Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Where or Where, Can my new Job be?


Ok, I just told my friend Suzanne who hasn't been to my blog yet, that I never talk about work on here. BUT I just have to make this one exception.

I'm currently looking for a new job/career/calling and I find that thinking about it is just there. It's not something I purposefully have to think about, it's just always on the back burner of my inner mind-stove. Sometimes I feel like it's about to boil over (when I let my inner obsessive-compulsive nature take over) and other times it is like a slow simmer, barely bubbling.

The problem is this: I love being creative. I love working part-time at home/alone and part-time with nice/creative/funny people. However, in all my many jobs, I've never seemed to find that mix. Oh, yes, and let's not forget that I also like to be paid enough to buy groceries for my darling, myself and my furry little friends... and maybe have a little treat once a week or so. Is that too much to ask? Oh, and also I would like to travel while I'm still young enough to get around. And I would like a Vespa scooter and stockade fencing for my yard. But really. Is that too much to ask???

There are always certain parts of my jobs that I have hated and other parts I really liked. Well, ok. To be honest some jobs I've just hated for the most part. But really, there have been some great pieces of past jobs. For example: I worked as a case manager for the elderly and I loved the freedom of setting my own schedule, being on the road most of the day and the variety of the work. Plus for the most part, I felt like I was really helping people. I didn't really care for the death/dying/end of life issues and stressed out family members who decided that I would make the absolute perfect whipping boy (or girl, as the case may be). I also had a really hard time dealing with the emergency abuse cases, etc. And so, burned out by case management and other people's problems, I decided after 3 years of CM that, secretarial work wasn't so bad.

Just thinking about all the different jobs I've had makes my head swim. Since I started working at age 15 here is a condensed list:
Babysitter, data entry clerk, flyer folder (hey, I needed gas money!), dishwasher, buffet hostess, salad girl, house cleaner, video store clerk, clothing store clerk, secretary, veterinary assistant, daycare aide, secretary for DUI program (that was fun!), case manager, eligibility specialist, dog groomer (2 days and dogs tried to bite/sit on me!), medical transcriptionist, and office assitant. I think I'm forgetting some... That is 19 jobs in 14 years which averages 1.357 jobs per year! Of course, a lot of these were summer or part-time positions (thank God!). It does make me wonder though....Is my perfect career possibly, just maybe, being on vacation?

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