Pros and Cons

So I'm thinking about changing jobs. Yes, for the most part, I enjoy the work I do in the dispatch center. But several things are starting to really wear me down, physically mentally and emotionally. There's a job posted here in Baker for a Parole & Probation Officer I. If I were to get this job, I would still be working for the county (which means having the exact same insurance coverage) and it would be a raise in pay, which is by no means a bad thing. But the idea of switching jobs kinda scares me right now. So I've decided to list the pros and cons that I know for each job, see how I feel after that, and see if I get any feed back from y'all. So here we go...


Dispatching Pros:

• Enjoy being involved with law enforcement
• Great leave time benefit
• Lots of laughs
• Satisfies my need for some adrenaline
• Sometimes feel like I REALLY help people
• Schedule allows for a 2 day work week every other week.
• Have invested a year into learning this job.

Dispatching Cons:

• Getting yelled at for mistakes
  Constantly feeling like my co workers are waiting for me to fail.
• My decisions potentially having a life or death effect on peoples' lives.
• Long hours and funky shifts that make it hard to do the things I love, like Young Life, theatre, and spending time with family/friends/my husband.
• Feel like I can't excel at this job
• No availability of a higher position to advance to.
• Being stuck in one room for 12 hours straight.
• Losing whole nights of sleep stressing about this job.
• I have people's lives in my hands (that's a big one, had to say it twice).

P&P Pros:

• Less sedentary of a job
• Still working in law enforcement
• Would mean a nice pay raise
• Ability to advance to a Parole & Probation Officer II
• Would get to work with people face to face
• Less likely to be told that there's a 15% of the job that you can't be taught, you just have it or you don't, and that I might not have it.
• Would get to use some of the skills that I learned working at the prison, which was a job I also enjoyed.
• Would get to arrest people and possibly carry a firearm...yes, in my books, that IS a pro!
• Would have the potential to help improve the quality of work done at the P&P office.
• I already have a basic knowledge of what it is that P&P does and how they interact w/ law enforcement, dispatch, and clients.
• I'm pretty darn good at "tough love", which is what a lot of people on parole/probation need.

P&P Cons:

• Kind of like babysitting, only with criminals.
• Having to learn a new job all over again.
• Would have to go back to Academy in Salem for 4 weeks.
• Would be on call 24/7, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I have to respond every time.
• Would have a higher risk because I would be dealing with subjects face to face instead of over a telephone line.
• Potential of becoming discouraged working with repeat offenders (which most of them are).
• Would probably have to work some nights, weekends, and holidays...but wait, I do that already!

Ok, that's what I've come up with so far. I'll probably add to this later tonight, but I have to head home soon. Thank goodness it's my Friday! Anyway, the application deadline for this job is on Tuesday the 15th (day after tomorrow). I have the application almost completely filled out, so I just need to fill in a couple more small things on there, add my current job to my resume, and type out a cover letter. I'm hoping that maybe tomorrow I can meet with one of the current P&P officers that I know is really nice, so I can pick her brain and get a better idea of what this job entails. Let me know what you think and I'll keep you all posted!!!