The Grass is Greener

At least that what I am hoping for.

Despite these hard economic times, I received two calls for prospective employment. One was for a job at the social security administration for which I had sent my resume to over a year ago. The other was unsolicited from the State of Nevada. At one point, I had applied for a similar position and had taken the test. The department head decided to take the names of applicants directly from the top of that list to see if they were interested.

I have to admit, when they called me for the interview, I wasn't really interested. Its just an entry level admin type job and I didn't want to waste my time on that. But I figured it wouldn't hurt to go to the interview. I'm glad I did because the job seems like a perfect fit. The location is a 2 minute drive from Jakes work and the preschool Lexi would go to is on the same street. And Jake and I can hit the gym across the street at lunch together. Also, the boss seemed super laid back and very nice. They recognized that I was overqualified for the position, but they were ok with that because they want me to work on getting involved with their various boards and eventually move into a higher position. The job doesn't pay a whole lot - especially when you factor in all the daycare costs, but it still pays more than a first year teacher would make.

The other job for the social security administration is still in limbo. The salary is much higher and the federal benefits would be a nice addition to Jakes state benefits. However, it seems much more demanding and intense. I nailed the interviews and the people there all seemed very happy (despite the fast-paced nature of the job). So that and the money make it so if they were to offer me the job soon, I'd definitely consider it.

Its a miracle that the federal government has anyone working for them, because the process is long and time consuming. I applied March of 2008, got called in January 2009 once they received funding, interviewed in February, and finally received the formal request from the regional HR office to complete the application and testing process. I was informed that I passed that section and the next step was to wait until the federal budget was passed. It would be a matter of time before congress allocated money for the social security administration and that those funds would further be passed on to the individual offices. I expect to hear from them at any moment.

Why did I make the decision to go back to work, you ask? Well, I realized that even if I finish my masters within the next year, landing a teaching job is likely to be impossible. At least for the foreseeable future. So why spend all that money when I can just get my foot in the door with the state, making more money than I would teaching and still having the satisfaction of helping others (I'd be working in the elderly disability services department).

I expect to finish my first semester of my masters with a 4.0, so there is always a "Plan B" if for some reason this doesn't pan out.