Well, I just can't seem to win.
I had a job I *hated*, but paid awesome. I couldn't take it anymore, and found a new job with a 20% reduction in pay. The job is great, the people are great. I love going to work in the morning. The pay just sucks.
It was just announced this morning at my job that there will be 8-12% pay cuts before the first of the year. This translates into a loss of anywhere between $450-$650 a month, depending on what percentage they hit me with.
My living expenses haven't really reduced much since I left the hated job... so my income was already pretty tight. I can't afford another big hit, even without racing in the budget at all for next year.
So I started off by thinking, "crap, I gotta get another job." But now I'm thinking bigger. Maybe I'll just dump everything and start over... go back to school and get my MBA. I really hate the idea of starting over completely... but maybe it's a good idea. I'm 27, single, no kids, so it's not like I'm too old to start over, and I'm not uprooting a family or anything.
Has anybody else just hit that big RESET button and just started over?
Know the feeling. Really BS when a company cuts its employees pay but yet their upper mgt gets raises. Or when a company expects you to LIVE the job (like Orkin does) and you eventually get so burnt out you give up and just go through the motions. DO what you think is best for you.
why the hell do you think i went to law school?
i don't regret it.
Jim, if you're in a position where you can hit that RESET button, for gosh sakes' DO IT SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
Life has a way of getting away from ya... yanno?
yeah i "reset" about a year ago. left a very well paying job at one of the construction companies owned by my father to go out on my own. i now have my own company and there for no boss and more time to do what i want, but far less money at this point. i know that in time i will be doing very well for my self. i'm doing ok rite now, just not as well as i had hoped or even as well as i was doing. pay days are bigger now, there's just alot less of them.
Has anyone else hit the reset button? Yep, I did. I got rid of my first wife, that lyin', cheatin', neurotic...oh wait a minute, you're talking about jobs... :-[ :-[
Ok, here are a couple things to think about from a guy who's old enough to need reading glasses. I don't know what kind of job you have so take it for what it's worth.
First, you love your current job and the people are great? You're extremely lucky there. If the place is going through a temporary problem, if the chemistry with the owner/management is good, if you could even come out ahead by not leaving and getting additional responsibilities from those who baled out it might be worth taking a longer view and sticking it out for a while to see what happens. You can always leave later.
If the management is poor and unlikely to change, if the owners aren't solid, if the company's markets are shrinking, if the company is cutting costs because they are structurally uncompetitive (meaning that this cut is not likely to be a one time only event), if you're part of a larger conglomerate and they're cutting you back because they don't understand your business, if you like your job but only because you can block out everything else that's going wrong at the company...then RUN, don't walk for the exit and don't look back.
An MBA? It looks good on a resume, will help you get an interview and, in some cases, is required for you to be considered. In some industries, most of your competition will have one so you don't want to go in there with one hand tied behind your back. It will carry more weight in a larger company/more structured environment. Depending on the industry and mentality of the owner, it may matter less in a smaller, more entrepreneurial firm. (hey, I spelled that right the first time ;D)
If it's easier on your budget and timeframe, an alternative to the MBA might be a more specific technical degree, certification or charter. It immediately tells the employer that you have a specific knowledge base and know what you're talking about. You can expand from there. MBA's are okay, but pretty nonspecific.
I interview quite a few people and I'll take a person with clear direction, purpose, goals and knowledge base over an MBA from an ivy league school who saunters in trying to decide if he/she wants to work for us.
At 27 I wouldn't call it hitting the reset button. You're still young enough that this is developing further education and a career path. Many people make job changes (within reason) as they go through that process.
Sorry to be so long winded but maybe there's something in there that helps. Then again, I've got nothing to worry about. I stayed away from those long winded political threads...
Obligatory macho racing comment:
I think I'd go faster if I had an umbrella girl. :)
QuoteHas anyone else hit the reset button? Yep, I did. I got rid of my first wife, that lyin', cheatin', neurotic...oh wait a minute, you're talking about jobs... :-[ :-[
Ok, here are a couple things to think about from a guy who's old enough to need reading glasses. I don't know what kind of job you have so take it for what it's worth.
