[waterknob1234]

Some of you will think my post is ridiculous. I have been unhappy in my current job for a long time now and the stress just keeps getting worse. I came to the decision to seek employment elsewhere and so I began the bewildering process of applying for jobs online. This sounds crazy but it has actually been ten years since I went out and looked for a job and the process was quite different back then. I have applied several places. I have received one rejection letter and one request for an interview. Unfortunately health issues are starting to become a problem. Migraine headaches, nausea, weakness, and dizziness are bugging me. I don't look forward to starting a new job being sick.

I have one doctor appt. with my neurologist on Sept. 11, I have to have dental work done next week. I want to set up a job interview with this insurance company. I guess I feel just a little bit overwhelmed. I want to get out of the toxic office I am currently working in. Yet I am a little nervous about venturing into the unknown and learning something new. I am beginning to learn my anxiety gets the better of me. I also worry about starting a new job with no health insurance, but as I said before, my current job is driving me crazy. I get where I'm just not quite sure what to do.

Originally Posted by waterknob1234

Some of you will think my post is ridiculous. I have been unhappy in my current job for a long time now and the stress just keeps getting worse. I came to the decision to seek employment elsewhere and so I began the bewildering process of applying for jobs online. This sounds crazy but it has actually been ten years since I went out and looked for a job and the process was quite different back then. I have applied several places. I have received one rejection letter and one request for an interview. Unfortunately health issues are starting to become a problem. Migraine headaches, nausea, weakness, and dizziness are bugging me. I don't look forward to starting a new job being sick.

I have one doctor appt. with my neurologist on Sept. 11, I have to have dental work done next week. I want to set up a job interview with this insurance company. I guess I feel just a little bit overwhelmed. I want to get out of the toxic office I am currently working in. Yet I am a little nervous about venturing into the unknown and learning something new. I am beginning to learn my anxiety gets the better of me. I also worry about starting a new job with no health insurance, but as I said before, my current job is driving me crazy. I get where I'm just not quite sure what to do.

Hello Waterknob: What causes you to think your post might be viewed as ridiculous? This is an important & difficult situation. Back when I was still a real person, I was a vocational rehabilitation counselor. So I am sensitive to the issues & concerns surrounding your predicament.

I think one of the first things I would want to try to figure out is what aspects of your present job cause you to be unhappy & stressed? There's no point in jumping from your present job (where if nothing else you at least have familiarity) into another similar job where you're brand new & under the gun, as they say, to perform or possibly be let go before your probationary period ends. Since your present job is causing you to be unhappy, it may be important to try to find a different type of job or at least one in a less stressful environment.

I certainly don't see any reason not to set up the interview you mentioned. The reality is it may be unlikely you're going to be offered the first job you apply for. Effective job seeking is a skill in-&-of itself. It's something job seekers have to practice. So I always used to encourage clients to go out & interview for as many jobs as possible, just for the practice as well as to learn what types of questions employers are likely to ask. The job seeker can then hone his / her answers to these questions. This process also gives the job seeker an opportunity to see what kinds of jobs are out there & what employers are looking for. If it should happen that the person gets an offer for a job they don't want, it can always be turned it down.

The health insurance question is also an important one. I take it you have health insurance through your present employer. I would be reluctant nowadays to recommend anyone go from an employment situation where health insurance is offered to one where it is not. The whole health insurance environment is in a state of flux at present what with the passage of "Obamacare" & the Republican Party's opposition to it. Health insurance is important. I'm sure I don't have to convince you of that. I would want to think seriously before I left a job with health insurance to go to one without. (Of course I'm assuming you live in the U.S. as I write this. If not, perhaps your health insurance situation is less significant.)

Of course, the other side of the coin here is your present job is making you unhappy & contributing to your stress level. And that's not a good thing either. So I would certainly agree an effort to find new employment is in order. Have you checked to see if there are any type of vocational services which might be available to you; perhaps based on your present health situation? This might be one avenue to explore. Is there any possibility you could transfer to another position within the same company you're employed by now?

Well, these are my thoughts just off the top of my head, so to speak. Best of luck with this.

[Blues47]

I feel the same way about dating.

[tigerlily84]

I think that The Skeezyks has provided you with some excellent advice. I don't think your post is ridiculous at all. I think you have to give yourself some credit: you've taken the steps of reviewing your resume and applying for jobs. I would say go for the interview. You can always call 211 and they can provide you with information regarding local vocational services.

