I have been a high school public school teacher for a little over 10 years. I hold a master's degree in my area. My husband works nights and makes very little money so we really rely on my income to pay our bills but need his too. I used to love teaching but I currently hate it. Not the actual teaching but the 30 plus kids in a class, the $800 a month health insurance deduction for my kids, the increasing paperwork and pressure to do other things in addition to teaching and all for $20,000 less than what I was making 3 years ago. I know most people are struggling in this economy but I always thought I would struggle as a teacher but at least I would have a decent pension which has come under attack and I fear it won't be there or will dramatically be cut by the time I retire, if I ever retire. I am ready for a career change but what kind of job can I get that will guarantee me $75,000 or more per year. I want to go back to school for pharmacy or a nurse practitioner but they are full time programs, I work full time, my husband works nights, and I have two small children. I am afraid if I don't find a new career soon I will not be able to provide for them. I feel I am at a dead end. I am smart, hard working, and have always worked other jobs on the side. Any advice????? Other good paying careers I can go into that have weekend or online classes.
In response to the health insurance. As of last year the state of florida is not writing children only policies. Broward county charges $1200 a month for a family policy or almost $400 per child for the cheapest possible child policy that they have. 2 kids=$800. I believe school board member corruption is behind the outrageous prices. They also would not cover the cost of the birth of my second child if I did not sign up my child for their health insurance plan. I also thought the law was the baby would be covered under my plan for 30 days but some how they have gotten around that. Health insurance alone for the children is about $10,000 a year. A government job is not what it used to be :(
I taught 12 years. When I remarried, I made it clear I would not go back to teaching ever and I haven't missed it at all.
I don't have any career advice except to make the change asap. The older my child and I get, the harder it is to be in school.
as for the side job: have you ever considered tutoring online for a university? One of my friends became a SAHM by doing this. She made less than teaching full-time, but it was enough to keep her home. Maybe this would work as a side job for you. The hours are available 24/7 for some universities!
& as for the $800 insurance deduction: pretty standard for today's world. We live in the midwest, & ours averages btwn $600-700....depending on the company. The $800 is not too far out of line. Sad & sucks.
Career choice: we have 4 new RNs in our family. The 2 who went thru the community college had a very difficult time securing positions. It took anywhere from 9-15 months to get jobs, & only one of them was with a hospital. The other 2 RNs went thru the state university & had jobs before their boards. For all 4 young ladies, the salary is good....but the hours & multiple shifts required are death to families.
Pharmacist is very popular right now. But, it is a career which is becoming more/more mechanized. Please really, really research this field & it's future before choosing it!
& as for your comments about the education field: it truly is changing & not for the better! You are at a crossroads with many other teachers. It's hard to enjoy your job when you are working at a reduced salary! But that's what is happening all over the country....please be very thankful that you have your job. Many young people in our family are still searching for teaching positions.....it's soooo sad!
My advice: find a fantastic, insightful, caring counselor at one of your local universities. Work, work, work the system until you find your answers! Good Luck & best wishes.
What about becoming an adjunct professor at your local college? A friend of mine, who had masters in business did that as part time/2nd job - she loved it. Adjunct could also lead to a full time position :)
Also, since you have a background in education you may want to look into motivational and/or employment training positions, volunteer coordinator positions, really anything where your experience teaching and leading people will be an asset.
Speak to your local college for career advice and course options.
Good Luck
God Bless
Have you thought about becoming a private tutor? You have a Master's degree and you are in a wealthy community so there has to be a need for someone with your expertise. It's a matter of marketing yourself in the right venues. People get what they pay for and the wealthy will pay to get their childs SAT scores up or get them into the IVY league school that Daddy went to... Do a two week intensive course over Christmas break in a subject that you know there is a need for. Now is the time to pull that together and get kids registered. You can always schedule students around your schedule if you have marketed yourself right. You need ONE terribly happy parent to get things rolling.
I sense a desperation in your voice (no offense). That needs to go :) Get one or two killer outfits that say you are successful at what you do. Sit down and get a plan together....then go for it.
My husband just went back to grad school and I am the sole income....aaargh...but it's only for 6 years. After that, I'm relaxing!
God bless!
M.
I'd look into the medical field, it's what's booming and will be booming forever now that babyboomers are gettin old and there are so many disabled, including children due to all the parents taking drugs while pregnant. Maybe stay within your teaching career but go for something more specialized like teaching disabled adults.... get a GOVT job, that's where the perks are. Go to you local college careers center and talk to a counselor and see if you can start with some online classes while you are still working OR get a grant while you are in school and quit working. My tenants all go to college forever just for the money they get in grants.
I have been in medical sales for 20 years and I can't imagine doing anything else. I was selling products for cancer research for the majority of that time and recently moved to be a testing specialists for a gigantic national laboratory (I educate physicians and they comply, kinda scary). In my current position I have colleagues that were pharmacists and nurse practitioners and made the switch for the financial opportunities. I'm not going to mislead you it is a TON of work and lots of pressure but I love making a difference in patient's lives and live well doing it. There are lots of national recruiters that only deal in the medical field and have great success.