LOL! Yes, jobs here, not women. :)
QuoteFirst, you love your current job and the people are great? You're extremely lucky there. If the place is going through a temporary problem, if the chemistry with the owner/management is good, if you could even come out ahead by not leaving and getting additional responsibilities from those who baled out it might be worth taking a longer view and sticking it out for a while to see what happens. You can always leave later.
If the management is poor and unlikely to change, if the owners aren't solid, if the company's markets are shrinking, if the company is cutting costs because they are structurally uncompetitive (meaning that this cut is not likely to be a one time only event), if you're part of a larger conglomerate and they're cutting you back because they don't understand your business, if you like your job but only because you can block out everything else that's going wrong at the company...then RUN, don't walk for the exit and don't look back.
The company is a VERY large, 40-year-old company, that is currently in bankruptcy in an overall very shaky industry. I don't think I need to say any more than that - you can probably guess the company.
QuoteAn MBA? It looks good on a resume, will help you get an interview and, in some cases, is required for you to be considered. In some industries, most of your competition will have one so you don't want to go in there with one hand tied behind your back. It will carry more weight in a larger company/more structured environment. Depending on the industry and mentality of the owner, it may matter less in a smaller, more entrepreneurial firm. (hey, I spelled that right the first time ;D)
Well, I'd be looking for a more specialized MBA. I'm technically a project manager for the E-Commerce group. My team is responsible for all internet advertising for this company. Emails, web adbanners, the company website, etc. I've been working in the E-Commerce industry for a while now and I love it. Two schools I've looked at in the past are Northwestern and DePaul. They both offer an MBA program with a specialization in E-Commerce and Internet Marketing.
QuoteIf it's easier on your budget and timeframe, an alternative to the MBA might be a more specific technical degree, certification or charter. It immediately tells the employer that you have a specific knowledge base and know what you're talking about. You can expand from there. MBA's are okay, but pretty nonspecific.
Been there, done that. I have a computer science degree, and was halfway to a Mechanical Engineering degree. I've worked technical jobs. Through those technical jobs, I've learned that the technical people do all the work, and get some of the pay. Whereas the management teams do none of the work, and collect all of the pay.
I'm smart enough to figure out anything technical that my job requires on my own. That stuff is easy. It's the manager BS that is a challenge for me. I want to be challenged. And I want all the money. ;)
QuoteObligatory macho racing comment:
I think I'd go faster if I had an umbrella girl. :)
You too huh? :)
QuoteJim, if you're in a position where you can hit that RESET button, for gosh sakes' DO IT SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
Life has a way of getting away from ya... yanno?
Yeah, that is what I am afraid of. I don't want to stick something out to find myself completely miserable later, and wishing I'd have done it when I had the chance.
But it's tough to make that decision. I'm established. I have a career I enjoy (albeit shaky.) I own my own house. Things are somewhat 'settled.' When I think about going back to school.. part of me thinks "Ugh." Back to ramen noodles, living in a 10x10 room, paying for groceries with quarters....
Sounds like you've got it pretty well sorted out.
And you probably already know that Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management is one of the best, if not the best, rated schools in the country. DePaul's MBA program is also well regarded. I got my MBA there. The advantage of DePaul was that I could place out of classes and finish sooner. My employer covered the cost in those days too. N'western required you to take the full program, i.e. every class, whether or not you had done it undergrad.
Honestly, Northwestern is a better program. The name is better known outside of Chicago and will open more doors. Although it's a tough program to get into, they used to strongly prefer candidates who already had "real life" work experience so that might be an advantage for you.
It doesn't sound like there's any chance your current employer could help with the cost of tuition, but there may still be some companies that do.
Life is an adventure, right? Best of luck with your decision and the timing that goes along with it.
Go to work for yourself if you can swing it.
How? Well, you have an income now, you can keep that job and build a business in your "spare" time.
Or, you can get a better paying job you don't necessarily enjoy, but use it to fund a new venture.
The cool thing about working for yourself: you are your boss, you call the shots, you make all the decisions.
The bad thing about working for yourself: You are your boss, you call the shots, you make all the decisions.
