I nearly decided to give up on teaching because I wasn't able to find a job for eight years across three states. I was subbing; I was adjuncting. I didn't want to do that for my entire life. I wanted my own health benefits; I wanted my own retirement fund. I kept being told, "So-and-so tried for 20 years before they found a job!" which didn't strike me as helpful or practical. I was tired of being rejected, and, really, there does come to be a point where one has to cut one's losses and move on.
But never once did I hear that it's okay to fail or redirect one's career, which I wish I would have heard: that it's okay to move on. I didn't want to be 65 and have no retirement. I decided during the summer of 2015 that if I didn't have a full-time teaching job by the time I had to renew my license, I would redirect my energies and find another career. There is a path, but it's not always a clear one, and sometimes that path changes.
