JustJess

Well, working on the paper side of a hospital put me into the environment, and helped me see a pathway I'd not considered before - medicine, healthcare, clinical setting. Once I decided, as I said, I just started taking part time classes at night at the nearest, most convenient four year college available. Lucky for me, it was also a good school for sciences. And yeah, I just ran for it and tried not to think too hard about how long it would take me to get to where I wanted to be.

Oh, and I worked and am working my ass off. That's key. I'll letcha know about success in two years when I get out of full time school. The other key? Deciding to do it. Not just talk about it, not listen to anyone else (because I used to be an actress. can you *imagine* the kind of reactions I got when I said I wanted a Master's degree as a physician assistant?? NO ONE thought I could do it.) and just do what *I* knew I could do, and what *I* decided to do. No one else, just me.

YOU decide what you're capable of, no one else. And then you work your ass off. And slowly, success comes. At least... that's the theory. Success is what you make of it. Your success isn't the same as mine, and etc. So go back and think about those questions I posed earlier. They matter when you're trying to decide on specific goals.

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My heart knows me better than I know myself, so I'm gonna let it do all the talkin'.

Aladdin Sane

I've got a BA in Political Science/Social Science from a state university in Texas. I got out and ran off to Holland for a year. Came back to Texas and got my secondary teachers certification in social studies. I taught history/geography/economics/government in two different Texas high schools. It didn't matter how good or bad I was as a teacher, I got the same pay as every other teacher. I hated it. For 13 years I endured. For 13 years I hated it. I didn't know what else I could do. I was constantly trying to find a career that my teacher skills could transfer to. Then I put my resume on Monster.com. I sent it to at least 100 employers. For six months I got nothing. Then a large, well-known publishing house called me for an interview. They needed someone to help produce statewide school exams mandated by the federal government. I got the job. I worked my ass off. I excelled at my new job. I was rewarded with raises and promotions. I traveled all over the U.S. for the company. After six years with them, I found myself under a real bitch of a boss. Without much thought, I quit. I am very good at my job, and I've got a very good reputation. All of my work comes to me by referral. For almost two years I've been a freelance writer. I have more work than I can do, and I make more money than I ever thought possible (for me). And I work from my office at home. It's a sweet deal. That, my dear friend, is my "story."

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Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

bendsley

I'm currently 26. I have a B.B.A and will graduate this December with my M.B.A. I have no certifications currently in the computer/networking industry, but I'm pretty much a badass with Microsoft, Citrix and several other softwares and Cisco hardware. I currently make just above $86,000 per year. I think certifications are a good thing, but anymore there seem to be just too many people that can read a Cisco book and take the CCNA exam, and boom..companies hire them because of the CCIA.

I have a friend that has his CCNA, went to work for a company that hired him specifically because of that. He still asks me questions every once in a while about Cisco IOS or whatnot. It's sad that he has his CCNA, though knows no applicable skills to use it for.

My girlfriend currently has her LVN and in the next year or so will have her RN. Good money in that profession for sure.

__________________
"You hear the one about the fella who died, went to the pearly gates? St. Peter let him in. Sees a guy in a suit making a closing argument. Says, "Who's that?" St. Peter says, "Oh, that's God. Thinks he's Denny Crane."

snowy

And fantastic job opportunities, as well. My cousin has her RN and has been able to pick and choose what she wants to do and where she wants to go, plus she gets paid very, very well.

And Shauk, the minimum nursing degree required to become an RN is a 2 year associate's. My cousin did hers at a CC in Olympia.

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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Shauk

well, I know the medical field is a high paying profession but I almost want to reject it on the moral ground of how it ties to the cost of medicine in general. Plus, I am absolutely not a people person, worse yet, a sick people person.

I think i'll probably stick to things that don't directly involve exposing myself to a sick ridden atmosphere.

squeeeb

if you are not a people person, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't take a job that requires being a people person. there are enough douche bags out there who are miserable but keep on because of the money.

i hope you don't mind, but i'm gonna give some unsolicited advice from atop my soapbox here....don't be like so many americans who think they need to make their first million in 5 years. get a job you don't absolutely despise, work hard, learn the job from the bottom up, all it's intricacies, get really good at it. over time, you will work your way up and you will be making the money you want to. i have seen it and even though you will probably blow me off, i will tell you anyway: getting a job you hate that does not fit you because you are getting lots of cash will only make you bitter and miserable, will cause others to hate you and talk bad about you and pray for your death, and you won't be enjoying all the money you are making. if you work, save your cash, and are happy, years later you will have enough to be comfortable, you will progress further, and it will be all around a better scene for you and others around you.

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onward to mayhem!

Shauk

lol, it's no problem man, I'm pretty laid back, if I don't like something, I wont do it, it's pretty simple. Although, on the flipside of that, I recognize that sacrifice is sometimes necessary to achieve your desired end result.

pejay1

It has taken my approx. 10 years to go from point A to point B.

BS in Civil Engineering - first job with small raises.
Switch jobs, increase in pay + better raises.
Move to Vegas where the pay is substantially better.

Leto

OK. My point B has been arrived at after a 20 year, sometimes hard progression from Point A. By the way, my current point B has me earning over 100K, plus 15% variable pay (bonus) component. But this is the second time that I've had to achieve that level.

Point A found me at the end of a BA Hnrs in physical geography and working contract as a geologist. Contracts that were hard to come by in the recession of the mid 1980's. Especially when I had to compete with Masters or PhD's for related contracts.

So... back to school I went, this time college instead of university to get a diploma in Computer Programming and Analysis. This was expensive, way more than my university degree ($100 day). From this I landed my first IT job (april '87) as a programmer for Prudential Insurance. I spent my days coding mainframe applications (COBOL, JCL, VSAM, BDAM) for the princely sum of $19,000 per year.

By the way, this was the year that I got married, and my entire salary went to my 850 dollar per month rental of a one bedroom. My new wife's salary went to food & parking.

So, like has been stated above, I worked hard. within 8 months, I got a raise, and started to make 21,000K per year. I found that by applying for a second job, in mainframe programming a year later, I was able to leverage my salary up. It was hard work, lots of night time on call support, and a good reputation. Plus a lucky break that saw me hired by PriceWaterhouse management consulting that increased my salary to respectable levels.

Unfortunately it did not progress nicely. Although I was timely enough to ride the IT bubble from '87 to 2002, and was able to start a family, buy and pay for a house, the IT crash of the early 2000's caught me up too.

I had to become an independant contractor, and sell my skills on the street. it took 4 years to establish a reasonable reputation. and another 3 to become secure and earn in the 6 digits again. I never assume that I have a job for life. especially in IT.

There is a glut of IT skill in the workplace, and the business side is the driver now, requiring detail benefits to approve of any progect.

So, unless you are extremely lucky or skilled there is no replacement for hard work and a good reputation. Even though I've been in the business for more than 20 years, I have never had to show my degree, diploma or transcript to anybody. I have had to depend on my reputation though, and it has what has been the major contributer to my modest success.

analog

Ditto on all her advice, but most especially the above-quoted portion.

telekinetic

I'm 24 making just barely shy of that and due for a big raise and a switch to salary when I finishe school in December. My plan went:

Step 1. Get a Mechanical Engineering degree
Step 2. Get a mechanical engineering job
Step 3. Profit!