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I'm looking for a bit of advice on continuing education, certs, and other stuff like that. I've been at my first "real" job for a year now. We do our yearly performance reviews in January and February, so I got mine and had my big sit-down with my boss a few weeks back. What he said, and what I've got in writing, is that I've done amazingly well in my first year, and I'll be promoted in the next few months. But for later promotions, I'm going to have to start pursuing some sort of certification or continuing education. I work as a programmer, writing actuarial software, so my main options are taking the actuarial exams, the CFA exams, going for an MBA, or going for an MSCD certification. I'm pretty happy where I am now, but if I change jobs, I'd want to go to a more "serious developer job", ideally on Linux since I'm a massive nerd and I've made a few smallish projects in Python in my free time. Actuary path: Honestly I find that whole side of things really dull; I spent a few weeks studying for the first exam and it was probably the dullest thing I did last year. It doesn't really fit my long-term career goals, anyway. MBA: I just turned 24 and I've got barely a year of work experience. I get the impression that an MBA wouldn't be too helpful for me. MSCD: It's not on my preferred platform, but this really does seem like the way to go for me because it's actually related to software development. At worst, I could leave it off my resume if I apply for Linux jobs. CFA: Honestly I don't really know much about this. It might help if I wanted to go work as a developer at a bank or something like that? If anyone's got any advice, that'd be cool.
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Mar 9, 2014 06:51
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CFA is specifically for someone whose job is managing investments, so while you can take the exams, you're not going to get the credential without changing careers. If you're planning on staying in insurance, the various underwriter certifications might be appealing, and they're much easier than the actuarial exams. I know about the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter path, and I think there's something similar for life. What about a non-MBA master's program?
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Mar 9, 2014 07:40
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If they're okay with me going for an MS in CS I'd love to do that. I'm a colossal nerd and taking a bunch of grad classes on algorithms, operating systems, and stuff like that would be rad as hell to me, especially if it counts as career development and they're reimbursing me for it. I'm gonna look into that and actually ask him on Monday or whenever we've got the chance to talk about it. We actually had a guy transfer from somewhere else in the company onto our team a few months back because he's an expert on high performance computing, so it's possible! I think I should definitely talk to my boss about that. As for insurance... I kind of stumbled into this job after a decently long period of unemployment and some stupid decisions on my part, while I was sending out my resume to literally every posting I saw. I'm pretty happy here, but a career in insurance wasn't ever a specific goal of mine. More software development, really. e: So if it comes down to that, I'll just get the MS certs. null gallagher fucked around with this message at 21:12 on Mar 9, 2014 |
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Mar 9, 2014 08:15
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I am about to finish up a bachelor of fine arts in music. I foolishly chose this major when I was in high school, thinking that ideas/opportunities for a career might come with time. I've since found out that I'm not really interested in performing music, especially not as a career. My program was just for performance, I didn't learn anything about music production or recording or anything like that. I wouldn't mind teaching music lessons as a side gig but I have no idea really where to go career wise. I considered teachers college but I have a criminal record which makes that impossible, plus I don't really feel it would be right for me. My degree doesn't seem to have afforded me many useful skills. I am a good writer/editor and I got great marks in my music BA, but I'm not sure if this even matters for starting a career. I am extremely fortunate that my parents paid for my degree, so I have no debts. I have considered becoming a lawyer, taking an MBA, or possibly becoming a real estate agent. However I have read that all of these careers are doing poorly in today's economy and the cost of the schooling required is not worth the payout. This combined with my criminal record make it difficult for me to make a decision going forward. On one hand, I don't want to jump into a degree and simply hope that it sorts out my career issues (as I already did in the past), but on the other hand it seems the alternative is to just work minimum wage jobs and let my BA go to waste. If anyone could offer me some advice I would greatly appreciate it.
