The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: Zoe on March 29, 2013, 11:10:44 AM
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I really want to go back to school. The problem is, I have no idea what for. I don't have a huge interest in anything. I want to up our income while keeping our frugal lifestyle. I currently work part time and have a 1.5 year old. I figure if I can go to school over the next couple years, I'll be graduating by the time the little one is school age. I have an Associates degree so many courses will transfer. Something that could eventually be done on a freelance basis, once FIRE, would be nice.
I'm not into computers, so that's out.
I like being more behind the scenes.
I'm not good at math.
I don't like retail.
I like researching.
I like figuring things out.
I do like the legal/law field.
I took one of those personality career quizzes and among other things, which I don't remember, it said my personality fit management, accounting, and police officer. None of those sound particularly appealing.
What do you guys do? What do you like & dislike about your careers?
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Do you like to interact with people, or no?
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If you're interested in law, have you considered being a paralegal? I'm not sure that their's a freelance market for it, but it's essentially legal research a lot of the time (and lots of typing).
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You may not like something until you really try it. Why no love for computers, programming is all about figuring things out?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwOdU02SE0w
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Have you thought about working towards becoming an office services/central services manager in a law firm? I'm a hospitality clerk in a law firm and my manager's job is exactly like what you describe - behind the scenes, involves a TON of researching and problem solving, and in a nice law firm setting to boot. Any large law firm has people who do this stuff. Law firms tend to pay really well, as a side bonus.
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This is just an idea - I'm hesitant to give it because it definitely isn't a good fit for everyone - but if you were to get a Master's Degree in Social Work, you would have the option of working in the court system helping people - kids, families, etc. - if that's what you want to do. This is a rewarding, but thankless and underpaid job.
So no, social workers do not get paid well at all when working for agencies (especially when considering the importance of what they do). They get paid a lot better in hospitals or government jobs (although not as much as nurses).
BUT there is the option of getting licensed and starting a private practice. Social workers can legally provide counseling, psychotherapy, and other mental health services in most states, just like a master's level marriage and family therapist or counselor. You have the option of setting your own schedule, billing insurance or out of pocket, and, well, you will be figuring things out (not sure if those are the kind of things you meant, but...). In this role, there is actually a potential to make a really decent amount of money and be self-employeed.
Anyway, not sure if that would be a good fit, but something for you (or others who read this) to consider.
If I were to go back in time, I would either go into a trade like carpentry, or, if I chose a service profession, I would become a nurse. Hospitals and clinics are always advertising nursing jobs, they get paid well, there is a range of things you could do, and room for advancement.
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Do you like to interact with people, or no?
Not outside of the people I work with, hence the dislike of retail :)
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Have you thought about working towards becoming an office services/central services manager in a law firm? I'm a hospitality clerk in a law firm and my manager's job is exactly like what you describe - behind the scenes, involves a TON of researching and problem solving, and in a nice law firm setting to boot. Any large law firm has people who do this stuff. Law firms tend to pay really well, as a side bonus.
Sounds interesting. I'll look into that!
You may not like something until you really try it. Why no love for computers, programming is all about figuring things out?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwOdU02SE0w
I guess I feel like I'm just so behind when it comes to technology, I feel like it'll take me a long time to catch up. People start talking about computer stuff and my eyes glaze over. I'll watch that video when I get a free moment this weekend!
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This is just an idea - I'm hesitant to give it because it definitely isn't a good fit for everyone - but if you were to get a Master's Degree in Social Work, you would have the option of working in the court system helping people - kids, families, etc. - if that's what you want to do. This is a rewarding, but thankless and underpaid job.
So no, social workers do not get paid well at all when working for agencies (especially when considering the importance of what they do). They get paid a lot better in hospitals or government jobs (although not as much as nurses).
BUT there is the option of getting licensed and starting a private practice. Social workers can legally provide counseling, psychotherapy, and other mental health services in most states, just like a master's level marriage and family therapist or counselor. You have the option of setting your own schedule, billing insurance or out of pocket, and, well, you will be figuring things out (not sure if those are the kind of things you meant, but...). In this role, there is actually a potential to make a really decent amount of money and be self-employeed.
Anyway, not sure if that would be a good fit, but something for you (or others who read this) to consider.
If I were to go back in time, I would either go into a trade like carpentry, or, if I chose a service profession, I would become a nurse. Hospitals and clinics are always advertising nursing jobs, they get paid well, there is a range of things you could do, and room for advancement.
Yeah, social work is out. And I'd prefer to stay away from the health field. I have different views than the general public. A trade is definitely an idea. Thanks for your ideas!
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What about Court reporting? I always hear that they are in demand, at least where I live. It's definitely something you can do freelance and it seems like they get paid pretty well.
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I've learned recently that I really really am interested in 6 Sigma. I could describe myself pretty much the same way you did, so maybe you should look into it? 6 Sigma black belts are a pretty common job from what I can tell.
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Sometimes the best way to learn what you like is by just doing stuff.
You say you work part-time and you're considering going back to school, so I assume you should be able to set aside a fair amount of free time now. My suggestion is to dedicate a couple hours per day to "being productive" on your own terms. You're not allowed to do unproductive things like watch TV and surf the web (if you liked dealing with people I might allow forums as an exception). Figure out what YOU want to get done in that time. You could build or fix things around the house, cook, clean & organize, work on getting your finances in order, start a blog, write poetry or a novel, help a friend with something they're working on, etc. The idea is that what you enjoy doing with your time should tell you something about what you might enjoy doing as a career.
You can also look for different kinds of volunteer opportunities: helping the homeless, for instance, or assisting other nonprofits. One that comes to mind in my area, which I only mention to give a more concrete example, is the DC Employment Justice Center (http://www.dcejc.org). They provide legal assistance for low-wage workers in the DC area, and always need volunteers that speak Spanish to help with people who come in for walk-in clinics.
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If you like researching things you can write lots of freelance articles on the net. I don't know how well it pays, but you can get the hang of it and then start your own SEO (search engine optimization) practice where you help people write optimized copy for their websites. You also do PR to plant stories that you write about their websites. The best SEO articles are well researched and useful, and just happen to point to the websites you are promoting.
Lots of freelancers in this area.
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Some universities have a "sampling program" where you can try a few things in different fields and see if anything appeals to you. Maybe that's something to look into.
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if you look at it purely financially then you would match what you could do with the highest possible pay and focus on saving money. Dont invest your indentity and non work life in what you choose. A bit cynical maybe!