Information Security.
[QUOTE=eponacelt;7374459]
Noone has mentioned the emergency services profession. No 4 year degree needed, but if you already have one (in whatever), it makes getting hired easier. Hours can be great (DH usually works 4 days per week with weekends off, or 24 hours on, 48 hours off), and the demand is there. Departments in major metro areas (we’re close to DC) pay quite well.
And they’ll pay for you to be trained and certified. If you’re interested, talk to a local fire and rescue squad about volunteering. Its a great way to launch into the field with little investment other than your time and learning. And they need firefirghters, EMTs and paramedics EVERYWHERE.
And if you want more info about the field, let me know. DH is a paramedic/firefighter and is now quite well paid as a lieutenant in a large department with room still to grow in his career. He loves it, and it can be a great job for the right person.[/QUOTE]
This too, same with my suggestion… but it isnt EASY getting hired… my current BF has been trying to get hired as a FF since he was 18… and has been volunteer FF since… we… may… have… a job… not getting too excited until it happens though… but they are good jobs… great benefits… good retirement
What did you end up doing OP? I just graduated with a bachelors and am trying to figure out what kind of “big girl job” I want/where to look!!! Would love to hear where you went 
I work at a University outside of Boston. My job is mostly administrative. I make well over 50k, work 35 hours a week, have amazing benefits (including a month of paid leave), flexible summer hours, and a great work environment where I can leave work at work. I also have very little stress. There’s never a problem with leaving early or coming in late because I, or my horse, has an appointment. This is definitely not my dream job, but a job I’ll probably stay at forever because it allows for me to pursue my interests outside of work. I’ve also worked my way up since I started here, and I find the work fulfilling. I absolutely love working in higher ed-- something to consider!
the problem with this is that A: most of the intel agencies only hire those with prior military intel experience, or very specialized degrees (eg fluent in Arabic), and B: most of the agencies are in the DC area, where not only cost of living is high, but affording a horse, and driving hours through gridlock to go ride them, are really, really tough.
Military officer may work for you… The officer corps pays decently, and the perks (pay for advanced degrees, medical, etc) are decent. The downside is that you do have to move every few years, and there are times when you’re working crazy hours or have to deploy, which is inconvenient. But once you get to sr Captain/Major, you’re more likely to be in non-shift-work jobs, and responsibilities are more management/admin focused, meaning more a M-F, 8-5 type job.
The different services all have their own flavor. I am biased, but would recommend Air Force, as the quality of life is more a priority for that service. I have been able to have at least one horse my whole career, and now am supporting a whole farm of them… Feel free to PM with questions.
I now wish with all my heart I had become an air traffic controller :lol::lol::lol:
I have a question because I would just as soon go into an administrative role in Higher Ed, but since the bulk of my experience is teaching, and most of these jobs seem to call for quite a few years of experience and/or pay terribly, I need you to tell me what to do :lol::lol::lol: Like, a few years after I taught at Navy they were seeking a new department secretary, and when I inquired with my former boss he was like “what’s wrong?!” Um…I would much rather have a steady full time job that play adjunct/lecturer Russian roulette every term/year since I will likely remain perpetually abd. Because I never have a reliable income.
Financial advisor –
My financial advisor worked for Merrill Lynch for many years to learn the “trade”. Then he started his own firm with 2 other brokers. Finally, he went out on his own. He can work anywhere there is the Internet. He has never missed one of his daughter’s events, and he has a race car which (on non-horsey weekends) he takes to a nearby track to race.
He has been doing this for decades and is very successful and happy (as are his clients). He spends about 1/2 of each day watching the market and market forecasts and talking to clients. The rest of the time is his. If I were to do it all over again, this is what I would have done.
1 Like
This is what I do, I’m a Contract specialist and when the oil sands were busy, even jrs were making in the very high 5 figures! I made $100k plus with benefits! When a project was in the thick of things, I sometimes did some overtime but mostly my hours were 7-4 and we got every 2nf Friday off! Then when the economy crashed, I was out of work for over a year but had saved a lot. Now I’m back at work, wages are about 30% lower in Alberta but still high 5 figures , still great hours and lots of time to ride
Stay out of DC. Stay out of DC as LOOOOOOONNNGGG as you can…(here now. “Really tough” is the most polite way to describe it, lol!). Also with the intel stuff is the clearance issue. I think that was mentioned a couple of years ago when the thread was fresh…Clearances to work any real intel stuff take a long time, are expensive for agencies, and are a huge hurdle for folks coming off the street even with the right degrees. Better if you’re coming in from the military side and you can carry a clearance with you.
