anyone making 50-75k a year?
 

or more?

I guess some people like to remain tight lipped about their income but...

I just wonder if you could shed your "life story" when it comes how you got from point A to point B.

I'm just stuck at point A, it's annoying and I don't really know what to do about it. I could go to school for a multitude of things but I don't know what appeals to me. Just trying to discover my ambition.

With age comes experience.

With experience comes a higher salary.

Find what you enjoy and stick with it -and progress upwards... sometimes it requires moving from one company to another...

I got a job in HR as an assistant, starting in the low 30's. It was luck. My MIL worked there as a bigwig, and she got me an interview... where I hit it off with my soon-to-be-boss. I worked, and my boss cultivated me and what skills I had or could learn. I figured out I didn't want this particular career path but it took almost 3 years. Once I decided... I started working my ass off. I worked FT and went to school at night 2-4 nights/week. I volunteered for the experience and resume booster.

I applied to school, and now I'm there. I'm working hard, but not too hard, and I'm going into major holy-crap debt. In two years, I'll be a PA at a salary around $90K on average (at least in the NYC area).

Now... deciding on WHAT to go to school for is the scary part.
1. What kind of life do you envision in your "happily ever after"?
- kids?
- living arrangements?
- where?

2. What makes you think in a "oh, that's cool, what is that??" kind of way?

2a. What kinds of jobs are associated with those ideas? Research! Don't forget to look up salary ranges!

3. When you pick an area... SHADOW/discuss/inquire of people IN that career etc. Reality check is key here.

4. If the reality check wasn't a nogo, then run for it. Seriously, don't waste another SINGLE FUCKING SECOND DOING SOMETHING YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT.

5. No, really, RUN TO YOUR GOAL, this is not a stroll, people!

Does that help?

Get your BA, and learn to BS. It's very, very difficult to go from getting your degree to making a good amount of money without shilling some shit.

My BA is in psych. You know what I did when I graduated? I talked to everyone I knew who could help me, I got information their bosses, and I interviewed like Jesus Christ himself. You need to make yourself perfectly marketable, overqualified and capable yet unthreatening to upper management (you don't want them to feel like they'll take their jobs); make them think "this guy can make my life easier". The funny thing? I don't do anything that requires my psych degree, really. All the facts I learned about abnormal psych and about the history of psychology really are just facts in my head. All people seem to care about is the degree and the name of the school. And how rad you are.

Also, shave. You are less likely to get a job with facial hair, unless you're trying to be a bass player for a cover band.

A) Go to a good school. Get good grades by studying something that interests you. Graduate.
B) Make a huge list of friends who are already working and study their bosses in order to market yourself.
C) Go out and give killer interviews. If possible, practice interviewing with the friend who connected you to the boss, that way they can give you insight into what the person will be looking for.

It did okay for me, though I didn't pay attention to what an idiot the boss was. Don't skip that part. You could end up working for a pedophile that takes the whole company down.

Interesting question.

I graduated with no idea of what I wanted to do. I became a glorified telemarketer for a while, but that was unfufilling.

I moved to a new city (Chicago) with no job and no place to live, crashing with some friends. I signed on with a temp agency who sent me out to work for an insurance company (sort of). I did such a good job that they hired me on permanently. When the boss decided to move to the suburbs, he got me my last job interview 12 years ago. It was the only one I had once I told my then-boss that I didn't want to commute 60 miles a day.

Now my income is based on what I do and how hard I work. I always worked hard, but now that's translated directly to dollars.

My advice - find something that seems interesting and then bust your ass. In any sort of entrepreneurial setting, whether it's a big or small business, working hard is recognized and rewarded. All of my assistants work very hard (generally 50+ hours a week) but are paid very well.

As for my 8 peers in the office, 2 answered want ads, 1 was a former client and 5 already knew people here. That should give you an idea of how important networking is.

