As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

How to find a job outside of my field?

DustyBottomsDustyBottoms Registered User regular
I'm a teacher. Music, specifically. I have a Bachelor's in education and a Masters in music (required in NYS to achieve permanent certification). Also required for permanent certification is full time teaching experience. It's pretty tough to get teaching experience when nobody is hiring and in reality programs are being cut. I've held a number of positions over the past 5 years - all were either temporary to begin with or eliminated due to budgetary constraints. My current position ends before Thanksgiving, and unlike every time I've been in this boat in the last 5 years, no more opportunities are arising. I live with my wife who is also a teacher (substituting) but most of what she is able to make goes to paying off student loans. We were able to survive for the past year and a half because of various full-time positions I have had. All I'll have left after Thanksgiving are my private music students, which won't even bring in enough money to pay rent (which is ridiculous here on Long Island).

For a number of reasons, including the above, I am somewhat disillusioned with the teaching profession. I still plan to pursue employment opportunities in teaching but there is just NOTHING out there. Even now, I am busting my butt in a temporary capacity with no health insurance and less than half of the salary of a permanent teacher. I lost almost $700 this week due to schools being closed for Sandy. I like teaching, but I like being able to support myself and my wife a lot more.

Problem is, my resume is almost entirely teaching experience at this point. I have some administrative assistant experience (from college/grad school). I have retail experience from 4 months at Macy's (which I left for a teaching job) and 2 years at GameStop when I was in college... over five years ago. I don't know where to start with making my resume useful for something not related to teaching. I really don't even know where to start looking. I'm overwhelmed by Craigslist and underwhelmed by the response (or lack thereof) I've gotten to the few applications I've submitted for retail environments (Best Buy, Petco, Apple...)

I don't know where to start and I need ideas. Please help!

828636-1.png

Posts

  • IrukaIruka Registered User, Moderator mod
    I dont know what oppurtunties there would be in long island, but with a masters you should probably look at USAJOB.gov and just see if there is anything you qualify for. Government work has pretty standard tiered pay, and with your high level of education you may be able to find something. I'm near DC so there are more options, (I've been applying to museums through the site) but maybe there is stuff near you.

  • NylonathetepNylonathetep Registered User regular
    edited November 2012
    Look around for available job... rewrite your resume tp match the criteria f job requirement, base on any transferable skills that you have.

    For example: not only do you have retail experience with retail already via gamestop (handling cash, inventory, etc), but your teaching skills can help educate potential customers when they have questions to the store's products and able to explains things to them articuately.

    Any other people skills you've developed in your teaching career would also apply. The resume is actually just there to get the recruiter's attention and the most important thing is the interview...

    I might be going on a limb here, and I'll probably need to look at your particulare skill sets and what jobs you actually applied to. However I think the most important question that seems to be missing is: what do you actually want to do for a living?

    Nylonathetep on
    714353-1.png
  • DustyBottomsDustyBottoms Registered User regular
    edited November 2012
    See that's the problem - I want to teach for a living. I still enjoy teaching and I am heartbroken that I have to say goodbye to my students in two weeks, but there are just no jobs out there. I will not be a substitute and I really don't even think I can take another position like the one I'm currently in - my wife and I NEED health insurance. I have been without since my last position was eliminated in June and am 26 so no longer eligible to be under my parents' insurance. She is a year younger and was under her mother's insurance until her mother lost her job last week.

    So I need something to hold me over until either I find a permanent position or I decide that my "interim" job can become a career. After spending the last ten years of my life knowing that I wanted to be a teacher and dedicating 95% of my time to the pursuit of that goal, I am absolutely stuck and have no idea what else I would like to do now that I am (sort of) given the opportunity to do something else.

    I'm not picky here - a friend mentioned that a local cable company was hiring installers but it turns out they're only hiring from within now. I also considered UPS but they have nothing available in my area that matches my needs. I'm just looking to see what's out there.

    You mention spinning my abilities as a teacher - I've thought of that and given the opportunity to have an interview, I know that won't be a problem. I am more just concerned that the reason I'm not getting a call back from anyone is because every application I've filled out requires my full employment history. I have to imagine that any recruiter looking at the resume/application is completely and utterly confused as to why I am applying, and most applications (that I have tried, online) do not give me room to explain.

    Do I just apply to full-time retail management positions and hope that someone likes the skillset I'd bring to the equation? Guess I need to start carpet-bombing resumes...

