Love my career, but I need to find a way to make more income.

[whh2222]

I am in need of some guidance/fresh ideas. 
 

I am currently working as an administrative associate at a university. I really love the work I do, the people who I work with, and the community I serve. I graduated college in 2022, and I have had a few career positions, but this one is the best fit in terms of work environment and the kind of industry I’m in and work I do. I love being in a learning environment and playing my part in it. 
 

the only issue is that my income isn’t where I want it to be. My salary is $39k annually, but after the deductions from my ORP (which I’m required to have) as well as my health insurance and taxes, I take home around $2,300 a month. 
 

This level of income technically works for me now. I can pay my bills, afford to go out and spend a bit on myself. But I definitely need to level up long term. 
 

Thing is, I’m pretty uncertain of what path to take to get there. I work 40 hours a week. Being some crazy entrepreneur would be hard to balance with full time work. I’m not sure how or when an opportunity will arise professionally, as I’ve only worked in my position for 3 months. 
 

I used to sell weed in my 20s. I made like 12 grand doing that and used it to pay for college. Easiest money I ever made, but I live in a new city and don’t have those resources. And besides, I feel like I’ve outgrown that life anyways. 
 

idk if anyone has any ideas, or at least an idea of how to go about this. Thanks!

[Human Mint]

I don't have any idea for you. I am currently deciding what to do for a living myseld and trying to aquire as much skill and knowledge as possible. But I do have some questions:

What exactly you do as an administrative associate?

What about it that you really love?

Did you choose to work at an university because you like education?

Could you create a business on your own that entails that kind of skill and how it would look like?

Edited yesterday at 01:31 PM by Human Mint

[Michael569]

Have you tried sending our your resume and applying for different jobs? Usually the easiest way to get a raise is to jump to another job rather than applying for raise at the uni. With basic administrative skills you can apply for tons of jobs out there in marketing, sales, procurement, project management, supply chain, finance etc. There are also tons of business coordinator or analyst roles which serve as entry points into different areas of the corporate environment. Although not sure if that line of career is appealing. 

Maybe have a look at your CV, bring it up to speed and then either use LinkedIn or other preferable way to search for jobs in your area? 

Alternatively you could also try to build something of your own as a small business. Its not an easy path but can be rewarding one. If you find yourself having enough available time while having a stable income at the current job, that could be an option as well. If that sounds appealing but you feel unsure where to begin then Leo's course could be the stepping stone, it was for me and many guys around here. 

17 hours ago, whh2222 said:

used to sell weed in my 20s.

if you're looking for a legal and sustainable way to make money while staying out of prison and avoiding life-long criminal record that will stick to you like a face tattoo, I'd let this path go

Edited yesterday at 01:43 PM by Michael569