28 years old and earning 38K

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you should try a fed job. I was a GS-14 by age 28 making over $100k. Contribute to public service.

With an English lit degree? How? Admin work?

No, my degree is in Accounting. I'm not sure I understand what purpose an English Lit degree would serve.

My point is, OP has an English Lit degree. I'm not sure why everyone is suggesting to get a Fed job.
I'm also a Fed and attained a six figure salary in late twenties like you, but I don't know of anyone with an English degree getting a Fed job.

[Anonymous]

I started out fresh out of undergrad at a think tank at 32k. 12 years later, I have more than doubled but not yet tripled. The work is awesome, though, very fulfilling. But I do sometimes get sad when I think about how it would be less stressful if money were more abundant, but we make do and I feel good about my work.

Op, it sounds like you're not in it for the mission. If so, why stick around?

[Anonymous]

Is u Penn the public ivy? I've never heard that term.

[Anonymous]

Honest question.. for people who major in English Lit.. what job were you thinking you'd get out of school? And did you look at how much that job would pay when you were, say, a Junior in college to know what to expect?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is u Penn the public ivy? I've never heard that term.

No, Penn is an Ivy. The only people I've heard use the phrase "public Ivy" are Michigan graduates. I suppose it might also include UVa and Cal, but I'm guessing she means Michigan.

[Anonymous]

That's not that much less than what I made at a nonprofit at the same age with an MA (from one of the IR programs listed by a PP).

I moved up quickly but have now settled into a plateau that's actually fine with me because of family responsibilities.

But, I would honestly ask OP what she wants to do, and then how she plans to get there. Waiting around to be promoted isn't working. So what now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is u Penn the public ivy? I've never heard that term.

UPenn is an actual ivy -- no qualifiers needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, do you have a degree and if so, in what?

English Lit from a public ivy.

William and Mary?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is u Penn the public ivy? I've never heard that term.

No, Penn is an Ivy. The only people I've heard use the phrase "public Ivy" are Michigan graduates. I suppose it might also include UVa and Cal, but I'm guessing she means Michigan.

Cal and UCLA grads DO NOT use that term.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honest question.. for people who major in English Lit.. what job were you thinking you'd get out of school? And did you look at how much that job would pay when you were, say, a Junior in college to know what to expect?

I think the more honest question is did english lit grads understand how much where you go matters when you major in it? Public Ivy certainly is not enough. You need to go to HYPSM or at a push williams or amherst because you can access consulting or IB recruiting (the two largest pipelines for 'soft majors' that lead to six figures quickly).

Granted English majors that go that route, usually hate themselves after their 2 year stints in consulting or finance, but atleast you have that on your resume which has exist ops to virtually any 'cool' industry you can think of (not to mention the nice financial cushion you save up if you manage your money well).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ThIs will come off as rude so I apologize but...

A lot of people our age (I'm 29) are in similar situations. The solution is to either take out loans to go back to school in order to Move forward in your career/switch careers entirely or realize that what you're doing now is a dead end and find something else.

I don't know much about the NGO scene But if you've tried all the angles to move up and they don't work, your only options are above.

Are they? I feel like no one I know is! All the people at my job level are 22-25 years old! I was hired when I was 26 and the people hired with me moved on to other jobs or got promoted. Now I work at an entry level capacity with fresh college grads. When I was there age, I was an unpaid intern so the fact that I worked my butt off only to land the same jobs as these people makes me feel deeply ashamed.

I want to go to graduate school but have no funds.

There's your trouble.

Honestly, if everyone else you know has been promoted, and you alone remain stuck, the problem is likely you (or more specifically, your performance). This isn't grade school. You don't get to advance just by showing up and not failing miserably. You have to prove your value. What do you do, exactly? Analysis? PR? More importantly, what are you good at, and what is your passion? You're way too young to be phoning it in.

[Anonymous]

There is something about this thread that pisses me off. A BA in English Lit, probably from UVA, making 38K and 28. At 31, I had a PhD in Physics, and was making 35K. (granted a while ago). Today, I make 5x that.

Guess what, entitled millennial, you have to work for your money. You get paid what you are worth. When you first start out, they pay entry level salaries because they to not know your capabilities.

As you prove your capabilities, you can move up. If, after six years, you are still making the same salary, then look in the mirror. Are you working hard? Or coasting? Are you adding value to the organization?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honest question.. for people who major in English Lit.. what job were you thinking you'd get out of school? And did you look at how much that job would pay when you were, say, a Junior in college to know what to expect?

I was an English lit major coming out of my liberal arts college (and it was probably a 3rd tier school). I knew that my basic skill that I had to offer was writing, but I was also good with analysis and research. I enjoyed government and took a few classes in undergrad, so I ended up working on the Hill.

While I was on the Hill, when I was hiring staff, I'd never eliminate English majors and always gave potential hires a writing test. It was amazing to me how many college grads are terrible writers. In many jobs on the Hill, you need to do quite a bit of writing and do it quickly and accurately (constituent letters, speeches, opening statements, etc.).

I didn't earn much while on the Hill, but I'm raking it in now as a lobbyist. So, there is hope...

[Anonymous]

I thought lobbyists were mostly lawyers?

[Anonymous]

$38,000 is such a horrid salary at 28 years old? Get a grip.