Thoughts: The Job/Career Edition

One thing that has been a blessing in disguise about living here and having Mark work at IVCC is that they are very friendly to spouses seeking employment...almost encouraging of the fact. So, after I had Parker and my unemployment (from CPWR '08) finally ran out, I figured I'd take it nice and slow and work a few hours at the friendly Writing Center on campus. It has been great!! I really enjoy what I do, and the great thing is I don't have any deadlines or obligations. I just show up, help students, chat with co-workers, do a little data entry, and go home. It's a breeze and actually a respite from life back home.

Last semester I was able to increase my hours and that was even better! I went from working a couple nights a week to several days and nights. While my life became a little busier, my paycheck also got a little heftier and that was definitely nice! Well unbeknownst to anyone, IVCC has experienced a lull in registration and part-timers are being scaled waaay back in their hours. So I went from about 15 hrs. a week to only 4 hrs. a week this semester. Not good. I miss the money, and my respite time.

So I've decided to take the next step in terms of my opportunities at IVCC. Mark's boss had asked me awhile ago if I would ever be interested in teaching a class? I figured the answer was no because of my limited availability, and lack of education. Well apparently I was wrong. Turns out I can teach developmental English with a Bachelor's degree, the class is called English 0900. This is what students take before they take take 101 and upper level classes. I agreed to teach my first course this summer!! Yikes is right!! I'm nervous. I haven't ever really done this before. I taught ESL classes in Twin Falls through CSI, but never a full-fledged college class! Anyway, I've been in the process of talking to people on campus, gathering info, ideas, knowledge, etc. I even got my own parking permit for faculty parking the other day! LOL! Should be an adventure, wish me luck!!

Which brings me to my next subject, careers. I wonder how much of our career path is carved deliberately or happens due to circumstance. I started out in college wanting to be a graphic designer. Due to my lack of confidence with my artistic abilities, I quickly revised my plan. I became an English major, intending to teach high school English. That was my plan until after I returned from my mission. After talking to a college counselor and weighing my options, I realized that teaching high school would not only take me longer, but it wouldn't yield the financial results I wanted. I considered Social Work for awhile, but soon realized that my skin wasn't thick enough to pursue that path. He encouraged me to look into Technical Communications. With the advent of the world wide web, lots of businesses were publishing material online and needed writers who could translate and bridge the gap. So I went for it. I want to be clear that this wasn't just a willy-nilly decision. I prayed about this long and hard, and felt the confirmation that it was the right career choice for me at the time. I pursued it with Heavenly Father backing me up. And I have always felt like my choice to do that has been a blessing to my life and our family. I may not have ever loved technical writing, but I know that it was a vehicle to receiving the blessings that our family has needed at different points along the way. I believe the Lord knew that even though I didn't, and I fully recognize that now.

However, I feel my life/career are heading in a new direction now. Now that this phase of my life seems to be inching closer, I can feel a natural pull back to the direction I originally intended. I would like to get back to education. Not high school per se, but I figure if Mark is always going to be on a college campus, why shouldn't I? So hopefully teaching this first class will be my first foot in the door. After that hopefully I can start the wheels turning for getting into a Masters program so that I can teach full-time. Hopefully by the time Parker is in school full-time I can be too!!

Reflecting on all the different jobs I've had in my life, it's kind of amazing how the Lord has blessed me. I think He intends for me to have a lot of different skills. And I've seen how those skills have really served me well throughout my life. From working at the dry-cleaners in high school and college, to working at the Girl Scout camp, to technical writing, and now to teaching. I've been shaped, molded, pushed, and pulled where the Lord needs me and wants me to be. I appreciate that it's all contributed to the person I am today. And it makes for some fun memories and stories, for sure!! Read this if you don't believe me.