Assumptions – Be careful when making a Career Pivot

This is a great time to talk about all of the assumptions I had made up to this point and the ones I had already made but was not aware of them just yet.

There are two kinds of assumptions:

1. Conscious
2. Unconscious

When we make conscious assumptions we are aware of them when making decisions.  It is the unconscious decisions that bite us in the a…

Let’s take about the unconscious assumptions I had already made:

• I would be accepted in the first certification program.  It had not dawned on me that I would get rejected.
• The fastest path to getting to the classroom was the best.  I chose the Alternative Certification route because it was the fastest.  I was not the best.  I made this assumption unconsciously.
• The hiring process for teachers is just like getting hired in a corporation. Boy was I wrong.

My next surprise came in the new teacher academy in the days leading up to school starting.  My school district ran a multi-day orientation and training for teachers new to the district the days leading up to school starting.  We would learn about normal policies and procedures from the district.  I had made one more assumption come to light.

I had my wife, son and myself on a COBRA health insurance policy from my previous employer.  It was good insurance and even through pricey I had put little thought on getting off of it.  I assumed that once I was hired by a school district I would put my family on the school districts health plan.  It would be affordable — right??

The school district contributed $250/month for the teachers health insurance and nothing for children and spouse. The demographics of school districts are largely female with the majority in child baring ages.  School district policies are expensive. My monthly contribution would be double of my COBRA payment. My monthly deduction was over $1,000/month.  My take home before before health benefits were deducted was only $2,500/month. OMG!!

What I learned was most teachers had their children covered under their spouses employers plan.  I did not have that choice as my wife was self employed.   I had a good friend where both he and his wife worked for the school district.  They bought separate high deductible policies for their children because the school districts plan was cost prohibitive.

I stayed on COBRA for the next year or so.  Bought a high deductible policy for our son. We then chose the least amount of coverage from the school district for my wife and I.  I tried to buy high deductible health insurance for my wife and I  but we were turned down.

All of this was because I made a critical assumption on health insurance costs.

As you make your plans sit down and explore any and all assumptions you are making.  I will discuss more assumptions I made in later posts.

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Marc Miller Career Design Specialist