Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Money and career

Online career change exercises wanted

reenum — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:22:57 -0800

Are there any websites or online resources for people considering a career change? I've been thinking of changing careers for a while, and after some recent events at the office, it's time to get up and start figuring some things out.

I'm going to get "What Color Is Your Parachute" and a few other recommended texts from other threads, but I'm wondering if there are any websites or other online resources (preferably free), that have exercises and other things I can use to try and evaluate what it is I truly want to do.

I have a lot of free time at work. For obvious reasons, I don't want to show up here with career change books.

Thanks!

Was the Rockport Institute worth the money?

Rubbstone — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:26:00 -0800

Anyone ever used the Rockport Institute before? Was it helpful?

How to prioritise many urgent / important issues?

Anonymous — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 17:38:05 -0800

Help me prioritise my career / accomodation / other goals - they all appear to be short term! [ideally UK MeFi people]. Anon because contains detailed career / personal issues. I have recently started a new job (senior but low-ranking librarian) in a London (UK) university.

This is a big improvement over last year, when (to cut it short) I suffered from a stress-related problem while studying a Masters degree. In short a lot of things hit me at once, study, work, family problems, relationship breakdown...!

I'm now feeling much better and coping with life. Despite this, six months into the job I feel in a rut, as I live in lodgings in an expensive town and can't find a good priced longer-term place to stay. Going back to my family is not an option (it was a large cause of stress last year) and I can't stay with friends.

If I could get a higher salaried job, that would be great, but I doubt it would be at my current institution. Plus, given the effects that stress had on me last year, I am keen to avoid more upheavals and jobs that involve a lot of pressure.

I've started doing a further professional qualification but am now looking at postponing it so I don't get stressed out again! PLus I'm very doubtful library work will satisfy me long-term.

I'm highly educated (undergrad degree in Physics, Masters in library/information management, multilingual though not qualified in languages) but have been *very* unadventurous in my career so far, partly because I followed (what I now see as) bad advice and took "safe" scientific qualifications rather than languages which are my passion, and have lacked self-confidence.

Unfortunately I don't have any savings and I'm not earning much at all, just enough to live on, really. With my driving lessons I am making a yearly loss...!

I'd really like some help to see what would be a good area to prioritise more, or even really some suggestions to help me think outside the corner which I feel I've painted myself into!

BA vs AS and career choices

Tarumba — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:19:13 -0800

An appeal to very patient people: Please help us plan our financial/academic future! HER SITUATION:

She moved from another country to the US months ago, between the paperwork and getting married, she was just able to find a job a month and a half ago. In her country, she got a BA in Forest Science, and she fears it may be useless here, for even though her university is pretty prestigious in her country, many people here haven't even heard about Peru, let alone her school. The thing is she got to the US and her worst nightmare came true: She's working as a sales associate in a convenience store! After giving lectures in Tokyo, being part of the Students Assembly, being an assistant professor...she feels bit disappointed and bored, to say the least. So she has decided to apply for an Earth Science teaching position in middle school (38000/year plus benefits), and meanwhile go to graduate school. So:

-Since She's 25 and done with idealism, what economically gratifying Master Programs do you recommend? she is considering something along the lines of Environmental Law, but really, anything somewhat related to her major will do, as long as it brings in the cash.

- She has been promoted to shift manager at the store, (so, 21000/year) but still would die to get the job as a school teacher, which pays better and seems to be more intellectually challenging. Considering the husband makes 40.000/year, is it possible for them to live with a combined income of 60000-78000/year, when they have house payments of 500USD/month and no children, except for a very demanding kitty?