[waterknob1234]

I appreciate all the help and support. I truly wish I could see a vocational counselor, not to mention a therapist. I did have two sessions with a therapist but I had to stop the sessions because I could not afford them. My very poor insurance is basically useless for mental health therapy. I may look up the 211 number. I am working as a medical assistant right now but I would like to do something else. The work I enjoyed the most was working in taxes and bookkeeping. I have not done that in a long time and would need to go back to school for that which I would not mind doing. I am a person who is a jack of all trades but master of none. That is a problem because I have no real degree or certification in anything right now. I am looking at possibly working in retail stores.

[Fuzzybear]

[SeekerOfLife]

(((((Waterknob)))))

Originally Posted by waterknob1234

I appreciate all the help and support. I truly wish I could see a vocational counselor, not to mention a therapist. I did have two sessions with a therapist but I had to stop the sessions because I could not afford them. My very poor insurance is basically useless for mental health therapy. I may look up the 211 number. I am working as a medical assistant right now but I would like to do something else. The work I enjoyed the most was working in taxes and bookkeeping. I have not done that in a long time and would need to go back to school for that which I would not mind doing. I am a person who is a jack of all trades but master of none. That is a problem because I have no real degree or certification in anything right now. I am looking at possibly working in retail stores.

Okay, Waterknob... well... at the risk of displaying my delirium, here on PC, for all to read... I will offer a couple of vocational thoughts.

First, this time of year is a good time to be looking for work in the retail sector. Retailers are going to be hiring for the holidays. However, come January, those same retailers will be laying off many of the people they hired. So, unless you stand out as a "keeper", you may well find yourself unemployed once the holiday rush is over. Making yourself stand out, could be difficult, given the health problems you're struggling with.

Second, if I understand correctly, you've been working as a medical assistant for 10 years now. Is this correct? From a vocational counseling perspective, I would be concerned if you left the medical field to take a job in retail. This is going to raise a red flag for any future employer. They're going to want to know why you would abandon a 10 year career in the medical field to work in retail. (Also, just as an aside here, if stress is a concern for you, I'm not sure taking a job in retail starting as the holiday season ramps up is necessarily going to be better. Retail work during the holidays can be little short of hell! (I've done it.)

Of course, if you could leave your job to go to school, or perhaps work part time while you go to school, then this is a different matter. Ideally, what I would recommend, given what I know of your situation, would be for you to try to come up with a way to build on your experience as a medical assistant. Ten years experience, if this is in fact what you have, is nothing to sneeze at. Yes, this type of work can be stressful (I did this too, years ago.) But nowadays there are few jobs that aren't stressful. It's the nature of the employment milieu we live in today. (Employers try to wring every last drop of energy from every employee so the employer doesn't have to hire more workers.)

Of course, I don't know what type of medical assistant work you do; whether you work in a hospital, nursing home, do home care, etc. But I wonder about the possibility of working toward a position such as a health unit coordinator, working in a health care business office, pharmacy technician, hospital central supply technician, or other similar type of work. These types of positions would build on your previous experience & would demonstrate a commitment to furthering a career.

I realize some schooling would probably be required for these types of jobs. But the training isn't necessarily extensive. And, depending on who your present employer is, perhaps they would be willing to help to some extent by varying your hours, etc. You could also look into the possibility of getting some type of financial assistance. Training for most of these types of jobs is available from vocational-technical schools; & their admissions officers should be able to assist you to explore financial assistance opportunities. I would imagine that your work history in the medical field would make you a prime candidate because you've already demonstrated you have what it takes to succeed in the medical field. And the medical field in general is growing, while retail rises & falls with the seasons & the economy in general. In the meantime, I would think it might be worthwhile to see if you can figure out a way to continue to work as a medical assistant, but in some less stressful environment.

Okay... so this is my spiel for the moment. I'll keep watch for additional posts & add further replies... or... if you don't want to hear it , just let me know & I'll disappear! (You're also welcome to PM me, if you want to.)

[dandylin]

Moving forward into the unknown is difficult for me too waterknob. It all seems so overwhelming, but I know I have to move forward. You are in my thoughts

[waterknob1234]

Skeezyks, thanks for your advice. It is worth thinking on. I now have some head hunters calling as I have applied for a few things online. You are not the delirious one, I am. To be exact, I have nearly 20 years of experience in the medical field, off and on. I worked in the medical field from 1981 to 1997 at which time I had a mini-breakdown and grew weary of working in that area and left it. I worked in a family business for a while, worked in income taxes, a Laundromat, a drycleaners, for a while had my own tax business, then got back into the medical field at the office where I currently work. I liked where I work until some things began to change about a year ago. I wanted to go back to school and study bookkeeping and accounting and many things in life got in the way: working two jobs, raising children, taking care of sick parents. Yes, these are probably excuses. Anyway, I am a crazy 52 year old who loves history, people, and is still trying to figure out what to do with her life. Thanks for your advice.