Christine has landed her dream job.
This morning, after nearly 20 years of physical therapy practice working in clinics, and homes, and day-cares, and schools … finally, Christine was offered the opportunity to become a direct-hire physical therapist for a local district: Onondaga Central Schools (OCS). She gladly accepted.
For the last few years, she has served as a part-time, contracted physical therapist for the district while sharing responsibilities with another physical therapist who sub-contracted from another nearby district (Skaneateles). With the retirement of that other therapist, OCS elected to create a full time physical therapy position. Christine jumped at the chance to interview for the position – one that she was already working in a part-time capacity.
The process didn’t come without its stress or anxiety. The district did its due diligence and interviewed multiple candidates, first with the director of special education, then with the school superintendent. Christine knew that she was the best person for the job, but was never certain who else would apply or if the other applicants might know or be connected with influential people in the district … positions like these are rare, so local politics and nepotism can often work against the best and most qualified candidates. Fortunately, in this instance, none of that seemed to matter.
It has been a long road for Christine, professionally, since returning to work after moving to CNY. She has worked for multiple companies in a variety of settings. She has put in long hours for less pay than she was worth. But she put up with it all because she loves working with kids and believed in her abilities as a therapist. Today, all that hard work and devotion to her craft has paid off.
On February 22, Christine will begin a new life. For the first time in her career, she will leave the house to drive to the same workplace on Monday as she’ll drive to on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Then, she’ll do the same the next week, and the following weeks … as long she wants into the foreseeable future. She’ll be valued. She’ll be paid to prepare. She’ll be paid to document. No more unpaid documentation after the kids go to bed. No more unpredictably long days. She’ll have the same set and predictable schedule every day.
On February 22, Christine’s life changes forever … and for the better.