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Mar 10, 2014 04:15
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MoosetheMooche posted:I am a good writer/editor
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Mar 10, 2014 04:37
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- Canadian. - Just turned 24. - Working in a niche media company since 2009, right out of highschool, and currently in a position where I'm doing very brain-destroying data entry every day due to some political missteps. Haven't left yet due to massive severance owed if they let me go. No skills that look good on a resume. - Have a decent amount of liquid assets on hand to finance getting an education with only partial debt. I've spent the past year and a bit really soul-searching on what I would like to do with my life, since my current situation isn't a loving career by any stretch of the imagination, and I've settled on going back to school for a two year diploma in Fish & Wildlife followed by an intensive two year degree in Ecological Restoration which works out in general terms to a BSc in Applied Biology. Settled on this since it offers a combination of Data Analysis (the only thing I enjoy about my current job) and Field Work. Is this a stupid thing to be thinking of graduating at 29 with? I feel really protective of my nestegg and don't want to waste it on something that's useless / retarded in terms of getting a career for life, and the atmosphere towards the environment in Canada right now seems increasingly hostile... Nevermind! 
Rime fucked around with this message at 17:37 on Mar 13, 2014 |
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Mar 11, 2014 00:30
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I recently got a job as a junior project manager working for a translation agency. Previously I had only worked on the translation/localization side of the business as QA/translator myself, so a lot of stuff is familiar, though being on the management side is new. So far the job isn't too difficult to get a handle on, I can imagine myself getting a bit bored down the line. To combat this, I was thinking taking courses/certifications related to either localization or just general project management might be a good idea. However there's a morass of different kinds of certs out there and I have no idea what might serve me in the long term?
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Mar 13, 2014 10:54
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Jossos posted:I recently got a job as a junior project manager working for a translation agency. Previously I had only worked on the translation/localization side of the business as QA/translator myself, so a lot of stuff is familiar, though being on the management side is new. So far the job isn't too difficult to get a handle on, I can imagine myself getting a bit bored down the line. The two main project management paths to go down are, if I remember correctly, PRINCE2 and PMP. Prince2 is certainly the standard in the UK from what I can tell. I'd suggest looking at doing the starter PRINCE2 cert.
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Mar 13, 2014 11:08
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DrAlexanderTobacco posted:The two main project management paths to go down are, if I remember correctly, PRINCE2 and PMP. Prince2 is certainly the standard in the UK from what I can tell. I'd suggest looking at doing the starter PRINCE2 cert. I'm in communist Europe as well, so probably similar. I've come across Prince2. Do you know if it's feasible to self-study for the exam? Dropping 2 grand to attend a bunch of seminars is a bit too rich for my blood though.
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Mar 13, 2014 11:12
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Maybe your company could pay for it? I was able to swing a Certified Scrum Master class with Jeff Sutherland through my company since we were starting to heavily apply agile scrum to a lot of our project management work.
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Mar 13, 2014 17:26
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I'm only familiar with the PMP and I haven't taken the test so, grain of salt, but the standard practice for most people is self study. If your company will pay for a course then thats probably a good opportunity but its kinda like any standardized test where you've got to do your own studying anyway. I would def try to get your company to pay for as much as possible. Most places are pretty happy to do that since its cheaper than a raise or bonus and benefits them too. Even if they don't have an official process, there might be a general fund or something floating around, for even a medium sized business the costs for training classes are like the remainder when you round the total budget off so you're not really asking for the moon. Either way, its almost impossible for that conversation to go poorly since you're just trying to improve yourself/do your job better. Another note: Sometimes, if you are paying out of pocket, you can get discounts from a course instructor if you ask nicely and explain you are paying your own way but your really interested blah blah blah. Not always, maybe not usually, but I have heard of people swinging deals.
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Mar 13, 2014 20:45
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I know you're in the US, but if you were, you'd be able to take a education tax credit in most casees since its work-related and improving your overall skills.
