I updated my resume today & kept asking myself - what type of salary would my resume command?
And then... will I be ready to enter the work-outside-the-home workforce by September?
I looked into childcare options for the four kids. The older three could go to after school care for about $300/mo. My youngest would be the most costly at around $600-$700/mo. So I would be spending approximately $1000/mo in childcare. Summertime would be horrible at around $2000-$2800/mo
On top of that, gas and work clothes expenses. Probably an additional $200/mo in gas and an initial upfront cost of $300-$500 for work clothes depending on the type of attire.
Right now, I make $2165 take home. In order to net the same amount, I need to make about $3200-3600/mo.
I'm skeptical. And DH's hesitation is related to having to take a pay cut w/no guarantees of what the pay growth really is. How long would we have to struggle?
I am volunteering for VITA this year & after I pass the CPA exam, I'm going to take a Quickbooks Certification course online to add that to my resume. That along with my 5 years of work experience in the payables process for my current company, I hope will at least command a salary that will allow me to leave my current job w/o forcing my family to struggle.
I'm nervous... incredibly so. But I feel like the longer I am not in the accounting field after graduation just serves as a negative to my career.
Sure, I'm home with the kids and get to spend precious time with them - but at some point I'm going to have to fit in those "entry-level" years to really get anywhere. With my youngest turning 2, she's almost ready to start preschool. So I figure starting a new job in September would be good, I just hope I can earn at least $45K or more because even at that level... it'd be a net paycut to me due to the additional expenses I need to incur.
Things to ponder
January 7th, 2010 at 05:52 pm
January 7th, 2010 at 06:38 pm 1262889490
Depends on the type jobs, but even living in a much lower cost area, these days starting pay is about $55k. (The jobs that start higher tend to have less room for growth...). Though daycare runs $330/month for one child (after school, K-5). So maybe it is a lot more expensive here...
Good Luck!
January 8th, 2010 at 09:04 am 1262941495
January 8th, 2010 at 01:56 pm 1262959007
Zetta, I did put in some stats in Payscale and from what I gather the "average" is $46K. Robert Half has a job posting for the area for a Staff Accountant in the range of $45-$50K so hopefully I'm not too far off base. I guess I was getting dismayed cause of that CPA who offered me a position last year at $12/hr, part-time 9-2 pm... that wouldn't have even covered my childcare!