Article on women returning to work after break

[Bluegoat]

I don't know about public libraries, but where dh works, often times he's the only one that can answer the students' questions. I believe this has to do with things he learned outside of job experience (he has previous experience in other libraries). I would imagine that same job or not, a degree would make a difference in salary as well. But not a difference necessarily worth going back to school over. I hear you.

 

The main issue with the degree is that there are not many positions.  Librarian positions don't pay all that well for a graduate degree either, but it's public service that isn't health care so that is typical.

 

But increasingly positions are hiring techs, and honestly that is what the position requires - there isn't a management component.  So it can be much easier to find a job, and they can also often get work in information technology or as clerks - it is a fairly flexible qualification.  Lots of techs also have an undergrad degree but it isn't required, and is costs less up front. (I'm in Canada but a diploma today in my province would be just under $4000 a year for two years.)

 

What is worthwhile in terms of time and money can really depend on what is available where you live, and what kind of work you want to do. 

[HSmomof2]

The main issue with the degree is that there are not many positions. Librarian positions don't pay all that well for a graduate degree either, but it's public service that isn't health care so that is typical.

 

But increasingly positions are hiring techs, and honestly that is what the position requires - there isn't a management component. So it can be much easier to find a job, and they can also often get work in information technology or as clerks - it is a fairly flexible qualification. Lots of techs also have an undergrad degree but it isn't required, and is costs less up front. (I'm in Canada but a diploma today in my province would be just under $4000 a year for two years.)

 

What is worthwhile in terms of time and money can really depend on what is available where you live, and what kind of work you want to do.

ITA^^^

For the job I do in the library, which is working directly with the public in a very diverse area, I've found my bachelor's degree in psychology to be very helpful, especially the internships I did. The public libraries in our area deal with a lot of social service issues on a daily basis--homelessness, those with mental health issues, those with addiction, at-risk teens, as well as the elderly, families with young children, and lots of homeschoolers. 😉 So, I don't regret my BA degree, but I don't think it'd be worth it for me to get an MLS degree. It would not change my pay in this position at all, and there would be a fairly low chance of getting a librarian position before I'm retirement age. And, the librarians only make $7/hr more than the techs.

[G5052]

It's a big problem IMHO. 

 

I'm on LinkedIn professionally and have quite a few homeschool moms who have linked to me who are trying to get back into the workplace. Is it working? Not really. I feel bad for them.

 

I lost my last full-time job when I was on maternity leave, and I was good with that. I worked 50-70 hours a week with a long commute, and I didn't want to add baby in the mix.

 

I got into evening college teaching and eventually was nearly full-time. Then budget cuts came with the economic downturn and then Obamacare cut back the hours you could teach part-time because they didn't want to have to pay for healthcare. My local college teaching bottomed out even more when they eliminated my department. I was down to one section a semester with no summer work.

 

Then through a friend I got into doing online course development and teaching as an independent contractor. And that's been my focus ever since. I still teach at the college level, but online for a different college now.

 

You don't make as much, but there's a place for cobbling together part-time gigs, especially if you want family-friendly work. I make about what a beginning teacher makes with somewhat flexible hours and nearly all at-home work.

 

I hope the company described in the article takes off. There's definitely a place for that!

[umsami]

As an aside, there was a similar article about this new job board/service put on Huffington Post today.  The comments on the article (when I read it) were very telling.  Mostly women saying "well, I didn't take time off, so why should you get special treatment."

 

They want $250/year for their site, BTW. 

[MomatHWTK]

Since becoming more active in the online workforce, I have noticed that a lot of my skills are needed for web 2.0 jobs (which is passe now- get ready for the Internet of Things). Instead of thinking about what job from the old economy your skills would fit, do searches based on your skills and see what the new uses for them are.

