swasat
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 13, 2011 9:34:28 GMT -5
Posts: 3,735
|
Post by swasat on Apr 3, 2013 10:04:17 GMT -5
Rae, you are a mortgage loan processor. Could you switch jobs andj oin another company? In my experience, biggest pay raises come by switching jobs. Is job switch something you would consider?
Regarding IT, i would not recommend it for you. I know Dark Honor likes to tell everyone that an IT job is very easy to get even without a degree, but his experience is not typical. I have worked in IT all my life and it was easy for non-degreed people to get an IT job during the dot com boom and for some following years. But as technologies have progressed a degree has become a want in the IT industry. Even entry level positions require a 4 year tech degree. Since you already said you don't have the time to go to college, I would seriously suggest against it.
How about tutoring? Online or in person. Places like Kumon, Sylvan Learning Center etc are constantly hiring tutors to teach their classes. A SAHM friend of mine teaches at Kumon in the evening. She makes $12/hr and is usually able to pick her schedule.
|
|
raeoflyte
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 3, 2011 15:43:53 GMT -5
Posts: 14,769
|
Post by raeoflyte on Apr 3, 2013 10:31:03 GMT -5
Reo, For paralegal work, I think you're more suited to Estate Planning and Probate given your background. But given your passion I can see you really want to get into more of a counseling field like the L.C. I agree with Shooby that you really need to research the field and be realistic about your earnings. The nice thing about your current position is that you should be busy for the next couple of years between refis and the sales market. I also see how you could be a really good real estate agent and maybe do it 3/4 of the time. Do the high profile agents in your area use assistants? I know the big producers here in CA often have a couple of assistants to help them manage their case-load. Estate and probate really sound like soul suckers. ![:P](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/tongue.png) I'll do some looking though. I was thinking paralegals made in the $40-50k range, but maybe they pull in more? I don't think I'll go back into real estate because I can't be a w2 employee for any other related field and have a license. But there are loan officers that use licensed assistants. I'd take a cut to my base pay, but the bonus money would almost always bring me back up to my current earnings and probably quite a bit more. That would also give me a chance to train more on the sales side and give me more support. I love my boss and coworkers, but I don't get much mentoring on sales. That is definitely something to think about changing companies for. What is your opinion of focusing on sales, vs. focusing on the operations/management piece? Management would make me more money, and give me the chance to hop industries, but when times get tough they are the first to go. I've clung to my career by being a hard working (and very lucky) worker bee. Sales feels riskier but has more earning potential and I feel like my success would be more tied to my abilities and production.
|
|
raeoflyte
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 3, 2011 15:43:53 GMT -5
Posts: 14,769
|
Post by raeoflyte on Apr 3, 2013 10:35:55 GMT -5
Rae, you are a mortgage loan processor. Could you switch jobs andj oin another company? In my experience, biggest pay raises come by switching jobs. Is job switch something you would consider? To process at another company wouldn't be my first choice because I have so much goodwill built up here, and the work/life issues are industry wide. My company tries hard to promote that more than moat others. But I think I would make considerably more money if I did make the switch in the current market. Business is good right now. Something to think about...
|
|
raeoflyte
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 3, 2011 15:43:53 GMT -5
Posts: 14,769
|
Post by raeoflyte on Apr 3, 2013 10:44:53 GMT -5
I know I'm really scattered, and I really appreciate you guys helping me think through things out loud.
Is anyone here a court reporter? I had heard ads for that a while back, promising a hefty income with lots of opportunities (I guess closed captioning is the same thing?) It sounded too good to be true, but I dig typing. If that could bring in decent money so that I could focus on the bigger picture if what I want to do when I grow up it sounds perfect.
