Discomfort zone ...

I may question my sanity at some point, but at the moment, I can't afford to do so, literally. With a Master's degree in Education, I've resorted to applying for a customer service/sales position. I've applied to local school districts, only to be interviewed once. No response from the other districts whatsoever. As a result of the one interview, the only option suggested to me was applying as a substitute teacher. In the back of my mind, the thought, "I didn't go to graduate school for this," ran -and still runs- rampant. When my husband and I lived in a neighboring town, I was continually reminded by other people that I'd have a better chance getting a teaching job across the stateline. Now, we're across the stateline and it isn't any easier.

As a result of all the madness, the general consensus is the fact that it doesn't matter what credentials you may have but who you know and where you attended school/college. I'm a fish out of water. I have excellent letters of recommendation, high GPA's, the Master's degree, and nine years of experience in the special education classroom - not worth spit if you didn't grow up in the area or attend one of the local colleges/universities.

In the 2 1/2 years I've been in the Northwest, I've been greatly humbled by the workforce. So far, I've worked in customer service/sales and data entry. Customer service/sales wears on my conscience -talking with people who obviously couldn't afford something, and yet my job was convincing them they really needed a "butt scratcher" to make their lives easier. On the other hand, data entry has proven to be undemanding in terms of emotion. Quite refreshing to simply type what's in front of you. No mystery about that. 2 + 2 = 4 ... the sun sets in the west ... No complexity involved. All is good until you're laid off; however, that isn't even the half of it. The job is now outsourced. Oh yes, can we say India? Rather than giving back to the community, the company exercises the ability to pinch pennies so hard that Lincoln screams.

So it appears I've come full circle. I am unable to elude the customer service/sales profession due to the demand. I'm beginning to think that the educational chapter of my professional life has ended, due in part to my wavering motivation and for the simple fact that 2 1/2 years worth of attempts seem to get me nowhere. I don't think my heart is in it anymore. The transition to another profession is a daunting task.