HIS SITUATION

His plans of going to school at the proper age (he's 27)were crushed when he had to move to the US as a war refugee. Although he has a somewhat decent job, he took the very impressive decision of going to school, and started this Summer. He enjoys working with computers, but has no clue about the job market, so he decided to get an Associate's degree in Web design. After a lot of considering and asking around, he got into a crisis (apparently web design is no financial panacea), and these are his doubts:

- What are the potential benefits of web design, programming, software development, and network security, when it comes to money and potential benefits?
- Even though the wife is dying for him to get a Bachelor's Degree, he has doubts and likes the idea of the Associate's degree better. What are the pros an cons of each?
-How are husband and wife to organize their academic lives and still make money to live? Should the husband got school first? the wife? should they go together and live off savings and their small business(we have a tiny record label)?

This questions were obviously written by the wife, but really represent the concerns of both of us, since the husband just left to school very, very worried about the family's future.

How would I go about asking for a salary increase in my yearly review?

decrescendo — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:39:46 -0800

How would I go about asking for a salary increase in my yearly review? I came in to this job as the #2 guy on a 2-person contract and then the #1 guy (my supervisor and project manager) quit. I'm now project manager and the only one on site. I feel like I should receive some sort of corresponding raise with this increase in responsibility. I've been working for a small employee-owned defense contractor since I graduated from college with an aerospace engineering degree in May of 2007. I worked in a different area of the country with this same company until I decided that I wanted to move to DC. I told my company I was going to look for a job in DC and they surprisingly ended up offering me a position in DC that I considered to be out of my league at the time. This position made me the "2nd string guy" out of 2 guys working on-site at a very large, high-visibility Department of Defense program office. I'm honestly in a little over my head due to the scale of this program and the type of working I'm doing but I feel like I'm doing a great job given my age and experience.

The old #1 guy on this project (my supervisor and the project manager) was a retired Marine Corp officer who was old enough to be my dad. He ended up leaving 6 months after I started working there, leaving me to be the only person on our contract in this program office. I did not feel like I knew enough at the time to be project manager but I feel like I've been doing a great job. My company's CEO often tells me how great of a job I'm doing given my age. He's apparently pleasantly surprised.

I had to fight for a salary increase when I came to this job. It sort of bothered me that my company thought I'd be able to get by in this part of the country on the salary I had when I was living in the middle of nowhere. I get the impression my company is very stingy about salary increases.

Now that I've been automatically moved up to project manager on our contract here, I feel like there should be some sort of salary increase since my responsibilities have most definitely increased. I have a yearly review coming up in early July and I want to attempt to ask for a raise. I feel that I deserve one not only due to my performance, but also by my move up to the project manager slot.

Not only am I not totally sure how to approach this, but I wish I had some sort of salary data available to me for reference. I really have no idea where I stand salary-wise. I know there are websites that are used to compare salaries, but I don't feel like this job will be one easily found online.

Do any of you have any recommendations on how to approach this? I'd really appreciate it. I've found some sites about this subject that are listed below, but I'd really like to hear some feedback directly tailored to my issue. Thanks!

Pages I've found so far:
Lifehacker
Lifehack
Lifehacker
Lifehacker
Get Rich Slowly

Ways to insulate oneself from the economic downturn?

mintchip — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:38:21 -0800

Ways to make extra cash during the economic downturn? The thing about this economic downturn is that it's harder to do the usual things people used to do when they were worried about finances. In the past, maybe you'd get a part-time job in addition to your regular job...but many of these are in short supply. Maybe you'd sell things on Ebay...but who's buying nowadays?

I'm wondering if you guys would be willing to share all of your money-making ideas for the economic downturn--creative way to make extra cash on a part-time basis. Things that people may not have thought of.

Help me explore careers in social justice and manage my hypocrisy

elke — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 06:25:11 -0800

By day I work as a content strategist for big corporations, and by night I write essays on social justice issues for independent media. Over the past year, much to my surprise and delight, my essays have been well received by others, forwarded to policy makers, and commented on in traditional media. Recently, I’ve started channelling my weekend passion for street photography into photo essays for social change, too.

