Want to find a new job but scared?

Question

ive been a preschool teacher for 4 yrs now... but I'm tired of this job and i want something else.... like an office job... but I'm scared to move... i just feel like a need a change but keep thinking that this is the only thing I'm good at doing... taking care of little kids... any suggestions?

Answer 1

Fear is good; its where you start. She (fear) helps us from doing STUPID stuff. Having said that, "Face Your Fear and Do it Anyway!"

Stay where you are; but research & explore the Marketplace. Suggestions:

*Get a P/T job in a new industry to learn it as well as "Do I Like it?"

*Buy a book on an occupation interest (the DUMMIES series is excellent).

* Discover yourself...'what are you tired of' (hours, kids, pay, etc.)

*Make a Plan!

Again, don't jump...don't leap...Scratch & Claw your Way to the Top! Andre, M.

Answer 2

Well I dont think that you should be scared. Today was the first day of my Junior year in high school. And I have been to that school for 3 years now, I know almost everyone. I am was scared at first. After a while I realized that I shouldn't be at all.

To be safe I think you should look around for an Office-type job while still buzzing around the Preschool Teacher one. Then when the offer is given to you to work in an office, you can say goodbye to the preschoolers and hello to office workers :) Best of luck

Answer 3

I think a good suggestion would be to find something that is a middle ground between working with kids full time and office work. Have you considered being a case manager for a program like Head start? That way you'd still interact with kids but would be spending alot of time in the office too. And if find out you hate office work, you could always go back to teaching. With 4 years experience and the high demand for teaching, you'd land a job fast. Good luck!

Answer 4

Take it a step at a time. You can stop at any step with very little risk, until you actually make the move, and each step will give you more info with which to decide.

The first two steps can be done one at a time or together.

1. Get some free testing and career counseling to see what jobs fit your aptitudes and interests, and to find out what jobs you're qualified to do.

a) Read some books such as What Color Is Your Parachute by Richard Nelson Bolles (see the description here: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/What-Co... ) and Wishcraft by Barbara Sher

( http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Wishcra... ).

b) There are several free aptitude and assessment tests you can take online or at a Career One Stop Office. Most of these are designed to get you to pay for their other tests, but they can offer good info on their own.

One website with truly free info is http://www.acinet.org/acinet/ - there are offices across the nation and you can use the one you like. They do vary in quality, so the one nearest you may not have the services and people that are best - so explore. They offer career counseling, aptitude and assessment tests, libraries of job and career info, job hunting skills, including help changing careers, etc.

They will help you identify your transferrable skills, things you know how to do from taking care of little kids that can be applied in other fields. For example, caretaking goes for the elderly as well as kids. Keeping things running smoothly is good for office management. Keeping parents happy is a form of customer service, so you may be good for a call center, a customer relations department, receptionist work, etc. Keeping your job for 4 years indicates reliability and so on - desirable for most jobs!

2. See what jobs are out there. Don't just check the want ads in the Sunday paper. Look online at the big jobsites. Visit the websites of companies in your area to see what their openings are. Apply online. Post your resume on Monster.com. Talk to family, friends and neighbors about what they do and what you could do. Call companies and ask about openings and whether your skills would fit their needs. Just do this in the spirit of sending out feelers.

3.  Once you have a few directions you'd like to head in, start seriously job hunting. Again, there's no risk. If you're called in for an interview, try to arrange it around your work hours or to let your employer know that you have some personal business coming up that will require a day or two off work.

4. When you go on an interview, it's not just about trying to win the job offer. You also want to make sure it's right for you, so ask all the questions you want. Make sure you know whatever you need to, to make a decision about changing careers.

5. If you decide to accept a job offer, give adequate notice to remain on good terms with your employer. Try the new job. If you don't like it, you can return to nursery school work, maybe even your current job, or try another job.

Answer 5

Why? Sometimes the biggest risk is not taking one at all.