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I know some Indians that work in the IT industry as professional BSers. They make their jobs seem very difficult and time consuming when it in fact isn't.
They come into work only 4 days a week, and during those four days, they come in around 9:15AM and leave at 4:30PM. They also help themselves to a 1-2 hour lunch. While at their desk, they are usually surfing the internet or making personal phone calls in their native tongue. These guys all earn $100,000 to $150,000 a year + full benefits and 10%-20% annual bonuses.
It's very hard to get a job that pays $50,000 a year unless you're a high tech and skilled worker or in decent trade jobs like electricians/plumbers. It's extremely competitive! Most jobs demand longer hours and pay less.
It's very hard to get a job that pays $50,000 a year unless you're a high tech and skilled worker or in decent trade jobs like electricians/plumbers. It's extremely competitive! Most jobs demand longer hours and pay less.
In some areas of the country, this is true. In others it is not true. It depends on the area of the country, the type of employment base, and the unemployment rate and cost of living. When adjusted for cost of living, $50,000 may needed to be adjusted for the area. There are areas of the country, that $30,000 per year, will buy more and give you a decent standard of living than $50,000 in many others.
Example, Median Income By State. Note California which a lot of people think is top, but is really 10th highest.
So what is $50,000 goal, may mean you can get it in one metro area, but another you would have more buying power at a lot less. Or due to high cost of living, $50,000 is not enough to live on.
It's very hard to get a job that pays $50,000 a year unless you're
a high tech and skilled worker or in decent trade jobs like electricians/plumbers.
So? There isn't a corner of the country that doesn't have those jobs...
and in most cases some degree of active need for people to do them.
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It's extremely competitive!
Perhaps. But it's a whole less so when you have real and useful skills.
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Most jobs demand longer hours and pay less.
Perhaps. But it isn't done abusively when you have real and useful skills.
You'll be compensated for those extra hours when needed.
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As to that $50,000 figure...
this represents the minimum threshold into middle class life for a family of four.
In some parts of the country (like LA, NY, etc) that $50,000 isn't near enough.
Note that most of the pricier spots are either rather nice or have the most/best jobs.
If they want a spouse to be "stay at home"...
whether that is forever or just for the 10 years or so until the second child is in 1st grade...
someone, somehow needs to be bringing in no less than $50,000 (or more).
If both adults can work... then they can "get away with" earning less each.
If they want to ever buy a home or retire with any comfort... they'll need far more.
The biggest part of that is stability and steadiness of income... even more than the specific number.
Last edited by MrRational; 11-19-2013 at 07:20 AM..
When I say 24/7 I'm talking about jobs you have to constantly think about even when you're not physically at work. Checking emails, planning, studying, etc.
It seems the only jobs paying 50k or above where you work a standard 40 hour week and forget about work when you leave require absurd levels of education, talent, luck or connections to get.
Am I right or wrong?
Not when it comes to a lot of I.T. jobs. A lot of employers these days require 45-50 hours a week as a baseline, plus after-hours support rotas and weekend work. It sucks.
When I say 24/7 I'm talking about jobs you have to constantly think about even when you're not physically at work. Checking emails, planning, studying, etc.
It seems the only jobs paying 50k or above where you work a standard 40 hour week and forget about work when you leave require absurd levels of education, talent, luck or connections to get.
Am I right or wrong?
You're in DC. Any government job that requires a bachelor's degree fits that description. You'll probably need to wait about 2 years out of college (GS-7?) to hit that salary though.
I'm an accountant in the Boston area (which has a similar high cost of living compared to DC). I make well above that (just my bonus alone this year was almost half that amount) and I only work 37.5 hours a week most weeks, and 40-45 hours one week a month. Now that I think about it, I was already making more than that my first year out of college. I don't even have a laptop to bring home and most of my work is done on paper in the office. I didn't read through the whole thread so I don't know what your definition of ridiculous education is, but I have a bachelors degree and took a few MBA classes at night to meet the education requirements for getting my CPA.
Usually Government jobs are hard to get unless you have connections. You can see by my location that I live in an area with MANY Government jobs. I have one friend who works for the Government and "claims" to goof off all the time. He says he leaves early all the time and only works hard 2 weeks out of each month. The rest of the time he just surfs the web, texts his friends gossips with co-workers. Only thing is I don't know exactly what he makes. Based on his lifestyle its probably in the 45k-55k range.
I got my first job working for a city which was across the country from where I studied for my Master's and where I had zero professional connections. I got laid off after the city budget imploded in 2009 and got another job at a related government organization, partially based on connections. I then moved to a completely different city for a more stable position which I landed with no connections. Now I am getting tired of the COL around here and shopping around for a position with equivalent pay and stability in a more reasonable area. I was offered a position in a completely different state in the middle of the country, a VERY low COL area, but couldn't bring myself to make the move. I have also landed interviews and am waiting to hear back about positions in two other areas, in both of which, no connections.
Based on my experience I would say it is definitely possible to land a government job without connections.
I would say if you are genuinely interested and skilled in a profession that happens to be hired by the government, you could probably get a job, but if your sole goal in life is to land a cushy "government job" where you can surf the web all the time and rake in $50k, the hiring managers will see past you and you'll end up concluding that you didn't get the job because you "don't have connections."
Does it have to be a govt job? You have a special affinity or capital south or something ?
dog grooming $35-100k career
Legal secretary in DC at a large top tier firm near Metro Center/Gallery Place=$75k
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Yep
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