Change
It's been a year of change and upheaval since my last post. A year of uncertainty. A year of pain.
With the decline and passing of my mother the world flipped inside out. The job I took in order to be able to care for her was not a good fit to begin with - it was a return to a place I had left over a decade before and it hadn't changed in that time. But it was a godsend and necessary at the time. It is no longer necessary.
And so I will be returning to retail. To a Fortune 500 company that treated me well and appreciated my work ethic and skills.
There is a stigma with working retail though. The assumption that people who work in retail are somehow unskilled, or even stupid. Considering the financial possibilities, the opportunities for advancement, and that assumption is ridiculous.
I have two masters degrees. I have over 10 years experience in human resources and even more in communications. This company appreciates those credentials. When I was there (under unfortunate circumstances) within 6 months I was able to advance from seasonal part-time to a department manager. I was told by regional management that I was on the fast track. And then Mom got sick. But now she's gone and I have no reason not to go back to a place where I can actually build a future. Unlike the other places I have worked for in the 20+ years I have been in this town. Companies that think I am too "overqualified" to even hire.
Change. For the better but for a sad reason.
But one of the reasons for the change is that I am alone now. With no family. No responsibilities (other than the cats). No reason(s) to need to have holidays and evenings off. Of course the other reason is that this is a better opportunity. PLUS after a while I could transfer to Texas to be closer to what's left of my family. At any rate I will no longer be a health crisis away from unemployment - when you work for a small company owned by one person that is always a risk. And as I have about 12 years until retirement I don't want to be looking for work when there are only 5 years left to retirement.
I am nervous. I am excited. I am unsure. I didn't want to make any big decisions until Mom had been gone for a whole year. But this fell into my lap so...
I'm not much of a fan of change per se. I don't like upheaval. I like plans, and rules, and details. But I also like taking off and exploring.
Another upside of this move is that I will also have enough PTO time that I can actually take time off and go somewhere. For the last four years I haven't been able to do that - other than driving out to Maine to bury my mother. Going from 3 sick days, 1 personal day, and 10 days vacation per year - vacation days you can't take all together by the way - to 21 days of PTO a year. A full 7 days more.
It was also a year to start crocheting again and jewelry making some new designs/techniques. Things that kept me sane while Mom continued to decline. I don't think I will change those. I intend to keep them.
Therefore, in two weeks I will be embarking on this change. Change of job. Change of opportunity.
With the decline and passing of my mother the world flipped inside out. The job I took in order to be able to care for her was not a good fit to begin with - it was a return to a place I had left over a decade before and it hadn't changed in that time. But it was a godsend and necessary at the time. It is no longer necessary.
And so I will be returning to retail. To a Fortune 500 company that treated me well and appreciated my work ethic and skills.
There is a stigma with working retail though. The assumption that people who work in retail are somehow unskilled, or even stupid. Considering the financial possibilities, the opportunities for advancement, and that assumption is ridiculous.
I have two masters degrees. I have over 10 years experience in human resources and even more in communications. This company appreciates those credentials. When I was there (under unfortunate circumstances) within 6 months I was able to advance from seasonal part-time to a department manager. I was told by regional management that I was on the fast track. And then Mom got sick. But now she's gone and I have no reason not to go back to a place where I can actually build a future. Unlike the other places I have worked for in the 20+ years I have been in this town. Companies that think I am too "overqualified" to even hire.
Change. For the better but for a sad reason.
But one of the reasons for the change is that I am alone now. With no family. No responsibilities (other than the cats). No reason(s) to need to have holidays and evenings off. Of course the other reason is that this is a better opportunity. PLUS after a while I could transfer to Texas to be closer to what's left of my family. At any rate I will no longer be a health crisis away from unemployment - when you work for a small company owned by one person that is always a risk. And as I have about 12 years until retirement I don't want to be looking for work when there are only 5 years left to retirement.
I am nervous. I am excited. I am unsure. I didn't want to make any big decisions until Mom had been gone for a whole year. But this fell into my lap so...
I'm not much of a fan of change per se. I don't like upheaval. I like plans, and rules, and details. But I also like taking off and exploring.
Another upside of this move is that I will also have enough PTO time that I can actually take time off and go somewhere. For the last four years I haven't been able to do that - other than driving out to Maine to bury my mother. Going from 3 sick days, 1 personal day, and 10 days vacation per year - vacation days you can't take all together by the way - to 21 days of PTO a year. A full 7 days more.
It was also a year to start crocheting again and jewelry making some new designs/techniques. Things that kept me sane while Mom continued to decline. I don't think I will change those. I intend to keep them.
Therefore, in two weeks I will be embarking on this change. Change of job. Change of opportunity.
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