Posted by : Sherri Cornelius Friday, September 30, 2011

Hey look, I’m posting! This was my longest hiatus yet, almost three months. I don’t know if I’ll begin regular postings again, but I have some things to work out that might benefit from the attention of the world outside my house.

Namely, getting a job.

I’ve been planning to work for about two years now, but it’s never seemed like the right time. The threat of your kids going hungry combined with marital instability has a way of making any time the right time. It’s time to be reborn into a person of the world again. Long overdue, in a way, but I wasn’t ready. I am now.

I’ve made large strides on my resume, but it sucks. My biggest problem is narrowing down the field. My experience thus far has been too varied to focus my efforts in a single direction. Previous jobs have been in retail and manufacturing. Retail is categorically out, and the manufacturing jobs around here don’t pay much.

So this leaves me floating in space, trying to figure out where I fit in. What field would least aggravate my fragrance sensitivity, pay enough to live on comfortably (probably less than you’d think), and incorporate my skills and preferences.

I’d like to focus on writing, but there are a few problems with that. I tried writing novels and I still want to, but obviously I won’t be getting money from it for a long while. I tried freelance writing and found that the topics I know something about aren’t really in demand for paying jobs. Plus I don’t really like freelancing. That constant chasing down of work is too much mental strain. Technical writing sounds extremely satisfying, collaborating with others to produce a useful document. Most of those jobs require either a buttload of experience or a degree of some kind, of which I have neither.

I put my first application in yesterday for a manufacturing-type position. The pay is low, but the hours and location are perfect. There’s no way I could live on that income alone if it came to that, but it might be a good way to get my feet wet while supplementing our current income.

I’ve been disappointed to find that the more interesting jobs so far are all an hour’s commute from here. I have faith the perfect job will show up at the perfect time. Hopefully that perfect time is NOW.

{ 7 comments... read them below or Comment }

  1. Oh -- good luck, brave Sherri. The thought of looking for work right now would scare the bejeezus out of cowardly me!

    Wish I had some suggestions, but nada. The fragrance sensitivity thing I didn't know about, but that alone can be a very tough criterion; 40% of the population seems to walk around with no idea their "aromas" (natural or artificial) are flattening everyone within nasal distance.

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  2. I think it's more like 80%, but only because companies add fragrance to everything possible. The average person can't NOT smell like a fake rain forest. :)

    I don't know what central Oklahoma's unemployment rate is, but I don't think it's as high as the national average. I should go check that out.

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  3. Nice job checking it out! ;)

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  4. The main thing is that you're getting out there and mixing it up. It doesn't hurt to try out a job for a while to see if it fits. Loving the layout btw.

    I still think you should be an inventor. It has the same advantages as being a novelist: easy to get started, quick and guaranteed pay..... :O)

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  5. Ha! Riiiiight. We do tend to choose the path with built-in failure, don't we? :)

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  6. Lots of choices and changes going on for you!

    On the one hand, I'm sorry to hear that marital instability is what it is. :(

    On the other, I suspect that getting out might be something you enjoy. I think you like meeting new people most of the time, and having new challenges, so this might be a way for you to do that, and make money too.

    And now that all the kids are in school full time, you won't have to worry so much about that half-day thing.

    It's certainly a time of transitions for you. I'll be saying a prayer. Such times can seem so chaotic in the moment.

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  7. Thanks, Fal. I'm definitely ready to be useful outside of this house.

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