 

This article isn't very long, but it is a starting point:

http://info.theladders.com/career-advice/how-to-make-a-career-change

 

If you can teach, consider live-streaming classroom teaching. I see constant teaching jobs posted for English native speakers that will teach EFL via the web. I have even seen quite a few people wanting to hire exclusive tutors for their children. I am not extroverted enough for those gigs. But if you are willing to stand up in front of a class, imagine teaching a class of eager learners who value what you have to offer! Many people who create websites and blogs have no idea how to research at all. There are lots of folks in the Eastern Hemisphere who are good at what they do but need someone to write for a Western Hemisphere audience. 

 

 

ETA: I think the return path is different if you have a skill set that may be stale. Some organizations are starting to see the value of hiring "adults."

  : )

http://www.morganstanley.com/ideas/return-to-work-program-paves-the-way-back

Edited May 5, 2016 by MomatHWTK

[maize]

My first career was military, I'm too old to go back to that.

[DawnM]

Exactly.  I was in a master's program for TESOL.  This wouldn't lead to a certification that would be accepted by public schools.  Looking into my job prospects, I decided to quit the program.  I don't think I would have easily found a job.  If I were willing and able to travel to foreign countries, maybe. 

 

 

 

 

The school I got my M.A. at only had ONE TESOL MA at the time.  It was generic and was specifically designed towards those intending to teach adults either in the US or overseas.

 

After I finished, they split the program.  One is designed for K-12 and the other is designed for those wanting to teach adults.  The one I took became the adult one.  I wish I had gone after they added the 2nd MA, but there were very few grad schools that offered TESOL at that time, it was still somewhat new.

 

Dawn

[heartlikealion]

Just wanted to put out there that a MLS degree doesn't necessarily mean you work in a library.  A cousin of mine works for a Fortune 50 company in their archives.  She loves her job.  My old field was competitive intelligence and that also attracted a fair number of MLS people. :)

 

Yeah. Dh wanted to be an archivist. They didn't offer the class(es) he needed to finish his certificate in archives the final semester he was there?? And I think jobs were slim, not local, and/or didn't pay much. It was not his intent to be a librarian, but I think it's worked out well.

 

ITA^^^

For the job I do in the library, which is working directly with the public in a very diverse area, I've found my bachelor's degree in psychology to be very helpful, especially the internships I did. The public libraries in our area deal with a lot of social service issues on a daily basis--homelessness, those with mental health issues, those with addiction, at-risk teens, as well as the elderly, families with young children, and lots of homeschoolers. 😉 So, I don't regret my BA degree, but I don't think it'd be worth it for me to get an MLS degree. It would not change my pay in this position at all, and there would be a fairly low chance of getting a librarian position before I'm retirement age. And, the librarians only make $7/hr more than the techs.

 

I don't know what $ per hour would make it worth it. I never thought about it in those terms.

Edited May 5, 2016 by heartlikealion

[HSmomof2]

Yeah. Dh wanted to be an archivist. They didn't offer the class(es) he needed to finish his certificate in archives the final semester he was there?? And I think jobs were slim, not local, and/or didn't pay much. It was not his intent to be a librarian, but I think it's worked out well.

 

 

I don't know what $ per hour would make it worth it. I never thought about it in those terms.

For me, when considering going back to school for an MLS at age 43, I did weigh all the factors.....it would take 2-3 years and cost $50-60,000 to get the degree. Chances today, in this area, of getting a librarian position is low. I'm not able to relocate to a different area due to dh's career. The difference in the actual work and pay wasn't worth it to me.

[hornblower]

Yes, I think it's good to work the numbers: how much to retrain, how long to retrain & what the potential payout is going to be.

 

If the education investment will pay off & lead to a good position & possibly a good pension (we still have some cushy jobs here with defined benefit pension plans) then that all affects the calculations.... 

[sunflowerlady]

I have one more year of homeschooling . My plans are as follows

 

1. Continue with my part time work at home job and try to put in more hours. Now, this is one of those things where you could be let go at anytime. I have been hanging on for four years, but truthfully, anything could happen.

 

2. After dd graduates, take a one year vocational course in something like Medical Assisting.