From the time I was a kid every job I took I took because it gave me a new skill. I never have ever taken a job that was just a lateral movement. I only take jobs that are going to challenge me in some manner more than I was. This meant if you had computers that were something I didn't know, I wanted to work in your office. You had applications I didn't know? I wanted to work in your office. I stayed in each place for a minimum of 6 months to 1 year tops. While my friends were getting $.35-$.50 raises working in food or retail, I was getting $1=-$2 raises because I moved from company to company. Six month raise for $.50? What are you crazy? This guy over hear is going to give me $1 more per hour. I'm heading over there. So not only did I get the higher raise, but again, I got new skills.

I dropped out of college when the demand of my time far outweighed what I was learning in class. Class was costing me business as a computer consultant.

As I got sought after by other people I picked where I worked. For the early part of my career I didn't work in any company that wasn't a Fortune 500 company. Yes, I cut my hair for a job. I wore a tie, pressed shirt, slacks, and dress shoes. Eventually I let my hair grow out again. My experience now speaks for my skills, I don't have to worry about cutting my hair any longer, but if it made the difference in getting a job. I'll be happy to cut my hair again.

One of the things I did was get a mentor. My mentor was someone who had the lifestyle I wanted to have and bankaccount I could enjoy. Ironically this mentor only got me far enough for stability of getting a roof over my head and some food on the table. They showed me I could still party and enjoy myself every night and still make $40k a year cruising on autopilot.

I network, network, network. Most jobs I have gotten aren't via cold calls or classified ads, but by people I have met. Sometimes via headhunters I listen to what they have to say, what comments they have on my resume, my skills, my experience. During the go go 90s many of them said I should have gone to Dotcoms. I didn't agree, I put in long time into a company and was rewarded with very good severance packages when I got laid off twice. Each time I got laid off I took any job I could because it was better than staying at home not making any money. It also got me in front of other people that I could talk to in order to network my way to another job. The classified jobs were always the ones that weren't very good paying nor as challenging as I wanted them to be.

I have only ever once took a job that was a >$20k paycut but because of circumstances (read saving money for rainy days) it was to bide my time while I looked for another job instead of just sitting at home collecting unemployment and depleting my savings account.

Rule of thumb for networking, the toes you step on today maybe connected to the ass you have to kiss tomorrow. I was always mindful of my manners as I networked with people. I tried to always be genuine and polite. I also returned the favor many times. I have helped many people get jobs via the network. I always keep an ear out for jobs actively. So when somenone says they are looking for something, I look for them too. I ask my network to see if they know of something.

Everytime there was an opportunity within the company for projects for things I don't know, I volunteer to do the job. It gives me an opportunity to learn something new and shows that I'm a go-getter. I don't kiss ass. I shamelessly self promote myself. I want my boss to know that he can count on me to do the job he gives me when he gives it to me. It will be done well, quickly and accurately, and without needing supervision or with minimal guidance.

I don't care if I have to work with someone who doesn't pull their weight. I don't complain about it. I just get the projects done. The bosses know who's getting things done and accomplished over time. If they don't realize it, I'm already one foot out the door at all times. I look for jobs all the time. I'm in it for me, not for them, I don't have any loyalty to anyone else but me and my family. I am responsible for the quality of the roof I provide myself and the quality of the food I put on my table. I will jump ship on you if you aren't providing me the best that you can. It's nothing personal; it's just business.

Finished college right out of highschool and began the CONSTANT effort of moving up. Always. Was a little lucky too, stumbled into a good field (tech writing/editing), finally got a break into it (took years), learned skills and became good at tasks that no one else wanted to do, but are vital to a tech pubs dept.

In short, a LOT of hard work and a decent bit of luck. I think hard work makes the luck, you know? I went without a lot to get where I am now. Many don't care to sacrifice for years without a gauranteed return, but that's what you gotta do.

Pretty much my story as well.

I would also add that some skill you learn early in your career can pay off so be a sponge and get as much experience as possible.

4 years of college, 2 years post grad work, 4 years of professional school, 3 years of specialty school.

