Sunday, September 11, 2005

How do you know what you want . . .

. . . 'til you get what you want and you see if you like it?
I haven't done anything thing with the Rebecca sleeves yet. I can't decide what I want because I don't know how other sleeves will look. I guess at some point, I will just have to close my eyes and take a leap of faith. And hopefully, I will like it when it's finished.

Right now, I'm facing a similar tough decision in my nonknitting life. I used to think that my job was perfect for me. I loved nearly everything about it. I even cheerfully worked overtime because I felt that it was a small price to pay for such a wonderful job. But now, for various reasons, I think that it is time for me to leave. Unfortunately, I don't know what sort of career I want to pursue next.

Jobs that I am qualified for and that I have done in the past:
1. High school or middle school science teacher. I have a lifetime teaching certificate in chemistry, physics, and physical science. But I was miserable when I was teaching.
2. Research Associate in a molecular biology lab. Same low pay as teaching with much less stress. Also much more boredom.
3. Freelance writer for educational publishers. Uneven work and uneven pay. May be difficult to make freelancing a full-time job that pays well.

Jobs that I think I would like to do but have drawbacks associated with them:
1. Professional knitter. I have never seen such a job advertised. Plus, I wonder if I would start to dislike knitting if I depended on it for money and if spent all my time knitting for other people.
2. Pastry chef. I'd want to work in a froo-froo bakery, not a restaurant. I'd have to go to culinary school and I've heard that the work is quite grueling.
3. Adoption counselor in an animal shelter. When these jobs exist, they tend to be volunteer jobs.
4. Patent agent. I'd need to take the patent bar exam (not a big deal) and I'm not sure I'd like working in an office again.
5. Food scientist. I'm not sure exactly what a food scientist does, but it sounds interesting. I'd have to go back to school for a third Master's degree.

You want to hear about knitting now?
I started a secret project. You will not see photos on this blog. All I will say is that I'm using RYC Cashsoft and that I'm making cables without a cable needle.

Also, I finished the back of Rosa and started the front. The front is identical to the back except for the neck shaping. This sweater (for my MIL) seems enormous to me. I'm am making the right size for her, but she's larger than I am and the sweater has quite a bit of ease.

Doesn't seem too big to me, says Scout

9 comments:

goodkarma said...

Oh! Rosa is so pretty. Your MIL will love it. I hear you re: job satisfaction and not being sure about which career to pursue. Do you have a university nearby? Before going back for my Master's degree, I went back to my university for a little career counseling to make sure that a) I was making the right choice and b) I wasn't missing out on anything juicy that I hadn't even considered. They gave me some tests, like Meyers-Briggs, etc., which all reinforced my plan to change careers.

amylovie said...

I'm sorry to hear about your unhappiness in your job. I'm not sure which advice to give you, considering I don't know what I want to do when the girls go to school either. I think that things happen for a reason, and you have to see where paths take you.

Amy

Anonymous said...

Have you taught before? I would think that math and science teachers would be in high demand. What about at a private school? Not necessarily higher pay than a public school, but usually less stress.

Freelancing could be a good in-between option if you really want to leave your job soon. Lots of times those can turn into permanent positions.

Good luck to you! I wish I were brave enough to leave my job for something new.

Mintyfresh said...

Good luck with the job hunt. A friend of mine who wanted to be a pastry chef befriended the owners of a small pastry shop and basically got hired as something like an apprentice, no culinary degree around. (Had she decided to move on, I think she would have pursued the degree, but another profession called her away.) I'm just saying that if you can find the right place, you might be able to try it out (for pay) before committing to more schooling.

And the sweater is looking great!

GretchenX said...

You know, you could freelance so that you had some income while you took some time to think about what you want to do. Kind of a part time gig, maybe, or a couple of short term jobs.

Scout looks like she would love to have some long talks with you (while you pet her, of course) about what interests you for the future.

Jennifer said...

Hey, I think I've seen your secret project... Maybe not... I don't have any sage words of advice on the job front. The best advice I can give is sometimes you just have to experience a job to know if it is for you. Many people go through several types of jobs before finding the one that fulfills them the most. Other times people just do something to pay the bills and funnel most of their time and energy in that hobby that fulfills them.

Anonymous said...

I'm really fascinated by this. What made you think about options?

Anonymous said...

Was it the teaching your disliked or the school environment? How about community college teaching? I hated HS teaching, but enjoyed the community college. The students covered a wide age range, and most were very interested.

Anonymous said...

Good luck with the career decision. I'm in the same position as you are trying to figure out what to do with my life. I know it's difficult, but I hope you find something you love doing.