Author Topic: Recommend a job for someone with an education and great people skills?  (Read 4803 times)

lifejoy

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I have a bachelor's degree in English literature, and a master's degree in library and information studies. I'm making $42,000 as a manager at a bookstore but I feel like I have the potential to make more. Here are the options I see for myself:

Become a librarian: $50,000-$80,000

Become a head of store retail manager: $60,000?

Become a client relations account manager: $60,000??

I could use some other ideas. I find that some jobs we don't even realize exist until we hear about them. My goal is to earn $60,000-80,000 but I need some new options. Or maybe to focus more on the options I'm aware of. Really, I'm seeking guidance. I'd like to make more money so I can FIRE faster.

The skill tests I've taken have shown me to be a great motivator of people, and a strong communicator. I am generally well liked in workplaces (even ones with a reputation of being "toxic"). I would love to leverage my people skills into a job that makes me more money! Ideas would be much appreciated.

Goldielocks

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I am assuming from the librarian sciences that you have an knack for organizing data and a talent for somewhat technical things.  From the lit degree that your writing and communications are quite strong.


Technical writer   Bonus if you like photography and can include pictures into the techinical writing.  I am thinking workplace safety and user manuals.  A lot are being put on line now... needs incredible organization of materials and information.    needs great people skills too.   This is the equivalent of "how to service a transmission";  "how to work with ammonia safely and the company policy and safeguards you must adhere to".


Marketing business writer.  I need people that can help write and put together proposals for engineering services.   I figure out (with the helpers) the strategic messaging and key points, and write some of the workplan and approach / key beneifts pieces.  Then the real work begins as marketing adds in the photography, references, resumes, past project profiles, insurance proof, creates the cover, formatting, cover letter, etc. etc.  most from a huge company on line library that must be maintained and updated, and used efficiently on short notice.

Technical writer tends to be freelance / self employed.   Marketing communications pays $50k per year here, and goes up.   (Junior staff may get less, but their role is much less than stated above, too)


Executive assistant (great at organizing, and writing letters with only a few bullet points from the boss, and getting other people to do what they are supposed to around the office).  Starts at $50k.  You work up into this role, but some join EA network groups and take extra training, too, to justify hiring.  The best EA's are well networked around town and are professionals in their own right.



lifejoy

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These are great ideas that have been off my radar! I will have to look into these further. I'm also considering things like real estate agent, because I feel like situations where you need to be able to work closely with people while they make emotional decisions would be a good fit for me.

I just want to work with people. Library science was kind of a fail for me because all of my jobs there have been too technical and not enough people time.

Jaguar Paw

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Become a police officer!

Goldielocks

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I feel like situations where you need to be able to work closely with people while they make emotional decisions would be a good fit for me.



Okay  Here's an off the wall idea, prompted by the quote above...

How about Hospice staff or funeral director or variant?  These are rapidly growing needs in Canada, and most people out there do NOT want to be involved with emotional people making decisions.   

There are 20% more people dying each year in 2014 than in 2004.  And growing steadily.

HappierAtHome

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What happened to the jewellery job you were leaving the bookstore for??

SaskyStache

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I have a bachelor's degree in English literature, and a master's degree in library and information studies. I feel like I have the potential to make more. Here are the options I see for myself:

 My goal is to earn $60,000-80,000 but I need some new options.

The skill tests I've taken have shown me to be a great motivator of people, and a strong communicator. I am generally well liked in workplaces (even ones with a reputation of being "toxic"). I would love to leverage my people skills into a job that makes me more money! Ideas would be much appreciated.

So this is very much dependent on your area and ability to move/travel, but looking at what you want and your current skill set, I would suggest looking at some jobs in tourism for either cities, regions, provinces or even countries.

Specifically as a media relations specialist/consultant. Here's an example I found of what I was thinking https://ca.linkedin.com/jobs/view/127854132 . You get to work a lot with local businesses, meet media and generally get out of the office now and then. Usually not a huge amount of writing, but some opportunity for creative content creation, and there will be constant communication with others. Travel will most likely be involved also schmoozing.

There's also positions on the online content creation side like this http://ca.indeed.com/cmp/The-Butchart-Gardens/jobs/Online-Marketing-Specialist-0dcbb5d90a266cea?q=Tourism+Marketing . So maybe not so much with this posting specifically, but these positions in cities, destination areas, provinces... usually involve working with tourism businesses and local bloggers, as well as other online influencers. There's also quite a bit more writing involved than the media relations specialist positions, and I know in Sask. they get out of the office fairly regularly as well.

And these jobs usually have the potential for upward mobility to something like this http://en.destinationcanada.com/content/job/content-marketing-specialist.

Being a great communicator and people person (especially this) are huge advantages to this type of work. The industry is also full of a lot of great fun loving people and people that are generally happy to be in this line of work.

Sometimes these jobs can be tough to come by and are usually worked up to from within the organization at least in my experience, but there are occasionally opportunities like this https://www.go2hr.ca/jobs/social-media-content-creator-producer to get some experience and connections.


bobechs

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Game show host?