Thats 13 years of stove top stuffing.

Good thing I like stuffing.

Yes there are easier ways.

Yea, there are easier ways, winning the lottery might be one, but if you want to succeed like most people do, its never easy. You must be driven and dedicated, willing to take the good with the bad, if its worthwhile its never really easy though...... I was working on a degree in Emergency Medicine while I was in the army but my enlistment ran out, along with my desire to remain in that field. I also wasn't crazy about taking orders from idiots with a higher rank, in the military or civilian world, so I always knew I wanted to be my own boss.

While many may think that the contracting business is easy you'd be wrong. Its easy enough to get a license but very difficult to succeed where many others fail. Just getting the insurance and bonding can be difficult, then consider simply bidding a job, taking into account cost overruns, the contracts and permits, hiring qualified employees & subcontractors, taxes, payroll...... intelligence & patience are a must, along with physical ability......well, you get the picture.......not exactly easy.

The first 5 years were the hardest, but after that many years I netted over 100k.....Some of my friends with college degrees still make 40k a year....I don't think they have the drive I do either. Whatever you decide to do, do it the best you possibly can and success wont be far away.......but it may take time....

I'll probably retire from contracting in the next 5 years, I'm already considering easier ways to make a living......:)

In the civilian world I make in that range... my last job was actually close to the top of that range. I have no degree, but am a geek in the IT world. I started in retail when I was 17, worked from assembly to service. Got a contract with EDS at GM, went on to salary with EDS. Lost my job and got a new one, then moved to another company. Moved to Arizona and worked for two different outfits there. Now I work for Uncle Sam, but only for a few more months. It takes a lot of BSing, a lot of being in the right place at the right time, and a lot of putting effort into things.

Step 1: Learn how to weld.
Step 2: Get good at it.
Step 3: Get really really incredibly good at it.
Step 4: Make 45-75 dollars an hour
Step 5: Snicker at college Graduates



Its not really that simple, but yeah, my first gig out of welding school was well within your range ;)
Not for the meek tho.

I ended up falling into a job that ended up putting me in that range. Started junior year in high school at a shipping company in the warehouse part time. Flash forward 3 and a half years later was 21 and started driving full time. After a few more years hit top rate and am making in that range now. But, like I said earlier I just lucked into the job, because I seriously had no idea what I felt like doing, and this company just happened to be something I like to do now.

Amen for tangible professions!

I'm thinking about something in the I.T. field. I dunno, i am logic minded, have had my finger in just about everything imaginable computer related over the last 11 years, from building them from the ground up, to web design, php hax on website packages and vbulletin mods (basically, I could probably create a pretty similar rendition of TFP if I had the desire to do so), email and ftp admin (yeah I was a file-share nut back in the day. Beta testing software (mostly games for sony, and mmo's) networking, both wired and wireless.

My friend is actually making quite a decent wage working as a java coder for a security software company. He swears I could just get some formal education for the stuff I consider as a hobby when I'm geeking out, and do something with it financially.

Problem is, when I look at the IT field, they either want you to know like 4 languages or have 15 different 1000$ certifications and it all seems soooo far away.

I don't doubt that I could pick it up, hell i have a C for dummies book that I never even bothered reading. I dont know where to start, it's just all over the damned place.

Personally I like networking, but coding seems to be the highest demand, I guess i'd like to learn both aspects, not sure where to start though.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one footstep.

People don't get certified and overnight have 10 different certifications. It comes with time. The more time and experience you have the more chance you'll have at getting certifications. But you have to start, sitting still doesn't get you further along on the road.

I don't have any certifications. I never needed them because again my experience and my mouth touts that I know my stuff well. At the heyday I knew my NT Server and OSI model better than another Novell or MCSE certified person. While these cat were in class and taking tests, I was in the the trenches learning and building it first hand in production environments. They were training, I was gaining experience.

Maybe you can show them some samples of your coding. If you can do some of the mods I've seen done with vbulletin, then show it off.

