Ups and downs in life

[Dillon]

Didn’t know an appropriate title but I thought of posting a life update with what’s been going on lately. For those who know me and those who don’t, my name is Dillon and things have been a little interesting these past couple months.

I was terminated from my job at the end of June because of my health problems that had to do with chronic appendicitis and strep turning into sepsis leaving me out of work for a month back in April. Then in Mid July I had to have a colonoscopy in which 2-3 small polyps were removed and luckily they were not cancerous as I don’t have time for that. Kind of scary though that it can happen to someone in their 20s.

Despite my previous health problems I am still on the search for a job and I had two interviews this week where one on the jobs is already contacting my references and I’m hoping for some good news.

In the meantime I am going back to school as I have been accepted into a Geoscience Management certificate program that has a 45% college admission rate. I’ll be enhancing my background in data management and data governance with this program.

So yeah things had been pretty crummy but there are some good things to look forward to. I’ve also taken up a hobby lately which is watercolor painting as I enjoy sitting on my balcony and do some landscape painting.

 

[Rodafina]

Nice to hear your update. It sounds like you are moving in some positive and hopeful directions and in a better place than a few months ago. I really hope this new job opportunity works out for you. I wish you good health, too.

 

[Judge]

Sounds like a plan, Dillon. Hang in there!

 

[Loren]

Nice to see you around, again, Dillon. I hope you get the job, and wishing you much success with your new possibilities with college and career!

 

[Dillon]

Thanks all!
I know things are looking positive at the moment but at the moment I honestly feel stuck in what to actually do for a career path at this point. Yes I have a bachelors and a masters degree in biology and I am going for a data management certification but I feel like I don’t have much work experience in the biological and data realm of things. I do have educational/teaching experience but I don’t necessarily want to get into teaching in a public school system.
It’s been over a year now since I’ve actually gotten a job where I got to completely use my background and skills. Only actual jobs I worked after graduation was being a wildlife interpretive naturalist at an aquarium and my recent full time job was being a marine/ecological educator.

I feel like I am all over the place with career aspects.

 

[stevens]

Wow that sounds encouraging. I read a few of your posts and your journey through jobs and education sounds circuitous like mine was. I went back to school in my 30's and stayed and earned three degrees, and then due to social incompetence had a very difficult time finding a job to replace the one I gave up to go back to school.

Your story sounds like a long one, too. It's impressive that you're building your competency and seem to be doing it your way. I hope the job search works well for you. If you did find a job before that used your background and skills, I'd count that as a real success. I hope you can do it again. I remember my job search in the 1990's as being one of the most depressive periods in my life. Things worked out, but it took time and was resistant to planning.

 

[Dillon]

Wow that sounds encouraging. I read a few of your posts and your journey through jobs and education sounds circuitous like mine was. I went back to school in my 30's and stayed and earned three degrees, and then due to social incompetence had a very difficult time finding a job to replace the one I gave up to go back to school.

Your story sounds like a long one, too. It's impressive that you're building your competency and seem to be doing it your way. I hope the job search works well for you. If you did find a job before that used your background and skills, I'd count that as a real success. I hope you can do it again. I remember my job search in the 1990's as being one of the most depressive periods in my life. Things worked out, but it took time and was resistant to planning.

I had actually wanted to get into doing scientific research and wanting to actually work in the fisheries industry but somehow my path has been veering towards education/teaching where I was a lab instructor for freshmen college students when I was in graduate school and also a substitute teacher for 4-5 grade science/math students. I personally do not have an interest in teaching in a public school system. The reason I am going back to school is because I feel like I am regressing on my skill level and background for over a year now. Because I was terminated from my job I’m not only stuck but I’m finding it harder to get another offer at the moment.
I hate job interviews with a passion as it doesn’t matter how much I practice or do a mock interview with a friend I badly bomb or screw up every time i am in an actual interview. I can do the job well and have experience but I just cannot interview for the sake of me.

The interview I had the other day I felt as though I was blanking out at times and I was slurring my speech which that last aspect never normally happens.

