How do people find awesome Jobs??

[kimalicious 5]

Ok, I live near Dallas, Texas where there are plenty of cool high paying jobs out there like, paralegals, meeting planners, event coordinators, corporate executives, corporate trainers and many others. They may not sound as exciting to some people, but I would love nothing more than to find a job like this. I am a smart person who has worked as a collector for over 7 years full time and go to a local university part time to finish my bachelors degree. I make a decent living at my huge company, it's not the money I am worried about here, it is the job. I can't stand it and haven't for years, especially the crazy hours I work, but when they pay you 60K plus a year and pay for my school it is a hard place to leave to start somewhere fresh making much less. How do other people find jobs in the corporate world? I try to get into other jobs but get turned down when they think I only have call center experience. I know it is all in who you know, but what jobs do you have and how did you get into them? Do you like your job? And is it worth it to make less money somewhere else for my sanity? Does anyone have any event coordinator jobs they need filled!!???

[shellyj. 0]

for ME the only i reason i work is for the $$$

i have had 2 GREAT jobs:

United Way- marketing and communications coordinator

fresh out of college i had just moved. signed up with kelly temp service cause i needed some quick cash. they place me with the U.W. as a secretary. the day i start is their marketing persons last day. i pipe up *i just graduated in that field* kelly has to send out someone else for the secretary job and i get hired on full time. *BEST JOB I EVER HAD*

Environmental Graphic Designer:

the job i have now i interviewed for and they ended up not hiring and one for it then 6 months later they call and offer me the job. they liked me so much when i moved 2400 miles away they let me keep the job and work from home.

i do graphic design and in my field its all about your portfolio and how you perform under pressure.

i however dont *LOVE* my job but it pays GREAT and i can work from home.

i plan to work hard and save save save till i have enough to quit and be a stay at home mom or just retire. then i can do what makes me feel good (volunteer work) and wont have to worry about the $$.

i worked at CNA insurance while i was in college and it was a high pressure job. if they paid me 100,000 a year i couldnt do it for long. MAYBE a few years- so in that sense i can see where it would be hard to put up with that!

DO WHAT FEELS RIGHT!

[kimalicious 5]

I goofed around when I first graduated high school and never finished my degee. Now that I have the opportunity I am working on finishing. It is near impossible for me to finish completely without working part time at some point. That I could not afford in my life at this time, but also can't afford not to finish in the long run. I feel stuck and keep telling myself to stick through it since they are working with my school schedule and paying for my school. Then also I feel like, so I finish school and then what? I want something stable with normal hours and pays decently. I just thank god that this area of the US is not an expensive place to live. For instance, I could buy a 2000 sqaure foot home in a nice neighborhood for $160K easily. The commute is not wonderful, but not as bad as other places I have seen, so 60K a year is really not a bad salary in this area, but I always want more and something more rewarding than taking peoples homes from them. I am going to school to become a high school psychologist. It will be a massive pay cut, but much more rewarding I think? THen sometimes I feel like I am not living up to my potential as choosing this for my future? Does anyone else feel like they just chose their career because it was the easy degree?

[TommyO 5]

Hers is a bit of advice you might find helpful. One the best ways to change career direction is to make a career change but stay with the company you are currently working for. Seven years ago I moved from sales to a role in training with the company I work for. I spoke to my HR person and told them of my desire to get involved in Training. I then enrolled in a program in Adult education (Training) and began doing training on the side. I went to a local career college and told them I would be interested as being a guest speaker for one of their programs. It took about a year for me to get my diploma in adult education and within a year and a half I was working in a role that included training responsibilities. Things have worked out well for both sides because I have a strong understanding of our business and our business processes so I am able to design training that relevant to our employees.

So my advice to you is go to your HR representative, tell them what you are interested in and then build a plan to get the skills required to fill that role. Most companies would prefer to hire from within and people who are able to adapt and change are highly regarded so I bet you get a positive response.

Good luck

[kimalicious 5]

I have actually talked to the training department here and they require a bachelors degree minimum. I guess I need to just finish school and then worry about moving around. There are so many opportunities outside of my department, most of which require a degree. So that is definately the route I would like to go. I work for a major finance company that is all over the world, so the options are endless. I just need to get my degree, learn to network and make friends just to move around. I hate networking, but I guess I am going to have to suck that up. I hate it when people get jobs only because they are friends with the management. I guess instead of hating them I will just have to join them.

[HunnyBun 2]

I hated my job so much that I started my own business on the weekends. I started with just 1 client. Now I have 2 employees and we clean about 70 houses a month, plus some commercial accounts.

