mongomery1234

Kind of an off the wall post here but I'm looking for some advice from the good people of S2KI. Background info..Currently 22 and work a job at a contact center for roadside assistance. Going on 1 1/2 years with the same company and had 1 promotion from 10/hour to 11.70/hour. Very good at the job I do and greatly enjoy helping people but I fear I could be on a dead end road as far as advancement. Currently I work 70+ hours a week give or take with maybe 1 day off every few months and its starting to take its toll. What are the hot spots in the job market currently? I cant make less than I do now to comfortably support my family but I want to get in a position where there's a decent amount of opportunity.. Where I am now there's not much from where I am and the people that hold higher positions rarely tend to leave although the business is growing and will possibly open more choices? Considered going to school also but kind of clueless on the subject also. Did very well back in high school/ACT ect just kind of made the wrong choices getting out of school. Would greatly appreciate any feedback!

Harpoon

Sales - the answer is always sales.

mongomery1234

I do have a strong sales background just nothing on paper really. I did work at a family owned car dealership for 3-4 years and its a definite strong point of mine but jumping into a commission only job does pose issues. Not really sure what the entry level pay in a sales position like that is now days. Or if cars would be the appropriate sales position to be in.

RedCelica

Go back to school. Get a 4 year degree. First two years are core classes anyway, so you have time to figure out what you want to do. What are you good at and what are some of your hobbies? I was in sales for 8 years and it sucked, even more so when I got into sales management. Changed my career to IT and couldn't be happier. I make a lot more money doing it too. Application development is where it's at. If you simply have a real hard time understanding programming (truly anyone can learn it...it just requires motivation), you can get into IT support. Plenty of decent paying job out there. $11/hr is nothing...I have no idea how people even live on that little money. I guess with 70 hours a week though you rake in some good over time, but where's the quality of life?

UnkieTrunkie

1. Go buy a legal pad and a pencil.
2. Find a cheap motel somewhere a few hours away from you, but not necessarily in a vacation spot - this time is for focusing on you, not for being a tourist.
3. Lock the door to said motel room. Only go out to get food.
4. Take the entire weekend, and write a (at least) 500 word essay answering the question "Who Am I?"

• What are my strengths?
• What are my weaknesses?
• What am I passionate about?
• What do I really hate?
• Where am I at right now?
• Where would I like to be? What kind of life/lifestyle do I want?
• What do I know?
• What do I know (that others don't)?

So on and so forth.

5. After you've done that, write down a list of careers you'd think would fit.
6. Talk to people who have been successful in those careers.
7. Start on that/those educational path(s).
8. Post up here what you're discovering along the way.

mongomery1234

Appreciate all of the great advice! 11.00/hour really isn't anything at all im not struggling by any means just not enjoying life really much either due to working 24/7. Going to take a nice week off and just sit down and think everything over I believe. I've probably spent the year and a half here working 60-80 hours every week so I've had little time to focus on hobbies or anything of the sorts. Computers and numbers are definitely strong points as well as sales so I think going to school especially considering I can probably still get a decent amount of scholarship funds is probably the way to go.
I've bounced the idea of taking an online bachelors in web technology/design but I am very unfamiliar with online courses and if they are still looked at the same way as physically going to school to future employers.

RedCelica

You'll never know until you try.

peiserg

Don't waste money at a 4yr university until you have taken every transferable class at your local community college. Then get 4yr degree at huge discount.

Jub

I am not entirely sure how online degrees are looked at nowadays. I would not spend a ton of time/money on anything less than an accredited degree from a university. I would certainly not take out loans for a non-accredited degree. However, getting valuable certifications in your desired field can also be a valuable use of your time. My gut feeling is that getting a foot in the door to gain the first few years of experience will be the toughest part of entering any white collar field without a degree. Blue collar fields are also very undervalued IMO. Becoming an electrician/plumber/mechanic will likely not have as many barriers to entry as other job fields. There is a ton of opportunity in those fields with less and less people that want to enter them. You mentioned supporting your family but did not elaborate. Depending on what that means, I would assess if a 4 yr. degree is feasible. If not, consider starting an apprenticeship in a field with upward mobility so that you can get paid while learning.

If you want to do the 4 yr. degree bit on your own, I suggest taking a few courses at the local community college if you don't know what you like. Before you go to an expensive university, make sure that you are committed to graduating. As somebody with student loans who did graduate, I could not imagine having the loans and not graduating. The most valuable undergrads IMO are STEM majors (Science, technology, engineering, math), particularly Computer science or Engineering. They are also the most difficult and will take the most dedication. They seem to have the highest average starting salaries and are likely the highest paying job fields for general employees (not execs/business owners).

I will second that sales can be a great answer. My father has sold hardware/software to government clients throughout his career and has made more than I likely will as a Systems Analyst (IT industry). Personally, I did not want to be in sales. It does not fit my personality as well as a more analytical career. Also, I watched my father live the salesman cycle growing up. If you are under quota, you are working your ass off to make quota. If you make quota, you are working your ass off to make additional money. You can be the leading salesman one year/quarter and get fired the next. It is a fast paced, demanding career that can be very lucrative. Starting off in sales will be the hardest part. It is a high turnover industry where they will give almost anyone a chance. Few make it to the first year in most positions. I sincerely believe that sales skills will help you in anything you do in life. I believe that experiencing a sales position is incredibly valuable as a character/career builder but I did not want to make a career of it. If you are interested in sales but want to have other things in the mix of your daily grind, look into being an insurance broker.

Sorry if that was a little bit of a ramble but I hope there is value in there somewhere.

SSM-9Krev

The above are sound advice. Here is my take on higher education.

College isn't for everyone. College is a major business, I am assuming it is a trillion plus dollar industry nowadays. They are practically begging you to apply to their school. I must of received 50 flyers in the mail saying why I should go here. Let's face it, over 60k in loans for jobs that pay 30k out of school, if your lucky. I am speaking from personal experience, your outcome will vary. 60k in loans is roughly 550/month for minimum of 10 years. I studied Accounting myself. Granted, I did party a hell lot since I was away from home, and high school wasn't a great experience.

At the very least, I would take Intro classes to Accounting and Finance. It is extremely important to learn how to maintain a strict budget, allocate your expenses and dip your toes into the stock market. I have an unrealized gain of 11k with cost basis of 7k, (I got 18K total). Roughly about 15% ROI every year.


I would look into your local utility company (gas, electric), wireless carrier, fireman, police officer, government job, welding, plumbing, or start your own landscaping company. I would consider these jobs recession proof. I would also look into the DOL (Department of Labor), they have job forecasts of what is in demand, and what will be a surplus.