Military officer may work for you… The officer corps pays decently, and the perks (pay for advanced degrees, medical, etc) are decent. The downside is that you do have to move every few years, and there are times when you’re working crazy hours or have to deploy, which is inconvenient. But once you get to sr Captain/Major, you’re more likely to be in non-shift-work jobs, and responsibilities are more management/admin focused, meaning more a M-F, 8-5 type job.
The different services all have their own flavor. I am biased, but would recommend Air Force, as the quality of life is more a priority for that service. I have been able to have at least one horse my whole career, and now am supporting a whole farm of them… Feel free to PM with questions.
Mostly agreed with the above, and also partial to the Air Force (I’m also active duty AF). That said, the 8-5 thing depends heavily on what career field and the manning at that particular unit. As a mid-Capt I’m just now in a job that actually somewhat adheres to that. As an Exec I was working 12s most of the time because if leadership was in the office, then I was in the office (and they were in the office all the time). Didn’t own my own schedule, and it made riding regularly very difficult. Part of the larger culture crisis and manning issues the AF is having which is only driving more people out the door.
(ElementFarm we should have an Air Force horse people thread!)
I just moved outside of DC. Its really not that bad as long as you’re not trying to keep up with the Jones. My husbands income went up 47% and cost of living only increase 18% for my family of 5. My husband does Security, Datacenter Architecture, Networking all in the IT Field. He makes well over the 50K mark. He works 40 hours with unlimited vacation. I work for a IT cloud hosting company based out of NC doing Project Management from home now, and make over what the OP wants. I work 20 hours some weeks and 60 other weeks depending on work flow needs. I also get time off as needed with no limits.
If you are in IT and PM field, DC is fantastic. I get job offers everyday from recruiters. I changed my LinkedIn Profile to interested in new opportunities and have 12 interviews this month with IT companies and Software companies.
I still ride/take my kid to ride 6 days a week and love all the different museums and opportunities here. Weather totally blows and so does traffic if you don’t plan accordingly, but I’m happy with my move.
How the heck do you find a job like that? i’ve been desperately searching for something with a reasonable commute in south central MA but nothing pays over $30k 
1 Like
I was going to suggest this career path as well, with the caveat that I am also in Western Canada, so not sure what demand is elsewhere, but certified buyers are in high demand and hard to find in my industry (lumber, pulp & paper, panelboard manufacturing). Salaries into the 6 figures as well.
Where I live, $50K would barely cover day-to-day living expenses (let alone riding) so clearly location makes a huge difference.
OP instead of starting with the job and working backward, what are you good at? What do you like? Where do your strengths lie? What is your undergraduate degree?
It sounds like a consult with a career counselor could be a huge help.
This is like asking “what’s a good flavor that’s not strawberry.” We don’t know, because we don’t know anything about you.
2 Likes
Agreed, OP, what are you interested in?
There are plenty of jobs that can start paying well over that by the time you hit mid-level (less than 10 years on the job at plenty of places). Admin-type roles, marketing, even in the non-profit sector. If you are interested in non-profits, development professionals are paid well and universally in demand–every charity needs fundraisers. It’s pretty normal for Directors of Development (as in, running the department at a charity) to make six-figure salaries. You do have to travel, but usually not like, 40 weeks a year. And the jobs are typically 9-5 with standard benefits. Just another track to think about…
Thread is three years old, OP may be gone by now.
Sorry for bumping up an old thread, I am in a similar situation as the OP was and am trying to get career ideas! @finneas what do you do at the university? Thanks!!!
I know this is old, but just wanted to note I had a similar thread going six months ago. Finding a career path is so difficult when you haven’t a clue what you want to do. I hope the OP figured some stuff out - would make me feel a ton better.
I didn’t realize this was a zombie thread! Maybe starting a new one for people still around who are career searching makes more sense than continuing this old thread?
Ft Worth area starting salary for teachers is low 50s with Bachelor degree
Flexibility is absurd. Our daughter who is a teacher is a distance runner who competes all over the world
