When I started back to school it was with the goal of getting a better job. What I mean by a better job is one that is more satisfying and that pays at least the amount I was getting with a two year degree. Mind you I am what’s known as a career changer; meaning that I have already worked for a number of years in another industry. Sadly, even with the work I did, it was never actually a match to my degree. My Associate degree is in paralegal—a dead position now. But even when I graduated I could only find work as a legal assistant which is a weird mix of secretary and paralegal but it is mostly secretarial work.
I decided to go back to school and get my undergraduate degree; thinking the whole time that this would be the ticket to making more money but more importantly enjoying my work more. After my newspaper business closed down I secured what I thought was a good position at a law firm in Tampa. Working as a legal administration assistant at this unnamed Tampa law firm for a horrible boss was sucking the life out of me. So I went back to school and got my undergraduate degree—Magna Cum Laude no less. Still it was not enough to catapult me into the management or executive position I felt I was qualified to do. I still could not escape the pigeonhole I was in.
It is quite annoying that job search sites still recommended jobs as an administrative assistant. Why in the world would I even consider taking a job as an admin after getting into debt for tens of thousands of dollars? My profile does not list admin as my desired position but it seems that the algorithm or whoever is reviewing my resume is looking at work history instead of desired job title.
Moving from one career path to the next is tuff—especially in [late] midlife. But I persevere because the alternative is to stay in a career rut.
Ried Rants 