Workplace Complete Career Crisis

Daniela7474

Daniela7474

Member
Aug 26, 2006
305
0
#1
Hi Ladies---
I'm writing this thread because I'm hoping someone out there with more experience than me will read this and help me out.
I have been a high school teacher for 6 years. I taught at 3 different schools, all four grade levels. I hated it for many reasons, but mostly due to disrespectful/disruptive student attitudes and behavior, as well as the time it took from my personal life and family time. I had NO WEEKENDS FREE, EVER! Yeah, I got lots of holidays off and summer too, but the 9 and a half month school year made me miserable. I dreaded Sundays b/c I had to get lesson plans ready for the week. I hated getting up in the morning. It was hell for 6 years.
I recently quit teaching in May and I am currently not working (my husband and I are living on his salary right now.) I really don't want to teach anymore. I am more than willing to give up summers and holidays off to find work that's more interesting to me.
So here's the problem. The only other thing that's every interested me besides teaching is doing makeup. I don't have the money now to go back to school for makeup/hair.....so I've been thinking of working at a makeup counter, maybe for Clinique or Christian Dior.
Am I crazy? My fellow teacher friends insist that I will hate it, that I am choosing a "job" over a "career," that I will be in a dead end, "loser" job.
Does anyone else out there work at a makeup counter?
Are there career advancement opportunities?
I just really need insight/advice to help me see my situation more clearly.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE if you have any opinions on this subject or a personal experience that you think might help me, will you please share it?
Thank you so much for your time.
Danielle
 
#3
I see it as you are fortunate that you are able to try something that you REALLY want to do and not forced to do in life. You have a choice. If you are financially able to work at a makeup counter in a department store, then go with your dreams of doing that. You can always return to teaching if you have to. But if your desires are to do makeup, and you are able to take advantage of that opportunity at this point in your life, then WHY NOT NOW??!!! Yes, find out more info about what avenues to take, which brand is best, or which department store is best to work with, or maybe somewhere like Sephora or Ulta cosmetics, or whatever. But I say, follow your dreams at this point if you can do so. You always have your skills as a teacher to fall back on.:smile:
 
#4
I went through the same thing! I taught 6th grade for five years and hated it for many of the same reasons you listed. My school system was known as the "rough" district." We received death threats from parents (one parent was caught by the police at the door of the school with a gun in hand), threats from students, and CPS was in the school regularly to remove a child from his/her home. I could go on and on.

When my DH and I moved to West Virginia, I decided to take a break from teaching. I have never returned to the profession, and it has been ten years since I last taught. I now work for a government agency and am soooooo happy. I have never regreted my decision to quit teaching. Sometimes I feel like I have a job and not a career, but that's fine with me at this point in my life. I am doing something I thoroughly enjoy, and that's all that matters to me. Good luck with your decision!
 
#5
Nope, you are not crazy. I have a friend who started as a MAC counter gal, then from there she was hired by a Medi-Spa (one of those places where a MD does botox and such and there are facial people and massage) and she runs the place and makes good money and has fun. So, if you start at the counter you never know where you will end up if you want to move around in the beauty industry.
 
#6
My cousin has her own make-up she sells in her own store in a very nice neighborhood here in Philly. She started as a hairdresser, eventually got her own shop and is now switching her focus to facials, make-up and gifts. It seems to be working for her very well financially, although I know she worked hard to get there.
 
#7
Its so heartbreaking to hear when a teacher hates their job! We need good teachers so bad! But I do admire your honesty and frankly, I don't see how teachers do it these days. I personally would end up choking at least one student per day based on seeing how some of these kids behave where I work (I'm an animal keeper at a zoo - talk about disrespect!)
If you do love teaching though, maybe you can find a different situation in which to share your knowledge?
BUT being someone who has personally changed careers midstream (was in the music industry for 15 years) I've never been happier. I like the million dollar question from the movie, "Office Space"- if you were a multi-millionaire and did not have to work, what would you do with your time? And the answer is what you should be doing for a living. If it is being a makeup artist, go for it. Perhaps you can end up teaching that. I say a makeup counter is a good way to see that part of the industry and maybe some of these companies actually offer other opportunites as well.
Good luck and keep us posted!
 
#8
PS if you hate your job, you just need to stop. I worked in a physical therapy place in Texas that just about gave me a nervous breakdown. I switched my focus to hand therapy and I work for hand surgeons and I am much happier. I also took a couple of months off to regain my sanity.
I think it would be very hard to teach, especially public school, so if you hate your job then I would not blame you for changing. We spend an awful lot of our life at work. It is amazing how much less of a pain it is when you enjoy what you do.
 
#10
Follow your dreams! If you can afford to do it, then do it and don't worry about what others say/think. You have to be happy. Plus, as a teacher (who loves it!), I hate to see someone teaching who doesn't enjoy it because everyone suffers (you, the kids, the other faculty).
 
#12
I feel your pain! I taught at two different schools and hated it for various reasons ... right now I'm part time somewhere that I like enough to stay part time while I'm getting my masters, but I don't see myself staying there after that (because of pay ... I actually like the place I'm working, but I'd rather teach at the college level). GO FOR IT! You're not working now anyways, so what do you have to lose? :biggrin:
 
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