Temporary Work Created a Great Opportunity

I always loved doing temporary work. I also loved teaching, particularly adult education. With a teaching certificate, graduating in a recession, the only jobs I was getting as a music teacher were jobs that were part time, temporary and with no benefits.

I was teaching at four different schools and doing temporary office work Fridays. Well, one of these temporary places, a local college, offered me a job as a staff assistant. Computers were just coming into offices and I realized this was an opportunity because the college offered tuition to staff.

I gained great computer skills, and two master's degrees, and ultimately a career working in a small college and a major university.

Now this sort of thing is common, popular, acceptable and even necessary.

You can do more than one thing. I do adult ed teaching with doesn't pay much, I have a great job with benefits that pays the bills and allows me to be continuously learning. And that's the key to remember - very few people will be doing the same job at the same place, so continue learning. Even if you have a very specific skill, such as nursing, enhance that skills continuously.

I'll also mention that Toastmasters is key in my continuing development, not just professionally, but personally too. Networking has always been important and is more so and more mainstream now.