Just How Bad Is It???

So..... the perpetual job hunt continues.   It has only been one week since I have given this serious focus and I have to say.....there are jobs ' out there '!  I have listened to the talk of the economy and how difficult it is ' out there' and I will embarrassingly admit.... when in these conversations, I would give the standard  'tisk - ain't -it-a-shame - I - can't-believe it ' noise your mouth can make,  along with the side to side head shake,  in sad agreement.  The truth is....I had no idea how good or bad it is / was 'out there'. I haven't been looking for a job in years. Sure, from time to time I would give a quick glance through the help wanted ad's....but if I didn't come across anything that read in BOLD letters   " WE WILL PAY YOU TO STAY HOME AND GIVE YOU BENEFITS TOO"......I didn't really give any of them much consideration. But really KNOW how bad it was......I had no idea!

I am encouraged to see there are plenty of listings under my area of 'expertise', which is quite interesting, I have to say.  Especially,  considering the fact that when I was graduating High School and contemplating the rest of my life for the first time, my parents response to my interest in Communications was " Jobs like that are a dime a dozen".......(do I take this opportunity to prove them wrong or let it slide?).   The push from them  was to go into the  secretarial field. THAT's where you will find a good paying job....they said. Huh? What?  Just the word 'Secretary' alone made me want to scream!!  Looking back right now, I'm starting to think that my parents hadn't paid an ounce of attention to me, because, if they had....they would have known how LUDICROUS just that suggestion alone to 'someone like me' was!!!  I liked music and poetry and writing.  Secre-what???????

Well, 20 years later and over 13 years in to it.....I happened to end up a  Secre....no......wait........ an " Administrative Assistant" ( harder to say but easier to swallow).  My parents were right, "The Job" has provided a decent income, benefits for my family and has allowed me many luxuries I will be forever thankful for.  I am good at what I do and as well paid as I am for the time being....like everyone else, most days I feel worth more.

I pull up Monster.com and sites of the like...and I always pause at the search bar where they ask for area of interest.  And it's that pause that is telling me everything I need to know.   As good as I am at this and for as long as I have been doing it.. I know  it's time to move on and take the dive... head first... into something I WANT to do ( which is still TBD don't forget).  But..... I search Admin anyway.  And after browsing more pages than my tired eyes would have preferred....I realize, yes, there are jobs " out there".....but who the hell can live off of what they are willing to pay for this thankless service I have become skilled in providing??? And that's when it sunk in....this could be harder than I thought.  At those salaries I would need to work two of  those jobs to compensate for what I make now.  I even  tried to figure out one of particular interest.....if the benefit contribution was less than what I pay now...at least I'm closing the salary gap and it's only a $9, 000 deficit !!!!  Yeah...not so much!  

The hunt will continue until the guillotine is dropped.  Hopefully, by then,  I will be prepared. If not.....rest assured, that the next time I have the discussion on the economy and the effect it has had on the job market....when I tisk my lips and shake my head.....I now know first hand what I am talking about and just 'How bad it is out there'.