What my father considers an appropriate "work ethic" really grates on my nerves.
Of course, I knew it was coming, but that doesn't lessen how irritating it is. He's afraid I'm going to get "locked into a part-time job," as if I wouldn't be able to quit when a decent full-time job came along. And, the age-old argument - he thinks that I have trouble finding work because I "sleep until noon" every day. Which I don't, but that's another issue entirely.
Things he doesn't understand:
1. You get a job by reading and looking for ads, responding to those ads, and following up on those responses within a week or so. I know in my father's day it was possible to walk into a store and walk out with a job, but what he doesn't seem to grasp is the fact that that approach simply doesn't work any more - especially with professional-level jobs.
When I was trying to get a teaching job, he kept telling me that I needed to go directly to the schools and ask if they were hiring, and ask for an "application." Except professional-level jobs don't usually
have applications, and you don't get a teaching job by talking to the school secretary or janitor (generally the only people in a school in the off months). I can understand my father not knowing this at the outset. What I
can't understand is him being unable to either remember it, or (more likely) believe me when I say it.
2. I need a job.
Now. I don't have time to be picky about hours and benefits, but Dad's positively set on full time, permanent, with benefits. Obviously I want these things, but I can't afford to hold out for them. If an opportunity comes up I will take it, period. If it doesn't have benefits I will take it anyway and continue looking for one that does. But I cannot go a month or six weeks without earning any money.
3. Sales jobs, online/telecommuting work, and writing are perfectly legitimate ways to earn a living. I'm not sure why he thinks they aren't. But I can guess. To Dad, "work" means hard labor. Jobs involving intellectual pursuits or creativity somehow don't seem to be... real... for him. He's worked hard his whole life in carpentry and maintenence, so I sort of understand that point of view. Sometimes, though, I wonder where he thinks things like books come from. I mean, you don't go out in the woods, get all sweaty, chop down some trees and *poof* there's a novel. Intellectual work can be just as challenging, if not more so, than physical.
4. There are no jobs in Maine right now. Seriously. Unless you're in health care or truck driving, you're pretty much out of luck.
5. My experience is almost exclusively in child care and education. Shit-job employers see that and think: "overqualified." They want idiot teenagers who will do whatever they're told; not thinking, mature adults.
Here's the deal. My folks don't know this plan, but here it is. I'm going to work and save up as much money as I can. Then, when I reach a certain amount (yet to be determined), I'm going to move to another part of the country. Somewhere where the job market isn't in the toilet the way it is here in Maine.
Right now I expect that this will take about one year. I intend to work a crap job this summer and then either be an ed tech (possible), teach (unlikely but who knows), or work the crap job & do some educational technology consulting work during the 06-07 school year (not sure yet). My expectation is to move next summer. I'm thinking the West Coast - Seattle, or northern California.
I have no intention of revealing this plan to my parents until I've secured a new job and am ready to move, next spring. This is not going to be easy; I'm going to have to save a lot of money and really improve my credit, and it'll hit the fan once it comes out because I know he's not going to like this idea. But it's what I want.
It has got to be one step at a time. Money is the primary concern, and that's why I need to keep a steady income. That means getting a job
now. This is the bare-bones plan that I've been formulating for a couple of months now. It's going to take lots of hard work, but I think I can do it if I change some of my poor spending habits.