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Mar 13, 2014 21:53
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Since my last post, I have changed from existential malaise to needing to get the gently caress out of my current job. I am one of exceedingly few people who still gives a poo poo, and my direct supervisor is actually giving me poo poo because I work hard and care. No, I'm not lying or exaggerating. Suffice it to say, I need out. I'll worry about a real career later. I've done telephone customer service (grief mop / ablative armor) and administration (beep boop I am a drone). I don't find much in my searches, and I'm wondering if I'm using the wrong terms. Is there a better word for a job where you sit at a computer and commit impersonal drudgery? "Data entry" is flooded with thousands of garbage/possible-scam entries on most sites. I also look under "administration" "human resources assistant" and "assistant project management" for fields I might try to see if I can slide into with little success. Is there some sort of secret search engine fu or trends in job titles that I'm missing out on?
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Mar 13, 2014 23:43
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Any advice for writing resignation letters? I'm interviewing now for a few different positions, looking to leave my current company mid to late June. I've never written a formal resignation letter because most of my previous jobs were low-level retail or kitchen kinda stuff where I just told the manager I was leaving in two weeks. Is two week notice still standard in the corporate world?
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Mar 22, 2014 17:29
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I think resignation letters are more standard fare in political and other high profile careers. Sitting down with your manager is probably the way to go. They'll tell you if they need a formal letter.
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Mar 22, 2014 20:14
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Depending on how corporate your work is you might need to provide one but you should talk to your boss first. That said, as perfunctory as they are, if you're of the "never burn bridges" mentality it's not a bad idea to put a couple of pines about the good things that happened at your current job. It's sort of a "can't hurt" sort of thing.
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Mar 22, 2014 21:17
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Jerome Louis posted:Any advice for writing resignation letters? I'm interviewing now for a few different positions, looking to leave my current company mid to late June. I've never written a formal resignation letter because most of my previous jobs were low-level retail or kitchen kinda stuff where I just told the manager I was leaving in two weeks. Is two week notice still standard in the corporate world? Two weeks notice is the general rule. Tell them face to face, in writing you just have to put "as per my conversation with John Doe on the 18 march 2014, I'm giving two weeks notice, and my last day of work will be." Also just because you're doing the right thing doesn't mean the company will. Check your contract and state laws. You could give notice and they say well don't bother coming in tomorrow and be within their rights.
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Mar 23, 2014 04:49
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Right! So, I'm considering a midlife crisis, namely jumping state/country and starting fresh away from the less-than-awesome people I seem to be around lately. I'm slightly paranoid that my skillset leaves me few employment opportunities that don't involve a diet of instant noodles and apartment sharing with charming heroine addicts. Mostly because it's all over the place. Things I do: Advanced Diploma in Network Admin (unused since 2008) Experience managing Networks/Network Security Experience managing Farms (livestock) Experience as a chef/pastry chef RSA Bilingual (English/Greek) Basically what I'm wondering is how hosed am I with the above skills. Bonus points if the answer is relevant to Perth, Australia...
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Mar 23, 2014 08:46
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Ask in auspol in debate and discussion. Depends what you want to do, why you're leaving your current job. You'll have more opportunities in the eastern states. If it's quality of life; try and get a council or state or federal govt job. 36.5hr week, 12% superannuation, 55k starting. You won't set the world on fire with money but you can actually have a life.
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Mar 23, 2014 09:05
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Does anyone have any information about becoming a bioinformatician/epidemiologist? I have an undergraduate biochemistry degree and a job as a scientific communicator (I read papers all day and send the interesting ones to other scientists) for a biotech company, which is good and relatively stable. However, the more "big data" papers I read, the more I want to get in on the action. I have been teaching myself Python through an MITx course and I'm really enjoying it. Has this field been flooded by PhDs? What should my next step be?
