conorsmom2000
07-04-2008, 06:20 AM
As I posted before, I was laid off from my job at the end of May. I had been working as a staffing specialist (basically an Admin job) and was lucky enough to work 4 flexible hours a day, from home. So, with Mike losing his job in 3 weeks, I've been frantically searching for a job. Part time seems impossible to find, so I've been considering full time, though I'm not sure what I'd do with Conor, being president of the PA, etc. I'd been blessed to have the freedom, really, to fit work around all these things. So, while losing my job has been a huge blow to me, it's also made me realize that any new job is going to mean big life changes for me.
One job I had applied for was a Secretary spot in the Special Services department of our school district. I was up against a few friends, who are also very active in the district, so I didn't really expect to get it (and in the end, none of us did - they hired from outside the district).
But, a few weeks later, 4 special education Paraprofessional (Classroom Aide) spots became available and I was offered one of them today.
I guess I'm unsure because this is so unlike anything I've ever done. I'm not even fully sure what the job entails - I have to meet with the Director on Monday to go over everything with him, though the job is definitely mine if I want it. I have over 16 years of Admin experience, mostly working in HR and staffing, and most of that working for a large software Company, so, this is a totally different type of job for me. On the plus side, I'd be on the exact same schedule as Conor - my hours would be his exact school hours and I'd have all his vacations off (and summer!) On the negative, the pay is very low - lower than what I made part time, though, not much lower considering this is a 10 month job vs 12 month. I think Mike wanted me to work full time to help cover us while he's out of work, but the bottom line is that I haven't found anything yet, and it's hard to beat a job where I wouldn't be looking for a babysitter every time school was closed. I would like to think that this could eventually lead to an office job, but I don't know if that's the case, or even how things work within the district.
I guess what concerns me as well is my commitment to the PA. With this job, I wouldn't be able to be onsite for any of our school events, which makes me a little sad, as I loved doing that stuff. But, at least I'd be working in town and able to oversee things before and after school, and on my lunch hour - with another job, I might not be so lucky. For example, one job I was up for was full time - it was a great job, double my salary, which would have been wonderful for us, but it was a new branch office, so it would be crazy long hours, with a 30 minute commute each way. With the school job, the longest my commute could possibly be is a mile and a half!
At the moment, I don't know which school in our district I'd be at - we have 5 elementary schools, 1 middle school and a high school. I doubt I'd be so lucky as to end up at Conor's school. And I understand that, but I guess that makes me nervous - each school can be very "cliquey" and I'm afraid that I'll feel like an outsider at another school (I sound like a little kid writing that! :D )
Bottom line is that it's the best offer I've had, but not working on a computer/in an office makes me feel totally out of my element, so I guess I'm nervous. Any thoughts/advice to help me sort through this? :blush:
One job I had applied for was a Secretary spot in the Special Services department of our school district. I was up against a few friends, who are also very active in the district, so I didn't really expect to get it (and in the end, none of us did - they hired from outside the district).
But, a few weeks later, 4 special education Paraprofessional (Classroom Aide) spots became available and I was offered one of them today.
I guess I'm unsure because this is so unlike anything I've ever done. I'm not even fully sure what the job entails - I have to meet with the Director on Monday to go over everything with him, though the job is definitely mine if I want it. I have over 16 years of Admin experience, mostly working in HR and staffing, and most of that working for a large software Company, so, this is a totally different type of job for me. On the plus side, I'd be on the exact same schedule as Conor - my hours would be his exact school hours and I'd have all his vacations off (and summer!) On the negative, the pay is very low - lower than what I made part time, though, not much lower considering this is a 10 month job vs 12 month. I think Mike wanted me to work full time to help cover us while he's out of work, but the bottom line is that I haven't found anything yet, and it's hard to beat a job where I wouldn't be looking for a babysitter every time school was closed. I would like to think that this could eventually lead to an office job, but I don't know if that's the case, or even how things work within the district.
I guess what concerns me as well is my commitment to the PA. With this job, I wouldn't be able to be onsite for any of our school events, which makes me a little sad, as I loved doing that stuff. But, at least I'd be working in town and able to oversee things before and after school, and on my lunch hour - with another job, I might not be so lucky. For example, one job I was up for was full time - it was a great job, double my salary, which would have been wonderful for us, but it was a new branch office, so it would be crazy long hours, with a 30 minute commute each way. With the school job, the longest my commute could possibly be is a mile and a half!
At the moment, I don't know which school in our district I'd be at - we have 5 elementary schools, 1 middle school and a high school. I doubt I'd be so lucky as to end up at Conor's school. And I understand that, but I guess that makes me nervous - each school can be very "cliquey" and I'm afraid that I'll feel like an outsider at another school (I sound like a little kid writing that! :D )
Bottom line is that it's the best offer I've had, but not working on a computer/in an office makes me feel totally out of my element, so I guess I'm nervous. Any thoughts/advice to help me sort through this? :blush: