[Blueberrybook]

Sorry if this posts twice. I know I just wrote about it, but maybe I posted under the wrong thread or forum as I don't see it.

Yesterday evening, BIL's aunt who works for my husband's school district in a high position said possibly she could offer me a custodial job. I'm not sure of the hours or locations (it's a large district). I think the evening jobs pay more, but it might put a lot of strain on my husband and will change things for my daughter in that she won't have so much help on homework, and my husband might have to cook dinner too. I was given a number to call, a person to ask for, probably will be offered an interview today. I was told I even could be offered the job today. If I take it, it is possible we could just barely squeeze by. It is not a lucrative job and pays by the hour, but it is 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, no benefits of course and probably would allow me to keep things like pdoc appointments without needing to take time off if in the evening. And unlike jobs such as fast food, restaurants, stores, the hours wouldn't be bouncing all over the place; I'd always be scheduled to work at the same time. If I am offered a day job, depending on the hours, it might just work though with less pay.

I am going to at least do the interview today and see what can be offered. Then, hubby and I will have to talk it over, and likely I will have to call the school to put my daughter on bus transportation.

I am feeling unsure though because I have tried 3 times to hold down a job and couldn't. Though maybe despite all my education (I've got an M.S. in Cell & Molecular Biology), this might be better and lower stress, not having the possibility to mess up giant and costly experiments because I can't take care of the mice or sex the babies correctly & get the PCR gels to run correctly (my last job). The job before that was trying to teach while going to school to get a teaching certificate (the district offers a program where you can teach while doing the program), but I was so stressed by 3 days into the school year, I had to quit. The last thing was having to switch from going for a Ph.D. to an M.S. so stopping the teaching assistant/research assistant job earlier than planned. It paid peanuts, but still.

I am anxious and not sure what to do. And if I get this job, would I be able to keep it? There is a possibility my husband could get his dream job teaching at a university in the spring semester or maybe next fall (the job he was told would be his & then never was because of things going on in the department in the university where he would have taught), so this job might not need to be for the long term.

[Tucson]

IMO you have no choice but to take the job. Do what you have to do to make happen what you need to happen. Janitorial work does not tax ones abilities. There should be little stresss, just full days to look forward to. However, this in itself may be stressful. To me, it would be mindless and boring, but that may not be a bad thing for your situation. You will have allot of time to think about other things in your life, hopefully the positive, and listen to allot of music.

BTW I think it is federal law that if you work longer than 35 hours per week, they must provide you with health insurance. However, the cost to you may be prohibitive, or the deductibles may be high, for examples. But health insurance from a school district should be very good. FWIW

[Blueberrybook]

[QUOTE=Tucson But health insurance from a school district should be very good. FWIW[/QUOTE]

Don't I wish! My husband teaches high school physics, and our health insurance has a $7500 deductible before it will pay a penny. I went well over the deductible with my perforated ulcer (had to make payment plans with lots of medical places), and each family member also has a $2500 deductible (my husband and my daughter). Right now, even though I have not paid the $7500, all my doctor's visits and medication are now covered by the insurance 100%, but that will change with the new year. My medications alone will cost a ton. The insurance does cover them, but some of them will be like a $40 co-pay. Doctor's visits are not at all covered by any co-pays (have to pay 100% out-of-pocket until the $7500 deductible is met, with at least $2500 on your own account).

[Wild Coyote]

It's a lot to consider.
I hope it all turns out for the best.
Thinking of you.

WC

[Blueberrybook]

My husband is uncertain about it because it is evening hours. I'd be gone probably from 2:30 to 11:30 or midnight considering the commute, which will put a lot of strain on him at home caring for our daughter. It would be very disruptive to our lives, and he works so hard. He is stressed out because his school has a lousy principal and poor organization. He has a Ph.D. and can only find work teaching high school. He has gone from job to job, layoffs as NASA downsized, startup companies that failed, it doesn't look good on a resume. He has no 1st author journal publications which is HUGE in getting a job teaching at a university level (community colleges tend to only hire adjuncts, the pay is worse than teaching high school). He went to Rice, got his Ph.D. under Rick Smalley (won the Nobel prize for the Buckey Ball & start of nanotechnology), but Smalley (deceased) gave his graduate students no support and made them compete for first author publications. My husband doesn't have the personality to be ruthless like the others in his lab. Rice University in Houston gave him a Ph.D. with 0 first author publications. Getting my Masters at the University of Houston (much less prestigious) required 1 first author publication, and Ph.D. candidates needed 2-3 to graduate. I don't want to even work in that field any more. I am not sharp, and most of the jobs are in Houston with a God-awful commute of over an hour in bumper to bumper traffic on freeways (gives me a panic attack to even drive it).

We did the calculations. Once January comes around, we'll be paying full-cost for my pdoc visits. That alone is a fortune. If we need a car repair, air conditioning repair, or an appliance goes out (and the way the refrigerator is sounding, it just might any day now), we won't make it.

Is the disruption to my daughter's life even worth it? All they have are night shifts, so including commute, I'd be gone from 2:30 to 11:30 or midnight. I'd barely even see my family. It was my old pdoc's opinion that I should not work out of the home after the failed research job I tried in Houston because of the panic and anxiety & depression nearly ending me up in the psych hospital again. So I don't know.

I'm all panicky & anxious again today and need to go to the pharmacy and pick up my medication. Ugh.

[Wild Coyote]

It sounds like it might be too disruptive?

Are you able to do custodial work with fibromyalgia?
I'd be concerned for anyone with fibromyalgia.

Are you recovered enough from your most recent surgery to do this?

Concerned about you.

WC

[Blueberrybook]

Originally Posted by Wild Coyote

It sounds like it might be too disruptive?

Are you able to do custodial work with fibromyalgia?
I'd be concerned for anyone with fibromyalgia.

Are you recovered enough from your most recent surgery to do this?

Concerned about you.

WC

Yeah, I worry about all that too.

[Nammu]

Sounds as if you really need to earn some money for nessary living coats but I'm not sure this is the best job for you. You live in the Huston area surly there are other jobs available have you gone to an employment center to get help with looking for jobs?

[Wild Coyote]

Some states have great vocational rehab services for people unable to work in the field for which they are trained. Sometimes voc. rehab has some leads on home-based employment if/when doctors are giving an opinion that you need to work at home. Voc rehab might also be helpful in this regard.


WC

[~Christina]

If I were on the verge of losing my home I’d take any job I could find You won’t do it forever , your daughter will manage and so will your husband if the roof stays over your heads