Ttm about your job

angelashly · March 2014

I'm looking for a change and can go back to school through my work.

What do you do?
Degree/ training?
Pros/cons to your job

vandelay · March 2014

I'm in HR at a large retailer. My degree is actually a J.D. because I practiced employment law for years before figuring out that being a litigator suuuuucks. But you can typically get into HR with a bachelors degree.

A pro is that it is very people-oriented, so if you enjoy connecting with and helping people, you could enjoy it. The money can be decent -- it varies a lot, I think. Cons are that you hear a lot of complaints, so it can drag you down sometimes.

Good luck in whatever you decide -- it's awesome that you can go back to school through your employer!

Rach7170 · March 2014

I'm a lab tech at a quality control lab. Pros is that you get to work independently and at your own pace. Also I don't work on a hospital so I don't have to deal with shitty patients. Cons are that you need a bachelors in a disciplined science (biology, chemistry, etc). That is a hard schooling to get through at times.

jillyjill1026sr · March 2014

I have my dental assisting license. I practiced for a few years before leaving to stay home with DD. The pay is good, the hours are great- most dentists only work 4 days a week, and you are able to do a big variety of things. It can be stressful and usually assistants are last on the todem pole, meaning the grunt work is left to you.

littlestjerry · March 2014

PrivacyWanted said:

I'm an attorney. Law school is a bad investment. Don't do it :-) If I could do it over I wish I'd followed my dream instead of mom's pressure and become a teacher

Also a lawyer and also do not recommend

If I could do it all over, I'd go into social work and try to get a master's degree in that field.

wesleycrusher · March 2014

@angelashly are you an RN? what do you do now? I think you read my recent thread about my job.

I did psych nursing before which is great because places are always looking for experienced psych nurses, but not so great it you're trying to get out of it because it's not "medical experience." I just started looking for a job again in a few different areas but all of them are 9-5, ultimately I want to get my masters in nursing informatics or teaching.

jesuisfatiguee · March 2014

I'm a purchasing agent/production support associate for a merchandising company.

I have ~4 years of on the job training with a high school diploma.

Pros:

-Very little debt from my 1 semester of college.

-Most salaries start at a decent level (not much, but above minimum wage;) )

-Room for advancement / not a dead-end job

-Fast-paced and can be very challenging

Cons:

-Most companies require a 2 year degree or equivalent experience, and are not willing to train from the get-go

-It's not a very specialized job, nor a "dream job"

ETA: correction

OutOfStep81 · March 2014

I'm an accounting clerk for a large plumbing company. I actually love my job. I rarely deal with customers and get to focus mainly on reports and inventory management (our guys are accountable for each piece of material they use on each job... a pain for most, but I'm weird and like details).

Pros: You can get on at entry level and "work" your way up as you build experience. Pay is decent and hours are typical 9-5.

Cons: You'll need to have a full fledged accounting degree if you want to get into management (which I have absolutely no interest in). If you like interacting with people/the general public you'll hate it.

Like I said, I'm weird and like being able to work with numbers and reports. A lot of people don't though and it does get tedious. It fits me well and the company I work for has decent benefits and is stable.

LovestheLou · March 2014

I'm also a lawyer. I work part time doing admiralty law.

I agree with pp that law school is a bad investment, but I really like my work. I also love that I can make good money working part time. I could do without the big loan payment though.

ShakeyJakey · March 2014

Both my last job and the one I'm interviewing for Tuesday are health information. I don't have a degree so the pay isn't amazing but pretty good for no experience. Pros are my hours are a little flexible and I'm pretty much left alone to do my work so I don't have to deal with people a lot. Cons are my ass hurts being in a chair all day.

Right now I'm working on a coding certificate and then I hope to get my bachelors in health information management and move into a management position.

Smootchy · March 2014

I just quit my job.

I would advice to stay away working with your family. I'm bitter at the moment and that's all I got.

GL on your quest!!

jorkz821 · March 2014

I'm a dietitian. I have a masters but you only need a bachelor's to work in the field, plus a 9 to 12 month internship. I like working in hospitals but there is also a lot of health promotion work too. Hours are great, most positions are unionized, some require weekend on-call work. I'd do it over again given the chance, though I also think sometimes about education or nursing. Or medicine but I didn't have the grades for that.

Cons: not too many, really, except that many people aren't really aware of what an RD actually does so that can be frustrating.

mammamia24 · March 2014

I'm a CNA. Just quit my job though. I actually love what I do. I was just tired of the bs I dealed with for the last 4 1/2 years. It's hard work but worth it off you get with the right place.