So what I'm thinking right now-renew my originator license, and look for a loan officer assistant position. Depending on the income and time committment from that I could work on marketing to my own clients, and start on the list of classes I'll need to become a lactation consultant. Just one class to start and see if I can even handle it. Thoughts?
|
|
zibazinski
Community Leader
Joined: Dec 24, 2010 16:12:50 GMT -5
Posts: 47,873
|
Post by zibazinski on Apr 3, 2013 10:54:25 GMT -5
Lawyers are doing paralegal work.
|
|
raeoflyte
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 3, 2011 15:43:53 GMT -5
Posts: 14,769
|
Post by raeoflyte on Apr 3, 2013 11:09:57 GMT -5
I wouldn't consider being an LC or doula unless you don't need the income and/or are willing to become a nurse. I saw several LC's when I had DS and I'm pretty sure they were all RN's affiliated with the hospital. It was part time work. The same for becoming a doula - the barriers to entry are low, lots of women are joining the field, and you have to be willing to not have a schedule. edited: the doulas I hired only took on two or three clients a month because of the randomness of baby arrivals. The random schedule wouldn't work until my kids are older, but I know that none of this will happen overnight. There is also a certification for postpartum doulas to help out mom and baby once they come home. That sounds awesome, but would only work with really high end clients and still not make enough to do full time.
|
|
midjd
Administrator
Your Money Admin
Joined: Dec 18, 2010 14:09:23 GMT -5
Posts: 17,719
|
Post by midjd on Apr 3, 2013 11:46:44 GMT -5
It's all regional, but around here (and especially with the advent of CR technology) it's a shrinking field. Most trial court judges used to have at least 2 and sometimes 3+ court reporters - now having just a single one is more the norm. Back in the day, someone had to sit there and actually take notes - now you just pop a CD into the computer, hit "record," and then create a transcript if anyone requests it.
If you're a court reporter for an actual court, the pay is pretty average ($35K - $40K around here) but benefits are good.
The real money seems to be in private industry, working for a court reporting company. For these, you're hired out for depositions, private hearings, and other proceedings that usually don't take place in the courtroom.
We paid a CR $2K for the last depositions we did - about 8 hours of testimony plus the time taken to produce the transcripts, organize exhibits, etc. Not too bad, although I have no clue how much time goes into the transcript prep.
|
|
raeoflyte
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 3, 2011 15:43:53 GMT -5
Posts: 14,769
|
Post by raeoflyte on Apr 3, 2013 12:21:19 GMT -5
Mid-I've seen those people in our conference room when one of the attorneys have depositions. Probably not a great fit for me though. :/
Ccl- my classes were all over the place so while I can transfer them.into a bachelor's program and use almost all of them, there isn't enough in any area to put towards an associates without almost the same time commitment.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Jun 26, 2024 12:10:48 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2013 12:41:51 GMT -5
Raeo,
I know you are looking for a change but I also think that deep in your heart you know you can't have your cake and eat it too.
You aren't going to make big bucks without a lot of stress and long hours. In other words you're not going to get a high paying job AND have the flexible schedule to meet your kids and gma's needs.
You're in a field where you know that first hand. The real estate market is boom bust and the folks who do really well have either done it for years or get in a couple of really good years working 70+ hours a week and then burn out.
You need to figure out what's the most important thing for you and realize it doesn't have to be forever. Maybe now it's cutting back on your lifestyle to enjoy the kids and gma with a plan to get some more education in the next couple of years and change fields.
Best of luck. I've been where you've been but without the complication of having children.
|
|
raeoflyte
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 3, 2011 15:43:53 GMT -5
Posts: 14,769
|
Post by raeoflyte on Apr 3, 2013 13:10:48 GMT -5
Thank you bonny-I do get that. I just really want to take steps so that I'm not dealing with this exact same issue at 40, because so far life never seems to calm down. There will just be new challenges and I'll probably look back wishing I had tried something. We had goals in our 20's, but none of them actually worked out, so I still feel like we are at square one. ![:P](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/tongue.png)
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Jun 26, 2024 12:10:48 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2013 13:42:57 GMT -5
Could you let your license expire then if you find a job that requires it, renew at that time?
