Life is Good, Scary, but Good

[Elizabeth N.]

4 weeks from Wednesday is my last class meeting. I'll be DONE with school! Two lowly undergrad degrees FINISHED! I won't be able to graduate officially in 2014 cuz I'll still owe the school some money and will have to negotiate the issues of my PE (mandatory) half credit, from which I withdrew due to injury several semesters ago, and my "inadequate" service learning documentation, which is an internal issue. So, my degree will be for 2015, just after I turn 51.

So, I'll have three lowly undergrad degrees when the time comes, plus 30+ years of experience in a field nobody thinks is important (theology/pastoral work). This means I must market myself vigorously . I am terrified at the prospect, but thrilled at the same time. It's such a weird feeling.....I've been sending out the resumes, worrying about what the Internet searches will find if they look up my real name, nobody has responded..... But I know what I have done to protect my identity, so I keep looking at those issues and reassuring myself.....And wondering why the HELL I should have to worry about whether the fact that I had WLS and have a "psych history" should mean diddly **** to any employer....Well **** Marie, the Internet is very much a multi-edged sword. You make choices every time you say something online.

For me, the majority of my social life has been online for most of the past 20 years. For better or worse, there it is. So, now, here I sit, in the position lots of 20 year old kids are in.....but with a 20+ year record, and a mortgage and a huge student loan debt, and being freshly in the 50+ category.

Gee, I wonder what will happen now? I have a plan, and I am a skilled survivor, and I am exhilarated, but also terrified....But without my DS, I would not be here to have these feelings. It's AWESOME to be alive and hungry and debt ridden and scared. How weird is that?

 

[Elizabeth N.]

Hmmm. I reread this and now I feel a little bad for making it sound like the sky is falling . It may yet fall, but hopefully not. And it's nice to be around to have these problems.

 

[southernlady]

Well, in a way, the sky IS falling but in a GOOD way.

Congrats on reaching the end of your schooling. That is an awesome accomplishment.

 

[newanatomy]

Congratulations! What are you hoping to "do'? When you say you have 30+ years of experience what exactly were you doing?

 

[Charris]

Only 3 lowly under grad degrees? A degree is a degree having 3 is nothing to make light of. Also I feel people who have not lived in a protective bubble are the ones who should work with people and have first hand knowledge of people's lives can be affected. If someone has never been through anything they may not be able to relate and show empathy and compassion for others. Its unfortunate that most careers that attempt to help others be better people don't tend to pay well.

 

[Barbara]

Congratulations, Elizabeth. You have every reason to be proud! I know what it's like to go to school while working-- it's damn hard! Nights and weekends spent doing homework and writing papers. The end is in sight. Enjoy the anticipation.

Hp

 

[Elizabeth N.]

Congratulations! What are you hoping to "do'? When you say you have 30+ years of experience what exactly were you doing?

Mostly pastoral work, a lot of pastoral counseling (which in the "secular" world best translates to coaching and case management) and church music type stuff. Lots of sales work alongside of that, none of which ever made a living wage, but I got pretty good at it .

Where it gets a little problematic is that I got shunned from my church system, so there is nobody whom I can contact for references. 95% of it was done volunteer or pro bono, so I have no paper trail, KWIM? There's no way to formally document that huge chunk of my life work.

I got involved in development/fundraising as a formal job through school and found that was loads of fun. That's what I'm doing now part time, as I think I told you last summer. There's a lot of psychology and a lot of selling involved in that field. So, my current plan is to focus on employment in the non-profit sector, which, while not being great for making money, gives me hope of being able to participate in a student loan forgiveness program. If you make 10 years of payments (income-adjusted) and work in NFP's at least x amount of time (it's more than half time, I believe, but doesn't have to be full time), you can get the rest of the (federal) loans forgiven.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

Only 3 lowly under grad degrees? A degree is a degree having 3 is nothing to make light of. Also I feel people who have not lived in a protective bubble are the ones who should work with people and have first hand knowledge of people's lives can be affected. If someone has never been through anything they may not be able to relate and show empathy and compassion for others. Its unfortunate that most careers that attempt to help others be better people don't tend to pay well.

Well, fortunately, I am not dependent on a benefits package, so that helps a lot in my marketability.

