Anotherday Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 I want to share my good fortune and hope. I left a very good job five years ago due to trauma on the job. In that time, all I've done is temp here and there and work for eight months at a domestic violence shelter. I've gone through a major mid-life crisis and am approaching 49, so in this day and age finding a job isn't exactly easy, especially for someone with my background and at my age. The good news is there is hope! I rec'd a call today to schedule an appt to make me a formal job offer on Thursday. Woohoo! Now, the money isn't great, and I'm taking a 35K pay cut annually to do this. But, I knew I was looking at this when I went this route and decided to go from business to social services. The beauty is there are benefits and a 403B (like a 401k). Perhaps I am jinxing myself by sharing this, but I am so excited that after such a long dormancy, things can turn around, and I say this for anyone who might feel hopeless and be reading this. Link to comment
Daligal83 Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 Congrats!! I'm a social worker, so welcome to the field It can be a very stressful and very rewarding field. Make sure you have an outlet of some sort. Link to comment
Mysterious Gurl Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 Massive congratulations to you & all the best with everything. MG x Link to comment
Crazyaboutdogs Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 Good luck and I hope things work out. I also replied to your previous thread update. Link to comment
Jetta Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 Congratulations. Gives me a little hope. Best of luck in your new field!!! Link to comment
Anotherday Posted July 16, 2008 Author Share Posted July 16, 2008 Thank you all. I still can't believe it. After five years of not having a real job (and maybe not more than six months of ever having to set my alarm for a temp job or the two months full time at the DV shelter), it's shocking. I know it's going to be very good for me, but I just hope I can manage the stress of working with people in the CPS system. I figure it's a worthwhile pursuit. Mostly, it is so discouraging to be unemployed. There are so many people out there (maybe even someone reading this thread) who feel disheartened. I am living proof that if I can get back into the work force, anyone can. Sure, it's not easy and at times it is much more fun to sleep in and not have the responsibility of being accountable. But when the bills come, as they always do, it's an exercise in throwing them in a pile until the last minute. In the past couple of years I've had my water turned off once, my Internet turned off at least a few times and I've come very close to having my electricity turned off. When you turn on the spigot and no water comes out, it's a reality check. But it just goes to show that with some effort things CAN turn around and one can be employable again. And I CANNOT say enough for the people on enotalone. This has to be, hands down, the most compassionate forum I have ever come accross. It's a great place to be, no matter where one is in life. Link to comment
Daligal83 Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Hey we're both in the child welfare field! I'm a foster care case worker. I think you can manage the stress, but it will be a shock at first. Remember that you cannot take things personally and that you cannot control other people. Once I learned that, it became a lot easier to do my job. You should be very proud of yourself that you've turned things around. It's definitely not easy to do and you'll really value every dollar that you make. It's never too late to start over. Link to comment
Anotherday Posted July 16, 2008 Author Share Posted July 16, 2008 Hey we're both in the child welfare field! I'm a foster care case worker. I think you can manage the stress, but it will be a shock at first. Remember that you cannot take things personally and that you cannot control other people. Once I learned that, it became a lot easier to do my job. You should be very proud of yourself that you've turned things around. It's definitely not easy to do and you'll really value every dollar that you make. It's never too late to start over. Thanks! I will heed your advice. I realize a huge challenge for me is going to be learning how to leave things "at the office." I worked in DV and it ripped my heart out to see some of those kids - especially the time I had to be involved in putting nine kids and two moms out in the street with no place to go on a hot summer day. I drove home crying, cried all night, and that's when I knew I was done with the shelter. I hope you are right and that I can figure out how to manage the stress. Link to comment
Daligal83 Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 You'll see a lot of thing that are just as heartbreaking. You need to prepare yourself for it. And that you'll often be seen as the bad guy. Definitely use supervision as a tool. You'll need it to vent and receive advice. I also go to the gym six days a week to get the frustration out. The system is very very flawed and it's so aggravating. But working with the kids makes it better. Just remember that you are doing a good thing for people, no matter how much they try to tell you otherwise Link to comment
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