During this chaos, I decided that teaching was not actually my future career. The thought of ever stepping foot inside a classroom again made me so sad that I started looking at programs and certificates I could do in community college to get away from the education track. Accounting always seemed like an easy enough career that could be done from home or as a side hustle, but it also looks great on a resume.

I enrolled in all of the classes that I would need in order to obtain this certification by June of next year. Easy, 4 classes a semester, 3 semesters, and I would have a new career to step into. Alas, had I actually done more research into accounting, I would have learned that all of the “entry level” positions that people are applying to require 3 years experience. No problem, I thought, I can get a paid internship and the rest will fall into place. Then I looked into internships for accounting, and they all require a BS in accounting or someone in an MBA, MS, or CPA track.

On the positive end, I am making connections with my professors, which is not something that I ever did in school before because I did not have the time. I am now getting professional and academic references that will talk about how hard I work, and how I am such a people person, and in the job game, that is all it takes.

Take a class of your interest or look into certificate programs that your community college offers! My education right now is completely free and I can do it from my couch in my PJs! Improve your skills, rewrite your resume, have a friend read over your cover letter. Just do something, so when this is all over, you will come out on top instead of feeling like crap.