|
|
raeoflyte
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 3, 2011 15:43:53 GMT -5
Posts: 14,769
|
Post by raeoflyte on Apr 3, 2013 15:23:54 GMT -5
I'll see what the fees are for that. ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png)
|
|
Bob Ross
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 21, 2010 14:48:03 GMT -5
Posts: 5,882
|
Post by Bob Ross on Apr 3, 2013 16:09:43 GMT -5
I recommend quitting, freaking out, spending hours writing down ideas on a whiteboard, erasing most of them, writing some more, erasing all of them, freaking out some more, writing a couple more ideas, picking one, and devoting all your energy into pursuing it. In my personal experience this works out pretty well. Keep in mind I'm only one day into this process and at the freaking out some more stage so this advice is probably useless. ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/tongue.png) You need to replace the bit at the end about "devoting all your energy into pursuing it" with "starting a thread on here about it but never actually following through with it". ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/tongue.png) I dunno though. Maybe the young 'un's soon-to-be-gaping hungry maws will be a good motivator. ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/wink.png)
|
|
Malarky
Junior Associate
Truth and snark are equal opportunity here.
Joined: Dec 18, 2010 21:00:51 GMT -5
Posts: 5,313
|
Post by Malarky on Apr 3, 2013 16:13:11 GMT -5
I recommend quitting, freaking out, spending hours writing down ideas on a whiteboard, erasing most of them, writing some more, erasing all of them, freaking out some more, writing a couple more ideas, picking one, and devoting all your energy into pursuing it. In my personal experience this works out pretty well. Keep in mind I'm only one day into this process and at the freaking out some more stage so this advice is probably useless. ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/tongue.png) The less stressful alternative will be nagging your husband into bringing in more money.
| Post by Bonny at the Beach on <abbr title="Wed Apr 3 13:41:51 EDT 2013" class="time recent_time" data-timestamp="1365010911000">3 hours ago</abbr>Raeo,
I know you are looking for a change but I also think that deep in your heart you know you can't have your cake and eat it too.
You aren't going to make big bucks without a lot of stress and long hours. In other words you're not going to get a high paying job AND have the flexible schedule to meet your kids and gma's needs.
You're in a field where you know that first hand. The real estate market is boom bust and the folks who do really well have either done it for years or get in a couple of really good years working 70+ hours a week and then burn out.
You need to figure out what's the most important thing for you and realize it doesn't have to be forever. Maybe now it's cutting back on your lifestyle to enjoy the kids and gma with a plan to get some more education in the next couple of years and change fields.
Best of luck. I've been where you've been but without the complication of having children. |
I never did figure out how to quote more than one person in the same reply...
Both Dark and Bonn's posts are very timely for me. I'm back to wanting to quit my job and it was all I could do to not to just walk away yesterday. I'm also in a position where I can't change fields without a lot of financial stress.
Thanks for helping me put it in perspective, even though it wasn't actually directed to me.
|
|
|
econstudent
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 4, 2011 15:36:44 GMT -5
Posts: 2,288
|
Post by econstudent on Apr 3, 2013 18:34:43 GMT -5
I really do love the idea of being a lc, and doula is a good idea. For those concerned about job opportunities for lc, Colorado is the place to do it. I'm pretty sure we still have the highest percentage of nursing moms. It's all the hippies from boulder. ![](http://images.proboards.com/v5/images/smiley/tongue.png) Hospital jobs for it wouldn't pay more than I make, but still come with more flexibility than I have now. I'm already in la leche league, but I need to talk to my lc more to get the nitty gritty. I think that the lactation consultant/doula/baby stuff sounds marvelous. I haven't looked into how lucrative any of those businesses are but I think they would be a lot of fun...something you can be passionate about has to be good, right? ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/wink.png) What about birthing classes? Do you have any interest in being a childbirth educator? I don't know how you'd put any of these together to be enough to replace a full time income though...