I’d like to spend more of my time promoting social justice, and have considered heading back to university to study law or social work. However as an introvert (Myers-Briggs INFJ) who avoids conflict, I fear that my personality might not be suited to law. Also, despite the emotional appeal of counselling others, I don’t feel comfortable with the immense responsibility, and the salary for social workers in Australia is incredibly low.

Ditto the salaries on offer from non-profits -- I recently left the corporate world and started a low-paying content role with a global non-profit, but an unexpected health and financial scare gave me a reality check.

I realised that as a single woman in my early thirties, I must maintain at least a moderate income and maintain my employability in order to support my future and myself. (I live within my means, but wasn’t able to save on the non-profit salary, or replace my emergency savings.)

What other social justice careers are there aside from law and social work? How might I combine my existing writing and project management skills with a career in social justice that allows me to fully support myself? And until I make a career change, how can I deal with the hypocrisy *cringe* I feel about simultaneously promoting corporate greed while championing social change?

How does one make the transition between "college student" and business professional" without being wasteful?

DonSlice — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 21:22:31 -0800

How does one make the transition between "college student" and business professional" without being wasteful? My cousin recently took a nice job out west- something that is career-worthy. She's still living like a college student (ie: computing while sitting on the floor, instinctively buying cheaper things because they're cheap, etc).

How can she move from that "college student" mindset without being wasteful with her money?

How can I use my law degree and still like my life?

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:47:38 -0800

I'm getting a law degree but I hate being adversarial. Any ideas for something fun to do with this degree? I know there are books about this question, but I thought some of you lovely people might have personal experiences you could share, or at least some outside-the-box ideas.

I came to law school because I wanted to be a public interest lawyer -- I like helping people. I have one year left before I graduate and sit for the bar. I have spent the last two years learning about indigent defense and working at the public defender's office. Even though I think the work public defenders do is very important, I think it makes me miserable.

I admire public interest lawyers who fight for good, but the truth is that I just hate fighting! That is hard to admit, and it took me a long time to own up to it, but it's just true. Fighting just depresses me.

If I could turn back time, I would never have gone to law school. I would have opened up an organic coffee cart near the beach, or become a dog walker or something. But now I owe $120K in student loans (and by the end of this year, I'll owe around $180K). So I sort of feel like there is no turning back...I'm going to need to get a decent-paying job just to pay off the loans, which means something in the legal field. ...Right?

(For anyone wondering how my debt could be so huge: tuition is $35K per year, and I get about $25K per year for living expenses. Cost of living in my city is pretty much as high as it gets within the US.)

make me a (counter) offer.

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:43:29 -0800

jobofferfilter: got a job offer! yea! now the salary negotation…ick. do companies always expect you to counter their offer? what now? after nearly seven years of freelancing, i decided earlier this year that i was tired of it and want to work for the man. after months of looking (damn the economy: my industry is one of the first hit when things take a downturn), i've finally been offered a position. yea! but because i've never been in this position before, the whole salary negotiation—urgh.

at the first interview last week, i met with the HR rep and the VP to whom i would be reporting. i clicked with both of them and the VP was very impressed with my work. i was asked to come back a couple of days later to meet with more people in the department and had great conversations with them as well. the job description is huge—but i have done everything on it in one capacity or other (and have produced a number of best-sellers). this position would also be the only one of it's kind in the department, with no present plans to add (altho that may change depending on growth—and they have been growing) nor any thought as yet as to advancement for this position. i was told (and i concur with the impression i got) that it's a very "make your own opportunity" environment so there is potential for good growth as well. i really like the company: great people, great benefits, great vibe, solid financial backing, been around for over a decade and it's recently grown a bit. they were very impressed with my work—and frankly, i really do think they can benefit from my skills in the department in which i'd be working.

when i first spoke to the HR rep, she told me the salary is $X0-X5K (and asked what i was looking for—to which i answered the industry standard at my [senior] level was $X5-Y5K) but at subsequent mentions it was $X0K. i was told the person in the position before was more junior, skill-wise and their salary was about $12K less. at the second meeting, the HR rep told me they were "very interested" in me and we had a frank conversation about salary. i let them know i'd be happy at $Y0K which was the middle of the range i gave them—and i believe i can present a very good argument for it. today i got an offer for $X5K; i was told they had to finagle that last $5K to get me but it's still $5K less than what i'd like. they also offered a six month review—as a pre-emptive measure, no doubt.

so…should i still counter? do companies always expect it? and if you think i should, what should i counter at? how best do i go about doing this? hope me, hivemind!