Remember, not every place requires certifications and degrees. Banks, Law offices, Pharmacueticals, some other large companies may require degrees and certifications. It never stopped me. I got an opportunity to work for JP Morgan when people stated I would never get into there with long hair and no degree. Yet, I did a desktop migration with them that covered their main offices in NYC and Delaware.

Prove it to yourself you can do it, make the goal, make milestones to the goal and know that one day in the future you'll not have to deliver any more pizzas.

good luck

well I don't know that degree of stuff like what you listed off. I feel like what I know is a step above the average person, but a step or 3 below the paid professionals. It's a start I guess.

for example there's a listing for stuff like database administration for Oracle or for SQL type stuff, I've "dabbled" as in maybe spent a total of 2 hours messing around with it when I had a website up and running and had to get some mods working right, but I wouldn't know how to "administrate" it (what does that even mean?) or start something from scratch (I don't know the basic framework)

I would just look at stuff and how it was laid out and copy/switch from different examples and Frankensteins the hell out of my sites that I used to have.

I don't think thats enough to base a career on myself.

I make a little more than $50k right now in IT at 27 years old as a high school dropout living near Orlando.

My progression: At 15, I took a typing class in high school. My first job at 16 was data entry for a credit processing center ($6 per hour). At 17, I went to work tech support for ISPs ($8 per hour). I dropped out of high school in the middle of 11th grade, moved out of my parent's house, quit work, lived with friends and partied a little too hard.

I then moved to chicago for a few months to get away from the party lifestyle. When I came back to orlando, I had my crappy car, and no money to my name. I got a job doing tech support as soon as I got back ($11 an hour). I went and took the G.E.D. test and aced it, so I was finally a H.S. graduate. I did that job for about 2 years and got promoted to the Quality Assurance team, working with the programmers. This brought me to about $30,000 per year. About 6 months later, the company held mass layoffs and dropped the whole development department.

I was unemployed for 9 months ($1000 per month).

The head programmer from the last job called me up and offered me a job with his new company as Quality Assurance ($35k a year). I ended up doing QA, lead tech support, shipping. I ended up learning on my own how to make reports, programming with Delphi, and that was added into my job description. All these brought me to about $43k a year.

I got offered a better job doing strictly Delphi programming by someone I worked with years ago in my first QA position ($45k a year start), which I took. I now make a little over that now.

I decided that I wanted to go back to classes because most programming positions require a B.S. from what I've seen over the past few years. The boss decided it would be a good perk to pay for my tuition, so I'm now a 27 year old Freshman (almost sophomore) in college. I'm working towards my A.S. in computer programming now, which I should be done at the end of Spring 2009, and I should have my General A.A. at the end of Fall 2009.

That's where I'm lost. I'm not sure if I want to take part time jobs and student loans to finish my next 2 years, or see if I can still work and school full time at a state university, or take a few classes here and there until I finish the B.S.

is it hard to get in to a school nowadays?

I think i'd be lucky to pass any kind of math related testing beyond the basic 4 operators at this point.

I had done well enough on my G.E.D. to be offered a grant/scholarship for getting in the 9xth percentiles (I studied) but all that has gone out the window, I don't retain knowledge if I don't use it. It's that simple.

Should I buy a few educational books out of my own funds to refresh on before I try any sort of admissions? math is really my only weak spot. Well, that, and history, I dont remember dates (must be a number thing)

Get a book and do self instruction on math. There are some textbooks that include excellent stuff on CD - multimedia lessons, etc. You shouldn't have too much trouble teaching yourself math up until trig and pre-calc.

Just remember that certification, self-study, education all require an investment - of time, money, and effort. That's what pays off. So get out there and start learning some skills which will make people want to give you money.

This is a do-able thing.

Think about recording engineering?

