I am about to graduate with my MBA in Marketing. This is the first time that I am applying to full-time jobs in my new field, because prior to beginning my MBA, I worked for well below a living wage in government through the History field using an MA and a BA in History. I have relevant experience working in the marketing department of my university and in marketing research, as well as five years of volunteer nonprofit executive leadership. I want to move to Boston and start a new life there, but the cost of living in the area is so high that I would need to land a job that pays a decent wage.…
I currently live in poverty (I’m on food stamps and below the poverty line despite working and going to school full time), and I have always lived in poverty. Realistically, do you have any non-obvious suggestions for finding and receiving a job in my field? I’ve already had my resume professionally reviewed and edited by the head of an Ivy League university (I sold some of my Christmas gifts I received to pay for the professional consultation), I write a unique and thorough cover letter for every application, and I don’t have any connections whatsoever that I can leverage to secure a position or even an interview. Further, the internships available through my school do not, of the school’s own admission, offer good opportunities and instead focus on commission-based sales or fast food work. I say this because most of the advice that I receive is: have your resume reviewed, write a good cover letter, ask your friends and family if they can connect you with a job, and use your school’s internship resources.
Also, what kind of salary should I reasonably expect if I want to be fairly compensated for my education and experience? I’ve read that recent MBA graduates should make around $100,000 a year in Boston, but as someone who has always made closer to $20,000 a year and no benefits with a Master’s degree, that seems hard to believe.