|
|
raeoflyte
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 3, 2011 15:43:53 GMT -5
Posts: 14,769
|
Post by raeoflyte on Apr 3, 2013 19:03:59 GMT -5
I could do birthing classes, and even like it.. ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) I did a quick search on lactation consultants in my area and online is saying average salary is 70k, and I found 10 job postings without putting in much effort. That seems pretty good. There are 14 classes I have to take, and 1000 hours of supervision required, plus the test. I'm going to put together a spreadsheet of the careers listed, salaries, education requirements, available job postings, etc. To try to pinpoint my focus and get a game plan.
|
|
econstudent
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 4, 2011 15:36:44 GMT -5
Posts: 2,288
|
Post by econstudent on Apr 3, 2013 20:15:18 GMT -5
That is a great salary. No nursing degree required for those 70k jobs? Good idea with the spreadsheet. ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/smiley.png)
|
|
raeoflyte
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 3, 2011 15:43:53 GMT -5
Posts: 14,769
|
Post by raeoflyte on Apr 3, 2013 20:37:17 GMT -5
I dont think so, but with my prior classes and the required 14 classes I'd be darn close to an associates in nursing. Now I just need a montage to get through the tough part. ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png)
|
|
econstudent
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 4, 2011 15:36:44 GMT -5
Posts: 2,288
|
Post by econstudent on Apr 4, 2013 6:15:34 GMT -5
Good luck. ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/smiley.png)
|
|
973beachbum
Senior Associate
Politics Admin
Joined: Dec 17, 2010 16:12:13 GMT -5
Posts: 10,501
|
Post by 973beachbum on Apr 4, 2013 7:31:39 GMT -5
I could do birthing classes, and even like it.. ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/smiley.png) I did a quick search on lactation consultants in my area and online is saying average salary is 70k, and I found 10 job postings without putting in much effort. That seems pretty good. There are 14 classes I have to take, and 1000 hours of supervision required, plus the test. I'm going to put together a spreadsheet of the careers listed, salaries, education requirements, available job postings, etc. To try to pinpoint my focus and get a game plan. Did you look closely at the postings? I did a quick search in Carreerbuiler and Monster and came up with none in your area. I saw some on another site but they were almost all for RN lactation consultants. The few that didn't require an RN were per diem which I think is healthcare code for part time. nationaljobs.washingtonpost.com/a/all-jobs/list/q-Lactation+ConsultantNot that I want to discourage you from becoming a nurse or lactation consultant but IMO you need to do a lot more research to make sure that what you do really can/will get you the job you want. You might call up a hospital HR dept and ask them. Most hospitals here have HR people that are constantly hiring so they would probably talk with you, if they weren't busy, and hopefully give you the straight poop on what they hire and the education required for those jobs. HTH!
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Jun 26, 2024 12:10:48 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2013 7:44:15 GMT -5
Nurses usually work 3 12-hour shifts, probably same for LCs. So you could always continue on with education once you get started as say an LC to get to a higher degree to make more money. Hospitals may pay for more schooling. One of my coworkers' husband went to school for nursing and just got a job with the hospital where he went to school. If he works certain amount of time, part of his loans will be forgiven.
|
|
raeoflyte
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 3, 2011 15:43:53 GMT -5
Posts: 14,769
|
Post by raeoflyte on Apr 4, 2013 8:13:09 GMT -5
I could do birthing classes, and even like it.. ![](http://images.proboards.com/new/smiley.png) I did a quick search on lactation consultants in my area and online is saying average salary is 70k, and I found 10 job postings without putting in much effort. That seems pretty good. There are 14 classes I have to take, and 1000 hours of supervision required, plus the test. I'm going to put together a spreadsheet of the careers listed, salaries, education requirements, available job postings, etc. To try to pinpoint my focus and get a game plan. Did you look closely at the postings? I did a quick search in Carreerbuiler and Monster and came up with none in your area. I saw some on another site but they were almost all for RN lactation consultants. The few that didn't require an RN were per diem which I think is healthcare code for part time. nationaljobs.washingtonpost.com/a/all-jobs/list/q-Lactation+ConsultantNot that I want to discourage you from becoming a nurse or lactation consultant but IMO you need to do a lot more research to make sure that what you do really can/will get you the job you want. You might call up a hospital HR dept and ask them. Most hospitals here have HR people that are constantly hiring so they would probably talk with you, if they weren't busy, and hopefully give you the straight poop on what they hire and the education required for those jobs. HTH! No worries-I'm not going to sign up overnight based on an under 10 minute search. ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) I have a lot of parts I have to figure out including how to earn money, take classes, and not go insane. Plus talk to my lc. She just finished the supervisor part with 2 apprentices, so finding out how they have landed will be important info. However since most things on my list are in the medical field, and I really should work on/toward a degree I'm going to take the lc list as my starting point.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Jun 26, 2024 12:10:48 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2013 8:24:08 GMT -5
Do you have any stores near you like the one I linked? Instead of working in a hospital maybe you can get hired at one of those?