Villanelle

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Check out INALJ (I Need A Library Job) for your area.  There are many jobs that use an MLIS degree that have nothing to do with Libraries.  I once saw a major ballet company posting for a curator of their collection of costumes, for example, and there are also database design jobs and myriad other things, including many jobs in museums.

lifejoy

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What happened to the jewellery job you were leaving the bookstore for??

It's still in the works and will probably happen. But my income goals are higher than what the jewellery store is offering and I'm trying to think of other options.

mxt0133

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If you truly enjoy working with people then I would focus on hospitality, event planing or sales.

A few of the top of my head, corporate event manager, executive assistant(already mentioned), account executive (client relations and sales), hotel management, real estate agent(already mentioned), HR, corporate training, and flight attendant.

Poeirenta

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Do you have any favorite charities? Your description reminds me of many folks working in nonprofit fundraising or for foundations that fund nonprofits.

Major Gift Officer (usually focused on either individuals or corporations, but at smaller nonprofits one would do both) requires researching potential prospects, meeting with them, telling a compelling story about your organizations, and laying out options should they want to give, etc.

Foundation Program Officer: requires researching potential nonprofit partners, reviewing grant applications, keeping tabs of the grantees deliverables. The best funders develop a true partnership b/t the foundation and the nonprofit, but those are as rare as hens teeth.

Should hit your salary goals, at the larger orgs.

elaine amj

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Recommend a job for someone with an education and great people skills?
« Reply #12 on: June 10, 2016, 08:46:49 PM »
Some very cool jobs on the west coast :) Told DH we should move!

Back to your question...I would recommend keeping an open mind. Search your job board regularly and don't feel like u have to pigeonhole yourself - so many of your skills are transferable.

Also, consider volunteering or starting your own side hustle to develop any skillsets you are interested in. I got into event planning at the start of my career - simply by organizing an event I thought was missing in my community. We started small and it grew big fairly quickly. When I eventually went looking for a full time job, I was able to claim 5 yrs experience (even though it was a part time SAHM gig) and I got into event planning for a charity. That gave me some of the extra experience I needed to step up into a better paid marketing position (my field).


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« Last Edit: June 10, 2016, 09:56:49 PM by elaine amj »

mozar

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How about politics? You would start by volunteering at first then run for bigger and bigger offices. You need serious people skills, speaking skills, fundraising skills, negotiating skills etc. Or how about clergy? Do you have a religion?

yourusernamehere

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How about politics? You would start by volunteering at first then run for bigger and bigger offices. You need serious people skills, speaking skills, fundraising skills, negotiating skills etc.

My brother is a campaign manager and he started out just that way. He finds it extremely rewarding, and he meets and works with many wonderful people.

lifejoy

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Honestly, I wish I were more into politics or religion because those are great ideas!!

Dicey

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Check out INALJ (I Need A Library Job) for your area.  There are many jobs that use an MLIS degree that have nothing to do with Libraries.  I once saw a major ballet company posting for a curator of their collection of costumes, for example, and there are also database design jobs and myriad other things, including many jobs in museums.
I enthusiastically second this suggestion. From a  get-to-FIRE-asap standpoint,  it makes a lot of sense to capitalize on your specialized education and experience.
A friend of mine works as a research librarian at a major university hospital. She is super smart and personable. She loves working with MDs, who come to her for assistance when researching challenging cases. She says every day is more interesting than the last and the money is amazing.

Mr FrugalNL

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Honestly, I wish I were more into politics or religion because those are great ideas!!

Lobbyist might be an option to explore if you can get behind some special-interest group or other. Oil and gas industry? Banking? The environment? School teachers?

iris lily

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The museum field is highly competitive with all of those graduates with museum studies degrees and few johs, and they are low paying. I would not recommend that field for making a high income as you stated you want. Perhaps Canada has a different job market, but I doubt it.
Development jobs with non-profits, same thing.

OP, if high salary is your goal, get into sales and be good at it. If you rely on The
Man to give give you a high paying job, you will be waiting a long time. Work for yourself and make the dough!

That said, I retired from a library career and I found the pay to be just fine. One has to develop your specialty, be good at it, and work your way up which may mean moving cities for new career opportunities. If your husband's job is always the primary one in your household and that determines your geographic location, you have effectively cut your own earning potential.



« Last Edit: June 12, 2016, 07:53:07 PM by iris lily »

lifejoy

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That said, I retired from a library career and I found the pay to be just fine. One has to develop your specialty, be good at it, and work your way up which may mean moving cities for new career opportunities. If your husband's job is always the primary one in your household and that determines your geographic location, you have effectively cut your own earnng potential.

DH's job has been primary for the past five years (and counting). I am still struggling with this.

iris lily

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.

...I just want to work with people. Library science was kind of a fail for me because all of my jobs there have been too technical and not enough people time.

I do not understand this. Can you not do public services in a library? Isnt that pretty much non-stop people cmtact? Would you like to do programming in a public library? Thats a lot f peole  contact.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!