Career & Income Advice?

[Model3 McQueen]

Hi everyone,

As the title suggests, I'm seeking some career advice. Particularly, finding that balance between good pay & happiness.

So where do I start.. I worked with the city as a lifeguard/recreation leader/swim instructor, then I became a restaurant server for 2 years, then I was a Ratings Analyst for a major insurance firm (temporary), then I became a Digital Marketing advocate (temporary), and now i'm a Recruiting Administrator / Client Manager / Onboarding..person.. for an Interim Healthcare Recruiting company. Do you see the pattern here? Neither do I! lol. I'm satisfied with my diverse work history, but i'm nearing my 30's and I still don't have an idea as to what it is I need to do now to be happy, useful to the world, and /or earn a higher income. I obtained my Bachelor of Business Administration degree, and unfortunately I feel like it hasn't lifted me to where I need to go, whatever that may be.

For awhile in High School and throughout college, My dream was to be a police officer with the intent of being a strong role model for people, but due to some unfortunate circumstances (severe panic & anxiety), I had to drop the idea. I have much better control over my anxiety issues now, but I don't think this is the right choice for me anymore. I've also tried to maintain a presence on YouTube but that unfortunately isn't going anywhere. (I'm a realist, I know how little the odds were of that becoming something.. but still!).

As it stands now, i'm earning below average income for what I do (story of my life). In my time here, we've gone from 14 employees to 6. I'm grateful they kept me, but my attempts to ask for a raise (I haven't gotten one since I started 2 years ago) have been pushed aside while my responsibilities continue to climb. I don't know if this sounds like i'm venting, so I apologize if it does, but am I alone here or is this pretty common? Do you have any advice for me, or people like me, who are sort of lost? I think I've had about enough of what I do, but I have no idea what to do next to break this cycle i'm in.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Well, we're similar ages, but I just gotta say, what you've been through is, I think, normal for our age group. When I started college, I thought I wanted to go into hospitality management. Then I thought, ah, maybe not, so I tried a sales internship. Turns out I really hate sales and I switched to HR halfway through the internship. That was fine, but then I was in college and thought, Marketing, I really like advertising and marketing plans (not the sales area of marketing). I found out it was really hard to get into marketing, so I took another HR internship. I thought, "HR, this is great, this is where I'll end up." Well, I was about a month out of college and still job hunting, so I took a role in IT. I worked in IT for two years. I decided that was not the career path for me either. Thankfully, one of my roles in IT involved a lot of finance, so I decided to re-aim my career goals there, and now I'm currently in finance, which seems to be my fit. I hear a lot of people in my company talk about similar experiences. So if you think you're unusual...you're actually not. I think in the world of business, it takes actually working for a while to figure out what you like and what you don't like. For me, I don't like interacting with customers or having to talk on the phone. I like working on a team, but the vast majority of my day is spent behind a computer screen with my spreadsheets, and that is where I'm happiest. I never would have guessed that. My accounting professor in college effectively called this, but, well...

I think you probably already know this, but you need to find another role. And I mean, like now. The fact that they've downsized and that you haven't gotten a raise in two years raises a ton of red flags. Which means you need to put together your resume again.

And here's the good thing: you can look at multiple different roles and apply and interview for ones that maybe aren't doing the same thing. I had three different copies of my resume at one point: a generic one that I would tailor to a role I applied for, one that was geared more towards finance, and one that was geared towards IT. That way, I could apply for different roles and at least investigate before settling, even though I was pretty sure I wanted to end up in finance. Maybe you decide you want to go into sales. You can write your resume to gear towards how well you deal with other people and that you've got marketing experience. Maybe you decide you like HR, so you can rewrite your resume to highlight those skills.

It sounds like you're maybe someone who would do well in HR since you've been doing, basically, small business HR for a while, or someone who would go into recruiting since you like helping others and enjoy working with other people. Give it a shot, put out some feelers, figure out what works for you.

This Glassdoor article actually has a bunch of good advice for someone looking to change careers.

https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/guide/how-to-change-careers/

 

[MinnieM123]

I like what StarWarsGirl shared above. My only general comment in response to your question, is to really think about what you like (we all have interests). Whatever it is that makes you happy -- go try to find a career path in that direction. It may even need some additional training, school, etc., but once you've focused on a goal, you will attain it in due course. Best of luck to you.