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Mar 23, 2014 20:25
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TheOtherContraGuy posted:Does anyone have any information about becoming a bioinformatician/epidemiologist? I have an undergraduate biochemistry degree and a job as a scientific communicator (I read papers all day and send the interesting ones to other scientists) for a biotech company, which is good and relatively stable. However, the more "big data" papers I read, the more I want to get in on the action. I have been teaching myself Python through an MITx course and I'm really enjoying it. Has this field been flooded by PhDs? What should my next step be? The second to last question is a resounding "Yes", especially in biomedical fields. http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/03/the-myth-of-the-science-and-engineering-shortage/284359/
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Mar 26, 2014 22:42
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TheOtherContraGuy posted:Does anyone have any information about becoming a bioinformatician/epidemiologist? I have an undergraduate biochemistry degree and a job as a scientific communicator (I read papers all day and send the interesting ones to other scientists) for a biotech company, which is good and relatively stable. However, the more "big data" papers I read, the more I want to get in on the action. I have been teaching myself Python through an MITx course and I'm really enjoying it. Has this field been flooded by PhDs? What should my next step be? You might have better luck here. http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3392095&pagenumber=34&perpage=40
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Mar 27, 2014 22:06
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Hi thread, I'm in a bit of an uncertain period of limbo with my career. I'm in the UK, if this matters. I'm a former Archaeology graduate that was doing a 2 year masters (crashed and burned with depression, ended up quitting.) I've largely gotten better and my job (informal educator on nature at a museum) has helped me rediscover my passion for animals. I have some volunteer experience and signed up to do work at a wildlife shelter. I really want to work in an aquarium, but there are sadly few opportunities to get similar experience near me and I can't keep pets at home so I have little animal husbandry experience (which I'm trying to fix). I was considering trying to sign up for a Zoo and Aquarium Management Diploma, would it be a waste of time? For anyone working with animals out there, what's the best way to break into a career in it? I'd be comfortable doing presentation work (which is what I do already sans live animals) and would also be happy branching into practical conservation, though I imagine that's an entirely different skill set.
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Mar 28, 2014 23:34
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Not sure if this is the right place for this, but I didn't see a better spot to ask. I've been avoiding temp-to-hire because I don't want to end up with no job, as I currently have one. But over the last few days I have considered quitting outright, so I suppose I don't really need to worry about that. Googling it seems to say the obvious, "It's getting more and more popular with companies, and can be a risk, since you could end up unemployed, but it's up to you if it's worth taking." So, I'm just checking: do temp-to-perms actually work out? Or is it some sort of big scam where you never get hired and everyone just pretends in some sort of Bokononist ritual? Because that's how I imagine it.
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Mar 28, 2014 23:56
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Depends on the place, but it tends to take 6-12 months if it ever does happen.
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Mar 29, 2014 00:17
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I work for a large specialty contractor with a few years experience. I agreed to work as a project manager on a project for a different subsidiary company halfway across the country and they will pay my expenses, travel and get a raise during this time period. After this project is over in about 6 months, I will return back to my original company at the same title/pay, project engineer. This project is larger and much more difficult than the projects we typically do and will be very valuable experience. So, basically, I will be doing a more experienced difficult job then they want me to return back to where I'm at. Should I be pushing harder for keeping my title / pay? I think it would look silly on my resume going up then back down. Am I screwed because I didn't negotiate this before hand? What I'm doing is in very high demand right now. The Sock fucked around with this message at 23:52 on Apr 6, 2014 |
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Mar 29, 2014 00:20
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The Sock posted:I work for a large specialty contractor with a few years experience. I agreed to work as a project manager on a project for a different subsidiary company halfway across the country and they will pay my expenses, travel and get a raise during this time period. After this project is over in about 6 months, I will return back to my original company at the same title/pay, project engineer. This project is larger and much more difficult than the projects we typically do and will be very valuable experience. Are you contractually obligated to go back? After six months could you find new work doing your new thing? If you need/want to stay with the current place I'd set up time to talk with your manager about your new responsibilities and let them know you feel that you should continue on this path. Frame it as the best option for them and for you.
