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cmomoCPA's avatar

Career Advice - What to do? LT or ST.

Asked by cmomoCPA (152points) January 28th, 2013

OK, so here’s the deal, I’m recently unemployed and the economy is in the crapper. (See most recent question string on my temp to perm experience at my last gig, resulted in me being unemployed)

I’m out of work and I’ve recently started interviewing with temp agencies again, turns out my skill set is the hottest thing since sliced bread. I have several temp agencies that want me to go back to work and start out at low wages and then I get to bust my ass and work my way back into a permanent position. Do I do that?

My medium term goal is to study for the GMAT and apply to grad school (deadline April 31st).

What would you guys do?
1) Go back in and get a job with my current skillset at a crappy pay, long train commute(3+hrs daily), lots of BS, AND try to study and apply for grad school on the side?

2) Make grad school the priority, my long term outcome the priority, take the time off, study for grad school(8+hrs daily), improve my applications. I could take some software courses in the meantime to keep my skills and resume fresh. In short, defer the immediate job offers to apply to MBA programs and JD program. Once I’ve got the applications in in 3 months time the market might improve even more…and I’ll have focused on getting the apps in with my full attention.

Short term money shouldn’t be a problem, I’m 36, single, live at home with M&D, child support is managable, I lost everything 2 years ago when I lost that job(apt, car, MY LIFE). I’ve managed to scrape by and pay off most of my debts.

What should I do? Can you guys help me work out the pros and cons? Pls ask questions if nec.
Thanks,

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7 Answers

KNOWITALL's avatar

But you make #1 sound so great….lol

I’d go with #2, if that’s what you want to do, don’t second guess yourself too much. And you never know when you’ll be in this good of a position again, living with M&D, small bills, etc..

Hawaii_Jake's avatar

Welcome to Fluther.

I would also add my voice encouraging you to concentrate on looking at the long-term option. I went to graduate school, and the break in my resume was never questioned when it came time to look for work again.

wundayatta's avatar

It seems like you are planning to go to grad school no matter what. So the question is do you forsake the money from work and study and get into a better school, possibly, or do you trust that you are well enough prepared now, and make money and do as best you can on your tests and applications?

To me, it comes down to how much you want the money. If money isn’t that important, then don’t work. Study. Do as well as you can.

Or, if you think you are smart enough naturally, then skip the studying, and work.

I was a good enough test taker that I didn’t have to study in order to do well enough on the standardized tests to get into a good grad school. So it is possible, if you are good enough at taking tests.

So if it was me, I wouldn’t worry about studying. I’d work. I’d be stashing away money for grad school. And child support payments.

But if you need to study, then you may want to not work to free up time. On the other hand, work has 3 hours a day of commute time. Unless you are driving, you can use much of that time to study. That’s a lot of studying each day. If the commute is a drive, then I would say skip the job. Not worth it.

gailcalled's avatar

In an earlier question, you said, among other things, ” I was psychologically, emotionally, physically bullied and abused by Mom and Dad as a child…blah blah blah. I need to change, I’ve been through therapy and I’m starting to turn things around.”

Why are you living with your mom and dad?

Dr_Lawrence's avatar

With the large cohort of baby boomers retiring or retiring soon, career prospects meeting their increasing needs holds a great deal of promise. If that suits your personality and character, you may do well to prepare for a suitable career such as geriatric nursing or medicine.

burntbonez's avatar

Presumably as a skilled care-giver, not as one of the people who turns patients over in bed to avoid bedsores, right, doc?

cmomoCPA's avatar

Dr. Lawerence, I came from Nursing. I did it in my early 20’s working through my bachelors degree. That’s a burn out job, why are so many people leaving that field? Do your meds and do your treatments and stay late off the clock for charting. After I got my BS Biology I went in Pharma Clinical Research and travleded 70%, that’s also a lifestyle that loses it charm.

I’m doing what I can now, I was in the Health/Pharma/Health Administration field for last 13 yr, I want to go accounting. The pay for jobs in accounting is low if you don’t have an Accounting Degree/CPA or 5+ yrs experience. So when I got laid off for 1 yr 3 yrs(middle of the great recession) ago I moved in with Mom and Dad, despite differences I had to survive, lost apt. car, everything. I should have studied for Grad school then but I was dealing with living back home at that time, IT WAS HARD MOVING BACK HERE. My Mom cried at the kitchen table trying to get me to commit to move to their retirement home in Florida with them so “I could take care of them”, my GF at the time(a NYC lawyer) told me “no wonder you’ve never gotten anywhere in your life your surrounded by life sucking vampires”. The yelling, screaming, fit throwing, manipulation attempts, attention seeking behavior was still going on in this house. Since then I’ve read some books and drawn the line, “grow up or your out of my life for good”. I was branded as being cruel and mean, and “why are your doing this to us?, we just want to help you, do this for us and your can do wht you want later”, but it’s my life time to start owning it.

It was what it was, I’m going to take 4–5 weeks off from active job hunting get my grad school application in shape and get back to the grind.

I’m 36 and my son starts college in 3yrs. job postings for accountants start out at $40–45K, the train ticket to NYC costs $400 monthly for that 3hr. train ride. Employers are doing what is in their best interest.

I’ve made decisions in the past in poor emotional states. My personal and home life has been toxic.

Thanks knowitall and wundyatta for spelling it out, it’s time to make my next move. I was hanging with my friend from HS the other night, he’s 36 married lives in NYC and lost everything also.

He had a construction business, 6–7 investment properties, 2 houses, several FT crews on payroll, trucks, snow removal contracts, chartered plane to the 2007 Super Bowl… He got back from building some houses in Brazil for 16 months to make some cash, his business collapsed, one of his business partners didn’t make the mortgage payments on some of the properties, he’s $600K in the hole with no job no company. His wife threw him out of the house until he finds a job. He’s doing the odd job he can find to make quick cash. He asked ME how to get a job, casue all he’s ever done is owned his own business. His expertise is in housing and construction, yeah I know.

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