Author Topic: Help me pick a new career/job  (Read 6513 times)

Mesmoiselle

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Help me pick a new career/job
« on: November 04, 2015, 12:01:28 PM »
Between basic intelligence and luck I managed to nail down a 40k/year (age 21), now 52k/year(age 28) gross job with nothing but a 2 year certificate program and low debt. I'm a sonographer, also a license in X ray, and now the repetitive stress injuries are stacking up and I need a career change. So, I'm finishing up my Associates in Science this fall in preparation for...something.

I've been back and forth for 18 months since the pain started kicking in.

  • Physicians Assistant ($60-$120k, Masters Degree, Competitive, established job, flexible in location)
  • Radiologists Assistant. ($90-$150k, Masters Degree, Competitive, kind of a new non established job, tied to big hospital)
  • Veterinarian ($90-120k, PhD degree,  Competitive, established job, flexible in location)
  • Then there is Human MD, but although I believe I'm intelligent enough, studying dedication may not be high enough. li]
I hope to knock out another 18 months at this in a high paying travel position (no school), get debt free, and go full committed to the career change with some cash to pay for it and a much higher studying dedication. Right now, my only plan is getting my Bachelors in Biology, because that would satisfy the education requirements of all of my options before I entered a Master's Degree program. At that point, I would obviously have to commit.

But I'm not really satisfied with my options. The only one I could say I was even close to passionate about is Veterinarian and that requires a P.h.D. I could technically find some lower paying x ray job (40k likely) to avoid exacerbating my RSIs, and just glide towards FI and ER in 10 years without all of the effort/education/recurring debt. Nevertheless, I think I'd rather a have a career change so that I can have something to do I enjoy and that doesn't injure me in my older years.

What I came here to ask about is more information about the options listed as well as other options with my background because I feel limited to what my imagination can come up with.

I want location flexibility (small town vs large town.)
If I'm going to bother with more college, I want a significant pay increase.
I'm kinda burnt out on the grind of medical stuff, but that is where my experience lays.

Please enlighten my limited imagination.

Edit Additional, as of Nov 6:

Trying to think outside the box, I have looked. Somewhat, into Ultrasound machine sales, Ultrasound Instructor, and Patient Advocate. 
« Last Edit: November 08, 2015, 12:05:03 PM by Mesmoiselle »

flan

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Re: Help me pick a new career/job
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2015, 12:23:24 PM »
How committed are you to the medical field? These options you've listed all require what sounds like 4+ more years of education, and likely a heft amount of student loans that you'll then have to pay off. I'm not particularly math-y, but I can't imagine any of these 4 options actually accelerating your time to FI.

What about something like medical SALES? Somebody's gotta sell the radiology equipment/new tests/what-have-you to clinics and hospitals: that'll come with travel perks and usually doesn't come with any RSI.

What are your passions? How do you plan on spending your time post-FI? Maybe thinking about that will generate some ideas for what types of careers may be decently enjoyable along the way.

Mesmoiselle

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Re: Help me pick a new career/job
« Reply #2 on: November 04, 2015, 02:00:03 PM »
How committed are you to the medical field? These options you've listed all require what sounds like 4+ more years of education, and likely a heft amount of student loans that you'll then have to pay off. I'm not particularly math-y, but I can't imagine any of these 4 options actually accelerating your time to FI.

What about something like medical SALES? Somebody's gotta sell the radiology equipment/new tests/what-have-you to clinics and hospitals: that'll come with travel perks and usually doesn't come with any RSI.

What are your passions? How do you plan on spending your time post-FI? Maybe thinking about that will generate some ideas for what types of careers may be decently enjoyable along the way.

Am I super committed to the medical field? It's simply all I know, I've been in it 11 years. I'm currently super burnt out on it, but it's possibly a mixture of hating my current employer and the RSI making up the bulk of that feeling. There have been times in the last 18 months where Vet and RA sounded like the greatest thing ever, and then the shine wore off after I researched the amount of effort, money, and time needed for both.

I am not a sales person; pushing stuff on people. I've done that part time before and hate it but that was samples at a grocery store and maybe medical equipment would be different?

The only thing I can imagine about post FI is not working for employers I hate and not being -on call- anymore. I currently don't seem to have passions, merely intense but fleeting areas of interest. Over the years that has been: Nutrition, activism, Hydroponics, general gardening, sewing, Spanish, soap making, kayaking. I have the urge to volunteer for BBBS and Houses for Humanity that I haven't had time for between work and school. I teach the ultrasound students well when they come through but the sounds of teaching within the education system sounds pretty miserable to me.

I've been kicking around ideas for 18 months trying to find that passion and I'm not finding it. And my imagination for upwards momentum in income and education are short. Hence, I am here.


mm1970

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Re: Help me pick a new career/job
« Reply #3 on: November 04, 2015, 02:20:12 PM »
Well, one thing to do would be to estimate the cost of each degree, and the expected outcome.  For example, a quick search found me this:

https://www.avma.org/news/pressroom/pages/Veterinary-school-graduates-see-drop-in-job-offers-starting-salaries.aspx

and that the median vet income is $87,590.  I thought I read on here that it's harder to get a job in that field.

For example, you can look at the mean and the median, but if only 60% of graduates are actually working, then the "real" value of that degree is a lot less.

Landslave

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Re: Help me pick a new career/job
« Reply #4 on: November 04, 2015, 04:23:51 PM »
Hi,
    The Vet degree is not worth it.  Too much work and cost with too little reward.  The physician assistant and radiology assistant could be good choices.

     How about buying a diesel maxivan and driving people to the airport?  Net financial gain could be MORE!. 

   in each case you must weigh the opportunity cost (loss of pay) and tuition against anticipated earnings.

