Career Advice - Increasing earning potential

[netskyblue]

I’m in need of some career advice, on how to increase my income.

My situation:

I am a buyer at a retail store (basically a desk job, I do ordering, quality control, that kind of thing.  Phone calls and paperwork, mostly).  Last year I grossed $39,495, and take-home pay, after takes, insurance premiums, 401k, FSA, etc, was $27,735.  Some of that was quarterly “bonuses,” the amount of which being something I have no control over.  It’s related to profits earned by items sold, and I don’t do selling.  Anyway, my average paycheck is $937, bi-weekly.  So a little over $23,000 take home that I can absolutely count on.

I also have a part time job, where I earned over 8k last year.  I don’t enjoy it, but I’m saving for a house.
I kind of want to know what are my options for finding a better-paying day job.  I want to be earning at least $50k, but I am afraid it may be out of my reach.  I don’t particularly enjoy my work (meaning some days I rather hate it), but sadly, I do think I am paid reasonably well for the kind of work I am qualified to do.  Most entry-level clerical type jobs advertised right now are paying $25 – $30k (gross), which is where I’d be starting at if I were to go to another company, and what I did start at, 7 years ago, at my current company. 

I don’t think I have many particularly specialized skills.  Like most everyone in Gen-Y, my computer skills are quite good, but I’m not what you would call a “people person.”  I’d never make it in sales or customer service.  At my age (almost 30), I hate to contemplate the idea of going back to school, my student loans are paid off, and my near-future goals are to buy a house and start a family.

Can anyone tell me where to even start looking for a job with that kind of earning potential, that doesn’t require specialized degrees?  I have a B.A. in Spanish, but promptly moved to an area with NO Spanish speaking people to be with my (now ex-)husband when I graduated college at age 20, and over the subsequent decade, basically lost my grasp of the language.  I no longer even have an interest in it.  Massive waste of my college years, I know.

Is there a field of study that I can take that will increase my earning potential to that level, without requiring several years’ income to pay for it?

[tylerherman]

You can't translate those skills to become a buyer for a larger chain store or something? Think they make decent money.

[olivia]

You can't translate those skills to become a buyer for a larger chain store or something? Think they make decent money.

Agreed, if you can get a position at a larger store I think you'll have more room for growth.  I was a buyer at a smaller store for several years and it was pretty dead end.  I took a 10% pay cut and got into the research world, starting as a research assistant.  If there is any way for you to get your Spanish skills back, Spanish-speaking research assistants are pretty highly sought after.  (In areas with a high Spanish-speaking population, though, which it sounds like doesn't fit your area.)

Have you thought about contacting some of the sales reps you buy from to ask about positions within their companies?  Are you willing to move?  There are large corporations located in tons of places (not just NYC!) that would have buying positions that may pay more, or merchandise planner positions, which are typically better paying than a buyer.

[FlorenceMcGillicutty]

I think you should figure out what you like doing first. Then, find a career path that fits your interests and personality. It might be time to do some soul searching.

[kikichewie]

I'd look for career advancement in merchandising. At HSN in Florida, the buyers earn six figures.  Granted, there are levels below that which might be more suitable to your experience, but they have really fun jobs interacting with celebrities and designers when they come to HQ to go on air.  The merchandising department there also has a lot of flexibility to transition into other departments, including marketing, programming, planning, etc. 

There are opportunities all over the country if you look for them. Amazon is another stellar option.  Ad if you specialize, like say in women's fashion, or maybe jewelry, then you can command more money.  It's really not what you specialize in that matters, but just that you find a category you connect with and focus on that.