MintBerryCrunch · March 2014

I'm an RN. I do mom/baby & nursery. I love it, but even if I didn't there are so many different opportunities for nurses that I could switch to something totally different.

phunkyphish · March 2014

I pass out skittles. I love the work that we do, but I really hate the way that we do it. I would advise you to steer clear of government jobs. There are nice perks, like the days off and he amount of leave that you earn, but the bullshit they put you through is not worth it.

.

angelashly · March 2014

@awesomesauce123

Right now I'm doing administrative work for a children's hospital.

I have an associates in Paralegal studies.

Im interested in HR, college admissions or social work, but I like to have options

Karadee1 · March 2014

I am a communications specialist, currently working in sales writing for a
Large financial institution. I have been in the same type of job for a few different companies, since I graduated college.

I have an undergrad in journalism and master's in marketing and communication. A master's degree is definitely not required for my line of work, but I am probably paid a little higher/have a better title than I would otherwise.

I am growing weary of my job. I know it's very "first world problem" to complain about having a job these days, but I'd really like to move away from sales and work more in internal company communications, in an ideal world.

Pros: I like writing/editing and that's all I do all day.

Cons: sales people in my field can be demanding and it is a very deadline driven environment. Lots of stress with projects coming down to the last minute a lot of the time.

I'm considering quitting soon and trying to start a freelance business writing/editing. I'm really good at proofreading professional documents (don't take my internet posts as qualifiers to this lol) and I'd like it if I could stay home and do some freelance work in the evenings.

NeneCakies · March 2014

I have a business degree (BBA) with an emphasis in marketing. I started in retail sales as a manager but found I was much better at reports and analysis. Now I work for an RV and residential toilet manufacturer as the financial analyst. My boss is the VP of Finance and I work directly with the President of North America often.

Pros: I like to create reports, find automation tricks and make data easier to look at and absorb, people are good to work for, we have a sense of humor about our product, our industry is strong because people camp and go RVing even in tough times, and most everyone will always need a toilet

Cons: math is hard, good forecasts are really hard, I'm the only one who does my job so taking time off is hard (but not frowned upon) and sometimes I get bored and Bump a lot (pro?), sometimes the hours are long when up against deadlines, but I can take my work home to continue after DD goes to bed so I don't miss that time with her

I mostly love it but I've found in any job it really depends on the people involved. GL.

msdrdg · March 2014

I have a BFA in Performing Arts with a focus on Theatre Design & Technology, Lighting Design. Lots of words that mean nothing really. Basically college trained me as an entry level theatrical electrician and lighting designer.

I currently work as assistant office manager and box sales associate for a theatrical/special events lighting & production company.

Pros: 9-5:30 m-f, pretty brainless work, kinda in my field, very small "family like" company.

Cons: Small company, little $$, I hate people so sales is not really my thing, the field is very small and close knit so if I wanted to leave there are not many options.

Do yourself a favor, stay out of the theatre business. LOL!

missyishere · March 2014

I am a SAHM, but I have a BA in Business Management and Marketing. I am also certified in Massage Therapy and will be taking my boards again soon. I enjoy rubbing people.

blueyd1 · March 2014

I'm a marketing exec for a large technology company. I have a Master's in Integrated Marketing, but marketing jobs are definitely available for those with Bachelor's degrees.

Pros:

-- A creative outlet and you get to meet/collaborate with a variety of different people. In my role, I work with everyone from Engineering through Program Management.

-- The pay is good (I've been at my company for 10 years, so I cannot speak for other companies).

-- You get to help decide the direction of your business (good if you're a strategic thinker)

-- It's fun: designing collateral, coming up with campaign ideas

Cons:

-- Long hours. My boss is understanding that I leave the office at 5:00 every day and that, barring emergencies/customer dinners, etc..., I'm off the clock until my boys go to bed. Most nights, I'm logging back on to work after they hit the hay.

-- Travel. I travel quite a bit (at least once a month for 2-3 days at a time). It's awesome to see new places, eat at nice restaurants, but it is time away from the kids.

Before this job, I worked at a healthcare PR agency, doing PR (duh) and medical writing (doctors perform clinical trials, I'd take their data and turn it into articles for New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, etc...). That paid really well too and the healthcare field is always exciting to be in.

MallardDucky · March 2014

I have my CNA license, but have been on short term after a shoulder injury. Per doctors orders and not being able to do the required lifting, I am making a switch. I was just offered a management position with a major fast food chain. Hey more money and no actual ass wiping win win.