How do I live here on what I make? (Boston: apartments, loans)

[elysium78]

I'm 35 years old and have always lived in Boston. I currently make 51k. Not too long ago I had a job where i was making 42k and I managed. Reading other people's salaries I'm wondering if I'm just settling for less than I'm worth at this point. I work at a higher ed/non profit company and I'm in a customer support type role. I have a masters degree. I guess I went into the wrong field? I'd like to make more but once you accept a salary unless you get a big promotion within the company it's tough to get much more than a 5% raise. I once worked at a company for 6 years where i felt i put in a strong effort in trying to get ahead, trying to get promotions, but it didnt happen easily and then I got laid off. I went back to a customer support role because I feel like that's what I'm good at. I dont know where else i can go from here and I guess it's scary. I'm like ok am i going to have a salary in the 50k range for the rest of my life?? I went back and got a masters thinking it would help me...really hasn't.

I like my job, but i feel like i'm making less than i should be. It's discouraging, but getting a job these days seems so difficult. Interviewing is exhausting. I guess I'm just venting. It's just irritating seeing 22 year olds fresh out of college complaining about a salary of 55k. They dont know how lucky they are!

[G-fused]

I don't have a good idea about the lanscape of the non profit higher ed field so can't offer anything specific there. However, I know that in most situations people aren't going to get a jump in salary by staying within the same organization. The largest jumps come when you go to other places. Even when someone moves up into mgmt within the same org, they usually won't be at the same salary level as those rectruited from the outside.

There are a couple options that immediately come to mind to get to a higher salary level. First one is to specialize in something within the field. Whatever you see as being the hot area within higher ed. After getting familiar with that and hopefully doing it for a while, jump ship. So what's hot in higher ed customer support? Or if you can create something interesting that would be valuable to an employer you can use that to try to present at industry conferences and then people will get to know you, which will be good for your career. Maybe use data in a unique way to increase throughput or response time or satisfaction levels? Just thinking out loud.

Other thing is to make your desires and intentions known to the organization. Let your supervisor know that you are ambitious. Have specific goals in mind and communicate that to him/her. Good supervisors will support you. Ask for their advice on how to get ahead. Let them know you are at a point in your life and career where you feel ready to accept more responsibility. And not only once, keep talking with them and asking for their advice on conferences to attend, certifications to get, internal meeting and committees to be a part of, etc. Maybe reach out to other related departments too to see if you can get invovled with some of their projects.

It's tough out their. Most things won't come to you, you have to go get it and some of it does have to do with luck. Don't be too discouraged and forget about people complaining about getting 55k out of school. That won't help you.

Regardless of if any of that helped practically, I hope it helped psychologically.

Best of luck bro.

[miu]

Well... you could be in the wrong field. So in complaining about those making $55K right out of school, are they in the same field as you? Or are you comparing apples to oranges?

Also, are your students loans all paid for by now? Maybe companies having to pay $55K to a recent graduate is factoring in their new hire's loan repayment obligations.

Maybe you need to look at your own job skills and think about taking courses to update them and so you can compete with the recent graduates.

Or maybe you should talk with a career counselor.

[495neighbor]

Have you tried posting the same question in the employment forum? You might get more feedback there, as your problem does not seem Boston specific. Good luck.

Customer support and service is notoriously low paying. You can't really negotiate higher earnings when you are in the position of competing with outsourced overseas services. I think it is time to figure out what else you do well that would pay better.

[Tor_Nado]

Unfortunately with that kind of salary, the only logical option would be to find a roommate(s). Apartments in safe areas of Boston go for $2,000 per month. The reason rents are so high is because Boston has a large college population and once they graduate, many seek housing in the city. It's supply and demand.

[elysium78]

Thanks for the responses. I'll try posting in the employment forum as well. My job and company are interesting, I like higher ed...i almost don't feel like trying to figure this out anymore and i'm settling. I dont want to manage people, this I know. I'm fine money-wise, I have a lot saved, plus I'm married and my husband makes a lot more than I do...i just wonder what it is that i'm doing wrong. I feel like i'm still in an entry level position. ahhh...getting laid off in 09 did not help things either.

[elysium78]

I actually dont see an employment forum here?

[miu]

Originally Posted by elysium78

I actually dont see an employment forum here?

It's not literally in here, as in a part of the Boston/Massachusetts forum, but in the General Forums section towards the bottom of the main forum page.

//www.city-data.com/forum/work-employment/

[miu]

Originally Posted by elysium78

Thanks for the responses. I'll try posting in the employment forum as well.

Ultimately, if you are serious about making more money or just assessing your career, you're going to have to find a professional career counselor and PAY them to evaluate your situation. That person will meet you in person and read the details of your resume. Factors like your personality, what schools you went to, and where you've worked are all things that an anonymous and free message board aren't privy to but are important considerations.

[495neighbor]

You might want to search Customer Relationship Management for career ideas.