going to put the kids in daycare to do it.
So, I've been kicking around many ideas. You'll think everything is so disjointed...it's not like I'm debating between being a doctor or a dentist - these fields are all vastly different from each other! So for anyone interested, these are the things I'm thinking of, their pros and cons, and you can now tell me what to do! I have found out that God isn't going to tell me what to do, so maybe you can!
1. Teaching/Guidance Counseling. This is probably the field I'm the most serious about. I love the education field for many reasons - one is that I really do enjoy being around youth - especially high school age youth. I love the hours. I love that I could be home when my kids are. I taught for a couple of years in an experimental program in Utah and I loved it. I worked with at-risk kids in a setting that combined the counseling and the teaching aspect, and it was overall a really good fit for me. So, the downside? More school. It would take me a year to get my teaching certificate, and two years to have my Master's and counseling certification. Some schools here will hire you full time as a teacher without a teaching certificate as long as you are working on the certification and within a year of getting it - but I don't think I'm anywhere near a point in my life where I could work full time AND go to school full time. Or even one or the other, necessarily. Doug's career and church responsibility just make it really difficult for me right now to do anything that is full time ANYTHING! I could take the slow route and continue to sub when I can and take a class here and there. But ugh..school.
2. Online counseling degree. UMass has an interesting program where you take all of your classes online, then go on campus for a 5 week practicum, then an internship locally and you have your master's in Marriage and Family Therapy. The entire program is two years, just as an on-site master's would be. I love the flexibility of doing the classes at home, and I think I can do independent study just fine (I've done it before and really liked it). The prohibitive thing for this is the cost. It's quite expensive. And then to get licensed you have to log a certain number of hours - which would take me forever to get because I don't want to work full time. But, I do like this idea, and I'm liking it more and more all the time.
3. Law school. For some reason this has always fascinated me. I think law school itself would be totally interesting and fun. However, do I really want to pay a million dollars for a law degree when I honestly can't picture myself doing that kind of work full time? Probably not. On a similar note, I'm interested in doing paralegal or mediation work - which still would require training that I'm not sure I want to pay for or put the time into right now.
4. Medical transcription. This is something I've kicked around forever, and come close to doing a time or two. I like that I could get through the program fairly quickly and inexpensively, and the hours are flexible. I don't really know a downside to doing this, other than for me it would seem more like a "job" than a "career" just because it isn't my passion. I think I would enjoy it and do a good job with it, but at the end of the day it would be more a paycheck than a passion for me. Not that your job has to also be your passion - but I do really like working WITH people, not on my own so much. But really, this option is probably the one I could get the most bang for buck at the moment.
5. Status quo - don't do anything about getting further education or training, and just "get a job". Sub work is good in some ways because it really isn't too bad of pay for the flexibility it offers. I mean, if my kids are sick, or have something at school I want to be involved in - well, I just don't work that day! On the other hand, there are lots of days I could and would want to work but the jobs aren't there. I could try to find a part-time job during the day while the kids are in school, or something with some flexibility. But here again it would just be a "getting by", not really "getting ahead" experience.
So, those are the main things I'm serious about. Of course I always have other ideas in my head, but nothing in that realm really feels right. These are the things that seem to fit my personality and my talents the most. So, those of you who know me can tell me what you think I'd be best at and maybe that will get my wheels turning.
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6 comments:
I'm a medical transcriptionist and I like it. I don't love it, but I like it. When I was a teenager, I certainly never thought that I would ever have anything to do with the medical field, but here I am transcribing incredibly important medical files. The school I got my certificate from is called At-Home Professions. I really liked this school because it was independent study and VERY affordable, $55 a month! I started the program a month and a half after I had Claire, so mid Jan. 2007, and finished it in mid Nov. 2007, so it took me 10 months. I could've done it faster, but having a new baby kinda put me behind. I didn't put my resume out on the web until the end of Jan. 2008 and after a week had two companies contact me wanting me to take their tests to become a transcriptionist for them. So I got two job offers and, of course, went with the one that pays better. I get $.08 a line, which is standard. I am supposed to work Fri., Sat., and Sun. 1-9pm, but I pretty much just go online and work whenever I want. I have also seen at different times that Slidell Memorial Hospital needs transcriptionist (I think full and part-time) and I think they pay pretty good.
If you want anymore information, feel free to call me. 985-285-1847.
I hope that gives you some more info on that line of work.
My solicited advice always sucks and my unsolicited advice always rocks. So this advice is probably going to be lousy because you asked :)
OK, so I'm going to be all mean and critical, but you love me, so you'll get over it.
First, pay attention to the order. #1 was teaching. You have always wanted to do this.
Second, you could just do school and continue to sub until you're done.
Third, are you a good enough listener to be a LMFT? Maybe you are; I really don't know. However, I do know from many many years as a patient in counseling and therapy that it's a critical skill in a counselor/ therapist.
Fourth, you know how I feel about law school. Lose lose. You have $100K in debt and then you have to be a lawyer.
Fifth, good luck with this. I'm over 10 years older than you and have never found a career. On the other hand, I have a plain old Job that I like very much, and I've learned to see the challenges and the rewards in what I do, even though it's only business.
I think that you were happiest when you were teaching and doing the counseling and like mom said, in your patriarchal blessing it says that you will be able to balance, successfully a career and home. I think I know you pretty well and I think it would be very fulfilling for you to go back and do something with teaching.
I think that sometimes when you work outside the home (or run your business outside your home-as is my case), you can find fulfillment and get your cup full so that you can then be re-charged enough to take on being a mom when your kids are there.
I know that when I am doing work with our businesses, that I feel more fulfilled and like I am contributing. I tend to be a better mom when my kids are home and they need me--because I feel like I can do more.
I don't know if any of that makes sense, but I think that you should go for it--you will be great at whatever you choose to do.
Bear in mind that I think being unavailable to your kids on a regular basis is a good thing. My friend Kathy told me she realized when her youngest was 9 that none of her children knew how to make their own peanut butter sandwich :) She taught them how and then got a job, so they could practice.
But then, I'm probably going to hell.
LOL-I love Ann's last comment!! She's great! Okay, all very good advice here for you. My choice for you would be the teaching/guidance counseling. Of course, I love MFT - but you almost need a PhD to really get the pay there... which means more schooling. And I know what you mean about law school. I always thought that is what I would do.... but I guess not. Anyway, I also think you are a great teacher and I like the idea of guidance counseling in there. Of course, you could always come teach ballet with me?! Okay, so in a nut shell, my advice would be to go for the teaching/guidance counseling! Of course, the bottom line is, you still need to follow your heart! ANd I know what you mean about God not telling you. He doesn't tell me much of the things I WANT to know either! LOL!
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