Considering a career change at 25. Advice needed.

[justaglimmer]

Exactly as the title says, it's something I'm heavily considering. I've been in this career for almost a year now (Over a year if you consider the experience I gained from school clinicals) and most days I find the work itself very tedious, and I'm severely underpaid for all I do. I know that the payscale can grow once I've had a few years of experience, but its hard to trudge through those years when the work is hard and the pay is poor. While I was in school for this, the instructors made it sound as if we would be respected and paid rightfully. I'm very discouraged at this point, and considering going back to school to pursue something that is less back-breaking with a much better pay. The only thing is, the things I am most passionate about don't seem to have a higher payscale either. Either that, or tons more schooling would be involved (something I really question my patience with).

 

The good thing is that I am not married nor do I have any kids. So I'm only responsible for myself at the moment. I just don't know what to really do from here. I could focus on improving in the line I'm already in and maybe (maybe) start seeing a raise soon (though it probably wouldn't be much of one, really I'd have to move to a bigger city to see a chance of that) Or, I could bite the bullet and go back to school even though I'm already way out of the traditional school age. I'm just so discouraged and feel like I should have been so much farther along by now at age 25. I still live with my parents, a very sheltered life. I want my own place so badly. Anytime I mention the idea of moving out, they are only too happy to remind me that I won't be able to afford it. This is something that is depressing me on a daily basis. I want my own life, but yes, I want to be able to afford it. Of course, the thought of going back to school only makes me think that I'd be wasting away the rest of my 20's in a classroom.

 

Very difficult decision to be in right now. Thoughts or advice, anyone? Would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

[mhowe]

You have been working a year...it is a job, not a career. Getting another degree is pointless. You will start again at the bottom of the ladder. Opening position salaries are low...because you have no skill set. In order to get to the top of the ladder...where the pay is better and the job is more interesting and fulfilling...you have to go up the ladder rung by rung.

 

What is your.plan to move out? Are you saving your paycheck?

[fifregister]

I'm not sure what line of work you're in so a bit more context would help. A year in a job is not long (one year does not make it a "career." A career is an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person's life and with opportunities for progress.) If you'd spent the last 10 years to be a doctor, to work as a doctor for ONE year and hate it and want to be an artist, it's a different set of advice.

 

"Feel like I should have been so much farther along by now at age 25." It's not too late for you to embark on an exciting career or series of careers. You just have to pull yourself together and do it. I am in my 30s and I have an entire group of friends still in school pursuing degrees. Learning and improving your situation is not restricted to people below the age of 25.

 

Also, learn about what economists call "sunk costs." If I give someone $100 on Monday, and he spends $50 on candy, he'll probably regret that purchase on Tuesday. In a way, he'll still think of himself as a guy with $100—half of which is wasted. What he really is is a guy with $50, just as he would be if I'd handed him a fifty-dollar bill. A sunk cost from yesterday should not be part of today's equation. What he should be thinking is this: "What should I do with my $50?"

 

You are a person who has tons of years ahead of you. What are you going to do with them? You can choose to spend the rest of your 20s in a classroom working on going towards your new career, or stay in this job and be miserable =\

[justaglimmer]

True, technically it is a "First Job" right now in the field (perhaps I could have worded it differently), but I graduated in this line of work with the intention of it becoming my "Career". I just don't know how much more I can take of the mental/physical strain in order to get a few measly dollars more on the hour. Mhowe, Yes I'm saving every penny I can. It just feels like I have to convince myself daily that this line of work is "enjoyable" and "rewarding". Truth is, most days it makes me miserable. Maybe it would be different if the pay was at least somewhat better than it is. It's just one of those situations where I feel like I could be doing work somewhere else that is less of a strain for the same amount of pay. And considering I really want to have more independence and move out already, it's quite depressing for me at the moment. I'm just not really sure what my next best move would be.

[Doc Blaze]

what is your job?

[justaglimmer]

Doc Blaze - I'd rather not outright say on the public forum, but it's very similar to Nursing.

[Doc Blaze]

and what do u want to switch to?

[justaglimmer]

Hard to immediately pinpoint just one option. I have an interest in various things.. Writing, counseling, anything health/fitness related..

[Snny]

While I was in school for this, the instructors made it sound as if we would be respected and paid rightfully.

Of course they're going to tell you this. They're making money off your tuition. If they do not sell their academic programs to students, they would be out of a job too. College is a business and your education is what you make of it.

 

Also, it is not surprising that once you get out into the real world, most of your training you got from college is thrown out. All they do is teach you the basics and concepts that come with the job... Not how to apply them. That is up to you to figure out. I've hit this wall multiple times when my program (teaching) never prepared me for Common Core switch (came out a year after I graduated), standardize testing and how they are connected to teacher evaluations, how to manage a classroom, or how to work with kids in an alternative school/inner city environment where a good population of the students (and families) are affiliated with gang violence and drug abuse. That was my first year as a 25 year old and a major culture shock than what I taught in college. I'm in grad school... I am still hitting differences between what is taught in college classroom vs. what is practical in the field environment. It's frustrating to come accross those inconsistencies, so I feel you.

 

 

Or, I could bite the bullet and go back to school even though I'm already way out of the traditional school age. I'm just so discouraged and feel like I should have been so much farther along by now at age 25. I still live with my parents, a very sheltered life. I want my own place so badly. Anytime I mention the idea of moving out, they are only too happy to remind me that I won't be able to afford it. This is something that is depressing me on a daily basis. I want my own life, but yes, I want to be able to afford it. Of course, the thought of going back to school only makes me think that I'd be wasting away the rest of my 20's in a classroom.

Please don't beat yourself up. I have been through your exact situation and it is a truly demoralizing position to be in. However, I have good news:

 

You would be surprised to know that it is not uncommon for people in their late 20s or early 30s to go back for an advanced degree/job training because of this economy and job competition. In the US, only 10% of the population has a master's degree (link removed).

 

I am a few years older than you and just started grad school. Believe it or not, I am the YOUNGEST in my graduate class.

 

Very difficult decision to be in right now. Thoughts or advice, anyone? Would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

If you do decide to go back to school... Research the job market for that field first BEFORE you start applying for school. Determine if you would be wasting tuition money if you go back or if it is a true advancement. The only way to find out is to speak with multiple employers within the field about what they are looking for if you want to go for the position you want- this is a way to network. While you are in grad school... VOLUNTEER. Sign up for internships. Experience is the only way to get a job right after college.