I think you could apply at different schools. It may be that you could qualify for a different job within the school system that pays better. Maybe go and be certified to be a Principle or Superintendent.
There are better paying jobs within your career areas. What about teaching at a local Jr. College. My friend did that after teaching and loved it. It was all adults and he made nearly double what he was making in the public school system. If you did that you could do a PH.d in a short time too and then perhaps go to a local University and teach. Once you get Tenure you are going to be making good money there too.
My friend who holds a Masters in Nursing went to work as a teacher at a local Jr. College and she made more than a public school teacher's salary. She loved her job every day she was there. When she received her notice of Tenure her salary nearly doubled.
I guess my point is that you have invested a lot of yourself into your current career and you don't have to totally change, you can decide to pursue a different job within your field that would provide a better salary and benefit package for your family without a lot more school and spending.
I would recommend finding a Career Coach or Career Consultant in your area who could help you work through these issues. You can google these titles to find options, or check in with a local Outplacement Company who could then refer you to a person who works with individuals. Most people who work in this field will negotiate their rates, or will be very up front with you about the cost and content of their services, so that you can compare and find the person or service that would work for you.
hi A., i cant belive you pay so much money for your kids health insurance. why dont you apply at www.floridakidcare.org for your kids since you and your husband dont make that much money. i know a friend of mine pays $30.00 per month for one kid and she and her husband make around $55k a year. please try and i am sure they will aprove you!!! for your career i can give you an advice to see if you can teach at a college or university since you have master degree. you can try to teach online classes :) i hope i gave you good advices and they will help you. i wish you best of luck :)
Why are you paying $800 a month for health insurance for your kids? It is easy to find a private policy for a child. They are cheap to insure because they don't often get sick. My son's insurance was hundreds a month under my or my husbands insurance. I think the site is e-healthinsurance.com. You can hand pick what policy works for your child (cheaper co-pays, higher deductible, pharmacy - you can also add dental. You can compare policies easily. You can do everything on-line and they are insured almost immediately. I pay $82 a month for full health insurance and full dental for my 6 year old. He has his own policy under his own name. The insuring companies are Humana, BC/BS, etc., all the readily accepted programs by doctors offices. My son gets full wellness visits, plus sick visits, $25 co-pay. He also has full dental preventative, just got his 4 permanent molars sealed at a cost of $5 per tooth. Children are cheap to insure if you get them their own policy!
I'm curious too about the $800/month health ins. If you are a state employee, you should be paying about $180/month for your family.
If you have specific questions about pharmacy as a career, I would be happy to answer them for you, as I have been a pharmacist for 18 years. I can tell you that the demand is not what it once was, and depending on the kind of job you want, there are no guarantees any more, especially for new graduates. And there are many, many frustrations in this field as well, as health care is changing dramatically. I work for a hospital and still pay a lot for our health insurance, so even health care employees are not immune from the increasing costs. Unfortunately, the economy is affecting every industry.
I have been very fortunate in my career and 10 years ago would have recommended it to anyone. Now I'm not so sure. Best of luck to you.
Hi A.,
It sounds to me like your mind is made up to quit your current teaching job. You won't know what's next unless you take that big step. Just make sure you're prepared financially and emotionally to do that.
Years ago, I was in a dead end job with no health insurance, retirement or any other perks. I only got paid for the hours I worked. When I finally quit that job, I started a computer services business. It was good money and I was doing something I loved. But, when mom was no longer independent and I moved 1,100 miles from home to take care of her, my business was over.
I still take care of mom, so I needed a way to work from home. I found something else I love. I'm a distributor and work online and on the phone. My business isn't for everyone, but it's perfect for me.
Here's my point . . .
If you're not happy doing what you're doing, move on. Just be smart about it. You may have to continue working there until you're really prepared to quit. Many people start a business from home while working a full time job … Especially when they have other responsibilities, like a family. I like working with a company behind me. Others like venturing out on their own. I’ve done both. You're looking for another job with a guaranteed $75,000 a year ... There are no guarantees. What's happening in your current job proves that.
One thought . . .
Do you qualify for a pension or other benefits if you stay a certain number of years? After 10 years, you may qualify or be close. That should be a consideration before you quit.
So, what’s next? . . .
If you’re serious about being a pharmacist or nurse practitioner, GO FOR IT. I think a smart plan would be to continue working until you’re sure you can afford to quit. How about a home business on the side. Build up enough income with that so you can quit your teaching job. Then you can go to pharmacy or nursing school while you continue with your part-time home business.
Change is always hard. But, with your degree, experience, determination and family support, you can make it work. Most people regret the things they DIDN’T do more than the things they DID. Make sure you’ve thought it thru before you quit, then GO FOR IT!
~M.
Is it possible to wait until your kids are a little bit older and to go back to school since what you want to do are FT school loads? If you need money on the side, I'd highly recommend tutoring or adjunct as pp mentioned. It sounds like a tough place to be in. Good luck to you!
