Step #3 in a Career Pivot – Course Correction

In my last post, I noted that I had applied to a Alternative Certification Program and was REJECTED.  I was sure that I was the perfect candidate.  Boy was I wrong!  What was the first major mistake that I made?

Any thoughts?

I did most of my research online.  The very few people I talked to in the education profession mostly told me what I wanted to hear. I did not get a complete picture. I made decisions based on what I thought not based on facts.

Hiring in the K-12 public education business is very similar to my days 20-30 years earlier at IBM.  IBM almost exclusively hired right out of college and then they molded you into a proper employee.  K-12 public education is very similar but for different reasons.  K-12 public education wants fresh new blood right out of college that will follow rules that are laid out by the district unconditionally.  They were not fond of over 40 males because when told to do something we will almost say why. Public schools are managed in a top down command and control structure. I was not an ideal candidate for the public school system and it would be a struggle to become a teacher.

At this point, I was totally baffled.  In 2003, alternative teacher certification programs were just beginning to be offered. I had a choice:

1. Go back to the beginning and start doing my homework.
2. Quickly search out an alternative to the program I was just rejected from.

What do you think I chose?  I had not learned my lesson just yet.  I quickly found that the local community college had just started a certification program and I had five days to apply.  Within two weeks I had an interview and in a couple more weeks I was accepted. What I did not think about or ask, was this program credible? This was a brand new program, with no track record.  Who were the instructors?  Was the curriculum complete? In many ways, I was repeating the same mistakes I made the first time around. This was far from an ideal program and it did not prepare me for what was coming.

Have you done this before?  Repeat the same mistake multiple times.  I am calling this Career Insanity.

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Marc Miller Career Design Specialist