Back to square one and a half

Some of you probably remember that I've been waiting to hear about the HR Assistant position I interviewed for last November. At the end of December I was told I was still being considered for the position, but they were putting off hiring until they could get W-2's and the new time clock worked out. Since W-2's were due out last Wednesday, I decided to call and check on the status of the position after work on Friday.

"We're in a quandary [yes, she really did say the word quandary] over that position. You haven't been completely eliminated, but [my supervisor] is the one with the final decision. I wouldn't hang everything on the chance of getting this job. You should keep applying for other jobs in the county. If we are unable to fill that position by the time you're done at the property tax office [at the end of February], I might have you come over and try that position as a temp. and go from there."

It was pretty much what I expected. The woman who would actually be my supervisor liked me in the first interview. I could tell. Her supervisor was my second interviewer and I didn't have a good feeling after that. When I can't read people's body language and responses, I get nervous and a little up tight. I tend to give dumb answers, and I walk away slapping my forehead, wondering where some of those things I said came from. I actually think that if I were to walk in there right now, knowing what I know about the county and how I can contribute to an office setting, I would be snatched up in an instant. But I refuse to be like those sad American Idol rejects, begging for a second chance with no hope of acutally obtaining it.

I'm not quite back to the beginning, but I am trying to figure out, once again, what I should do with my life.

Keep job hunting, hoping that my resume will somehow stand out enough to get interviews? I'm starting to feel a little dejected and the thought of hours of fruitless job searching is a little disheartening. The best options seem to be with the county in all honesty.

Go back to school for my Masters or PhD? I could see myself doing some sort of Counseling Degree. Like a school counselor, not a therapist. Certify as a music teacher and either teach school or beef up my piano teaching? Maybe I could combine these two and get a Masters in Music Education...

Certify as a yoga instructor or message therapist? As appealing as both of these are, I am left to wonder if these will be as useless in the job market as my degree in Marriage, Family, and Human Development. I'd have to somehow wriggle my way into teaching at one of the two studios here or start my own studio. Though I have the entrepreneurial spirit, starting a business requires a lot more than I may be willing/able to supply. Capital, looong hours, marketing, patience, a location, permits, etc. It's enough to make my head spin.

Cosmetology? Culinary school? Graphic Design? Become a professional quilter and sell my stuff on Ebay?

Though I have interest in many, many things, I don't know if any of them are truly marketable or worth the time and money I would have to put into obtaining the training necessary.