How to get fired?

Anonymous — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:46:16 -0800

Can I request to be laid off? I work for a large financial firm in New York that has been hit hard by the recent economic downturn. Like all companies in our industry, we are laying people off in an attempt to cut costs. I have been contemplating leaving my job (and the industry) to go back to school in an entirely different field. One thing that has prevented me from doing this is the loss of salary and health benefits that I'd be faced with until I start my grad program, as well as financial concerns about the future. My company is offering laid off workers in a similar position as mine 4 months severance pay plus an extension of health care for 6 months. If I quit I will receive none of this. Is there some way of signaling to my employer that I would "like" to be laid off, besides not performing well (which would probably get me selected in the next round as a "poor performer")? I'm fairly new to the corporate world so I am not sure whether this is inappropriate - it definitely seems weird to "request" being laid off. Have any mefites been faced with a similar situation? How should I go about this - or is this a stupid idea and I should either quit or do my job and shut up?

Salary negotiation: Can I ask my employer-to-be to match a counter-offer from my current employer?

PlusDistance — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 16:52:41 -0800

I've accepted a new job and I'm giving notice tomorrow. I may have low-balled myself, salary-wise. If my current employer counter-offers, can I ask my new employer to match? Just agreed to take a new job. It's an exciting opportunity at well-regarded company, but they're a relatively small operation, and people who worked there told me they were "downright cheap" when it came to salary. So when the recruiter asked me what I was looking for, I made an initial offer that was less than I would have asked for elsewhere (but more than I thought they'd give me). I expected them to counter, but instead they called back and gave me exactly what I asked! (The recruiter said, "Yes, that's pretty much what [executive I interviewed with] was thinking.") Now I wonder if I've low-balled myself.

Tomorrow morning I expect to get the offer letter, and then I'll give notice. My current employer might counter offer on salary.

Two questions: Would I be jeopardizing my new gig if I went back and asked them to match the new offer? And if not, how can I phrase it so it doesn't sound (or sounds less like) I'm simply shaking them down?

Personally, I'd rather be a rock star...

shoebox — Sat, 17 May 2008 11:19:55 -0800

What can I do with a degree in Physics? What doors and pathways will it open for me? How long will I need to study before I am able to call my self a Physicist and make a meaningful contribution in my field? I'm about to make what seems to be the biggest decision of my life. Applications have been sent and responses have been received. Now comes the hard part.

My parents (one of whom is a computer engineer) are hell-bent on making me an Engineer (EE or CE) and have resorted to every known form of propaganda and coercion to force me to think like them. To be honest, I don't really think engineering is suited for me. I can certainly do the mathematics and tackle the theoretical aspects of it, but have never had the practical ability needed. I am horrendous when it comes to using my hands to do anything constructive (although I excel at things destructive).

The main argument my parents use is that engineering will quickly land me a good job after graduation, opportunities will be plenty money will come easy, whereas pursuing a career as a physicist would involve me studying till I get my Masters or PhD and most likely end me up in some teaching position (do not want) or spend the rest of my life as a lowly (and poor) researcher.

My question basically is this: Are my parents wrong when they say Physical Sciences is career suicide? Will I be able to do as well out in the "real world" following a career in Physics (Theoretical or otherwise)?

P.S. I will most likely attending U of Waterloo (physical sciences) or McMaster U (either physical sciences or engineering). Since engineering involves a common first year here, I have the choice when it comes to specialization so I definitely have more choices than my parents present me with.

