$60,000 a year and up jobs, how do you get ther?

[ambient]

Originally Posted by BackinHenderson

I think I have failed to "do my time" and am trying to catch up while staring 30 in the face.

I think you have quite succinctly summarized the root cause of your situation here. It sounds like you've bounced around quite a bit across some pretty diverse job descriptions over the past few years. If you desire a professional career with the things that come along with it, you'll have to find some way to focus your skills and experience into something that is competitive and at least tolerable to you. This may require some job retraining... You'd also have to establish some job stability within your chosen field...it's the only way to get the experience and credibility to move up. Where you are now might work for you as a step in such a plan...

[FinkieMcGee]

Originally Posted by harhar

I am.

And no, I don't see Philosophy contributing to IT, unless you're doing technical writing or hard-core logic which I guess would be good for programming... But I could argue that it is though...lol.

Now that I think about it this guy...

Technology Consulting

...was in a few of my classes (take a look at his resume).

Although he was programming before he got his degree.

I currently work in a library, but got the job because I didn't really have a plan.

Now after a few years I've done more and more IT; it's something that I love and have been around my entire life. Plus IT will pay the bills, more than say my other hobbies.

Going to be honest, some of the better software developers were former Music majors and Philosophy majors. Breaking in might be difficult but as far as what I've looked for from people I've interviewed major is of little concern.

You will have to do some legwork to prove you can do software development though.

[lovetheduns]

I would have graduated college in 2000 originally, but I took time off to help my mother and worked full time. First professional job was in 1999 as a headhunter making about 80k.

Left for a dot com, was laid off, and then 9-11 happened. Made some horrible money and would only break 40k with overtime.

Went to my present company in 2005 with a salary cut but felt it was promising and a more directed career path. Told myself that if in a year my company did not appreciate my work ethic and abilities then I would jump.

Now in six years I make over 100% more just in base salary. I make another 25-30% each year in an annual bonus not to mention stock share payments based on my performance (out of my entire department only 3 people were awarded these payments-- I was one of them). This ends up bringing me in an additional 15-20k a year.

What worked for me was willing to part ways AS WELL AS patience.

I saw my company intended to move me up, sometimes they could not do it as fast as I would like, but having patience and trust in my management while working extremely hard has gotten me significant rewards. I'm now at a director level and based on what my manager has said more than likely in the next six months my role will change to a higher level again.

What I never did was assume I was "worth" XYZ amount of money after only a year experience etc. Let's face it, even an accounting degree or business degree is not going to miraculously make you 60k. Why? Because you don't really have experience. My job is far from the everyday drone work and is far more focused on strategic future direction... But to get there I had to do some of the everyday drone work to have a clue,

You have to balance spending enough time on the front line, see if your company intends to move you up, and be willing to walk if not.

However, immediately jumping too soon is also not going to do you any favors, you could end up like the girl who had the MBA on my old team who assumed just because she got that slip of paper she was immediately qualified to be in leadership and thus ignored all of the suggestions the company tried to give her. She left trying to force my org into giving her money and is now an office manager for a construction company since she left before really getting the experience in tandem with her degree,.

[highlife2]

Originally Posted by dspguy

Short-short version for me:
Graduated in 2002 with a BS in engineering. Went back for my MS Engineering and completed in 2003. Got a job in my field for what I felt was crappy pay. Stayed there for 5 years and "did my time." Built up my resume by taking on various projects within the company. My pay increased 20% over 5 years (finished in the 60s) while cost of housing increased by some absurd amount in that time frame.

Moved states, increased my pay by 50% by taking a job at a company with "great need" for someone with my skill-set. Received another 20% in pay over the next two years.

My belief is that you need to "do your time" and eventually leverage your experience at a new company. For the record, I got this current job when the economy was turning to utter crap. Its possible even today.

Yep and try to get your PE in that 4-5 years so that you have something to show for that time other than just misc projects.

[BackinHenderson]

Originally Posted by lovetheduns

I would have graduated college in 2000 originally, but I took time off to help my mother and worked full time. First professional job was in 1999 as a headhunter making about 80k.

Left for a dot com, was laid off, and then 9-11 happened. Made some horrible money and would only break 40k with overtime.

Went to my present company in 2005 with a salary cut but felt it was promising and a more directed career path. Told myself that if in a year my company did not appreciate my work ethic and abilities then I would jump.

Now in six years I make over 100% more just in base salary. I make another 25-30% each year in an annual bonus not to mention stock share payments based on my performance (out of my entire department only 3 people were awarded these payments-- I was one of them). This ends up bringing me in an additional 15-20k a year.

What worked for me was willing to part ways AS WELL AS patience.

I saw my company intended to move me up, sometimes they could not do it as fast as I would like, but having patience and trust in my management while working extremely hard has gotten me significant rewards. I'm now at a director level and based on what my manager has said more than likely in the next six months my role will change to a higher level again.

What I never did was assume I was "worth" XYZ amount of money after only a year experience etc. Let's face it, even an accounting degree or business degree is not going to miraculously make you 60k. Why? Because you don't really have experience. My job is far from the everyday drone work and is far more focused on strategic future direction... But to get there I had to do some of the everyday drone work to have a clue,

You have to balance spending enough time on the front line, see if your company intends to move you up, and be willing to walk if not.

However, immediately jumping too soon is also not going to do you any favors, you could end up like the girl who had the MBA on my old team who assumed just because she got that slip of paper she was immediately qualified to be in leadership and thus ignored all of the suggestions the company tried to give her. She left trying to force my org into giving her money and is now an office manager for a construction company since she left before really getting the experience in tandem with her degree,.

That sounds like pretty sound advice, but man if only I could have entered the workforce back then. I was 17 in 99' .