For the last
eight years, every job I have had has been paid through grant funding. As a result, I have changed jobs every two
years as the grant funds reached their end. I am again in year-two and have
started updating my resume because, once again, the grant funds are ending. It
has become almost routine for me to be on some form of job search.
My friends all
respond with shock and dismay when it becomes official that my job is going
away. I do not always react with ecstatic joy when I find out there are no
local funds for my job, but I do go into the job with my eyes fully open, so I
am never shocked when the conversation comes. Changing jobs every two years is
not my ideal, but it has given me experiences I never would have had if I had
maintained a traditional career track.
As much as I
have learned and gained in the last eight years, I want to settle into a
position for a longer period of time in order to fully apply the many things I
have learned to the position. Contrary to what non-educators may think, making
systemic change at any level of school takes a full three to five years. I want
that challenge.
Not every
person is right for every position. The key to systemic success is finding the
best fit in a position. There are positions open on my current campus, but I do
not fit the profile of the person who would be most effective in that position.
No matter how much I love the campus and am passionate about the students and
staff, I do not have the skill-set that the position needs to be most
successful. My love for the campus and passion for the students and staff would
rather see the best person have the job as much as I would like to remain
there. Education works best when the correct person is in the position for
which they are best suited.
By working
grant-funded positions, I have had the fortune of changing jobs every two years
and building a unique skill-set. As I have searched for jobs (and LinkedIn
makes suggestions) I have found campus level jobs, central administration jobs,
and jobs across the spectrum in corporate education (testing companies,
textbook companies, and professional development providers). My challenge is
finding the right position and getting it. I am going to miss my current
position, but I look forward to the next opportunity that awaits me.