Am I too old for the law?

Any Moose In a Storm — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:29:27 -0800

Am I too old to go to law school? I'm 33 and . . . I already have a Masters in one of those liberal arts subjects that does not a career make. (Career 3.5ish gpa haven't taken any test LSATs)

The law sounds like it could be intellectually vigorous and well paying but what kind of jobs do 36 year old Law grads get? Enough to pay back their loans and raise a kid?

Ask now or ask later?

acridrabbit — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:11:41 -0800

I'm expecting a promotion soon. I want to move to a better office. Should I ask to move now, or wait until my review? I've been at my company for 18 months and have a review coming up. I'm finishing a graduate degree in May and expect to be promoted, either at my review this month or in May/June after I graduate. There's also a chance I might have to wait until September for a promotion.

I currently have an inner office, but there's a better office with an outside window sitting empty down the hall. It's also a quieter office, and I think I would be more productive with less disruption. I am the only person with my title currently working at this company. If/when I am promoted, I'll have a manager title, and all the managers have offices with outside windows.

Should I ask my boss to move offices now, or bundle that request in with all the other negotiations surrounding my expected promotion? My boss and I are on good terms, but he tends to be a bit stingy with his staff. I'm afraid that he might see moving offices as part of my compensation and think that he can get away with giving me a smaller salary adjustment. How should I approach the issue with him?

I want to be passionate about my work... while working in my pjs

brandnew — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 09:42:22 -0800

Can I make a living coding from home, and where can I find such a job? First, I'm a veteran coder. I've been working in the software industry for 10 years. I'm experienced in all aspects of the software life cycle. I'm an expert in C#, and very experienced in Java. Over the last few years I've been trading time between roles as solution architect and lead programmer. That means I do more requirements analysis and development and system design now, but I still do a lot of coding.

A couple of years ago my spouse started a business, and it has become far more successful than we had expected. However, the problem is that she had started her business in a small city, and that city doesn't have a large software development market. In fact there are only four or five companies that develop software within 50 miles. And, for various reasons, she is unable to relocate her business or us.

So, I currently work for a defense contractor, and I'm making great money for a small city (>$100K). However, I'm yearning to get back to the "real" software market - developing consumer, enterprise, or business-to-business software applications. And, I want to get back to working at a start-up-type environment, and being passionate about the products I'm developing.

So, how do I find such a job that will allow me to telecommute 75% of the time? Is there a job board that exists specifically for telecommuting jobs? Or, do I just scour the web sites of potentially interesting software company and email them my sales pitch? Plus, would I expect to take a big pay cut if I switch to telecommuting? I may not care, but just curious.

I just got a promotion! Now where's my fat paycheck?

Anonymous — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 16:37:13 -0800

Should I be happy with my promotion, or am I getting screwed over? I have been working for a small but quickly growing company for about a year and a half now. I went back to college to finish my degree in my mid-20s, and this was the job I took after graduation, but it is not my first professional job. When I took the job, it was at a lower salary then I was hoping for, but there are many factors at play that made it seem worthwhile at the time (great benefits, flexible hours, casual environment, etc. etc.)

About four months after starting the job, my manager was promoted into a new position and I was promoted into her job. I was told at the time that it was widely recognized that I was an excellent employee and that it was fully realized that my potential to continue to be promoted was high. I was given a small raise with that promotion, but still felt underpaid for my qualifications.

For the last year, I have been diligently doing my job and also expanding my role. My company has increased staff by over 100% in this time, so everyone is busy and things are looking good. I had several candid conversations with my boss where I expressed that I would still like to explore more opportunities, and also that I needed to see a salary increase in order to stay here and stay happy.

