Getting an ERE-compatible job when you are "overqualified"

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dragoncar
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Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2010 7:17 pm

Post by dragoncar »

My ideal version of ERE involves intense saving, then transitioning to part-time work as long as it interests me. This reduces the amount of time I have to be unhappy in a high-income job.
However, I haven't yet thought of many jobs that have flexible hours, would teach me some skills, and that I wouldn't be overqualified for.
Obviously I don't really believe in over qualification, it's just that 1) few would want to hire a lawyer for non-legal work for obvious reasons, and 2) employers would assume I'm not really interested in the job and will leave as soon as possible. edit: 3) the job market is bad right now for just about anything, although I do hear temp work is picking up. Maybe a temp agency would get the ball rolling early on?
So are there any good job candidates out there? I could see myself working some kind of retail (never have), skilled food prep (anything that would actually teach me how to work in a kitchen vs. microwaving burgers), mechanic, electrician, engineering consulting (computer/electrical), legal contracting (doc review, etc.), solo patent practice.
The above are in relatively increasing levels of pay but also increasing levels of commitment and declining levels of learning (well the latter ones would force me to learn about business).


Cashflow
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Joined: Mon Aug 09, 2010 2:06 am

Post by Cashflow »

One approach to take is a career path that lets you use your current knowledge and skills as a stepping stone to acquiring new knowledge and skills. A series of such stepping stones will get you to your ERE goal.
In my case, I started my career decades ago working as a design engineer in technology. Then with a business degree (which I earned from night classes), I got a job marketing technology products (computer chips) to design engineers. Then several years later, I got into documenting how technical end users can use technology products. Today I work on a contracting basis through a temporary help agency, but "technology" remains as the central theme of my career path.
Over the years, I've had to learn how to tailor my resume to fit the career opportunity I was pursuing (since a resume is an advertisement of my skills). Some might refer to this process as "dumbing down the resume," but if you get the job without being evil (i.e., not lying or committing fraud), then you do what works.
On my career travels, I learned the hard way that I don't fit into the mold needed by Corporate America. So I figured out by necessity how to live well below my means and intelligently invest the rest. Today, I can walk away from situations I don't like.
If I had a core competency in the legal area, I would figure out how I could use that knowledge and skill (i.e., a non-legal career path for lawyers). With cashflow coming in (to keep the wolves away from the door) and while learning new skills from a day job, I would then be able to do other things during my "off hours" that would move me closer to a goal of ERE.


djc
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Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 1:53 pm

Post by djc »

If you have at least a Bachelors Degree have you thought about substitute teaching? You get evenings, weekends and Holidays off and you get to pick your schedule. The per diem is really pretty good as well.
The secret is getting into a system where you know the kids so discipline is under control and you get requested for as many days as you want.
I needed a part time job to avoid dipping into my capital and its really helped. I've been doing it for almost 7 years.
PS Having the Summer off is a really big plus.


dragoncar
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Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2010 7:17 pm

Post by dragoncar »

Great suggestion djc. I saw one posting for a part-time lecturer it required a certain number of credit-hours in education. I didn't realize the standards varied.


jacob
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Post by jacob »

There's also tutoring. I recall looking at a site for online tutoring which was similar to a chat+a way of drawing on the screen. They'd pay $10-12/hour when tutoring and $8/hr for merely being online waiting for students to come in.
Offline tutoring pays much better but also comes with a schedule.
Caveat: You're either dealing with F students who are forced into this by their parents or A- students who want to convert the - to a +. Studying for the test comes to mind.


Ralphy
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Location: Iowa

Post by Ralphy »

I tutored for the campus student center for a semester back in college. They set us up with groups of 1-4, face-to-face, and it was definitely mostly the D/F students. Maybe hate is too strong of a word, but I strongly disliked it. Most of the kids didn't have much desire to be there.


dragoncar
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Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2010 7:17 pm

Post by dragoncar »

I realize this is a personal weakness, but I do not tend to have very much patience for people who don't "get" things right away. I've tutored friends, and it's been OK but only because I knew and cared about them personally. Tutoring stupid kids who despise me sounds horrible.
Have you guys seen the Verizon Math failure? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN9LZ3ojnxY) That guy had infinitely more patience than I ever could. I was quite impressed.
Edit: old link was bad


Kevin M
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Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2010 8:58 pm

Post by Kevin M »

Using my own career as an example, I could do part-time bookkeeping or even higher level controller-type stuff. Or I could work tax season as a seasonal employee and take the rest of the year off.


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