|
|
raeoflyte
Senior Associate
Joined: Feb 3, 2011 15:43:53 GMT -5
Posts: 14,769
|
Post by raeoflyte on Apr 4, 2013 9:51:05 GMT -5
We do beer-I feel like I'm in them all the time. ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) Thinking about this more I'm starting to realize that a lot of my goals are coming with the same risks of being self employed or nearly self employed. I've never been willing to give up the stability of my regular paycheck and benefits. So I need to figure out what factors would let me take that next step.
|
|
973beachbum
Senior Associate
Politics Admin
Joined: Dec 17, 2010 16:12:13 GMT -5
Posts: 10,501
|
Post by 973beachbum on Apr 4, 2013 12:54:46 GMT -5
There are some industries that have their own boards for jobs and the vast majority of the jobs don't get posted anywhere else. I know that for higher education it is HERC. I don't know if healhcare has a board like that but it is worth checking out IMO. It is possilbe that there are loads of jobs for LC's posted but they are on a board that isn't widely known. Good luck.
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Jun 26, 2024 12:10:48 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2013 15:10:05 GMT -5
with my prior classes and the required 14 classes I'd be darn close to an associates in nursing.
Rae, in that case, what about getting the associate's in nursing? Do you live in a place where they will hire you with an associate's, and pay for your schooling while you work? Then you could aim to be a OB/GYN nurse, and maybe specialize in lactation afterwards (I think).
One of my best friends is an ER / geriatric nurse and I REALLY envy her ability to pick up extra work whenever she wants.
|
|
moneymaven
Well-Known Member
Joined: Dec 26, 2010 10:05:04 GMT -5
Posts: 1,864
|
Post by moneymaven on Apr 6, 2013 22:27:02 GMT -5
Hey Rae, my old position is available locally... Haha just kidding!
Colorado is the best place for you to pursue the LC/doula, etc. I utilized those professionals so much with DS and I paid all of it out of pocket. So worth it to me.
Good luck to you and keep us posted!
|
|
Deleted
Joined: Jun 26, 2024 12:10:48 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2013 8:34:45 GMT -5
I'd be careful with the assumption that LC or doula work would be flexible. My impression would be just the opposite. Doulas work when the babies come - for however long that takes. You would need pretty reliable short notice childcare to make that work. And LCs (my impression is that in practice it is an extra cert for a nurse, or folks who do it on the side for their passion, but for the paycheck).
Dental hygiene is another tricky one. I think the trend is towards making it a 4-year degree program (sort of like an RN without a BSN is falling out of favor). The school near me has recently switched. So, while there are licensed hygienists who have 2 year degrees, you might need a 4 year degree to get into the field today.
Good luck!
|
|
Shooby
Senior Associate
Joined: Jan 17, 2013 0:32:36 GMT -5
Posts: 14,782
Mini-Profile Name Color: 1cf04f
|
Post by Shooby on Apr 7, 2013 8:36:11 GMT -5
The good thing is to really explore and think about various careers which is what you are doing. So, it will all become clear what direction to take.
|
|