Last week, I was given a promotion to a Managerial level job, and was told that my salary increase would be the same amount of an increase that came with my previous promotion. So, small. I was very frustrated and had a long and drawn out discussion with my boss about how we could compromise on this. For me this is both just a cut and dry issue of wanting more money AND wanting my employer to put his money where his mouth is w/r to showing me I am a valued employee. I know there have been other posts recently where the bottom line has been that once you allow yourself to be paid too little, you will never make it to the level you want - is that what is happening here?

My boss did agree that in lieu of offering me more of a salary increase, he will agree to compensate me in the form of commission for some of the revenue I generate through sales (I am not in a sales position, but there are certain products/packages that I am responsible for and which often lead to sales). He claims that his hands are tied when it comes to granting raises due to our budget already being exceeded at this time of the year, but that if I can show my relationship to the revenue, I could be granted some of the profit. He also showed me salary data for other positions around the country, and it does seem like with benefits and bonuses, factored in, I am hitting the median mark.

I do enjoy my job and don't really see finding a comparable opportunity in my geographic area. I just don't like the idea of possibly being undervalued, though I'm told I'm not. Thoughts?

Lookout Europe, here I come

barrakuda — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:20:01 -0800

What are some good job search websites/engines for Europe? I'm interested in jobs in international affairs, public relations, business and finance, advertising and marketing. I'm mostly looking for resources for Germany, Belgium, France and the UK, but pan-European websites are good too.

Need side job advice for lacking income

macsigler — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 11:04:27 -0800

What can my wife and I do to supplement our lacking income? We're newly married college students and I'm unemployed. She has a job as a tutor but it's still not the greatest pay. My wife and I are trying to think of something that I/she/we can do on the side to maybe earn a bit of extra income at least until I can get a decent full-time job, maybe even after, possibly one day turning it into a sort of small business. We're having trouble thinking of what we could do, though.

I love computers (I plan on studying computer science this upcoming fall semester), although I'm not too terribly skilled at the moment. I am studying up, though, and try to tinker around when I can, and study C++ and some basic web design as much as possible. I also love languages, and learned Tagalog (Filipino) fluently as a missionary living in the Philippines. I also like cooking. I like playing games but that doesn't really help me earn a living so I try to avoid it lately. ;)

She likes doing crochet and knitting as a hobby, but she's not really passionate about anything that I can think of, except maybe reading. She loves to read.

It's not anything that is ultra-crucial to happen right this instant, we're not starving by any means, I just would like some ideas to help us know where to focus our attention and get something going. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

...because no one is going to pay me to study. Temp or part-time?

doppleradar — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 05:07:18 -0800

Temp work 101: Is temp work just a part-time job on my own terms? Graduated. Moved to Boston. Taking the LSAT in June.

I decided that a full-time job could too easily turn my life into work/commute and not leave me with the time I need to study (or the time I want to enjoy the city before law school). I have the savings to only work part-time until July and don't know what advantages (if any) doing temp work has over a part-time job with the same duties.

My questions for current/previous temps are:
1. How much control do you have over your schedule?
2. Is the pay predictable (frequency and amount)?
3. How accomodating are temp agencies placement-wise to those reliant on public transit?
4. If I have good employment history in a specific field will a period of temp work adversely affect future job prospects?
5. Any health insurance/benefits typically provided?

...but what do you actually do?

doppleradar — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 19:56:02 -0800

Law/ Lawyer Filter: I've decided on Law School, but am trying to decide which area of law to focus on once I get there. I've found Vault's Law Career Articles pretty helpful, and am looking for other resources/personal insight into what different practice areas are like. Pros and cons, "day-in-the-life," personal anecdotes, you get the idea.

