Starting Careers

[jessmboyle]

I'm taking Finals this week and finishing my undergraduate education. I am immediately beginning graduate school and will be all finished Winter 2013. I'm studying accounting and will get my MAcc. I'm also hoping to sit for the CPA. He is 28 and working two full time jobs and he's looking for a full time job in a fire department, he's a certified paramedic. It's most likely I'll have to move to him in Ohio because its so hard to get a job in a fire department and fire licenses are hard to transfer between states. I'll sit for the CPA in Missouri, it has some of the toughest test regulations and that makes it really easy to transfer my license to another state. We always told each other that we would be together after I finished school, we could start out lives together. Even if he doesn't have his full time FD job yet, we would make it work. It was like a goal, just one year to go. And this weekend we just celebrated our one year anniversary (it was a wonderful weekend).
However, my boss at the current CPA firm I work for wants to discuss my employment "long term". I know I've done well with the firm, so I think there is some sort of offer of employment coming up. I was really excited at first, but now I'm worried about agreeing to something that will keep me from finally being with him. I don't want to be away from him longer than I have to. He says that he doesn't want to stand in my way of a job after school, and we'll work on it together. I am just torn up about this. My career is very important to me, I've spent a lot on my education and have loans to pay back. But he's also important to me. And I'll be in St. Louis with only a few friends and I think I'll just be miserable. And I'm not sure I'd like to work at this firm for long, I might want to go bigger. I just need something more concrete. I can't just hope it'll work out and I don't want to look forward to more years of seeing each other for 2 days every 4-6 weeks. He just seems confused as to why I'm upset and wants to help but I don't want to keep pushing him on this whole issue. I guess I just need some advice and support.

[louisekerry]

Firstly, congrats on your anniversary, and good luck with your exams. It sounds like you're doing really well for yourself, which is great
I don't know how employment works there or if you're going to be contracted to anything so that you have to stay put for x amount of time, but I think if you're there already and you're doing well, and you know that, then I don't see the harm in agreeing to stay on for a while, it wouldn't have to be forever and while you're working there and earning money and valuable experience you can look at saving up for a place where your SO is and looking for work there, because realistically you can't be sure of how long that's going to take. But then once you do find something, you'll have the money and the experience to move out there and be with your SO. I totally understand you don't want to be away from him longer than you have to, I do, I just think it would be worth making sure that things are going to be straightforward for you when you get there.

Good luck

[jessmboyle]

I wanted to say I'm sorry for not responding MUCH earlier. I did read your message right after you posted it, and it helped me alot. Thank you so much

Everything has sort of smoothed itself out since I last posted. My SO got an application packet from Columbus Fire, which means he scored in the top 7 or 10% of those who took the fire test. Once he passes the background check and polygraph test (which I know he will) then he gets to sit for an interview. Its the next step towards his dream career. If he gets accepted he has to go back to school. He has to attend Fire Academy for 9 months. I can't really make a timeline for it, but we are hoping that if he is accepted, he will start school before the year end. Keep fingers crossed!!

I'm definitely a planner, and I like to know where things are going. And right now it seems everything is up in the air! We don't know if he'll be going back to school or if he will be staying where he is...I'm still graduating but do I stay or go to him? But we are just taking it one step at a time, and when a decision absolutely needs to be made about something we will discuss it then.

Again, thank you so much for your support!!! Hopefully I'll start being more active...finals week, all the holidays, and birthdays just got in the way

[camlus]

I'm glad to hear that things are going better!!! Trust me I'm a crazy planner too, but taking things one step at a time is a great idea