 

[stevens]

I hate job interviews with a passion as it doesn’t matter how much I practice or do a mock interview with a friend I badly bomb or screw up every time i am in an actual interview. I can do the job well and have experience but I just cannot interview for the sake of me.

The interview I had the other day I felt as though I was blanking out at times and I was slurring my speech which that last aspect never normally happens.

Interviewing was always the problem for me too. It's like a social moat you have to cross over, no matter how good your skills are. The first time I found a solution to this might interest you.

Before I went to college, I was an electronics technician. I had off and on jobs. The breakthrough for a very good job came when I took an exam for a government job. There still was an interview component, but by sheer luck and the most fortunate of circumstances, I was interviewed by someone who was a lousy interviewer, and who didn't know how to interview. For some reason, he rated me highly and I got the job. It was a great job. Great pay, and an absolutely outstanding learning opportunity.

Then, after college was done, I had exactly the same problem. Only this time, there wasn't much luck getting past the Social Deflector Shield that is erected around every job, no matter how asocial the work might be. It took me about six years to find a way around that. Story is way too long to tell here.

Your problems with interviews illustrate my main worry about getting a Ph.D. I was a teaching and research assistant in graduate school. It was where I learned that there is an essential social component to jobs in academia. It's possible to be a nerd in a corporate setting or a government job, but in academia I saw a lot of brilliant people have difficulty going anywhere after completing Ph.D.'s. From the way you're writing about this, you seem to be very creative in your approach and you recognize where the problems are. It's not surprising it's taking longer, but in these cases the avenues of success are less often planned, and more often found. At least that's been my own experience.

 

[Dillon]

Interviewing was always the problem for me too. It's like a social moat you have to cross over, no matter how good your skills are. The first time I found a solution to this might interest you.

Before I went to college, I was an electronics technician. I had off and on jobs. The breakthrough for a very good job came when I took an exam for a government job. There still was an interview component, but by sheer luck and the most fortunate of circumstances, I was interviewed by someone who was a lousy interviewer, and who didn't know how to interview. For some reason, he rated me highly and I got the job. It was a great job. Great pay, and an absolutely outstanding learning opportunity.

Then, after college was done, I had exactly the same problem. Only this time, there wasn't much luck getting past the Social Deflector Shield that is erected around every job, no matter how asocial the work might be. It took me about six years to find a way around that. Story is way too long to tell here.

Your problems with interviews illustrate my main worry about getting a Ph.D. I was a teaching and research assistant in graduate school. It was where I learned that there is an essential social component to jobs in academia. It's possible to be a nerd in a corporate setting or a government job, but in academia I saw a lot of brilliant people have difficulty going anywhere after completing Ph.D.'s. From the way you're writing about this, you seem to be very creative in your approach and you recognize where the problems are. It's not surprising it's taking longer, but in these cases the avenues of success are less often planned, and more often found. At least that's been my own experience.

That’s my main reason why I am not doing a Ph.D as that’s going to narrow my career path by a lot. I did had two tentative offers which were being an aquatic scientist and an environmental investigator with a environmental state agency, however I had turn to down both those positions were more than an hour away which would’ve required me to move but I I was financially constrained so I took any last minute job I could that was right in my area which is working at an aquarium as a naturalist that only paid $15 an hour part time.
I had finally as of January landed my dream job of working as a coastal biologist on a nature preserve but that was upended due to my medical mishaps.

The thought of having to do interviews again is such cringe I mean why can’t someone just hire you based on your worth instead of how well you answer their generic questions? I didn’t think having ASD would be such a big barrier in gaining employment and even retaining employment long term.

 

[Lemon Zing]

The Resident Evil games are never afoot...

But sooner than I had planned...

Teh Eddy Vance.

Yeah, that "Gimpy" guy from Australia is more down (under) than up, really.

 

[Aspychata]

Dillon, wow, you are a survivalist. You just came thru major medical issues, and you are off trying to figure out where your next life choice may fall. Congrats on coming thru all that. If going into the data management is your passion, then just walk that line. I would like to drink from your cup of optimism that just keeps moving you forward.

 

[Lemon Zing]

I found out today moot and mute are two different words. I think we need to mute people online if they are being bad, though. Hehe.

Stay strong. Stay positive.