Bonus points for what you think the perception of your practice area is among other lawyers and the general public

To answer some potential questions from the get-go:
-I'm graduating with my BA in December and am waiting for the next admission cycle to apply (Fall 2009 entrance)
-I have researched admissions (gpa, lsat, indexes) to death already
-I have ruled out criminal and patent law (although I'm not averse to litigation in general)
-I am leaning towards bankruptcy or antitrust, but am not informed enough to commit
-I have no concern for work/life balance

Cab driver earnings described?

swiffa — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 21:54:31 -0800

Where can I find classified ads or articles showing the range of earnings for a taxi driver leasing his own vehicle? Need something that an underwriter(mortgage) would recognize as an objective authority that confirms range of earnings a taxi driver could make. Please email for more details of necessary.

Have chance to become rich, successful, and famous, need publicist and other help!

Anonymous — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 06:01:33 -0800

Have chance to become rich, successful, and famous, need publicist and other help! I need help not blowing this exciting opportunity, please. i do not know how to amass the team of people I need to make the most of my fame potential. (yes, I know this sounds ridiculous).

An upcoming event in my life is going to be splashed across the news nation and perhaps world wide.

Basically, two years ago I was given over six figures to create something fabulously useful but extraordinarily controversial and I successfully did.

Now, everything is about to come to fruition and the media is going to latch onto it for a moment at least, and I am terrified that this opportunity is going to slip by without me taking full advantage of it.

Twice before, the same thing happened: step 1) great thing happens or I do great thing; step 2) national media buzz for a week or two; step 3) i don't know what really to do and it all simmers down to nothing.

I would like step 3) to turn into a long-standing career and standing in the media nationwide. I recognize that I need a team (publicist, marketer, etc.) to do this. Have you brilliant askmefites any idea who or how to amass this?

Pluses - I have a few thousand to throw into this endeavor, and a great resume and wonderful, respected supporters both in business and as respected media individuals.

Minuses - twice before my spotlight has darkened, because I was too young, or too self-absorbed, or because I just didn't understand that my earning power in this field is fifteen times it is if I go back to my "normal" world.

Basically, I'm willing to put it all on the line to make this work. I doubt I'll get another chance like this. If it works, I can bank on making a bunch of money, being in the spotlight, doing what I love. If it doesn't, back to the grind for me!

Any help? Do you know specific companies, branding people, or publicists? Of course, I'm asking my cohorts and the people I work for/with, but I can't let them completely know that I'm the inner mediawhore that I really am, or I risk losing their support, you know?

Any help or ideas welcome - I'll check back here but you can privately message me at metafilterfan@gmail.com ! TIA!

Working for Love, or Money?

sycophant — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 17:48:35 -0800

Should I take a job that pays more but isn't as fulfilling, or stick with my current job that I like, but can't get more money out of? I am a jack of a few trades... Specifically web-application development, film/tv/video editing and graphic design. I like all these things, and have at times worked professionally in all these fields.

My current job, with a media and web company allows me to use all these skills. One day I can be editing a TV series, the next I may be programming PHP applications for clients, and the day after I could be designing business cards or brochures. Although in reality it's rarely quite like that, I do get to use all my skills, and not get stuck in the same thing every day.

However a job opportunity has come up for me. It would a fulltime programming position. I would be making PHP apps all day more or less. The job pays significantly more (close to double) what my current job does, and is with a young company that looks like it has a strong future.

I could certainly use the money, supporting my family on a single income is not easy, but at the same time, I am reluctant to move away from the other things I enjoy.

I am probably more passionate about the television and video stuff than I am about programming. If a job came up working in TV only at that kind of money, I would probably take it, as I could let go of the programming stuff, but the other way is a lot harder for me.

I also have a lot of respect and loyalty for my current employer and I think it would be almost impossible to find someone to replace me with the same range of skills.

My current employer is small, and I know very realistically that at the moment they can't afford to pay me more. And I'm not sure they'll ever be able to offer what the other job is.

My heart says no, but my wallet says yes.

Average salary for 27 year old college grad.

blueplasticfish — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 12:08:33 -0800

What is the average salary for a 27 year old college graduate? I know there are a lot of variables here (based on experience, skills, etc.), but I am just looking for some sort of range based on what you've heard, read, researched, or experienced.