What to do for a living?

[dentndude2]

The winds of change are blowing through the university I work at as a police officer. The new president has initiated a staff job and salary survey that should take a year to complete. As a friend of mine said, "if you ever wanted to see what a chopping block looks like, this is it." The average starting salary for police officers around this area is $50-55K a year. Smaller jurisdictions make less but that is the average. I make about $46K a year and I should also say that is on par with starting director salaries at this university. I am very fearful that the new pres will cut our salaries or do away with us. This is realistic based on what she has already done...like dissolved departments and laid people off without warning.

SO, this prompts my looking for a new job. I am not so keen on staying a cop so I am open to new job possibilities. Problem is, I had 12 years of retail experience prior to being a cop and my degree is in psychology. Not too technical at all. My wife seems to think that my cop background will go over well in the business world but a guy at my church (who has a background in politics, sales management, and entrepreneurial-ship) says businesses won't like that.

Any thoughts at all? I am not keen about going back to school and getting another degree that may or may not help. BUT, I think I need to get out before my salary is cut or I am laid off. Any ideas? Also, going into retail management is not too appealing.

[antitox]

Retail isn't going to pay much unless you are in management, and still probably not as much as you are getting now (but hopefully they won't cut your pay), but it's difficult breaking into something else unless you go back to school and zero in on a major.

I would say that if you decide to continue the cop thing, in a city of at least 160,000, you will get reasonably good pay. If you really don't want to be a cop anymore, then think about what it is you really have an interest in, - not just what you'll settle for, and weigh the costs of getting there.

You are at a point I found myself at years ago. Don't blow it. Be sure of what you want because you can end up with some years of loss from it.

If I were you, I wouldn't make a move until they make it clear what they are going to do.

[dentndude2]

If I were you, I wouldn't make a move until they make it clear what they are going to do.

There's a huge problem with that approach. This new pres has just done stuff without warning. Good example was one man who worked at the bank on campus was told the day he came into work that he no longer had a job and that he needed to leave immediately. He'd been with the university for 15 years. Another is the media department that was dissolved. Fortunately, they got a month's notice. So, it's wholly unpredictable. Oh yeah, and there is no severance. When you're out, you're out with zero income.

SO, I would rather leave under my own terms rather than on theirs for financial reasons. I have been bored with the cop thing for about a year now anyway. But, I've also been looking at the DFW Airport police. That airport is the third busiest in the US and with the threat of terrorism ever present, don't think the PD would face cuts there any time soon...or so one would think.

[antitox]

But, I've also been looking at the DFW Airport police. That airport is the third busiest in the US and with the threat of terrorism ever present, don't think the PD would face cuts there any time soon...or so one would think.

Give it a shot. My point was, if you do have something that might be workable, then great. The reason for my comments is that I let go of the best position of my life for seemingly good reasons - thinking that I could do better in lieu of making some changes. I was wrong. I have paid for my decision over the last 7 yrs and it has hurt.

But if you have something that is comparable to your current job (and retail isn't), then you have a good prospect.

[UNA_Lion]

You could apply for Coast Guard OCS, and become a Coast Guard officer:

LINK (http://www.uscg.mil/hq/capemay/oapp.htm)