Ok, a bit facetious, but its true. It means the buck begins, flows and stops with you. You are ultimately responsible. You can hump and get business to pay those bills, or kick back and take it easy the next day. You answer to your clientele, which means the rewards can be really awesome when you do a good job. It's more than money, it's the satisfaction of knowing you did your best.
If you decide to take on employees, it means that you control the quality of you staff, and you can surround yourself with smart, dedicated, enjoyable souls who can make your job easier.
Starting a business isn't for everyone; it can get intense. You control your own destiny. You need to be a good self motivator, though. And you need to really be ready to handle everything that comes your way, good or bad.
Something to think about, because that really is the ultimate "reset" button.
Well, over here in the FWIW dept, I can assure you that I've hit the old reset button a few times now, and have never regretted it. Matter of fact, I just hit the dang thing again back in August, and am taking a sabbatical away from work for a few months. Now I'm not as, shall we say, experienced ;), as old Don there, but I'm also not far behind him, age-wise.
So here's one thing I've learned that I'll share with you: no job I did before I was 30 mattered much, in terms of where I ended up.
Single, no kids, no debt (?)? Travel if you feel like it. Or don't. The biggest factor for you right now is to "follow your nose." Do *whatever* interests you (as long as you can afford it and it doesn't land you in jail...).
When I was 26 I quit the job I was working, got an open return ticket to Auckland, good for up to a year, got a working visa, and hit the road. Bought a backpack once I got down there, and had no clue what I was going to do from there. Ended up having an absolute blast, and toured all over the place.
Came back six months later - older, a bit wiser, and ready to take on the world.
You can do it, too.
If you're dead set on getting into another gig right away, and you have a degree in CompSci, you could do worse than hire in at IBM. They're pretty selective, but it's an excellent company and you get lots of opportunity to learn stuff and do different things.
If you want to kick around any ideas you should give me a call some time - I'm around.
Ah, yes.
Working for yourself will corrupt you though.
You get ideas on how things should be. You can see through the cr@p that some places create.
Hopefully, you can learn to stay away from that.
Working for yourself can depend upon the industry you're in. A niche is good, but there can be things that work to squash you...people even. It can be fun, but you'll want to be reasonably funded if possible.
I found that I prefered to be happy and a little underfunded when compared to overworked, angry, and well paid. Coming home tired when everyone was done with their days long before, angry with enough money to do something, but no time to do it was doing nothing but making me unhappy and feeling like I was going to have a heart attack.
When I was 26, I dropped everything in Omaha and moved to Wisconsin to work for my engine builder. Got screwed. Stayed here and married his cousin. That was the good side.
Messed up my AMA career as a result, stayed at a job too long that kept me angry all the time. Decided to try teaching on my own during that time because I decided the best investments of my time were into myself or my own business. Still, I needed something to help carry me.
Anyway, look at it all very dynamically, Jim.
Thanks for the advice, guys.
I'm definitely not ready to start my own business yet. I've seen a few of my friends start their own gigs, and I've seen what goes into it. I'm not ready for that yet - I at least want to get my personal finances much more squared away before I dig myself another huge hole.
One of my close friends hooked me up with 2 leads at the place she works at, which might turn out well. I spent a few hours today updating the 'ol resume, and plan to send it off tomorrow afternoon. If this doesn't pan out, then I'm aiming to put the house up in March, and go to grad school full-time in the summer term. I spent a few hours talking to my dad about it and he seems to agree... shocking since he's normally not the type to just jump for radical changes. But it's nice to know I have his support.
Hopefully this all works out. Wish me luck :)
PS - if anybody out there has any openings for a project manager... preferably in an E-Commerce/Internet Marketing position, let me know.
My resume can be downloaded here: http://www.kingpinracing.com/Pics/Resume-Pfx.doc
QuoteThanks for the advice, guys.
I'm definitely not ready to start my own business yet. I've seen a few of my friends start their own gigs, and I've seen what goes into it. I'm not ready for that yet - I at least want to get my personal finances much more squared away before I dig myself another huge hole.
