I have 2 hours to come up with a career direction

[bowies]

Since I'm the least ambitious person I know, can someone help me out? These professional development discussions with my manager suck ass.

[Muddled]

YOu are going to have to help us to help you, you know.
What do you want?
Any classes you are interested in taking? Computer programs? Language?
DO you want someone below you on the totem pole that you manage?

[bowies]

I want my manager off my ass, LOL. More job security wouldn't hurt. Or cash monnneeee.
I'm somewhat interested in going for my Masters, provided it's local and from a public institution (an MBA from the local private college costs $80K...the company will pay $10K). So far the problems I'm encountering involve prerequisites. I "worked my way in" to my field, so I don't have the educational experience.

I have almost zero interest in managing someone, and I can move up the technical side of the totem pole and not have to worry about it.

[Muddled]

DO you have an education allowance? Can you work out a way for them to pay for your pre-reqs? Could this be worked into your job description?

[bowies]

I have an education allowance of $5K/calendar year. If I go to the public university, that means it'll pay half the bill if I take 2 classes/semester, or I take longer to finish the degree and have the company pay the whole thing. I then owe the company 2 years from the graduation date or I have to pay them back. The education allowance will pay for whatever (undergrad, grad, certifications). It's just that if I take pre-reqs, that adds time on to the whole process (at least a year).

[Muddled]

Then you'd best get started.

[bowies]

May 21, 2012 10:49:16 GMT -5 Muddled said:

Then you'd best get started.

YOU'RE SO FUNNY MUDDLED.

Did you factor in that I'm lazy?

[Muddled]

I'm telling you what I told myself 2 years ago and I didn't do and now I regret it.

[Deleted]

I'm going to agree with Muddled, although rather than going for a degree what about a certification you might be able to get to help you in your career? There are tons and tons of technical certifications out there.

[bowies]

The talk went well with my manager. My company has a good relationship with the local university so she told me to call them up and talk it over. She got into the MBA program past the deadline and without taking the GMAT, so it's doable. I think I have a good case for getting into the program sans pre-reqs. Maybe even sans GRE.

Now I have to think about what I want to be doing a year from now, job-wise. I'm outgrowing what I'm doing right now, but I need to figure out a direction. "Up" is too general. I have to focus my efforts since I've been taking the jack-of-all-trades approach for the past, oh, 10 years. My name is Bowies and I'm a career commitmentphobe.

[partiallysunny]

I find helping people with careers very hard. It's almost like telling someone who they should marry, to me. All I can really say is good luck.

[Muddled]

It sounds promising Bowies!

I guess look at the projects that you enjoy working on the most and see if there's any kind of pattern there.

[fussbucket]

Alternatively, find the best PEOPLE to be working with/for in your org and wend your way toward them. I mean people with the most clout, connections, etc., who would be willing to mentor/advocate for you if they value your work and contributions. That will either assist you within your current organization in terms of getting better projects, raises, promotions, etc., and/or can get you a leg up and out the door somewhere else.