Now that the second interview is out of the way, I have some time to reflect on the process and try to discern whether I should take the position if it is offered to me.
I am torn.
I love my current job, and I am excited about the next few months ahead--I sense that the new rector is bringing with him a unique and vivid energy that will be delightful to see at work at St. Mark's. His first day in the office will be Sept. 4. Already he has cheered me on in one of my recent endeavors--adding a new blog to the parish website. I anticipate that he will be a fun person to collaborate with on similar projects.
At the same time, I feel un underlying anxiety, a gnawing inside, telling me that I need to get some direct library experience to add to my resume if I hope to land a good professional position once I finish my degree. The problem is, there are minimal jobs available with both the hours I want and a pay level that would be satisfactory. Mostly the options seem to be part-time jobs with student-level pay, which is not helpful to a 30-something adult trying to make a living.
So, do I take the opportunity, if it presents itself, to get my foot in the door, trusting eventually it will lead to bigger and better things, or do I stick with my current job until something more fitting comes along? Today I am leaning towards the latter, but I don't know if things would be different if money wasn't an issue. Lots to think about.
I am torn.
I love my current job, and I am excited about the next few months ahead--I sense that the new rector is bringing with him a unique and vivid energy that will be delightful to see at work at St. Mark's. His first day in the office will be Sept. 4. Already he has cheered me on in one of my recent endeavors--adding a new blog to the parish website. I anticipate that he will be a fun person to collaborate with on similar projects.
At the same time, I feel un underlying anxiety, a gnawing inside, telling me that I need to get some direct library experience to add to my resume if I hope to land a good professional position once I finish my degree. The problem is, there are minimal jobs available with both the hours I want and a pay level that would be satisfactory. Mostly the options seem to be part-time jobs with student-level pay, which is not helpful to a 30-something adult trying to make a living.
So, do I take the opportunity, if it presents itself, to get my foot in the door, trusting eventually it will lead to bigger and better things, or do I stick with my current job until something more fitting comes along? Today I am leaning towards the latter, but I don't know if things would be different if money wasn't an issue. Lots to think about.
3 comments:
A couple of thoughts from my own experiences...
I took a job once to get my foot in the door that was exactly what you were describing. Entry level job, Low level pay, well below what I was capable of, but in a large company that I really liked with lots of opportunities for internal advancement. Within 6 months I was hired for my ideal position, received tons of training, proved my worth and achieved over $6000 in annual raises in less than two years. Then, when the time came to make a big and unexpected move, I had all of the training and experience I needed to make the career jump to middle management and increase my salary to a level of pay that I'm actually worth - education, experience, and all.
For me the job I took was bank tellering - at 27 years old with 7 years of higher education and several years of professional work experience. The thing about taking that kind of job...it's embarassing because you know you are worth more and capable of much more. And the money sucks. But the other thing about taking that kind of job is that other people can see you are worth more too. When internal openings do come up, you will be hired because you are the best candidate for the job and you are better than the competition. Trust me, I've been through this. So you will move up the latter quickly and in a short period of time you will have a resume with a proven record of how quickly you have excelled.
But it is an investment. If you do decide to take the position, you need to be prepared to survive at that salary level for at least six months. You either can afford it or you can't so that is not something you have to decide. You just need to figure out what is reasonable.
Another thing, I can strongly identify with not wanting to leave your current job. I've felt that way about several jobs. I tend to get along well with coworkers and really enjoy the process of teamwork and collaboration. Every time I leave a job I think how much I will miss those relationships and how much I will miss that collaborative process of all of the things that will go on without me when I leave. But I always find those things at the new job that I go to because that is the type of person that I am and that is the environment that I choose to foster.
You know that your time at St. Mark's is limited. Eventually you will have to part from there and there will never be a perfect time. But it has been a very good job. There is no reason to rush off and take the first thing that comes along. But if you feel like you really like the library you are looking at and you think it is a really important investment to make for your marketability of getting the job you want in the future, then I would not let your attachments hold you back.
I have been reading the book "Purpose Driven Life" and it has really helped me to focus on the right things when making big decisions. The biggest thing it has taught me is this: It's not about me. God has a purpose for me, and he presents opportunities for me to help me fulfill that purpose for Him. When I make things about me, and try and make decisions from my own self-centered interests, everything gets so confusing and complicated.
My suggestion--Ask God what He wants you to do. And when He answers, try to follow with complete faith. I know, I know, so hard for you and I, we are the ones who want all the ducks in a row, counted three times, and double checked, before we move on. But God truly knows what is in our best interests. He will not give us a cross that we cannot carry.
I've recently been reminded of my confirmation verse: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct thy path."
Who would've thunk it, two big sisters go to seminary, and the former pagan little sister scriptures in blog comments! I guess we just never know what the future holds for us, do we?
Cindy and Terri, you both shared some very helpful advice/insights. I ultimately decided that the job I was interviewing for was not the right one for me at this time. A number of things came into play to arrive at this decision, but suffice it to say I feel complete resolution with my former "dilemna."
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