I've also spent the better part of the last two years checking the want ads daily. Two years of networking. Two years volunteering my time and talents to help organizations reach their goals. Two years of pinching every single penny to squeeze the most out of it. Two years of debating whether to continue using my Estee Lauder face cream that has kept me looking strikingly youthful, or whether to switch to a more economical version of Oil of Olay. Two years, people.
Last January in one of my outreach efforts I contacted the local college where I discovered much to my surprise you don't need a degree in order to teach. And since I didn't have a degree in anything but Life University, I thought, hey, maybe there's something I can do in education so I set about working my way into the college, taking any little opportunity I could to teach any subject they'd assign me.
Along the way I've met some great people. People that have encouraged me to apply for any and every posting that comes up that I'm remotely interested in. People that have suggested that one sure fire way to get hired on a more permanent basis was for me to enroll in their Certified Adult Educator program, because once I have a CAE designation there's little to no chance I'll be eliminated from consideration for a job. I've gotten lots of advice from lots of people. People that saw me interacting with my students who came to me afterward to compliment me on how I handled a specific situation. People who could overhear me in my classroom (because yes, people, even though I've been unemployed I'm still loud as ever) who took the time to stop by afterward to tell me how engaging they think I am as an instructor. People who gave me suggestions on how to deal with an entire class showing up either still drunk or so hungover they were wasting their time in school that day. People that for no other reason other than they are born educators and caring people took me on as someone they believe in and wanted to encourage.
So a few weeks ago I applied to the CAE program and that same day a new job was posted for a Core Business Instructor to cover a 6-month term from November to the end of April. I jumped on it and sent my resume to HR that very same day. As one of my informal mentors said "Kim, we've all read a page and taught a page at one point or another in our careers and there's no reason you can't do the same."
So I sent my resume in and I waited. And I waited some more. And still a little longer.
After what seemed like an eternity, but in fact was only a week after the posting came down I contacted the program manager responsible for hiring the position. We had a lovely conversation. One in which he told me I had lots of talent and experience, I was lacking in a key area and so therefore, I was not be considered for the job.
Okay, I thought. It was a bit of a long shot. I was disappointed but I wasn't surprised. And so I moved on...back to teaching B-Comm to my Pastry Arts students and thinking about ways I could fill up my days again now that I don't go to school every day, because according to Buzz, "Employed Kim" is a whole lot happier than "Unemployed Kim" (I suspect it's that 1) I thrive in a busy environment and 2) I really want to upgrade back to my Estee Lauder face cream but there's no way I can justify it on one salary, so yes...you can understand why Employed Kim with her own paycheque might be a tad bit more...um...fun to be around?).
On Monday I got my acceptance letter from the College. I was accepted into the CAE program and so starting in January I begin my journey towards my B-Ed degree. If I'm successful (and I have no doubt I will be) then I will be the first Cameron in my generation to have a college degree. Granted I'll be around 50 when I graduate, but hey, better late then never!
On Thursday I got a phone call from the HR department of the college. They offered me the very job I had been told a week before I wasn't being considered for. I asked the nice lady if she was sure she had the right applicant because I had already been told I wouldn't be considered. I could hear her smile on the other end of the line...."Yes, Kim, we want to hire you. We've reconsidered the qualifications and if you're willing to take it on, we'd like you to be the one to teach the Sports & Recreations students."
So, in a household where I frequently argue with my husband the accountant that "words are more important than numbers" this coming Thursday I will begin teaching Business Communications and Introduction to Accounting to first year Sports & Recreation students. I find the whole thing very ironic.
