THE PLOY: Is Now a Good Time To Go Back To School?

THE PLOY: Is Now a Good Time To Go Back To School?: I considered this very question so many times while I was unemployed. Even though I already had a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, I wo...

Is Now a Good Time To Go Back To School?

I considered this very question so many times while I was unemployed. Even though I already had a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, I would always consider getting this certification or maybe another bachelor’s degree. During one of the weekly meetings I attended in my job search program, Columbus State Community College had a representative come to speak about continuing education programs. I had decided that if I didn’t have any leads by January of 2012, I was going to apply for a 10 month pharmaceutical program. Essentially the program trains you to manage the labs where pharmaceuticals are manufactured. I ended up getting a lead and a job offer before the end of January so I didn’t apply to the program.

As I was deciding on whether or not to apply, here are some of the things I took into consideration. Was the program I was looking to enter specific? I felt that my BA in History and general MBA were not serving me well. Many of the jobs that were available had very specific educational requirements or it was “highly desired” to have a specific degree. When I was deciding on graduate school I thought a general MBA would be best, otherwise I would limit myself. Clearly, my thinking is very different than those making the hiring decisions. But I did understand this as I was considering investing in more education. The program I was thinking of entering was very specific and would have led to a very specific job market.

Another consideration was the financial investment. I have student loans that I am still repaying and was not sure if I wanted to add to it. Had it been a two year program, I probably would not have considered it. I still have child to put through college, the money I’d be adding to my debt could go towards saving for her education. Even though I love going to school and wouldn’t mind getting a PhD or something, I have to consider what would be best for my finances.

A final consideration was the investment of my time. Going back to school would have taken away a good portion of my availability and could have slowed my job search. The time I would have normally spent looking for and applying for jobs would have been spent attending classes and completing assignments. Going back to school would also have potentially made interviewing difficult, further extending my unemployment.

Again, I ended up not going back to school because I got a job, but it was high on my list if I hadn’t started working again soon. If this is something that you are considering, weigh the pros and cons. Do your research on what to study. Pick a field that is specific and expected to be growing, not steady or declining. Think about whether or not adding to your debt is a good idea. Many factors can contribute to making a good decision about whether or not you should go back to school while you are unemployed.

Ultimately it’s a decision that only you can make, but one that can have a major affect on your life, so take your time and choose wisely.

Perseverance

Perseverance has been a common theme in my life as of late. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know that my unemployment lasted a good while, but I made it. I had some good times (believe it or not) and some bad times, but I made it. All in all, I made it, hence the perseverance.

Once I finally got a job, I had to pay my dues. I had to start at the bottom. Even though my skills and education weren’t necessarily needed for the job I accepted, I needed a job. Part of my nature is to do my best if I decide to something. So I went to work each day to do a good job, to do my best. I sincerely appreciated the opportunity at hand and treated it as such. After a year in my role, I had a very good idea of what I wanted my next step to be. And I can say that I achieved that goal a little over a year later. Very recently I received a promotion and got the exact job I wanted. To some, two years might have been too long. For who I was 5 years two years is too long. I have come to appreciate my time, whether good or bad and have learned that there is a lesson in my pain. That pain, that lesson is an opportunity for me to grow. I have realized that as long as I am living I am open to trials and tribulations. And that in those moments is when I learn what I’m made of.

When I first got out of undergrad I wanted to start my own business.  At the time I had a very specific vision of what I wanted my business to look like, but had NO CLUE how to make it happen. I had written down my plan many years ago and just left it alone. Every now and then I would revisit the plan to see if I had come up with any ideas on how to make it happen. Over the years, the purpose of the business has remained the same but the look of the business has changed. Originally I wanted to have a wellness center for women, a facility where women could go to take wellness classes. While it sounds good in theory, unless I had access a lot of money for start up costs, this was not going to happen as planned.

During my unemployment and my wellness journey I revamped my plan. Instead of having a facility for women to come to, why not host wellness events at various places around the city? With this plan, I can meet the needs of people, not just women, who need help creating a healthy, balanced life. In comes The Wellness Loft, an event management company that hosts wellness events. The inaugural event and launch of The Wellness Loft will be the Spring Reboot, A Renewing of the Mind, Body and Spirit and will be held April 5, 2014.

As I prepare for what I know is going to be an amazing event in a few short weeks, I keep going back to this quote from Victor Hugo.

“Nothing can stop an idea whose time has come.”

Don’t give up on your dreams, ideas, or visions! With some perseverance they will come to fruition.

Unemployment and Dating

I guess this post really only applies to the unemployed person who is also single.

The desire for companionship does not necessarily go away when you are unemployed. In some instances it can even increase. I had moments when I really was really interested in finding someone, and other moments when the thought of adding that to my life just seemed like it would be way too much. During a period of wanting to meet “the one” I visited a local match-making company. Internet dating seemed really scary to me and I couldn’t imaging walking into my dad’s house for Sunday dinner with a guy I met on the internet. So, I thought a local, reputable match-making service was a much better option. After a brief meeting with a consultant, I was very politely told, that I needed to be gainfully employed before I could be considered as a client. Made sense to me, they weren’t some company setting up sugar daddies with dates. This conversation did make me reconsider my position on dating.

I did some real soul searching about whether or not dating was something I should be doing while I was unemployed. Didn’t I have enough to worry about without adding dating into the mix? When it came down to it, I had to take things as they came. It would have been a mistake to not be open to meeting new people just because I wasn’t working. But I had to make sure that if I met someone, I was in the right frame of mind, that I was in a good place as far as how I felt about myself. As I have mentioned before, being unemployed can mess with your confidence and self-worth and when these perceptions are lower than normal, we can make bad choices. For example, if you are in a period where your self-esteem is waning, you might consider dating someone that normally would not have a chance, your standards may fall to the way side because you think less of yourself. Thankfully because I had already experienced a relationship that had begun during a time when I was lacking confidence in myself, I knew what to look for and how to combat it.

For me, I was not willing to sacrifice potential companionship out of fear. I forged ahead and did some dating, nothing too serious, but I did meet a few people whom with I have remained friends. This is something you have to decide for yourself. If you are person that completely ties your self-worth to your job, then during a bout of unemployment may not be the best time to be involved in the dating scene. But if you are able to keep a positive outlook and realize that it your situation does not take away from the person you are, dating can be fun and can take your mind off of your lack of employment.