I'm folding clothes (Sunday is my laundry day) and I happen to catch this financial show on PBS. Wow. This was an inspiring presentation. Makes me feel better about how I'm trying to get my creative career back on track...even though I'm certainly totally broke, and way in debt after finishing school again last year (2nd degree)...and unsure if what I'm doing is the best way to follow my career dreams, just like the recent grads she's financially advising in the show.
The show is Suze Orman: For the Young, Fabulous & Broke - "Financial advice for 'Generation Debt' (adults aged 25 to 40), which faces hefty student loans, a tough job market and credit-card debt." What really captured my attention was the example she gave of the shoe designer who was offered a job as a toy designer for $65,000/year (what?!? where was this info when I accepted my entry-level salary)...which she was advised to turn down because that wasn't her dream. She was still waitressing almost six months after graduating while she was looking for her first job as a shoe designer. A couple of months later, after turning down the toy designer job, she finally was offered a job with a shoe company. For about $30,000/year. She took it. Why? Because she could see herself growing with this company for several years. It would be a great start for her career as a shoe designer. A year and half after she had been there...coming in early, staying late, financially still in quite a bit of debt but loving her job, learning and contributing, and enthusiastic about the possibilities with this company...she was promoted to one of the lead designers. She didn't ask for more pay, but got offered exactly what she would have asked for (she was advised by Orman not to ask for a pay raise).
Orman said that today, what is most undervalued is not real estate or stocks, but our work-force...the most educated and enthusiastic potential workers the U.S. has ever had.
Looks like there's a book, too. I'll have to check it out. :)
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