    Thanks for your feedback. I'm still feeling quite depressed and lost but the longer I think about it the more likely I will come up with something that will be successful.

    DustyBottoms on
    828636-1.png
  • CauldCauld Registered User regular
    I hear it's somewhat common for teachers to transition to corporate trainers of some sort. Makes sense to me. Alternatively, if you're willing to move I think you could teach in some US territories. It's kid of like teaching abroad, except its still in the US. It may even help you get your 'full-time experience'. I have friend who teaches in Saipan, and he always mentions that they're looking for teachers.

  • WildEEPWildEEP Registered User regular
    Bottom line. You have to move.

    NY and NJ are both in shitsville on budgets and the first thing on their chopping block is public education.

    Your welcome to join us down south in the DC Metro area - lots of teaching positions here. I'd recommend VA, DC, then MD (in that order) for education employment.

  • DustyBottomsDustyBottoms Registered User regular
    Moving is on the table - specifically VA actually - but our lease is not up until May. At the very least I need something to carry us until then, possibly longer. My wife and I have already discussed moving off Long Island in the near future, but we're not ready just yet. It's contingent on both of us being able to find jobs, and we would both have to rebuild our private teaching practices. Also my wife is still working on her masters degree at a local school, and while much of the work is done online, she still needs to attend classes on campus at times. I'm not sure how soon she can be finished with the portion that requires her to be there.

    828636-1.png
  • HorusHorus Los AngelesRegistered User regular
    I am going a similar route but my case is I am burnt out from my current career track and have been working my masters to pursue a field in library. Realized to re-utilize your current skill set for another career track. Need to identify what are transferable skills and then work on a functional resume that focuses skills rather than history. Hope this helps but I am also feeling your pain of not getting to your ideal place.

    “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”
    ― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!
  • NylonathetepNylonathetep Registered User regular
    See that's the problem - I want to teach for a living. I still enjoy teaching and I am heartbroken that I have to say goodbye to my students in two weeks, but there are just no jobs out there. I will not be a substitute and I really don't even think I can take another position like the one I'm currently in - my wife and I NEED health insurance. I have been without since my last position was eliminated in June and am 26 so no longer eligible to be under my parents' insurance. She is a year younger and was under her mother's insurance until her mother lost her job last week.

    See now we are getting somewhere... At least now that we know you still want to teach... it's not the job it's the money. You believe that teaching is a dead end job that doesn't play well... Ever considered a vertical move? Be a principle? teaching courses for adults? Teaching college? Teaching privite school? Teaching in boarding school?
    You mention spinning my abilities as a teacher - I've thought of that and given the opportunity to have an interview, I know that won't be a problem. I am more just concerned that the reason I'm not getting a call back from anyone is because every application I've filled out requires my full employment history. I have to imagine that any recruiter looking at the resume/application is completely and utterly confused as to why I am applying, and most applications (that I have tried, online) do not give me room to explain.

    Do I just apply to full-time retail management positions and hope that someone likes the skillset I'd bring to the equation? Guess I need to start carpet-bombing resumes...

    Thanks for your feedback. I'm still feeling quite depressed and lost but the longer I think about it the more likely I will come up with something that will be successful.

    Let the interviewer worry about that. If they are at least interested in you they'll give you an interview and that'll be one of the questions you'll be expected to ask of. You'll need to give an adquate answear... If I were you I'll keep it pretty canid... say you are tired of teaching and need a career change, and you've heard "X" career in "X" company has high potential and very rewarding career exerience and that's why you applied for the job.

    We've all been thru the hurdle once at least in job hunting... it can be pretty bleak at time, especially in this economical enviroment. I wish you the best of luck. Just like everything in life... you'l have to go the extra mile to beat the rest of candidate into getting the job...

    P.S. Corporations do hire people to train their staffs as well... as well 10 years of working in any place will give you quite an advantage over a lot of people... don't be discourage and don't think your years of teaching was in vain. Again.. Good luck.

    714353-1.png
  • DeebaserDeebaser on my way to work in a suit and a tie Ahhhh...come on fucking guyRegistered User regular
    Talk to a recruiter. I had good luck years and years ago with one over by the Huntington Quadrangle. I can't for the life of me remember the name unfortunately, but in retrospect it made sense that the least scummy recruiter I dealt with on LI worked really close to a gigormous office park :)

Sign In or Register to comment.