[mousecrazy 2]

I just want to wish you luck in your endeavor to find the right job. I have been a teacher for 28 years, so looking for new jobs and changing careers isn't something I know about. My advice to my students is to really examine what makes them feel happy and what they are good at, then try to combine them. I do not love every aspect of teaching; you will not love every aspect of any job, I don't think. But, I love working with kids, especially the at-risk ones, and helping them learn both the academics and the very important lessons about life. You make more than I do, after 28 years. I know I wouldn't be able to have a career where it was all about the money, but I know people who do. What kind of person are you? That's the important part! Good luck! Cindy

[Wheetsin 714]

I work in the training field, in a way - I work in the science behind training. I have most of my life so I'm happy to give you any advice I can. If you don't want to know the current climate (in agonizing detail) in the training industry, then skip my message. :eek:

Following the ISPI shift most companies worth their weight started realizing that "workers who know the job" aren't necessarily good training developers, nor are they good trainers. For the mot part the shift is at least 95% toward "hire people who know training, and let them talk to people who know the job" (follows suit with the instruction-performance shift).

Currently I'm a Sr. Learning & Development Consultant. This role is a blend of instructional designer/technologist and human performance consulting. I also do a lot of e-learning/distance learning design & development. Previously I have worked as a Sr. Instructional Designer, Sr. Learning Design Advisor, Sr. Performance Consultant, etc. I'm 29 and have worked in Fortune 500 corporate settings since I was 18 (started at a call center, moved to their training department 3 weeks after starting). I have also done independent consulting work with large social service firms (e.g. Goodwill) and small not-for-profits. None of that is meant to "toot my own horn" - but to give you an idea of what the jobs really look like out there, and if you have questions - what I may or may not be able to help you with.

The training world, for people who aren't classically trained in the instructional design sciences, is getting smaller at a very fast pace. A bachelor's degree, esp. if you don't have significant experience in one of the progressive fields, won't mean squat. Training (note: even calling it "training" is becoming a no-no) is IMO one of the best fields when it comes to finding something you can do with a wide variety of education... there simply aren't a lot of things that don't touch it... English, Psychology, HRD, BA, etc. What t ostudy depends on which training aspect you're interested in: designing is different from developing which is different from facilitating, etc. (unfortunately most people have to do all, but different degrees can better prepare you for emphasis in one area over the other).

I have two bachelor's degrees, one in English and one in Philosophy. If I were just graduating, there's no way that would get me a job in the training field. In a few months I will finish my master of science in IPT/HPT. That would get me an interview, but I'd still have to be able to show that I know my stuff. Next January I will start a PhD program, and will still need other things "in my arsenal" to make me competitive. Everyone in my department, even our admin. assistant, has a bachelor's. Everyone who does the job I do has, or is working on, a master's degree. (Unfortunately in today's corporate America a bachelor's is the "new" highschool diploma... it's an absolute bare minimum, and doesn't maen anywhere near as much as it used to).

Training is an old field that is just now starting to get younger. I'm the youngest in my group of 11 and I'm 29. The next youngest in my department is 32. The third youngest is 43. Pretty significant gap. There are 11 other people, the oldest being 59. That's a really significant age gap from 32 - 43, especially when you break out the percentages going upwards.

As for pay, I'm in the midwest and the pay range for what I do starts around $78k. To come in at that level you'd have to at least be working on a master's degree and have 5 solid years in the field. Or you could work your way up from lower positions. The peak for my position is $118k, so most people make right in the middle. Tack on a 40% bonus bracket. The position that's just under me starts around $55k and goes up to about $90k and is in a 20% bonus bracket. The overall average for a worker in this field ("instructional designer" would be the most common job title, and doesn't require the experience in performance management that my job does) in this area is about $65k.

If it's a field you're wanting to break into, I'd be happy to suggest some reading, some organizations you can join, even some classes to make sure you take in school. Happy to help in any way I can!

[kimalicious 5]

Wheetsin, what does IPT/HPT stand for? I have actually done some training at a small company when I was younger and have looked for specific degrees in this area. They don't really exist at the bachelors level in our area. There is a Masters at the University I attend though, but it is very decript as to the areas that you want to train in and you basically already have to be in that field to do so. All of your information was really helpfull. I have wanted to be a teacher from as far back as I can remember, so teaching adults just makes more money with less time off.

I knew I could get some insight on this sight, I swear there is someone who knows everything in this place. Thanks everyone for the info!

