# I NEED a major change of employment **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 23, 2019, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861 "2019-11-23T06:20:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861/21 "2019-11-25T02:27:29Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Doing what? Teaching. Probably English. Depends on what we need and the qualifications. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861/22 "2019-11-25T02:47:56Z")
My husband moved from academia to childcare to web developer. It was hard finding a new job as a man in his 50s who hasn’t worked for pay for several years. And his first job want very good. But he’s doing well, now. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861/23 "2019-11-25T03:11:49Z")
I think a lot of proofreading is done on a contract basis now, but there are openings at real publishers, not microjob kinds of places. You won’t have to move and you should be able to keep teaching as you ramp up to some real income. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861/24 "2019-11-25T06:00:47Z")
I know of a job teaching high school level (HSE) math at a rural Oregon boarding school that will be opening soon. FT, union, bennies. PM me if you’re interested in more details. ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861/25 "2019-11-25T06:50:43Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > Teaching. Probably English. Depends on what we need and the qualifications. Are Americans happy to work in Qatar under the kafala system? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861/26 "2019-11-25T07:33:01Z")
The need for higher education (at least in California) is not declining at all. It does, however, need redesign, and the CCCs know that. They know what they need to do, and are attempting to change (Strong Workforce, AB 86, etc.), but because each district has a great degree of autonomy (and because regional partnerships vary so much) the overall change is slow to come. AB 705 is just a minor challenge, though clearly it’s going to hit you hard because you’ve specialized assessment. The logical thing for someone like you would be to see how you can parlay your experience in that into something that has the potential really grow and make a difference–maybe like guided pathways–though perhaps you’ve already tried that. None of that, however, can change the fundamental disparity between adjunct and contract hiring across the state, and that’s something that’s hard to change, though some districts are better than others. If you go abroad, I suggest researching and planning carefully, for something that has long-term potential, and not just taking the first thing offered. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861/27 "2019-11-25T10:08:33Z")
> [@PlaceboTarget](#): > > Are Americans happy to work in Qatar under the kafala system? I have been back in Saudi for ten years and cannot bothered to change my username again. I will soon retire after more than twenty years. Am I happy? I suppose so. How happy are you with your job and where you live? ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861/28 "2019-11-25T11:29:15Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > How happy are you with your job and where you live? I’ve always been self-employed and I’d find it hard to be anything else. My brother chose to move to the US before I entered business. He’s an American citizen but I wouldn’t bother to join him. I asked about the kafala system because I heard some pretty horrid stories about it in the past, but if we’re not talking about Qatar I’ll withdraw my question. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861/29 "2019-11-25T11:40:37Z")
No problem. I spent a year there. That is when I changed my username. A lot of the horror stories are spread by the Saudis. Still, that does not mean a lot of bad things do not happen. At its worst, it approaches slavery. ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861/30 "2019-11-25T13:53:50Z")
There’s plenty of demand for private SAT/ACT tutoring and help with college applications. I work for myself full-time as an SAT/ACT tutor, with some work on SAT 2s, writing, and study skills. I’m 45, soon to be 46, so I understand what it’s like not to be a youngster in my field. I don’t regret my choice to drop out of grad school to work for myself. (My field was different, but I know all too well what the drawbacks of working in academe can be.) If you’re interested in learning more about what I do, send me a pm. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861/31 "2019-11-25T15:23:48Z")
I feel your pain. After blowing through my retirement account and unemployment benefits, and 4 1/2 years of non-responses from LinkedIn, Monster and Career Builder, I finally got a temp job from Robert Haft because I had Office 365 listed on my resume. That led to full time work in QA and developing accounting accreditation courses. I’ve had to change career paths several times. It doesn’t help that ever-increasing technology can make your skills obsolete in a heartbeat, and that recent grads are training in the new tech. In the end, none of the Social Media toys helped me land a job. It was all a matter of a recruiter doing a key word search while searching through their database. So, if you have Office 365 in your skill set, maybe that will pay off for you. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861/32 "2019-11-25T21:56:54Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I think a lot of proofreading is done on a contract basis now, but there are openings at real publishers, not microjob kinds of places. You won’t have to move and you should be able to keep teaching as you ramp up to some real income. Yes, I keep applying for those. I have received a few phone calls/quasi-interviews, so I remain hopeful. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861/33 "2019-11-25T21:57:56Z")