I thought about that, but when i did a search for jobs, it really comes down to me wanting to be able to live comfortably. I may be able to hit that audio technology route later, but i've seen too many stories of people with audio tech degree's winding up in some guitar center as a clerk.

it's such a hit and miss industry you know? IT has roots in the business world, both government and commercial, so I think it would probably be the wiser one of the 2 to pick.

I'll still have a passion for my musical hobbies though.

Indeed, but I really shouldnt have added the part about snickering at college graduates. I'm looking to go back to school now, after thinking about Journalism I just decided it was silly, I'd much rather get a degree in Metallurgy, I'm pretty sure I could line up some writing gigs AND be that insanely smart/talented welder that you call when you have to say, repair a MRI core....while its filled with the liquid helium they use to cool the fucker. Yah, I can fix that, just hand over your first born and I'll get right on it :cool:

Education is good, but the bottom line is if you wanna make great bank you have to be able to DO something. A lot of people are just good at going to school, ask them to apply it and they get this look on their face, you know that look, its the "did I just make a doodie in my pants?" look.



I used to think the same way, until I realized if I wanted to succeed at whatever I was endeavoring to do, all I had to do was get out of my own way. Lean the bike over a little more, the tires will hold, and voila, the tires grip like pencil rubber and the panties just fly off the girls. Yes I can hit that tagret, why not? Whats really the difference between 50 and 75 yards? Line up the sights, exhale 1/4 and squeeze. Voila, the gong rings. Someone once told me that if you never consider giving up, if you never allow the though of failure to enter your mind, you won't. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. I prolly sound like a condescending prick, but things are only as complicated as you allow them to be. But also remember that shit can, does, and will happen. Just keep your eye on the prize. I think that your trying to discover your ambition before throwing yourself into an academic setting is a good idea. Too many people go to school and say, well, I'll just take general stuff and I'll figure out what I want to do, thy just take more and more classes, all the while with no real goal, and before they know it they've fallen into some kind of degree that they never planned on getting and end up working a job that provides no real sense of purpose or fulfillment.

Keep your head up, keep on exploring. It'll come to you.


Just to stick my own two cents in, have you considered just opening up a computer repair shop? You seem to have enough knowledge, and there will always be idiots out there downloading porn with whatever the malware of the week is.

Just a thought. But heres another, what if you discovered the joy of your life, but it did'nt pay 50-75k? My cousin lives to teach, shit money but he doesnt care, because he feels fulfilled.

jesus christ I just wrote a pamphlet.

P.s.

1. Pay attention to detail.

2. Plan ahead.


;)

i always thought His dad got him the job.

joking aside -
i'm with those who've said experience is all that matters.
take any job you can in your field.
work hard and learn from those around you.
move up from there.

Regarding tech jobs, you can always lie on your resume aka "take liberties" with your skill set. My friends who work in coding have been tested on the spot with blackboard problems. In some cases, you can get certification on the job (e.g. your company will pay). Tech companies esp. like to hire noobs because they are cheap and can be groomed cheaply.

Getting into school is no problem. You need to decide what you want (certification? BA? Associate's? PhD?) and what you can afford. Then take the test. I hear UW is nice...

Also, if you are applying for kind of a ummm... soft-tech job (I would consider coding hard-tech) like network admin or databasing, you probably won't get the blackboard test - just be sure to talk up your experience.

Most people get good by learning on the job so stop delivering pizzas and get into the industry! Network and apply even if you think you aren't qualified... sometimes a good impression at an interview will get you in. People want to work with people they like.

Oh yes, and you will change jobs often in the beginning but it's good cuz each time you do, you can demand a pay raise.

But do it now because your time is worth 50k/year.

If you're wanting to go into the IT field you had better really really love working in that stuff. It's a pretty flooded field with no respect really. Sure it's an industry that will continue to grow, but if you don't enjoy it, you're not going to want to do it and the monies will be considerably less (possibly).

College isn't necessarily about what you learn, it's about who you meet and know. Networking is probably the biggest factor in getting the job you want. Network your ass off and save as many contacts as possible. You never know when you might need that contact.