 

[eliza61nyc]

OK, I'm near 60 almost twice your age so recognize that there probably is a bit of disconnect due to generations but my son's are around your age.
These are really really general tidbits.

1) LOL, for some reason in America we foster the idea that once a person hits some magical "age" they are supposed to be "all together". I felt exactly the same way after college ~24-25. My list of careers... bank teller, Christmas elf at Macy's 34th st, High school teacher to name a few. I'm at the end of my career and there are days when I seriously feel like I've wasted 30 years of work. generally only specific career paths are crystal clear, doctors, lawyers, stuff like that. the rest of us?? not so much.

2) now, it is not "all or nothing". If you really enjoy the youtube adventure. do it. like you said life is a balance. for example, I have a cousin who wanted to be an actress... cue music lol we all know how competitive and brutal the performing arts are and we grew up in NYC. she too realized around 35 that she was not going to be the next Academy award wining Cicely Tyson so she went on to a career elsewhere but she does regional theater and once in a while gets small parts on tv and cable. it satisfies her passion while letting her eat. continue with the blogging. no it might not ever pay the bills but it will give you the happiness. that's important.

3) don't measure success by salary alone. ok so right now they are giving you more responsibilities. awesome!! think resume. keep track of all those responsibilities, they are worth gold. investigate what other areas would they be useful in. just because they aren't giving you the salary to match it, don't discount it. Oh and that scenario will always happen. lol right now, my direct supervisor is out on maternity leave, so of course I'm doing her work and two people have retired so I'm picking up their work load. I'll probably get the same cost of living increase as everyone else. hang in there.

 

[Model3 McQueen]

Well, we're similar ages, but I just gotta say, what you've been through is, I think, normal for our age group. When I started college, I thought I wanted to go into hospitality management. Then I thought, ah, maybe not, so I tried a sales internship. Turns out I really hate sales and I switched to HR halfway through the internship. That was fine, but then I was in college and thought, Marketing, I really like advertising and marketing plans (not the sales area of marketing). I found out it was really hard to get into marketing, so I took another HR internship. I thought, "HR, this is great, this is where I'll end up." Well, I was about a month out of college and still job hunting, so I took a role in IT. I worked in IT for two years. I decided that was not the career path for me either. Thankfully, one of my roles in IT involved a lot of finance, so I decided to re-aim my career goals there, and now I'm currently in finance, which seems to be my fit. I hear a lot of people in my company talk about similar experiences. So if you think you're unusual...you're actually not. I think in the world of business, it takes actually working for a while to figure out what you like and what you don't like. For me, I don't like interacting with customers or having to talk on the phone. I like working on a team, but the vast majority of my day is spent behind a computer screen with my spreadsheets, and that is where I'm happiest. I never would have guessed that. My accounting professor in college effectively called this, but, well...

I think you probably already know this, but you need to find another role. And I mean, like now. The fact that they've downsized and that you haven't gotten a raise in two years raises a ton of red flags. Which means you need to put together your resume again.

And here's the good thing: you can look at multiple different roles and apply and interview for ones that maybe aren't doing the same thing. I had three different copies of my resume at one point: a generic one that I would tailor to a role I applied for, one that was geared more towards finance, and one that was geared towards IT. That way, I could apply for different roles and at least investigate before settling, even though I was pretty sure I wanted to end up in finance. Maybe you decide you want to go into sales. You can write your resume to gear towards how well you deal with other people and that you've got marketing experience. Maybe you decide you like HR, so you can rewrite your resume to highlight those skills.

It sounds like you're maybe someone who would do well in HR since you've been doing, basically, small business HR for a while, or someone who would go into recruiting since you like helping others and enjoy working with other people. Give it a shot, put out some feelers, figure out what works for you.

This Glassdoor article actually has a bunch of good advice for someone looking to change careers.

https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/guide/how-to-change-careers/

Thanks a ton! This is really what I needed to hear. The extra responsibility (without any recognition), and company downfall, has really dissuaded me to work harder.. so instead, i'm on here asking for career advice LOL. The only thing holding me back is that I like everyone I work with, including the owner. I love your idea about creating a few different resumes tailoring to specific skill sets.