Life in the USA has changed sooooo much in the past 20-30 years regarding what "education" means. Nowadays a bachelor's degree opens about as many doors, if you're lucky, as graduating high school did not so long ago. One my nieces, who is now a school psychologist, described her undergrad degree in psychology as being "great training for bartending" . (And that's how she paid her way through school, debt free, including grad school and clinical training.)

 

[star0210]

I'd say congratulations are in order!

 

[newanatomy]

Mostly pastoral work, a lot of pastoral counseling (which in the "secular" world best translates to coaching and case management) and church music type stuff. Lots of sales work alongside of that, none of which ever made a living wage, but I got pretty good at it .

Where it gets a little problematic is that I got shunned from my church system, so there is nobody whom I can contact for references. 95% of it was done volunteer or pro bono, so I have no paper trail, KWIM? There's no way to formally document that huge chunk of my life work.

I got involved in development/fundraising as a formal job through school and found that was loads of fun. That's what I'm doing now part time, as I think I told you last summer. There's a lot of psychology and a lot of selling involved in that field. So, my current plan is to focus on employment in the non-profit sector, which, while not being great for making money, gives me hope of being able to participate in a student loan forgiveness program. If you make 10 years of payments (income-adjusted) and work in NFP's at least x amount of time (it's more than half time, I believe, but doesn't have to be full time), you can get the rest of the (federal) loans forgiven.

No matter what you decide to pursue, you will do well. I just worry about doing it in the "sticks" of Montana when you head there. You are very resourceful though, I am sure you can make it work.

XO!

 

[Elizabeth N.]

No matter what you decide to pursue, you will do well. I just worry about doing it in the "sticks" of Montana when you head there. You are very resourceful though, I am sure you can make it work.

XO!

Y'know, there are a lot more non-profit type jobs listed in the parts of MT where we want to live than are listed within a remotely commutable distance here in NJ! If I were willing to commute to Philly or Newark or NYC, there would be a lot of possibilities, but, um, HELL NO to that.

 

[JackieOnLine]

congratulations on finishing school, that is such a great accomplishment. I totally agree that life is good but also scary. which it is more varies from day to day...or moment to moment.

revel in what is good because, above all, life is SHORT!!

 

[Jo777]

4 weeks from Wednesday is my last class meeting. I'll be DONE with school! Two lowly undergrad degrees FINISHED! I won't be able to graduate officially in 2014 cuz I'll still owe the school some money and will have to negotiate the issues of my PE (mandatory) half credit, from which I withdrew due to injury several semesters ago, and my "inadequate" service learning documentation, which is an internal issue. So, my degree will be for 2015, just after I turn 51.

So, I'll have three lowly undergrad degrees when the time comes, plus 30+ years of experience in a field nobody thinks is important (theology/pastoral work). This means I must market myself vigorously . I am terrified at the prospect, but thrilled at the same time. It's such a weird feeling.....I've been sending out the resumes, worrying about what the Internet searches will find if they look up my real name, nobody has responded..... But I know what I have done to protect my identity, so I keep looking at those issues and reassuring myself.....And wondering why the HELL I should have to worry about whether the fact that I had WLS and have a "psych history" should mean diddly **** to any employer....Well **** Marie, the Internet is very much a multi-edged sword. You make choices every time you say something online.

For me, the majority of my social life has been online for most of the past 20 years. For better or worse, there it is. So, now, here I sit, in the position lots of 20 year old kids are in.....but with a 20+ year record, and a mortgage and a huge student loan debt, and being freshly in the 50+ category.

Gee, I wonder what will happen now? I have a plan, and I am a skilled survivor, and I am exhilarated, but also terrified....But without my DS, I would not be here to have these feelings. It's AWESOME to be alive and hungry and debt ridden and scared. How weird is that?

Congrats EN! Lack of certainty on the next direction certainly is exhilarating/terrifying in the long view- but you are sitting in a good spot to figure it out in your own time!

 

[hilary1617]

Congratulations! Guess you can give the interviewers the third degree instead of the other way round!

I paid a professional service to put together my resume many moons ago and it served me well, so I'd recommend you do that. I'm certain you will be successful in both your job search and in your future career. Best wishes!