That is the absolute truth... I'd be nowhere right now if it wasn't for "who" I've met in the past 10 years.

A couple of things to remember if you wanna make money. This list may appear trite and cliche. Nonetheless, I've found it to be true:
1. No one owes you anything.
2. Show up. Every day. Prepared to work.
3. Don't complain.
4. Don't make excuses.
5. Don't blame others.
6. Be ready to do labor that is "beneath you,"--for many years. (I was in the workforce for 13 years before I started making a decent living.)
7. Understand your strengths and weaknesses.
8. Fairly evaluate the value of your labor, then insist on being paid a fair wage.
9. It's not always about IQ. Learn the value of social intelligence.
There are many more tidbits I could throw out, but I'm sounding too much like my father so I'll shut up now.

How long have you been out of High school? I'm assuming it's > 3 years. If so, then any SAT, ACT, etc that you took back then won't get you into a college. You will have to take a test called the CPT test. It only takes a couple hours, and covers math and reading abilities. There are practice tests online that give you the idea of what you need to study for. After 10 years out of high school, I studied for about 2 hours for this test and almost aced the reading sections and did ok enough on the math to be able to get into college algebra.

You will most likely want to start at a local community college to get an A.A. degree, or A.S. degree (it's much cheaper than a state school, and almost a guarantee to get into). If you get the A.A. degree, you're guaranteed admission to a state college after 2 years. The A.S. degree only gives you some of the credits required for the 2 year college (which is why it will take me an additional semester to finish my A.A.)

You can get an A.S. degree in computer programming, web programming, networking, etc. at most colleges. The A.S. degree gives you moderate knowledge in a wide range of things, without having to mainly go for general education classes.

For example, the A.S. for 'computer programmin' with my community college requires the following classes for the 2 years:

1 English
1 Math
1 Humanities
1 Social Science
17 computer classes, including c++ programming (or c#, web, perl, etc), network concepts, databases & sql, etc.. lots of choices.

You get the experience you need for that push into the field.

The best thing to do is schedule an appointment with the local community college advisor. They give good advice.

It might be a harder road these days, but 20 years ago, a good friend of mine went to a Technical Institute and earned a certificate for IT. He now makes >$100K per year. I have 2 BS degrees in Engineering and I don't make that much.

Great advice. Community college is a good way to go--as intecel said, you can save a lot of money, and decide later on if you want to transfer to a 4-year-school. Don't forget that financial aid applies to CC too--so you can get free/cheap money from the government for school. Think of school as an investment in yourself--and it's a great investment.

Okay, I'm not trying to be mean or condesending, but google.com is your friend. Investigate, search, look things up. You don't know what administrate means, here's an example of a class syllubus of Oracle Administration. Push yourself, not others. This means try to figure it out. Ask questions that clarify what you already know.
As far as going back to school, I thought about it many times. It's not for everyone. I paid $5,300 for Project Management Institute classes, PMI certified people average $125,000/yr. I'm paying that debt off almost done but I'm not recovering any of the $5,300 investment I made by getting a PMI job. After it was all said and done I realized I don't like Project Management any more than I have to do it. It is a tool for me yes, but it's not going to be the job I have in the future. It gave me some additional skills but I have yet to increase my salary from it. So far it is a negative for me since I'm now $5,300 in the hole from it.

School as an investment is somewhat a misnomer because unless you can get something out of it does it become an investment. Going to school so that you can be an Art Apreciation major doesn't necessarily translate to $$$ in your pocket.

Investing in any "tool" is a good thing if that translates to $$$ for using that tool. Otherwise, it's not neccessarily a good return of your investment dollars.

This was my "test" foray into going back to school via online classes. I considered it, but also considered the return I would gain in my current career path. I don't think I will go back to college, I hem and haw over it from time to time, when I look at the classes and idea of test taking, I don't think it attractive in comaprison to continuing to make money.