And I truly believe that our generation is more introvert than many of the others before, probably due to the vastly-changing landscape that is technology and the way we all communicate with each other.

OK, I'm near 60 almost twice your age so recognize that there probably is a bit of disconnect due to generations but my son's are around your age.
These are really really general tidbits.

1) LOL, for some reason in America we foster the idea that once a person hits some magical "age" they are supposed to be "all together". I felt exactly the same way after college ~24-25. My list of careers... bank teller, Christmas elf at Macy's 34th st, High school teacher to name a few. I'm at the end of my career and there are days when I seriously feel like I've wasted 30 years of work. generally only specific career paths are crystal clear, doctors, lawyers, stuff like that. the rest of us?? not so much.

2) now, it is not "all or nothing". If you really enjoy the youtube adventure. do it. like you said life is a balance. for example, I have a cousin who wanted to be an actress... cue music lol we all know how competitive and brutal the performing arts are and we grew up in NYC. she too realized around 35 that she was not going to be the next Academy award wining Cicely Tyson so she went on to a career elsewhere but she does regional theater and once in a while gets small parts on tv and cable. it satisfies her passion while letting her eat. continue with the blogging. no it might not ever pay the bills but it will give you the happiness. that's important.

3) don't measure success by salary alone. ok so right now they are giving you more responsibilities. awesome!! think resume. keep track of all those responsibilities, they are worth gold. investigate what other areas would they be useful in. just because they aren't giving you the salary to match it, don't discount it. Oh and that scenario will always happen. lol right now, my direct supervisor is out on maternity leave, so of course I'm doing her work and two people have retired so I'm picking up their work load. I'll probably get the same cost of living increase as everyone else. hang in there.

Thank you as well, you have some very helpful points in your post. I've definitely taken advantage of sharing the extra work they've given me, by putting it in my resume. I am thankful for all that I've learned here and for the different roles I've taken on, but eventually it gets tiring and I now feel that I've reached my potential growth limit.

Honestly I also need to work on getting my energy back, so I can be more consistent with the videos. I am happy that your cousin has found happiness in her work!

 

[StarWarsGirl]

The only thing holding me back is that I like everyone I work with, including the owner.

That's a good thing. When you finally do announce you're leaving, you'll want it to be positive. This leaves the door open for more networking with them in the future, having them as a potential reference in the future, etc. And you can still keep in touch with them. If you end up nearby, you can go to lunch every now and then. If not, you can still keep in touch.

 

[Model3 McQueen]

That's a good thing. When you finally do announce you're leaving, you'll want it to be positive. This leaves the door open for more networking with them in the future, having them as a potential reference in the future, etc. And you can still keep in touch with them. If you end up nearby, you can go to lunch every now and then. If not, you can still keep in touch.

Absolutely!

So I've been in and out of Indeed and other job sites all day today, and it's easy to get lost. I only found my current job, and one before that, with luck and "Quick Apply". That feature is probably not the way to go.

A vast majority of jobs i'm seeing now is either sales, or requiring highly-skilled qualifications I don't have. I suppose that's how it always is.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Absolutely!

So I've been in and out of Indeed and other job sites all day today, and it's easy to get lost. I only found my current job, and one before that, with luck and "Quick Apply". That feature is probably not the way to go.

A vast majority of jobs i'm seeing now is either sales, or requiring highly-skilled qualifications I don't have. I suppose that's how it always is.

I dislike Indeed for various reasons. Same with Monster and Career builder. Mostly because they do have a lot sales roles, and companies, especially insurance companies, pay to get on there and cold call for sales roles. And they can run giant reports and just call without really looking at your resume.

Get your Linkedin profile updated. My favorite resource when I was job hunting was Glassdoor. They have lots of job postings on there. Usually if a company is rated 3 Stars or above, they're good. Avoid anything too close to five stars. I worked kind of backwards; I would find a company with decent reviews that seemed reputable, and then I'd look at their postings. I'd do one day where I'd pull a bunch of job posts, and then the next I'd tailor my resume and cover letter for about 3-5 of them and apply.

I had two in-person interviews within two weeks of this process and had my job less than a month later.