Stick it out in radio sales or go back to school to pursue nursing? So confused!

[rebellefleur]

I am currently 24 with a degree in Communications (broadcast journalism)- i followed my heart in school but since regret not listening to my parents and just picking a job with a good guarantee. Currently i am working in radio sales. This was really all i could find coming out of college. I have been in this job for four months now and it's been a rollercoaster ride. Radio sales, after 6 months, is strictly JUST commission and that terrifies me. It's been really difficult. You have to find your clients and a lot of businesses just don't have the money to afford commercial time lately. It's a high stress, high anxiety job but at the same time you have a lot of freedom which is a good and bad thing. A lot of senior account executives in my company actually make amazing money, some up to $200,000 a year- so if you stick it out and you're lucky enough you could make a lot of money. But also the future of radio sales scares me and i also don't know if i want to deal with this anxiety for the rest of my life.

 

I've been looking into nursing school too. I enjoy the medical field a lot so i know i'd like it for the most part- i know nursing also has its stresses, but at least it's a guaranteed employment...and not *cringes* commission based. I've applied to a community college to take pre-reqs to try to get into an accelerated program if i decide to but i'm really torn. I don't know if i shoud stick it out in radio sales and give it some time (they warned me it would be difficult in the beginning) or take the jump to a completely different career path.

 

Any advice/personal input?

[sg84]

I'd go to nursing school while still working for radio sales at the same time. More education is always a better thing if you can do it without going into major debt.

 

My degree is in Media Arts and I am still struggling to get off ground and I graduated in 2007, everything is SO low paying starting out and competitive. So I am weighing my options right now, not sure what direction to go.

[DancingFool]

I think before you make the switch and spend a lot of time and money on school, you should really find out what being a nurse entails on a day to day basis. Go shadow nurses and really see what their work is like and I'm not talking just one time here. Find and talk to those who are not particularly happy with their work and why. It's easy to get pumped up by someone who loves their job, but it doesn't mean that you will be that person. Get a really good grasp on what the career in nursing really is about, what the tiers are and what it takes to get there. There are so so many people who go to school, get out and find out that they really cannot handle the job and now are back to worse than square one - paying off school loans.

 

Also, make sure that you are not just reacting to the current insecurity of commission based work. As for radio ads, frankly, if you are good at selling, you'll never be out of work or go hungry. Yes, experienced sales people make quite a bit. Some sales positions do give you a base salary too. Some fields are less stressful, more secure because you may be selling a highly technical product with little competition. Also, consider medical device sales if you are into medicine. When it comes to sales, there are a lot of different paths, but at the end of the day, you have to be able to sell and know what you are strong at selling. For some, it's products, for others it's services. Some are good at selling huge volumes of small ticket items and some can only cut huge ticket deals.

[rebellefleur]

I'd go to nursing school while still working for radio sales at the same time. More education is always a better thing if you can do it without going into major debt.

 

My degree is in Media Arts and I am still struggling to get off ground and I graduated in 2007, everything is SO low paying starting out and competitive. So I am weighing my options right now, not sure what direction to go.

 

I wish this were an option, especially since i'd have to pay out of pocket, but my current job is full time 8:30-5:30pm and most programs run during the day. Also that would be SO overwhelming, especially in a field like nursing where there is such a big committment. It's scary how hard certain degrees are to find something that is reliable- you are completely right- so much is low salary and competitive.

 

 

I think before you make the switch and spend a lot of time and money on school, you should really find out what being a nurse entails on a day to day basis. Go shadow nurses and really see what their work is like and I'm not talking just one time here. Find and talk to those who are not particularly happy with their work and why. It's easy to get pumped up by someone who loves their job, but it doesn't mean that you will be that person. Get a really good grasp on what the career in nursing really is about, what the tiers are and what it takes to get there. There are so so many people who go to school, get out and find out that they really cannot handle the job and now are back to worse than square one - paying off school loans.

 

Also, make sure that you are not just reacting to the current insecurity of commission based work. As for radio ads, frankly, if you are good at selling, you'll never be out of work or go hungry. Yes, experienced sales people make quite a bit. Some sales positions do give you a base salary too. Some fields are less stressful, more secure because you may be selling a highly technical product with little competition. Also, consider medical device sales if you are into medicine. When it comes to sales, there are a lot of different paths, but at the end of the day, you have to be able to sell and know what you are strong at selling. For some, it's products, for others it's services. Some are good at selling huge volumes of small ticket items and some can only cut huge ticket deals.

 

You make some great points. My interest in nursing actually came from "shadowing" them in a sense. My mom was in the hospital for two months straight last year and i was there literally every day- seeing what they did, talking to them personally and hearing the good and the bad, learning about the programs, etc. It really opened my eyes. I never wanted to be a nurse because i had a lot of wrong impressions about their jobs and what not. I am aware of the bad side, but i feel like overall i would enjoy that.

 

You also make a decent point about sales. I haven't really figured out if i like sales or not. I'm not a tradionally "salesy" type seller. But i always wondered maybe if i looked into a different type of sales if i would like it better? I don't know. Sales is something that just kind of fell into my lap because it was my first opportunity in radio. I never really saw myself working in sales nor strived to do that.

 

I don't know, i'm just so confused. I don't want to make any decisions i'll regret but i also don't want to waste my time and money either.

[agent1607307371]

I know GreyWolf is a nurse and she has a journal. So maybe you could ask her about it.

[Snny]

My fiance was a nurse and didn't like it. Hours were the problem- they placed him mainly night shifts and had to work more than 40 hours a week to the point it burned him out quickly. Sleeping through the day is depressing and will affect your emotional well being. He didn't have trouble finding a job at a nearby hospital because he had networks from his local cultural community that were mainly in the nursing field. If you don't have networks already within a hospital, you will have a hard time getting in.

 

If you are a Communications major and probably have some tech experience of working with equipment, have you looked into radiology or ultrasound? My fiance switched to ultrasound and people in that field are paid more and have more flexible hours.

[DancingFool]

There is a big difference between shadowing them in a sense and actually spending an entire night shift or whatever shift from beginning to end and really seeing how that day goes and whether you would even have the stamina for that.

 

Also, really good point above in that there is a perception that nursing is guaranteed employment, but in reality not so much. At lower levels there is huge turn over, so yes, it's constant hiring going on. There is a reason why the turn over is huge - it's a dirty, physically taxing job that most people can't do for long. At higher levels, at better positions in hospitals, getting your foot in the door is not that easy and there is plenty of experienced competition. Once again, I would caution you to do your research carefully and thoroughly.

[tattoobunnie]

Take the risk - you've only been there for 4 months - really give it your all. Take a chance there. Work with your manager as much as possible, and keep going.

 

Only become a nurse if believe you want a job that helps saves lives. Do not go into nursing just because you believe you might be able to get a job. That's what people thought about becoming a teacher in 2002 and now - Nurses are needed, but the hospitals have hiring freezes a plenty. And with Healthcare Reform - nothing but endless paperwork and grief. Have you thought about going to medical supplies distribution admin, sales, marketing?

[sleepingdonut]

Have you tried taking the Myers-Briggs personality tests? Knowing your personality type could help you in deciding what career path would fit you best.