One of my close friends hooked me up with 2 leads at the place she works at, which might turn out well. I spent a few hours today updating the 'ol resume, and plan to send it off tomorrow afternoon. If this doesn't pan out, then I'm aiming to put the house up in March, and go to grad school full-time in the summer term. I spent a few hours talking to my dad about it and he seems to agree... shocking since he's normally not the type to just jump for radical changes. But it's nice to know I have his support.
Hopefully this all works out. Wish me luck :)
PS - if anybody out there has any openings for a project manager... preferably in an E-Commerce/Internet Marketing position, let me know.
My resume can be downloaded here: http://www.kingpinracing.com/Pics/Resume-Pfx.doc
Jim,
Would you consider moving to STL for a job? I work for a pretty cool consulting company. www.fergcons.com. I don't know if they have any openings down here for what you're looking for, but if a move isn't out of the question, I think they'd be in the salary range you're looking for and I can ask.
LMK
Scott
QuoteJim,
Would you consider moving to STL for a job? I work for a pretty cool consulting company. www.fergcons.com. I don't know if they have any openings down here for what you're looking for, but if a move isn't out of the question, I think they'd be in the salary range you're looking for and I can ask.
LMK
Scott
I would be foolish not to consider any opportunity that comes along. I would definitely *prefer* to move someplace warm if I had to relocate.... and STL definitely isn't my "ideal" place to live - but money and opportunity talks.
If you've got an opening at your company - then I'd be interested to hear more about it.
Jim STL is a pretty cool place. The climate is quite a bit milder than Chicago. Yeah, they will get snow, but not like Chicago near the lake. Spring actually arrives in STL. Hot, humid summers...but if you're a wuss...you might not be able to handle that.... ;D
U. City High 'til the day I die!
University City, St. Louis, High School cheer.
I miss the 'Lou. The climate is spot on for me and my family is there. What could be better?
Okay, now that I have read the note, I would second or third the decision to go back to school. After I graduated with my bachelors (23 yrs. old), I worked two years (25 yrs. old), then went into grad school full-time (MS Mech Eng). One because I needed to do something different and two I just got married and my wife was already going away to law school. Basically my had was forced, but I'm glad it was, otherwise I would have dragged out getting my Masters for several more years.
While in grad school for the next two and half years I was broker than broke ($1400/mo for being a teaching and research assistant) living in Boston, one of the highest price housing markets in the country. Needless to say I had to take out loans to pay my living expenses, but afterwards I made more than 60% more money than I made with my BS, I've had more opportunities to work on "meaty" projects and things are getting better every year. Part of it is the company, but some times those pieces of paper actually speak for you.
If you can afford to live life as a full-time student, the experience at 27 is actually a lot of fun and may make a huge difference in your future.
This is a tough argument. The economy sucks, jobs are few and far between, and everyone is getting laid off left and right. I'd say go back to school, and get in a new field that is unique. That is one thing that guarantee's tons of money in the future. Do something that people either don't want to do, or is hard to do. For instance, if you were an EE, I'd sugguest getting into medical electronics. That right there is a VERY high paying field. Electrical Engineers that design things like hospital equipment, heart monitors, ect. make TONS of money. I regret not persuing that a long time ago.
Regardless, I'd get into a specialized field that is unique. Anyone any everyone can show up and get a degree. The people that actually can put some things together and "make it happen" are the one's that make the money. If your in a field that is specialized, the jobs may be a little harder to find, but the pay is greater and so is the stability. For instance, I have a friend that is a ME. He went back to school, got his masters, and went from designing transmission components, to designing armor systems for tanks. He now makes $51K more than he did working at one of the automakers.
PhD is worthless if you ask me. Those guys are only good at one thing: Writing White Papers
;D
PhD's are good. The jobs are probably even more stable outside of the ivory towers, at least prior to getting tenior. However, when I went back into industry with my MS, I made more money than my peers with PhD working in univesities. Long term, they'll probably make more and have greater control over the things they do, but it's a slow building process. Sometimes those dissertations can be very lucrative investments.
