What am I missing? What am I missing.... I would like to earn more.

a reply to: deadlyhope

when i first started in call centers, i was killing it. Picking up all the extra bonuses for upsales and quality. when i took my first ever promotion into a supervisory position, my wife was pissed. I was making less than half what i had been making.

Before I left there 9 years later, i had the site directors chair. And had been able to develop technological skills that are the backbone of my career.

Moving backwards in pay, for me, became the most critical forward step I have ever taken. without that risky first move, who knows what I would have ended up doing. BUt today i work for the best people in the industry, and they treat me like I matter to them. I couldn't have a happier home.

Now, all these years later, my wife doesn't question decisions related to my job. In 6 weeks we are moving to hill country to open another hotel.

Go for that brass ring.

If you still want to pursue programming, there are what are called 'Bootcamps' which tries to get you up to speed within a few months to a year. You also have programs for non-programming jobs like - UI/UX design and Project management. Many of the courses are online.

I tried pursuing a program in web development but later discovered that I didn't really like programming. Maybe once I really know it I would like it more but I never got there.

The difficulty I found was studying and working on projects after getting home from work. After work, I just want to relax.

----

Anyway good luck. Many people are in the same boat.

a reply to: visitedbythem

I've thought of this, but how do you go about getting product to sell?

originally posted by: deadlyhope
a reply to: FamCore

Yeah that's my issue - I don't know what service to offer. This place is high on tourism, but that means plenty of people do anything that has to do with tourism from cleaning to property management.

I'm not sure how to make myself unique. I could be the local IT guy, but the people with the large network in the area and the most business likely use huge companies for such things.

Tour guide ... show the blow in's what is special in your part of the world ...

Even a tag a long tour with radio comme tary ... ?

Think outside the square.

Uniqie food tours ... that is hot atm ....

DP

originally posted by: deadlyhope
a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

Utah, I'm on the outskirts of the sticks haha. =/

Right here is the problem..... living in the sticks....

I love living in the sticks BUT only when I got some money in the pocket and in the bank because when you live in thee sticks there is no employment mostly everyone is self employed....rancher, farmer, etc... making it hard to live in the sticks...

You need to move near or in a metropolis city. Stay suburd (cheap rent) and work in the city. More opportunities.

After I retired I opened my own company and now I work for myself...... should of done it earlier.

Learn a trade at a good trade school. You will make more money than most college educated people working in a white collared business.... a good electrician or plumber at nine O Clock in the evening......cost a LOT of money per HOUR.....locksmith, tow truck business.....

So ..... lets say you love the country and thats...that..OK

Pack your suitcase and work in the city MOn-Fri..... Friday evening you pack your suitcase and go home for the weekend. Next week same agenda.....you can easily double your income by working in a large city and by being flexible..

good luck

DS

a reply to: deadlyhope


Town jobs = pensions

Utility companies pay well and most reimburse for furthering your education

Before you think about moving, consider all aspects. Costs mainly.

Like the tourism thing. Where is your support base, is it local?

Medical billing and coding can be done at home and pays well.

originally posted by: TheAlleghenyGentleman
What state do you live in? Are you in or close to a large city or are you in the sticks?

The state of confusion.

originally posted by: KTemplar
a reply to: deadlyhope


Town jobs = pensions

Utility companies pay well and most reimburse for furthering your education

Before you think about moving, consider all aspects. Costs mainly.

Like the tourism thing. Where is your support base, is it local?

Medical billing and coding can be done at home and pays well.

The guy across the street from me has retired from the police department at 45. He's been living the life of Riley since. I've busted my whole life in computers and have no pension. I talked to someone on the city council about this. He said we have 3 police departments in our town. Two are retired and the other one works. Why should I bust my asssss paying for this guy's pension. The local corruption in my government is so out of control. I've contacted the FBI about this but they say they are too busy fighting terrorism. All these retired police and local government people all vote Republican. They are not communists. What do you call them?

a reply to: deadlyhope

These courses are great:

www.udemy.com...

After you pay for one you will get lots of coupons to others free or really cheap. If any courses you are interested are being taught by Anthony Alicea take them. He's terrrific!

a reply to: dfnj2015

I actually took the course "Web developer bootcamp" By Colt Steele.

It's a pretty good course, but I have no idea where to go from there.

a reply to: deadlyhope

If there's a Flea market near you, you can make a killing selling women's shoes and handbags and belts and accessories. If there is a Flea market near you, selling stuff beats the hell out of manual labor. You should have a blast!

a reply to: dfnj2015

Doesn't matter what you call them.

Thing is, that corrupt politics is a great business model.......give it a shot for fun and profit!

originally posted by: dfnj2015

originally posted by: KTemplar
a reply to: deadlyhope


Town jobs = pensions

Utility companies pay well and most reimburse for furthering your education

Before you think about moving, consider all aspects. Costs mainly.

Like the tourism thing. Where is your support base, is it local?

Medical billing and coding can be done at home and pays well.

