The Job of Finding a Job, or The Big Payoff

So, this is it: the semester I've been working toward for three years, the big payoff, crunch time. When I charged ahead on this journey toward becoming a teacher, I knew it would be a long road. I knew it would be hard. Most of all, I knew it would be a lot of work. What I didn't know was how much I, and my entire life, would change and grow throughout these three years. Finally reaching this point, when everything I do is important and everyone is watching to make sure I can pass muster, I am filled with mixed emotions. I worry that I won't be able to get it all done and save my sanity. I worry that I won't be able to find that job that fits like an old pair of jeans. Will it be worth all the stress and sacrifice of three years? As I feel myself getting tense with worry, I remind myself to breathe, make a list, relax, and rock it.

This isn't my to-do list, but the advice isn't all bad.

One big item on that list? Getting a job. Finding a job is no small task. Before I even began working toward becoming a teacher, I thought about this step. Where do I want to work? Who do I want to work with, what students, teachers, administrators, and districts? What do I want my life to look like? It all feels a little uncertain. I know what I want, and I know I will work hard to get it, as I have been all my life. But I don't know that what I want will be available, much less that they will want me as much as I want them. So, I make plans on top of plans. First choices, second choices, a hundred little (and big) choices that will shape my life, possibly for the rest of my career.

When I was in college the first time around, I thought I could do it all on my own. I didn't really avail myself of the services available to me to help me make the transition from college to life. This time around, I'm well-versed in crafting a life, and I know that taking all the help you can get is a smart thing to do, especially when you have experts on hand. My resume has been reviewed by co-op supervisors, career services, and friends and colleagues. I'm compiling a (hopefully) impressive list of references. I'll be listening to everyone's advice and using what works for me to help me get that great job. This extends to using the tools available on job boards to help make monitoring new listings easier. My smartphone is my partner in crime. Notifications from RSS feeds straight to my phone will hopefully help make that job-trolling easier and more effective. I am accepting help as well as helping myself.

Finding a job really is a job of its own. When added to the job of student teaching, the job of completing the requirements for licensure, the job of trying to make some money, and the jobs of raising kids and having a relationship, it can seem like too much. But real life is hard and like everything else, this phase is only temporary. Eventually, I will get a teaching job, and because of everything else I have done, I will be prepared to be the best teacher I can be. The list in front of me may be long, but the list of tasks completed is much longer. I'm nearing the end of this journey and getting ready to embark on something new, and I have to know it was all worth it.