Honestly, I don't think I've ever met anyone with a PhD that was worth a damn at what they do. Yeah, they can write technical crap, calculate theories, ect. but when it comes to "hands on deployment" they are mostly worthless. I deal with 3 of them every day, and 2 of them are completely lost the minute they walk away from their computer, and the other one breaks everything he touches. To give you an idea, I let him borrow my Powerbook 15" laptop, and when he returned it a week later, it looked like someone thru it down a few flights of stairs. He broke the power adapter, spilled coffee on the keyboard, scratched the LCD, and broke the Airport Antenna adapter. This guy could hurt himself taking a crap. ;D To this day, I have never met anyone with a PhD that is worth a damn. :-/
lol....
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/3905816/detail.html
That maybe true for some, but not all. Too many are just taught theory and not enough practical skills. I have met several that are worth their weight, it all depends on the job.
QuoteThat maybe true for some, but not all. Too many are just taught theory and not enough practical skills. I have met several that are worth their weight, it all depends on the job.
A very wise friend of mine (multiple MS and 2 PhD's) once told me, "The longest bridge in the world is the one between theory and application." Couldn't be more true.
You see the clash between degree'd folks and non-degree'd folks a lot in engineering - and even MORE so in automotive engineering. You got the older guys who don't know the "how" or the "why" - but they've been doing it for 20 years and just "know." They know the "application." Then you get some kid fresh out of school who only has book smarts, and tries to tell the old timer that he's all wrong. The kid knows the "theory." It was always fun to watch the two types argue back when I worked for Navistar :)
On yeah - and the "useless factor" doesn't JUST apply to PhD cardholders, either. I know plenty of people with their BS or MS that are about as useless as bellybutton lint.
But anyways... thanks for the insight on the reset. I always said that if anything bad happened to me at work, that I would just sell everything, go back to school, and start over. It's just a little scarier now that I'm actually legitimately considering it. It definitely eases my mind a LOT to hear other folks that have done it and are happy they did.
Trust me, it was no easy decision to make. My hand was forced by my wife going to law school. If I had to make myself do it, I would probably still be in a wait state. Some times you just have to step out on faith and take whatever comes your way. On things for sure, life will continue to be interesting.
Ah, yes, hold it wide open and trust in God.
It applies to a lot of things, now, doesn't it?
It may apply, but it's never easy to digest.
QuoteAh, yes, hold it wide open and trust in God.
Hmmm... who'd have thought that I could apply what I've learned about T2 at BHF to a real life situation?
;D
See, you're already ahead of me...I can't hold it wide open through two...
QuoteSee, you're already ahead of me...I can't hold it wide open through two...
LOL... ya but you still go faster than me through there!
WOT @ 110mph < half throttle @ 120mph ;)
Thanks again for the words of wisdom, everybody. I've made my decision to just suck it up, and go back to school. The more I thought about it, the more it felt like the right way to go. If I put the house up in March, maybe it'll sell before summer and I can pay off everything. Hopefully it sells soon enough that I'll have a few months of working full-time before school starts in the fall to put some extra cash away. I just hope the company I'm working for doesn't go belly-up before then!
I'll keep the R6... no reason to get rid of it, as I'll just lose all the money I have tied up in it now anyway. I'm gonna run Daytona in the spring, and then probably acquire some stock street plastics off of Ebay and put it on the street. I think a 114hp supersport R6 will make a pretty bad-ass street bike :) Maybe I'll take it down to the local streetrace hangouts and make some side money drag racing it.. LOL! Kim and Rob - I might chat with you in the spring about doing some cornerworking or something, just to stay somewhat in the scene.
So... anybody got any tips on how to ace the GMAT? Last I heard, Northwestern and DePaul aren't very easy to get into ;)
QuoteSo... anybody got any tips on how to ace the GMAT? Last I heard, Northwestern and DePaul aren't very easy to get into ;)
You can practice.
http://www.learnatest.com/Institutions/CareerList_Preview.cfm?CC=Graduate_School_Entrance1&CFID=116650&CFTOKEN=43897580
Get the best recommendation you can. Don't settle for anything less than a spectacular impression of who you are and what they think of your business prowess.
Great recommendations can not be overlooked.
Congrats on the reset. Sounds like you've got it mostly mapped out AND you keep the racing part of your life. Cool!