In simplest terms as a pizza delivery guy if your car isn't making deliveries it isn't making you money. You can upgrade the soundsystem, tires, and wheels, and it doesn't necessarily translate into more pizzas you can deliver. It may make you feel more comfortable, but after a day is done you still deliver the same amount of pizzas.

after 20 years in the military i was making about 60 k or so...now i'm not...short boring story...

Learn as you go and be willing to move around. Consulting can be a fast track to achieve both.

At the current US/UK exchange rates, that's 25 to 38 thousand pounds.

I am in that bracket.

I left School a 18 with 10 O Levels and 4 A levels (which put me in the top 10% academically).

I spent 3 years at one of the top 3 universities in the country for my subject and got a BSc in Chemistry (which narrowed it down to the top 5%)

I returned for a year and achieved an MSc in Chemical Research/Thermodynamics.

I worked in the Pharmaceutical industry for 5 years, ending up running a laboratory for one of the larger drug companies.

I worked for a manufacturing company associated with the Pharmaceutical industry for five years, as part of the management team of a multi million pound factory.

I now work for a medical devices company as one of the management team of the whole company.

That said, as the average UK salary is close to 25k, I'm nowhere near the ranks of the "highly paid". I live in a modest house, we have one car, and if we really save hard we can afford to take a couple of domestic holidays in a year, or one expensive foreign one.

I used to earn ~20% more than I do now, but I hated my life, hated my job, worked long hours, and never saw my family.

I now work better hours, closer to home, and spend much more time enjoying my life.

Hard work pays, but remember that more money doesn't guarantee more happiness; it is a non-linear relationship.

Converted to Norwegian kroner's it 270-405.000. This july I got a raise reaching 76.000USD/year. Because of the hight costs of living in Norway, it's hard to make it without my wifes additional income.

Like Daniel_ we have a modest house, one car and need to save hard to make an foreign vacation. (Raising 5 kids plays a big part of this)

I went into the Air Force at 18 years old, got out at 24 with only an A+ cert to my name, but I can talk. Someone once told me that they had to be careful around me, because I could talk them into or out of pretty much anything at any time for any reason. I used this skill on interviews, I had 3-4 actual years of experience on a help desk, and a crummy A+ cert that is as close to useless as anything you can find, but I made them want me. I worked for Diebold voting systems for a while, making $28 an hour, usually about 70 hours a week, so I didn't do that very long. Then a few odd jobs here and there, until I was unemployed. Being unemployed sucks, having 0 dollars on you and no dollars coming in is hell. I figured I need to get a good job and soon, so the first interview I went to, I made them need me. The Job was a perfect fit, close to home, the pay is great for this area $40,000 a year around here is $50-55 elsewhere.

The trick is to sound like you are exactly what they are looking for, and exactly what they didn't even know they needed, create a position for yourself and fill it well. (God I wish I knew COBAL..lol) School is nice, but imo it's overrated if all you want is to make money. There are so many easier ways.

"Opportunity follows struggle. It follows effort. It follows hard work. It doesn't come before."

been my motto today.

Just applied for an entry level network support job. (they wanted 4 years WORK RELATED) experience, I just played that as I have 4 years of personal experience that relates to the work they want done.

(hardware setup/install/knowledge of MS software, able to work independently, lots of travel required) I played my delivery driver experience as the perfect mobile candidate hehe.

well, I don't really expect anything to come of it but, heres to good fortune if it happens. It will be experience under my belt in the very least, and thats what's important.

I think the absolute most important thing is to find something you really like doing. I don't mean as a hobby. I do mean a job where you get to do what you do best. Only about 17% of the people you ask would say they get to do that.

I started with my current company more than 25 years ago after working for a few other companies and other lines of work. I now make $150K plus and I can't imagine retiring - I just love what I do so much. I have moved up over the years and also been willing to move to other locations.

Went to school and graduated with a decent offer. I make decent living for a single person in NorCal.

I see a lot of people answering the topic but seemingly failing to read the post.


elaborate on your point A to point B stories please.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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!