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Mar 29, 2014 08:53
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corkskroo posted:Are you contractually obligated to go back? After six months could you find new work doing your new thing? Contractually, the project needs a full time PM on the project. I am not under any sort of contract about staying out here, however, I was only helping them out and returning back to my old area.
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Mar 29, 2014 13:45
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The Sock posted:Contractually, the project needs a full time PM on the project. I am not under any sort of contract about staying out here, however, I was only helping them out and returning back to my old area. Do you want to go back? I figured you'd finish out the project but can you try to use it to line something up at your new higher ranked position for afterwards? I'm using language lazily. There's staying in your temporary geographical location and then there's staying with your employer. If your employer demands that you go back to your previous title would you try to jump somewhere else (in either location) at the higher position? If you want to stay in your temporary geographical location you have time there to make it happen. Look at all the goons putting their friends' addresses on their resumes because they want to move. If you wanted to stay where you are you have a leg up on them.
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Mar 29, 2014 14:18
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corkskroo posted:Do you want to go back? I figured you'd finish out the project but can you try to use it to line something up at your new higher ranked position for afterwards? Yes, I would like to go back to my original location that I moved from, since my girlfriend lives there. I've moved from two other areas already with this company and it is getting a bit tiring having to move all the time. She is looking at new jobs in the area, however, she really likes the area and does not really want to move again. I would have to discuss it with her, but she might be open to a few other areas if I had a good job lined up and she could find a job there. I suppose I will have to either: 1) Have another chat with my boss when my return gets closer to see if I can try to keep title and try for a raise. I just recently received a 15% raise before I left, before I knew I was going out here. I was hired in a little bit under market value when the economy was in the shitter and now I'm about where I should be at with this last raise. 2) Use the experience I gain here and jump ship 3) Just go back and keep doing what I was doing.
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Mar 29, 2014 15:01
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The Sock posted:Yes, I would like to go back to my original location that I moved from, since my girlfriend lives there. I've moved from two other areas already with this company and it is getting a bit tiring having to move all the time. She is looking at new jobs in the area, however, she really likes the area and does not really want to move again. I would have to discuss it with her, but she might be open to a few other areas if I had a good job lined up and she could find a job there. I have friend who's Dad did something similiar to this. They flew him to Belgium to help setup a new processing plant. He was there 8 months, and like you, was given a temporary raise. He ended up doing a great job over there and when he came back he pushed to keep the raise and kept it. My advice would be to crush it, show them how good you are, then ask to keep the raise.
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Mar 31, 2014 14:12
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RisqueBarber posted:I have friend who's Dad did something similiar to this. They flew him to Belgium to help setup a new processing plant. He was there 8 months, and like you, was given a temporary raise. He ended up doing a great job over there and when he came back he pushed to keep the raise and kept it. To follow up on it, the company just did a bait-n-switch on me, basically. I agreed to come out here on very short notice to be their PM and now they are saying they don't have money to give me a raise when I'm out here, even though in the bid they have money for it. They are paying my food/travel/lodging expenses, however, I'd much rather be at home. I do think I am getting some very good experience though, so it will help me in the long run. Moral of the story: Always get everything in writing
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Apr 6, 2014 13:42
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That's total bullshit. Are you sure you heard them right about the raise? That's definitely grounds for going elsewhere. I've been screwed but I don't think I've had a promise rescinded.
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Apr 6, 2014 18:30
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corkskroo posted:That's total bullshit. Are you sure you heard them right about the raise? That's definitely grounds for going elsewhere. I've been screwed but I don't think I've had a promise rescinded. Positive, I messed up by not getting it in writing, due to how quick it was. We didn't agree to a dollar amount, but he reviewed the bid and said there was money in there and should be alright. I've seen the bid, and there a +24K difference from my salary and what is in the bid. I do feel that it will be a good experience for my resume, however, I went out of my way to help them out of a bind and I feel that they are taking advantage of it. Having PM experience will help open more doors though.