[Road Queen 0]

Kim,

Wheetsin gave some great info so I'm just going to supplement with things that have worked for me over the years. I have an accounting degree (CPA) and started out auditing governmental entities. I worked for a CPA firm, then went to auditing government and business firms that received federal funding for hiring or educational purposes.

I joined Toastmasters to improve my speaking and interviewing skills. Advancing as an Officer in the local club and regionally (president, treasurer, public relations office, member recruitment, newsletter prepration, etc) gave me experience in managing volunteers, running meetings, and leadership. Giving Toastmaster Seminars provided me with training skills.

I also started volunteering with local organizations. And became a board member on some non-profits (expanding skill sets again) and sometimes just worked on committees.

I went on an international Rotary exchange program and started learning about working with different cultures. After joining Rotary, I participated in additional international and volunteer work - to learn more about countries, cultures and contribute to the communities. Through church, I volunteered with a local church and an orphanage in Honduras.

I joined a local chapter of the National Management Association, went through the officer ranks, and participated in planning conferences. I took the tests and became a Certified Manager. (I am also a Certified Government Finance Officer.)

I went back to school and got my masters in Management with an IT specialty. (I need 3 more classes for my MBA). After that, I began getting offers to teach as adjunct faculty. I have taught a graduate level Financial Management class and undergraduate classes in Governmental Accounting, Public Policy, and Economics.

I am currently trying to get an appointment as a federal personal services contractor to do Budget work in Malawi, Africa. That may fall through for a number of reason. If it does, I will continue expanding my skill set and experiences to provide me a better background for future positions. I did not apply for this or the teaching jobs. These things have happened because someone told somebody about my skills. I guess the long and short of this is to continue learning new things and sometimes it pays off. Good luck in your efforts. Celeste

[Wheetsin 714]

IPT = Instructional Performance Tehnology. HPT = Human Performance Technology. What school/program do you have access to? I'm familiar with most of them, and if it's not one I'm familiar with I can run it by other people I know and see if I can get any feedback about it for you.

[kimalicious 5]

Wow Road Queen, those are all such awesome accomplishments. I feel like a lazy bum now. HA!! While working a 50 hour week and going to school, I don't have time for much else in between, those are great ideas for when I do finish though. I love the idea of volunteer work and I had never heard of the other Organization you spoke for, but I am currently looking it up. I guess I was so involved with school work I never had time to join any of the groups invovled with the school to get the extras in. I will put my focus on this next semester. There are so many great orgs within my company and school, I just need to sign my butt up and get in there. I am so dead serious about school now that nothing is going to stop me from going all the way (again, why didn't I think of that sooner in life) Thanks!

Wheetsin, I currently go to the University of North Texas but the business schools around here would be either Southern Methodist University(SMU), The University of Dallas (UD), or University of Texas Arlington (UTA). Thanks for checking and let me know if you hear anything, I am really appreciating all of this help. I don't know if the infomation or motivation has helped more!

Thanks, Kim

[Road Queen 0]

Kim, I'm alot older than you are so I've had lots of time. I really didn't start joining and doing many of those things until I was about 30 (I was a slow learner). Good luck. Celeste

[Wheetsin 714]

As for what to join, I second Toasmaster's - for anyone, regardless of role, but especially if you'll be presenting or facilitating.

I belong to ASTD (American Society of Training Developers) International and local chapters. I also belong to ISPI (International Society for Performance Inprovement). Both are great for sharing knowledge & networking, and both offer several meetings & conferences that are equally valuable.

If it's something you want to get into, I would also suggest contacting small, local businesses and seeing if they would be interested in an intern type situation. A lot of companies want a training program but can't afford a professional diesgner/developer. That's a good opportunity to get some experience under your belt. A lot of the contracting work I do is with schools... of all the places, schools are some of the worst when it comes to having instructional integrity.

[Kira 0]

I am in Dallas, and I co-chair the board for a large nonprofit all-volunteer organization. We rely upon volunteers to help organize our annual gala event as well as other events throughout the year. If you are interested in event planning, I suggest that you look for volunteer opportunities to build your skill set. You may also have the opportunity to meet people who are recognized in the field you are interested in. For example, some of our volunteers a couple of years ago had a chance to work closely with a very well known (and well televised) event planning professional here in Dallas. Another resource for event planning is ISES. I believe that stands for the International Society of Event Specialists. They have a chapter here in Dallas that is very active. http://www.isesdallas.com/

If you are interested in hearing more about the organization I work with, please feel free to PM me.