Still reflecting/in the interim……………..

I worked at the boring data entry job for a month. Given a choice between staring at spreadsheets all day long, and wanting to sleep for boredom of it all, and sitting at home having the freedom to run my errands and work out whenever I wanted, I had to choose the former. I did not want to use up all my 401K money that I had cashed out, simply because the job wasn’t “right.” I had to work! I had 5 weeks off and, granted, they were a nice 5 weeks off, but it was back to the workforce for me, and this was the best job that had come my way.
Fortunately, I was still keeping my options open, updating my resume on all the sites I’d had it posted to. Within a couple of weeks I came across a position that was similar to what I’d done at my purchasing job(s), but not in purchasing. There were a few qualifications I wasn’t sure I met, but I took a chance and applied anyway. Would you believe I had a moment of self-doubt, and almost didn’t interview for the position, because I felt I wasn’t qualified? **NOTE: Don’t do this to yourself.** Give yourself a chance to show your employer what a good asset you would be to the company.
Assets, by the way, are my specialty for the moment. I am now employed in an asset management position at an automotive company. Yes, the job is still a bit dry (okay, a LOT dry) and totally doesn’t offer the challenge or even the workload that I’m accustomed to, but it pays more than my last purchasing job did, and I needed good benefits to boot, so I took the job. At the time I was just happy to have obtained a half-way decent job that paid me well enough for me to feel more “whole.” I am still keeping my options open, though, believe me!

As for education, I finally broke down and enrolled at a local university. I only needed to complete 10 (more) classes to (FINALLY) earn my Bachelor’s degree! I started in August, and I should be done by this June! Can you believe that it’ll only take me less than a year? Granted, it’s a bit of an “open-ended” degree – they’re incorporating my old Associate’s degree in CIS, and I’m minoring in Management – but for me still being at a crossroads about where to go next, this is perfect for me. I wanted to obtain a 4-year degree and I will accomplish this in just a few months! I am thrilled. A Bachelor’s degree will at least make me more marketable.