STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

kittenheels · Coach

RE: Thinking about doing .... something

Elle · Hermes

halleybird wrote:

I say go for it. You can make great money, and nurses are so in demand you can practically set your own schedule. I think you're a natural, especially for working in women's health. But it seems like you have reservations...do you? Or is it just the thought of making such a big decision?

Frankly? I dread it. In theory it sounds like a good/reasonable thing to do, but having to actually live the day-to-day of the next couple years is not going to be fun - it's hard for me to willingly sign myself up for that. And of course throw in the fear that I won't be able to make it and/or that I'll hate my job after that ..... kills the anticipation.

I've never had a job where I'd go to work, and not actually wish that I was anywhere else. I don't know how people escape that 'UGHHHHH I just want to go home!' feeling. For me it always seems to continue to build instead of dissipate, unfortunately.

relrel · Marc Jacobs

Elle wrote:

halleybird wrote:

I say go for it. You can make great money, and nurses are so in demand you can practically set your own schedule. I think you're a natural, especially for working in women's health. But it seems like you have reservations...do you? Or is it just the thought of making such a big decision?

Frankly? I dread it. In theory it sounds like a good/reasonable thing to do, but having to actually live the day-to-day of the next couple years is not going to be fun - it's hard for me to willingly sign myself up for that. And of course throw in the fear that I won't be able to make it and/or that I'll hate my job after that ..... kills the anticipation.

I've never had a job where I'd go to work, and not actually wish that I was anywhere else. I don't know how people escape that 'UGHHHHH I just want to go home!' feeling. For me it always seems to continue to build instead of dissipate, unfortunately.

Okay, first: no matter what you end up choosing, you will be fine. Elle, you are amazingly smart and capable, don't sell yourself short. And hell, even if you hate your job and you decide that nursing (or whatever) isn't your thing, so freaking what? I know it sounds like a big deal, wasted money and time and etc, but it's not the end of the world. It's really not. There is nothing shameful about changing your mind and quitting your job. Sitting at home because you are too scared to put yourself out there and try something? Maybe shameful. This might be totally harsh but- the worst that can happen with any sort of job/school is you fail completely and look like an ass, but so what? You are still alive and still have a wonderful DH and friends and family that love you. And you will never know if you can make it or not until you try.

And who is to say that the next couple of years won't be fun? Yes, it might be a lot of work, stress and money being spent but you might also feel that it's totally worth it. Yeah, it might not be like going to an amusement park type fun, but learning about something you enjoy and (cliched, yes!) growing as a person is its own type of fun.

About going to work and wishing you were somewhere else...everybody feel's like that, even the people who love thier job. I love what I'm doing, but I'm still watching the clock till four o'clock everyday. It's a job, who in thier right mind wants to be there when they can be at home? You just have to find a good balance between wanting to go home and not completely dreading coming in in the morning.

(PS: Looking for and getting a real job IS scary, it's why I stayed at the same retail place for six years. I was too scared to look for a job in my field and was too scared to apply to school even if I did know where I wanted to go. But what finally got me was the fact that I could be thirty and still not have started my life!)

Do you have a vision of where you want to be in the next five years? Does that help you with your decision at all?

Elle · Hermes

relrel wrote:

Do you have a vision of where you want to be in the next five years? Does that help you with your decision at all?

I want to be fixing up an old house on some property just outside the city, and have a big garden, and starting to think about actually trying to have a baby.

This whole school/career thing is actually going to delay all of that - how much will depend on how many years I get passed over for school (damn random lottery system!).

janey831 · Kate Spade

You might want to think about becoming an office manager, if you have som Administrative experience. You can take some classes for it if you would like (ie some computer related courses. etc). This is something that I am considering getting into.

ILoveChoo · Hermes

Remember also, whatever you pick now can evolve into something entirely different. FWIW, my MIL was a nurse for years and now she is doing admission/marketing for a head trauma center. She just kind of slipped into the second career without much thought because the new place opened and needed someone. She loves it, but now she's been talking to people at the state level about working for them doing more policy/regulatory stuff. So if you go to school for nursing, it doesn't necessarily mean you have to be a "nurse" for forever.

small fry · Chanel

Elle you would be a great nurse. After you go to school and work for a while you could always do private care. I hear they make good money too.

-- Edited by kaykay at 02:05, 2006-09-06

Elle · Hermes

So I think I'm going to just stop thinking/talking/obsessing about it and just do it. I had a talk with Hubby last night, which was good in it's own right but also helped me mentally adjust my view of how the next few years will go. He was even totally on board with shopping rewards plan I created for myself for motivational purposes !

Classes start in like 3 weeks, so hopefully I can apply, get an appointment set up with a counselor, and do my entrance exams in that amount of time so I know what classes to take. It's just pre reqs because I missed the app process for nursing by about 6 months, but still! Let's hope there's even time for that and that there's still space in the classes I'd need ....

Wish me luck! And thanks again so much for all your help, everyone!

shopgirl82 · Chanel

sorry, i'm chiming in late. i totally missed this thread.

i think you should be a C.N.A. to get your toes wet.

that way, you can get a taste of what it's like to be a nurse, see if it's the right scene for you and you wouldn't have to go to school for it (i think there's like a 6 month training program...i'm not sure because i didn't have to do it). they make great $$ and if you decide you want to go into nursing, the hospital will help cover the costs of schooling.

i can totally picture you in the health profession, especially in women's health (i fully admit that you probably know more than i do....good thing that's not my specialty ). also, the best thing about nursing is the flexibility. you can work evenings/nights/days...12 hours/8 hrs....weekends...pt/ft, etc... also, you don't have to be a nurse if you decide not to do it. you can work at a spa, do admin work, practice nursing law, sell pharmaceuticals, etc...

i have mentioned before, but my mom was a nurse and i NEVER had to go to day care. so it is very possible to have a career in nursing and to also have a family w/o killing yourself.

pm me if you have any questions.

mikacat · Coach

good going elle! It sounds like you have a plan, have thought it through and discussed with Hubby. (even rewards involved) Having a plan just makes everything better and you have something to work towards. Good luck with everything and let us know what happens!

Grace · Dooney & Bourke

Don't sell yourself short....when I was 27 I bought a house. I'm single and have no college degree (and no debt from college). Find a good company to start entry level and work your way up. It seems obvious but I think people get the idea that you have to start out at a high pay level. I don't make a lot but know how much I can and cannot spend. You can do it. It's easier than you think.