Part Time

I start my part time job today. It's small, but it's something. Can I still consider myself unemployed? I guess I'm not "gainfully" employed? Gainful unemployment or ungainful employment. So after only a month of true unemployment, I was able to find this. It isn't enough to pay all my bills, so I'll still be dipping into savings.

I was really beginning to worry since I was reading a lot of reddit posts about not being able to find work for years. There are a lot of extremes. You either go and make a post if you've found a job to tell people to never give up, or you make a post because it's been years and you still can't find employment. With such polarizing experiences, it really stresses people out. This is all a part of the quarter life crisis I guess.

I have made a plan for what my next year will look like. I know people say you can't plan too much because there are only so many things you can control. But in order to reach any goals you need plans and the understanding that things can change. When you're unemployed, it feels like you have no control over your own life or your choices. So I think it's that much more important to make plans whether or not they will come to fruition. It's something to hold onto and something to motivate and encourage you.

So my plan is to work part time at a tutoring place a couple evenings a week while I substitute for a local school district. In my free time, I will be studying and applying for alternative certification programs. Hopefully I get in and can pay my way through the classes with the part time work. Then I'll keep keep subbing and tutoring until I can find a full time teaching position.

All of this scares the heck out of me, but I'm telling myself that I have already done the difficult part of soul searching and learning that teaching is my passion and one of my strengths in life. Now all I have to do is go for it. Sure, it will be tough to shift gears, but it will be tough in a different way from self reflection.