  Good luck.

Mesmoiselle

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Re: Help me pick a new career/job
« Reply #5 on: November 04, 2015, 05:48:30 PM »
So far, a suggestion for not Vet and maybe sales. I guess my current background experience really just slots me for more medical field huh?

Bearded Man

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Re: Help me pick a new career/job
« Reply #6 on: November 04, 2015, 06:02:35 PM »
Really, radiology assistants make THAT much money? Up to 150K?? What kind of degree is needed?

In any case, maybe try IT. It doesn't require anything other than the ability to do the work, and at best, a certificate for whatever specialty you are going for to get your foot in the door. CISSP is popular, and cyber security is only going to become more important over time.

You can start out at 70-80K a year in most places and be making six figures in 2-3 years after a job change or two.

Mesmoiselle

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Re: Help me pick a new career/job
« Reply #7 on: November 04, 2015, 06:46:25 PM »
Really, radiology assistants make THAT much money? Up to 150K?? What kind of degree is needed?


Radiology Assistant is not X Ray technician. You're the equivalent of a Physician's Assistant except for a Radiologist. It requires that you've been an x Ray technician for 3 years before you can even apply to the program, so it's really a vertical climb specifically for x Ray technicians wanting more. You can squeeze by with a bachelor's specialty program but I really feel the job outlook is pretty poor if you shoot that low. Master's degree program is where it's at. But the continuing gray in the cloud is the parameters of the position are so over the place state to state that your usefulness can be hobbled depending on your state due to laws being fuzzy and constricting. And you are absolutely tied to working in a hospital, usually for a group of radiologists in a medium to large city. Regional country hospitals would be totally out of the question.

The guy I shadowed to see if I liked it had to create the position he's in by aggressively selling himself to radiologist groups. That was 5 years ago but I didn't get the feeling that it had changed all that much.
« Last Edit: November 04, 2015, 06:48:23 PM by Mesmoiselle »

Mesmoiselle

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Re: Help me pick a new career/job
« Reply #8 on: November 04, 2015, 08:36:01 PM »
For example, you can look at the mean and the median, but if only 60% of graduates are actually working, then the "real" value of that degree is a lot less.

I think the wording in the article is incorrect. Here's the survey on which this is based, and it shows that most not employed within the field go on to advanced degree programs. The article says "61.5 percent of veterinary students seeking a position in 2012 received an offer of employment or advanced education", but that combined number was 97.6% for the completed survey. It seems more logical (especially given numbers in the same range for prior years), that they meant the percent employed in field, not counting advanced degrees.

Anyways, for DVM, the only step up is a Ph.D., which should pay well because it would logically be in applied science (vet med or maybe biology). At worst, I think you can discount that group because that career path is optional. If you do so, it's up to 97% employed within the field in the two survey years.

Murse

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Re: Help me pick a new career/job
« Reply #9 on: November 04, 2015, 09:06:20 PM »
Are you opposed to nursing? I got lucky and live in a high paying state but I am currently making around 68k base with a raise to 75k coming in the next few months. Graduated in June and have a super sweet gig with unlimited overtime.

okits

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Re: Help me pick a new career/job
« Reply #10 on: November 04, 2015, 09:34:00 PM »
What would a new career need to have for you to enjoy it?  Continuous learning and training?  Very challenging?  More variety in day-to-day activities?  Supporting and nurturing people?  More prestige?  Managerial duties?  Much higher pay?

Is your ultimate goal FIRE?  If all it would take is $40k salary X 10 years (or $60k salary X 7 years, etc.) find something that pays at least that and sucks less than your current job (with nutbar coworker and poisoned relationship with management), find things to like about it, and get to FIRE.  What does a medical receptionist/office support worker make?  Working in medical records?  Equipment maintenance and repair?  Do what you're doing now part time and tutor students on the side (any level, as long as you can genuinely help and get paid for it.)  The next job may not do a lot to satisfy your soul but you have the rest of your non-job hours to try to find that.

The Masters/PhD avenues you've listed sound like careers one pursues out of a passion to practice for decades/a lifetime.  It sounds like way too big a financial and time investment if you're not totally eager to pursue that career and if FIRE is your goal.

Genuinely hope you find the right "next thing" for you!

KarefulKactus15

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Re: Help me pick a new career/job
« Reply #11 on: November 06, 2015, 06:54:23 AM »
OP ,

I have nothing helpful, just wanted to say I like your signature. 

flan

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Re: Help me pick a new career/job
« Reply #12 on: November 12, 2015, 08:51:29 AM »
Re: my previous 'medical sales' suggestion, there are probably sales roles for actual products that you actually think are good in the medical field. For example, maybe sales for an actually good diagnostic test or something like that. I definitely am not recommending selling something that you don't actually believe is contributing to better patient care.

If you're sick of medical and pretty savvy about technology, ever thought 'coding' was interesting, perhaps a quick hop to the computer science/web development, etc. world? Udacity has some amazing FREE courses to get you started on coding. Then, if you feel like that's a career leap you want to make, you can see if you can launch a part-time career from just what you've learned already or consider one of the more legit 3-month programming bootcamps like Hack Reactor or AppAcademy, that kind of thing. Alternately, perhaps some community college night classes in computer science to start off? If you have the commitment for those 'basic' skills, entry-level jobs after that ranges from 60k to 100k+ for full-time.

Personally, this is what I'm eyeing to do when I get tired of my role in healthcare myself.....

***edited to include salary info***
« Last Edit: November 12, 2015, 08:53:16 AM by cai »

Genie

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Re: Help me pick a new career/job
« Reply #13 on: November 30, 2015, 08:39:47 AM »
Physician's Assistant will be the most in demand job of those you have listed.