THE EXPIRATION DATE

As a Georgia transplant, I was relocated for 18 months. After nearly two years, it became abundantly evident that life existed beyond an expiration date. Roots were embedded, the family settled in and it was time to find a job and return to work.

Finding a job at a nearby urgent care center, the seeds were set to branch away from subdivision snobbery. “What can you do”?

Thus began the arduous task of explaining about life at “Annoy College” and my hard earned degree in Nursing. But no profession is recession proof. It was 1997 and changes were beginning in the health care industry. My facility was acquired by the ‘Brothers Four’.

One lawyer, one accountant and two physicians, our days were numbered when the cruncher realized less educated personnel cost less to pay. Here’s your pink slip.

After 20 years in the profession, what’s next? My BFF from “Annoy College” just happened to live nearby.  Together, we ventured into retraining but not before a road trip to the ever humbling Department of Favor office. If I enrolled in a training program, the state would pay my unemployment for a period of time without having to do an active job search.

When searching for a new career, tap into your existing skill set and expand upon it. I chose not to deviate away from the medical field but into a different arena. An honest, self-assessment of my strengths included a broad base of medical terminology; speed and accurate typist and good spelling skills. We enrolled in a medical transcription program.

Proud of my accomplishment, it was time to find a job. Quickly I learned one needed experience to be hired as a medical transcriptionist. But no one was willing to hire me so I could acquire desired experience. It was a vicious cycle of no experience and no one willing to give experience. Finally, a job interview and a job offer! I quickly came realize it was my nursing skills that were being solicited and the transcriptionist part of the job was filler. Being too far from home, not worth the time and gas for the salary being offered, I opted to decline.

Meanwhile, the PTA at the local high school needed volunteers in the college career center. Having already sent one child off to college, I knew my way around admission requirements and deadlines, so I signed up to help.

It was this one day/week volunteer opportunity that I placed on a resume when I applied for a temporary 10 week job at the local two-year college. Assisting high school seniors in their search and quest for a college education was really quite rewarding.

The other skill-set that I brought to the job interview was my nursing background. Confidentiality. Record keeping. Customer service. Team work. Dealing with parents of teenagers cannot be overemphasized enough for employment in post-secondary education! I was hired.

My part-time 10 week assignment evolved into a full time job with several promotions which has lasted more than a decade. Retirement is months away….

SOUND THE BUGLE! Today’s tip: The expiration date on a product does not mean the product is all used up and ready for the trash. Many products can safely be used after the expiration date and articles are available online for which products you can safely use.