[speediva]

Okay, so here's the story... it will be a bit long-winded, but I want some serious responses to this (please at least TRY to be serious... this is my life we're discussing here...) Now, granted, I'm not going to make a decision based only on what is said here, but I need some outside observations.

I graduated college a year ago to become a teacher. I took a permanent position at a district that was 1.5 hours away by car. I tried to move-in locally to the district, but was unsuccessful. After 1/2 the school year, I had to resign because the cost of gas to get back and forth (remember, I had a 3 hour round trip drive EVERY DAY) was just getting to be astronomical.

After I left, I found a long term substitute position at a district that was only about 40 mins away from my house. I really loved it, and I stayed there for the 2nd half of the year. There were 3 of us hired for that 2nd semester, but only one got hired on full-time/permanently for the upcoming school year. Granted, I still have the long term sub position for the entire upcoming school year, but pay is only $10/hr and I get no benefits (which riding a motorcycle without benefits is just asking for trouble). I've looked and applied for several other permanent jobs at other districts, but nothing has happened just yet. I still have some applications out, but I am trying not to get too excited, like I did with the prospect at the 2nd district I was at.

I have been working for my chiropractor this summer for the $10/hr rate, which has been working out really well. However, I will be training my replacement next week, and I don't know if he will even have me coming in anymore once she's trained. I knew I was only working there for the summer, so it's not any sort of shock that he's hired someone, and I'm really glad he chose someone now so I can get her trained before I leave, but I still have bills to pay, and I need a job so I can stay afloat.

That brings me to my decision. One of the patients has offered me a job at her business. Well, she's one of the head cheeses, but at any rate... I would be working for a company that produces "Sampling Instruments and Media" for testing air quality, and other sorts of things. They are REALLY big in construction, and are working on expanding in other areas right now. They ship their instruments and the like all over the world. I would be working in pre-production working on sanitizing, cleaning, and making the filters and filtering materials (like sorbents) that would then be transferred to the production area. My job would be to answer to another woman who is experienced in the field. I would be working with some chemicals including charcoal, and mixing the other sorbents. The most "dangerous" thing I'd work with is some acids. Granted, my background is in math, but I'd need to use the math to make the sorbents, and I have always loved Chemistry. I wouldn't be doing experiments or exploding anything, just mixing the chemicals.

My biggest fear with this is that I'd be inhaling some chemical vapors and would do damage so I could never have kids or something like that... I'm paranoid about medicine, so chemicals are a stretch for me. However, the pay is over a dollar/hr better than what I'm getting for subbing, I would get a raise after 3 months, and benefits after 6 months.

So, my question to you guys is... do I stay in my field and stick out the sub job for the year and hope I get something between now and the beginning of next school year or do I give up teaching and give this whole Chemistry thing a chance?

Thanks in advance,
Tangie