MrBojangles
Recycles dryer sheets
I post this here as it seems that many young folks have had a great start right out of college—I hear whispers of some with six figure salaries not long out of college. This wasn’t available to me, when I graduated almost 3 1/2 decades ago, but anyone is welcome to respond, of any age. Did you hit a home run with your first job as far as pay, flexibility, and lifestyle right out of college or nearly so? Is that possible, or is this a something I desperately wanted but made up in my mind?
A bit of background about me, and why I bring this up. I went to college initially for all the wrong reasons. Thought I was going simply to make a massive income, something no one in my family ever did. I thought simply the desire to do it and a willingness to live in NYC was all it would take. And I was so right about had I pulled that off and invested in Manhattan real estate 30 years ago, what a great investment that was.
A few things before I finish. I didn’t come from money, I saw a lot of money around me (mostly inherited), I attended state university because of the cost (and wanted out as fast as possible and did it in 7 semesters), and started out there contemplating a business major until a guidance counselor gave me literally the worst advice ever when I said my goal was to rise to the top in a major corporation in NYC (so I could get paid a lot). The advice—why study business, corporations love liberal arts graduates. And so, liberal arts it was, a degree that sounds better than English Lit but probably a lot less marketable. And, um, I had no COMPETITIVE it really is out there—reasoning that Baby Boomers would be retiring in huge numbers and no one left to fill their shoes, which, to me, simple supply and demand, meant I could make a whole lot of demands (due to lack of supply). I’m now nearly 55 and, so far, as far as career goes, I have yet to make one demand, even during COVID.
And so, I got my degree, went to NYC, handed out a lot of resumes (to doormen who, I’m sure, promptly filed it right in the trash). Got one interview with a temp agency, offered $12.00 an hour, no benefits, couldn’t even consider that with student loans (of $67 a month). Worked locally for a few years at minimum wage WITH that college degree, and got a job in the DC area as a GS-07. That pay now would be $57k a year (I started at $30,119 and lived in a cheap basement apartment and then an extension on a house) before attending graduate school. Again, not great timing and found my starting pay was less than what I left 4 years previously. Only since switching jobs and COVID has my pay gotten good ( and for that I’m thankful). And, my above experiences are what made me become frugal and why I can at least contemplate retiring at 57 if I want to.
Truth be told, if I had gotten that stellar salary, I probably would have blown right through it (many who are handed a lot for doing very little do just that) and ended up under the front tire of a Rolls Royce at the country club at age 39 and that would have been it .
Okay, now make me drool. Is living like Don Draper in Mad Men, or even far, far better, your reality?
A bit of background about me, and why I bring this up. I went to college initially for all the wrong reasons. Thought I was going simply to make a massive income, something no one in my family ever did. I thought simply the desire to do it and a willingness to live in NYC was all it would take. And I was so right about had I pulled that off and invested in Manhattan real estate 30 years ago, what a great investment that was.
A few things before I finish. I didn’t come from money, I saw a lot of money around me (mostly inherited), I attended state university because of the cost (and wanted out as fast as possible and did it in 7 semesters), and started out there contemplating a business major until a guidance counselor gave me literally the worst advice ever when I said my goal was to rise to the top in a major corporation in NYC (so I could get paid a lot). The advice—why study business, corporations love liberal arts graduates. And so, liberal arts it was, a degree that sounds better than English Lit but probably a lot less marketable. And, um, I had no COMPETITIVE it really is out there—reasoning that Baby Boomers would be retiring in huge numbers and no one left to fill their shoes, which, to me, simple supply and demand, meant I could make a whole lot of demands (due to lack of supply). I’m now nearly 55 and, so far, as far as career goes, I have yet to make one demand, even during COVID.
And so, I got my degree, went to NYC, handed out a lot of resumes (to doormen who, I’m sure, promptly filed it right in the trash). Got one interview with a temp agency, offered $12.00 an hour, no benefits, couldn’t even consider that with student loans (of $67 a month). Worked locally for a few years at minimum wage WITH that college degree, and got a job in the DC area as a GS-07. That pay now would be $57k a year (I started at $30,119 and lived in a cheap basement apartment and then an extension on a house) before attending graduate school. Again, not great timing and found my starting pay was less than what I left 4 years previously. Only since switching jobs and COVID has my pay gotten good ( and for that I’m thankful). And, my above experiences are what made me become frugal and why I can at least contemplate retiring at 57 if I want to.
Truth be told, if I had gotten that stellar salary, I probably would have blown right through it (many who are handed a lot for doing very little do just that) and ended up under the front tire of a Rolls Royce at the country club at age 39 and that would have been it .

Okay, now make me drool. Is living like Don Draper in Mad Men, or even far, far better, your reality?