I need a career. Looking for career path advice.

[smokeydiamond]

Hi! I have never posted on this section before I am hoping some of you can give me some good, honest advice.

I'm a 29 year old SAHM to 5 kids. My oldest is 10 and my youngest is 2. I graduated high school 3 months pregnant with my first and once he was born decided to put off college to stay home with him. Then the next one came, then the next and so on. So I never did make it to college and here I sit, regretting it. I don't regret my kids and I feel blessed to have been able to stay home with them. I did work for Publix for a year and a half between child #3 and #4(I decided to quit a few weeks after returning from maternity leave). That year and a half I worked I loved every second of it. I felt like I was part of the real world. Earning a paycheck was a great feeling. Next fall 4 of the 5 kids will be in school. I have decided I would like to go back into the working world at that time. I would only need to pay for daycare for my youngest who will be 3.5 by then and aftercare for the other 4. Maybe only for 3 since my eldest will be middle school and could probably stay with my teen BIL who will be a high school junior. Middle school does not get off the bus until about 4:15, so he'd likely only be home an hour with him. So, I want to start a career, not a job. Something where the pay will be more than my childcare expenses. Something I don't need a college degree for, but some sort of courses would be okay. I just don't know where to start. A job that interests me is insurance adjuster. I like numbers. I'm not to big on medical type jobs. I'm a little squeemish What career path would you send me down? How does one become an insurance adjuster?

Thanks for reading and all replies are appreciated

[DianeScraps]

Insurance in general is a great path.

Do you have any insurance companies (not agencies) near you? I know State Farm is big in Florida and it looks like they have claims positions in Jacksonville and Orlando

Insurance is one of those jobs that you pretty much 'work your way up' through a company. And the really nice part is that they typically pay for any licensing and educational requirements. What you need to get started is organizational skills and if needed polish up your computer skills.

[Liz]

Medical coding and billing can be a great job with lots of numbers, and even though its medical its okay if you're squeamish!

[jenward5]

I'm 28. I have one daughter. I completed 1 year of college and then quit and got a job and my current employer as a receiptionist making $10.00 an hour. That was in 1999. I LOVE numbers. I LOVE spreadsheets.
I was the receptionist for this company at $10.00 an hour for 6 months. I self taught myself everything I know. I moved into customer service. A year later, and more self teaching, I became the HR Manager, a year or so later, and more self teaching, I became a sales assistant. (Sales is the #1 paying salaried (no commission) job at my company). A year later, and more self training, I became a sales person and then eventually Sales Manager. No college degree. No classes...just self training and a lot of determination. I also always negotiated what I wanted to make. I now make over triple what I started out making. I'm salaried...and I get two great bonuses a year.

I found this company through a temp service. I never imagined ~10 years ago that I would be here this long or move up this far. All I can say is that it's OK to start at the bottom. Just show whoever you work for that you cannot be replaced.

Good luck at whatever career you decide to move into!

[vickib50]

My advise is to get a good up-to-date book on writing resumes. If you can't buy it, borrow it from the library. Read it from cover to cover. My cousin needed a resume and wrote one like this: "I did payroll. I did inventory." I rewrote it, using adjectives and adverbs and she said, "I can't say I've done all this." All I did was say, "I was responsible for compiling employees' timecards and calculating payroll. I managed a section of the store and directed employees in the proper way to take inventory." See how much fuller it sounds? You are a super couponer. You already have great organizational skills. You have a sense of what things are worth and what is not worth your time. You have managed a household on $XX and are able to manage your bills and expenses. You need to play up your stay-at-home skills and relate them to the position for which you wish to apply.

[derketchup]

with your large family, you probably qualify for financial aid for college. See what the local community college offers in the way of business classes. Ask for an adviser and tell them your interests -- I bet they can set you up with a program.

[ZabMom]

I am in almost the same situation. Except I finished a whole year at a university and I just had a baby. I will be 27 on the 2nd and I dont know what career I want. Before kids I wanted to do so many things but i dont know how to do something I love and still be a mother to my four kids.

[karmah]

Since you love numbers, have cash handling experience and have worked face to face with the public may I recommend becoming a bank teller? They have decent wages, full time gets benefits, some reimburse for work related college courses taken and there are opportunities to move up into customer service or other departments. I have seen a lot of banks hire former cashiers.

Also, if you are doing daycare, remember you may be able to write off some of the cost on your next tax return.

[Jillibean]

I agree with derketchup. Check into financial aid at your local community college. Spending 2 years at a community college can provide a big payoff in the end, and what is 2 years out of your entire life in the big picture. I know you don't like the idea of the medical field, but if you can get through some biology classes, there are fields that involve ultrasound and x-ray that you might consider. I'm a dental hygienist who stays at home right now with my girls. Dental hygienists in my area make $30-$35/hour. That is pretty good for a 2 year degree!