Taking a leap in this economy, wish me luck??

[krbshappy71]

Moving at the end of this school year to be with my LDR BF. I am leaving my current job of 14 years, EEEK. Kinda freaked out about that because of all I hear on the news about the job situation out there. According to my calculations, I would need to make $13 an hour year-round job to equal my current pay of my school year job.

I DON'T want to go back to school so here are the jobs I'm considering:

full time receptionist at either a medical office or regular business. So far from perusing Craig's List in that area, those jobs start at $13-15. I really want this type of job. I really like office-stuff.

Lesser paying full time job and then get a part-time job on top of it like I have now. Not fond of this idea but there are jobs I would like that don't pay as much as the reception jobs. i.e reception in a veterinary office, (have experience) working at a pet store that doesn't sell animals, working at a doggy daycare, (have experience), working at a hotel or food establishment (have experience with food service but not hotel)
--------
Basically I teeter between confidence "Hey, its my mid-life point, let's do something more fun!" and panic "omg I am giving up my job that I've had for 14 years am I insane? In this job market?!"

So outside of "go back to school" suggestions, what would you suggest I do to get ready for a leap like this in the job market? Update my resume with several resumes to reflect the different areas I have experience in? Have one resume that covers it all?

I currently have an Associates Degree as Medical Office Specialist but its from yearrrrrssss ago, 1997. But would that still help me to get a job in that field? Or is that null and void by now? I also have a Vet Technician certificate, but that's even older. Not sure if it would help me much either. Um, I have an Apple Software certification from a few years ago as well. See how random I am? ha!!

[Dancing Lotus]

I say that if this is what you really want to do then DO IT!
Nothing ventured nothing gained.

[madhen]

Maybe check locally to see if they would accept the older certs, so you'll know ahead of time. I know you don't want to go back to school at this time, but if the certs can be upgraded with one or two classes, you might want to consider that.

Can your BF do any advance scouting and email you apps to consider before the move?

[monkeywrangler71]

What is the job that you are doing now? Is it relevant to the jobs that you are looking for? You probably won't get anywhere with a 14 yr-old medical office degree unless you've been working in the field, because office technology has completely changed since then. If you've been out of school for 14 years, it's your experience that counts now, not your education.

[krbshappy71]

I currently troubleshoot, setup, and install software on computers. Have been doing that for the past 14 years. I am sick of tech, though. Its like one of those skills you have but don't necessarily enjoy. I'm good at it, but I don't particularly love it.

So ya, tons of skills as far as typing (93 wpm), inventory tracking, answering phone, accessing voicemail, making appointments, and oodles of operating system, hardware computer experience just don't want to be fixing them anymore.

Hm. Maybe I'd like a Help Desk tech support thing. Meh that is computers!! LOL!! I think I am using this transition situation as an excuse to get out of this career-line. Probably not a good plan. Maybe I should stick with what I know. *mutter.*

[Kitten20]

I am in a similar situation. I have been in my current field for 9 years (with the same company), but it's not something I love. We are in the process of planning a move in the next few months (hopefully), so I been hoping this will be an opportunity to switch gears and get into a new field.

So far, I have kept one resume and am tweaking my cover letter to fit the job. I figure that it's better to have everything in one resume; I wouldn't want to delete something that an employer may see as a great skill even though it doesn't really apply to the job as I see it.

Good luck! Keep us posted.

[monkeywrangler71]

Tech skills can give you an edge when applying for office jobs, everyone loves having someone in the office who understands how the mysterious machine works .