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Apr 6, 2014 21:31
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I like my job, but I have an offer from another company for more money. Is it a bad idea to use this to negotiate a higher salary from my current employer? On one hand, I'm underpaid. On the other hand, I'm underpaid because my current employer doesn't have a lot of money (they're a fairly small start-up company). The last thing I want to do is send the impression that I'm trying to extort them, but I also have a family to feed  Anyone have any experience with this situation?Edit: I should have included this, but the current start-up I'm working for is funded almost exclusively on grants, and my job is to write grants. So far, I've been pretty successful at winning them, so I'm not non-essential staff or anything. Goky fucked around with this message at 04:31 on Apr 7, 2014 |
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Apr 7, 2014 04:23
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What I've heard is that it's a bad idea: http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2012/03/26/why-you-shouldnt-take-a-counteroffer I know some people suggest it, but I've never gotten the logic of "maybe if I tell my employer to give me more money or I leave, they'll totally love me and give me more money and never fire me of course". It's much better to ask for a raise by showing how much value you're offering, showing how you're paid under market rate, etc. That said, the best way to make more money would be to take the job offer. Nowadays it takes getting a new job to get a decent bump in pay. For what it's worth, way the pros and cons of asking. You don't want to risk souring your relationship with your current employer, but you know them better than I do. If you think the money would be there to even give you the raise and they'd actually consider it, you can see if you want to ask for it (possibly without even mentioning the offer you have).
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Apr 7, 2014 05:42
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there's a negotiation thread where people that can give better advice but it seems like the usual recommendation is that if you like where you work and they like you, ask for a raise based on your performance but don't mention a separate offer. If they balk or its not enough, then you take the new job (or don't but you know where you stand). The key is that you can decide to walk away and are thus empowered to negotiate evenly but they don't feel like you're holding them hostage or tip them off that you're looking.
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Apr 8, 2014 20:13
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I'm not sure if this is a good place to post this or if I should make a brand new thread for this, but here it goes: I'm a web developer / programmer with a strong desire to move on to another industry. Started at age 19, feeling burnt out at 25. One of the main reasons I'm quitting the cushy world of web development is because it feels like the work I produce isn't really meaningful in the grand scheme of things. I prefer to be able to learn how to do things with my own two hands and create tangible items for myself and others. I've been looking at welding and machining (including CNC operation and programming) as a thing to get into. I figured that I'd get experience with welding first, and eventually educate myself into the position to do some machining and fabrication work, but I have no idea where to start. I've looked at community college for basic welding certificates, but will that be enough to get things going? (I'm in Chicago, IL if that makes a difference.) What can I do to get a jump-start on learning as far as literature goes? I'd also like to know if there's any other options for someone with programming knowledge to get started with something new. I wouldn't mind using some of my programming / tech knowledge in a new field, as long as it involves not sitting around at a desk all day and has some sort of a hands-on aspect to it. Also if it helps, schooling / certifications is an option if needed. Thanks!
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Apr 15, 2014 05:28
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Oilfield services might have something for you where you get to use IT and be hands on. Schlumberger, Halliburton are the big boys you want to look at. Before you chuck in your webdesign, make sure you get as many certs as you can before you head out of the door. Welding is pretty boring, depending on what you're making. You'd be better looking up oilfield services and see what they like about you. You could be heading out to the Dakotas for oil and gas drilling or support before you know it. You would not necessarily be a roughneck. There's mud work, cementing, admin support etc roles you could do.
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Apr 17, 2014 01:20
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Sharizard posted:I'm quitting the cushy world of web development is because it feels like the work I produce isn't really meaningful in the grand scheme of things. I prefer to be able to learn how to do things with my own two hands and create tangible items for myself and others. Take a step back for a minute. What's the real issue here, that you aren't using your hands and creating things or doing manual labor, or that you aren't doing meaningful work that makes a difference? They're not the same thing, and if the latter is the real issue, I don't see how going into welding or something similar is going to help.
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Apr 17, 2014 01:42
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