The guy across the street from me has retired from the police department at 45. He's been living the life of Riley since. I've busted my whole life in computers and have no pension. I talked to someone on the city council about this. He said we have 3 police departments in our town. Two are retired and the other one works. Why should I bust my asssss paying for this guy's pension. The local corruption in my government is so out of control. I've contacted the FBI about this but they say they are too busy fighting terrorism. All these retired police and local government people all vote Republican. They are not communists. What do you call them?

I call them smart

a reply to: KTemplar


With all due respect dfnj2015, I am not sure all people are aware of what our police officers, fire depts, go through on a daily basis.

The overnight shift work, getting stuck doing doubles, working in bad weather, dealing with drug addicts whom you have to search and don't know if you'll get pricked by a syringe which could be infected with HepC, or aids.

The sadness of having to inform people their loved ones have passed.

Suicides can be high among officers. They deal with a constant stream of sadness which give many PTSD.

There is a reason this job offers pensions. They earn it!

a reply to: deadlyhope

Well, the good thing is that you're hungry and have the desire to want more. That is very important and something that all of us should always have and make sure never gets extinguished. I'm not proposing that people should live their lives being greedy and overly materialistic.... but we should maintain our desire to grow and prosper.

As for your OP and much of the replies on this thread... I think some people may not be seeing the forest for the trees.

It seems like much of the advice offered (and a bit about your OP) seems geared at finding a job. The wish seems to be that, as if turning on a light switch, a few phone calls or few resumes sent will suddenly bring life altering income. While there may be a job out there that provides an income marginally larger than one is presently earning, that quick-fix is likely all that it will bring.

If you are seeking what I think you are seeking (an overall comfort level with potential for growth in the future) it isn't a "job" that you should be looking for. Rather, you need to establish a career.

I can feel the sense of urgency in your OP and I hate to be a stick-in-the-mud but careers take time to develop. They don't just "happen." If earning a relatively large income was as easy as just finding a new job.... then everyone would do it and everybody would be financially happy.

Everyone gets dealt a different hand but I suspect that by and large, most of us have to start towards the bottom and work our way up and make sacrifices. Particularly early in our careers we make sacrifices. Big, fat sacrifices. I've written about my own experiences here on ATS in previous threads so I won't do so again (and bore people). Let's just say that when starting a career you sometimes have to pay a lot on the front end to reap greater rewards down the road.

I want to be clear, OP, that I don't know you from a hole in the wall so I want you to understand that I'm NOT saying this is you.... but I'm thinking about someone I worked with a few years back.

He was (and of course still is) the same age as me, yet he was a file clerk while I was an assistant project manager on medium to small-large projects and just . He was b-tching and complaining that he didn't have more responsibilities and didn't earn a bigger salary. It was only because I was comfortable speaking freely with him that I said (paraphrase), "What do you expect? You don't get to run around and have fun all the time... and work as little as possible... and earn enough just to feed your partying.... for YEARS.... then decide that you're done with that phase of your life and NOW you want a real career and expect it to be waiting for you. It doesn't work like that. While you were partying, other people were working their rear ends off."

Perhaps I went off on a tangent there but my point is.... while you do need to find gainful employment in the short term to provide for your family.... I simply suggest that you keep the long-term big-picture in mind. Find an industry that will provide you with a job that, assuming you apply yourself, has room for growth and can provide year-over-year salary increases (as you learn).

One other thing I wanted to throw my two cents in about....

Not only on ATS but all over the place I hear different variations of, "If you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life." That sounds very pretty... but it is also a bit of malarkey. While I don't condone working in an industry (or in a job) that you despise, this thing about "doing what you love" is a bit silly.

It's not about "doing what you love" because doing what you love may or may not have economic value. It's about finding that intersecting point where what you "like enough" meets what makes you "financially comfortable."

Using myself as an example, again...... I like what I do. I really do. I don't LOVE it but I like it. What I really REALLY like is the financial security it provides for me and my family. Remember that you work to live, not the other way around. I don't mind going to work even on those days when I know I won't be doing something I love.... because I know that at the end of the day I'll be coming home to the beautiful home we've created and we will have the piece of mind (financially) to enjoy eachother's company.

(A bit all over the place but I've been writing this off and on for about an hour.......).

Best of luck to you and don't get discouraged and stay hungry.

a reply to: eluryh22

Thank you, elu.

So, I don't like computer programming, but it has potential.. Lots of it. Should I consider going a route I won't love, but that will earn me a lot more money than I currently make? ( low end makes about double what I currently do..)

a reply to: deadlyhope

SCARCASM AHEAD

You can always work for uber = be your own boss. Or do Amazon deliveries.

but seriously

I think someone mentioned social media... Many, if not most, companies need decent writers to do social media marketing for them and many would love to have you work from home. I am certain there are 'services' like 'fivver' for such that you can join. If you work consistently and ernestly, you'll make money (not great, but....) and gain experience that will be applicable in any field you may move on to.

I have found that experiences in jobs I don't particularly like where I have non-the-less been reliable and done my best have provided valuable skills - both practical and interpersonal - that have allowed me to always be able to work and mostly to work in areas that I enjoy for people I respect. But it didn't happen over night - always do your best (there is no job 'beneath you' and be dependable). It's not so much what you do but how you do it.

Good Luck

a reply to: FyreByrd

None the less ... what sort of coin does that generate ?