> [@Scribble](#): > > There’s plenty of demand for private SAT/ACT tutoring and help with college applications. > > I work for myself full-time as an SAT/ACT tutor, with some work on SAT 2s, writing, and study skills. I’m 45, soon to be 46, so I understand what it’s like not to be a youngster in my field. I don’t regret my choice to drop out of grad school to work for myself. (My field was different, but I know all too well what the drawbacks of working in academe can be.) If you’re interested in learning more about what I do, send me a pm. Will do–thanks. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861/34 "2019-11-25T21:59:34Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > I feel your pain. After blowing through my retirement account and unemployment benefits, and 4 1/2 years of non-responses from LinkedIn, Monster and Career Builder, I finally got a temp job from Robert Haft because I had Office 365 listed on my resume. That led to full time work in QA and developing accounting accreditation courses. > > I’ve had to change career paths several times. It doesn’t help that ever-increasing technology can make your skills obsolete in a heartbeat, and that recent grads are training in the new tech. In the end, none of the Social Media toys helped me land a job. It was all a matter of a recruiter doing a key word search while searching through their database. So, if you have Office 365 in your skill set, maybe that will pay off for you. I’m studying a 731-page book, _MS Office for Dummies_; I need to see if 365 is covered in there. We certainly use it at the CC. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861/35 "2019-11-25T22:01:29Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > The need for higher education (at least in California) is not declining at all. It does, however, need redesign, and the CCCs know that. They know what they need to do, and are attempting to change (Strong Workforce, AB 86, etc.), but because each district has a great degree of autonomy (and because regional partnerships vary so much) the overall change is slow to come. AB 705 is just a minor challenge, though clearly it’s going to hit you hard because you’ve specialized assessment. The logical thing for someone like you would be to see how you can parlay your experience in that into something that has the potential really grow and make a difference–maybe like guided pathways–though perhaps you’ve already tried that. > > None of that, however, can change the fundamental disparity between adjunct and contract hiring across the state, and that’s something that’s hard to change, though some districts are better than others. If you go abroad, I suggest researching and planning carefully, for something that has long-term potential, and not just taking the first thing offered. My former dept. head said earlier this year: “If you [any of us adjuncts] find a full-time job somewhere else, you should just give your two weeks’ notice and take it.” Yes, that’s how bad it is where I am. The only reason I still get classes is that I have rehire rights (negotiated) and have been there for quite a while. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861/36 "2019-11-25T22:08:52Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > The need for higher education (at least in California) is not declining at all. It does, however, need redesign, and the CCCs know that. They know what they need to do, and are attempting to change (Strong Workforce, AB 86, etc.), but because each district has a great degree of autonomy (and because regional partnerships vary so much) the overall change is slow to come. AB 705 is just a minor challenge, though clearly it’s going to hit you hard because you’ve specialized assessment. The logical thing for someone like you would be to see how you can parlay your experience in that into something that has the potential really grow and make a difference–maybe like guided pathways–though perhaps you’ve already tried that. > > None of that, however, can change the fundamental disparity between adjunct and contract hiring across the state, and that’s something that’s hard to change, though some districts are better than others. If you go abroad, I suggest researching and planning carefully, for something that has long-term potential, and not just taking the first thing offered. I should add that things have gotten very demoralizing on a number of campuses, and that doesn’t help. Most adjuncts I know are afraid to speak out, ask for improvements, or register any kind of complaint since their jobs are already hanging by a thread and they don’t want to be seen as malcontents or whistle-blowers. So even if they are allowed to attend dept. meetings–and not all of them are–they will be silent. I can’t remember the last time anyone ever shared the minutes from a dept. meeting. It’s hard when you’re flailing around in the dark and don’t know what’s happening until you’re blindsided. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2019, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861/37 "2019-11-25T22:23:51Z")
Try to find a course on technical writing. That will expand your hire-ability. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2019, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861/38 "2019-11-26T05:15:38Z")
> [@carnut](#): > > Try to find a course on technical writing. That will expand your hire-ability. Ooooh…:smack: Yes! ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2019, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861/39 "2019-11-26T20:53:32Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > I’m studying a 731-page book, _MS Office for Dummies_; I need to see if 365 is covered in there. We certainly use it at the CC. > Thanks. 365 is the most current version, as it incorporates MS’s Cloud service. It’s just a matter of saving your work there instead of your hard drive. Otherwise, knowing how to use Word, Excel and PPT should be good enough. You can get training in 365 from the Unemployment Office, or a temp agency such as Robert Haft. If you don’t want to drive, you could use [Lynda.com](http://Lynda.com) for $25/month. There’s also boatloads of tutorials online, but you’d have to be your own lesson planner. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2019, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861/40 "2019-11-26T20:56:45Z")
before you pay for Lynda or a similar site, see if you can get it for free through your library. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-major-change-of-employment/843861.md?page=3)