In need of career advice

[BonhamsMom]

Hello all! I am fairly new to posting on these forums, but have learned so much just by lurking. Now, I am in need of some advice and would appreciate help.

I am a young professional; twenty five years old, married, own a home, and have an eleven month old baby in Fairfield County, CT. I am currently working as a freelance trainer/instructor/exerciser and before that managed and taught at different barns in the area but have never been a fixture on the 'A' circuit.

While I love training and teaching, my budget is very tight and do not have much money (especially since my husband was laid off on Thursday evening) to own my own horse or have a trainer myself for the past few years. My circle of friends includes many trainers and instructors and we help each other out with horses we are working on, but it is not enough.

I was wondering if a position might exist somewhere for a working student who does not have 40+ hours a week to devote to another farm. I would like to continue teaching the clients I have, but work with someone who could be a "mentor" to a young professional who has many business questions and could teach me as well in exchange for work and all the adoration from me they could take:winkgrin: Is this something totally unheard of?

Horses were my life before my son was born and when he is older I will have more time to devote; but right now I am a mommy first and foremost, but feel it is time for me to further my education and work for someone who can help me along.

I look forward to hearing from you guys!

[BonhamsMom]

SOS Bump!:)

[Lucassb]

How much time can you realistically devote to a new position? If you are still teaching your current customers and have a baby at home, I am guessing it will be limited, especially when childcare is so expensive in this area - but that's just a guess.

My suggestion is to put the word out through that network of friends/instructors and trainers you already know. Maybe someone who is heading to FL for a few weeks (or longer) can use some help keeping the clients going at home, or you could be a back up for someone who is out of pocket for a while - injured, or away on vacation, or something along those lines.

[SantanaK]

Hey There,

I think that's a FANTASTIC idea, and I work in a similar situation myself. I am a young trainer who leases my own barn and has a nice amount of clients, but in no way am I BIG TIME quite yet...

In hopes of growing in my riding and business I started with a well respected coach who has helped me ENORMOUSLY in the last 2 years. I can only afford to ride with her once a week but this winter will be moving my personal horse (who is still a green bean) to her barn to train through the winter. I will be working off some of her board (as I'm a starving rider....) and will be riding her young prospects for her (in exchange for free instruction while on them).

I am SUPER excited for this adventure and although it will be tons of hard work I'm sure it will be so worth it!

[AKB]

My suggestion is that you get a real job of any kind right now, and also try to continue teaching a few lessons for extra money. If your husband was just laid off, now is your time to do damage control. If you get a full time job with benefits, you will not go through your savings so quickly. This may keep you from losing your house. While you are working, your husband can take care of the baby. This will give him time to bond with the baby. After your husband is back to work, and feels like his job is stable, you can do whatever you want to do with horses.

There was an article in the Wall Street Journal recently about how people do not cut their spending and aggressively look for work after a job loss. Unfortunately, this often means the family loses the house, loses health insurance and ends up in dire straights, even though they had comfortable middle class and upper class lifestyles before the job loss. Riding horses should not be your number one priority now. Your baby, your husband and your house should be first.

[jn4jenny]

You're going to think I'm out of my mind, but seriously, this will cut your grocery bill in half and give you an instant training budget: www.thegrocerygame.com

I am not joking when I say that I started doing this so that I could keep affording my riding lessons. Without the Grocery Game, I would have been trainerless for the entire last year. And many of my horsey friends joined me when they saw how ridiculously much money I was saving.

Try it. Really.

[Peggy]

Continuing along Lucassb's track.

My trainer was recently injured. She was able to hire someone to fill in with lessons while she was completely away from the barn. Said person has a lot of experience filling in and worked great with our program. Now that she is back at the barn and can teach, but not ride, she has hired a young professional to do some of the riding a few days a week. This person gets nice horses to ride, someone on the ground (which she doesn't have at home) and some extra money. So there's definitely a need for people to fill in.

[YankeeLawyer]

I do think these positions exist. We have a similar one at my farm.

You should look at the listings on yardandgroom.com

I find that it is a really good source of employment listings and have hired three people through that site - all were excellent.

[findeight]

Why not just look for a part time teaching position instead of a working student spot? You need a paycheck here, not lessons/training/riding in exchange for work.

Putting in any time without getting a check to help support your family is a poor choice at this point and sometimes horses have to go on the back burner for awhile. This is probably what you are going to have to do unless hubby gets another position in a hurry.

Your big minus is you have family obligations and a baby at home when most looking for WS need more like 60 hours a week out of them. Even a regular position is going to have you away from home teaching when clients want to be taught-weekends and evenings. you probably do not want to have to drive very far either and can't relocate. Just don't see it being a good time or a good choice.

Realistically, hubby is unemployed and baby is 11 months old. Get that behind you, then tackle this.

The kind of mentoring under a bigger name Pro you speak of will involve more time then you have right now.

[YankeeLawyer]

Why not just look for a part time teaching position instead of a working student spot? You need a paycheck here, not lessons/training/riding in exchange for work.

.

I was assuming she was seeking a paid PT position when I responded, though I realize that a lot of WS positions are not paid.

[findeight]

...for a working student who does not have 40+ hours a week... work with someone who could be a "mentor" to a young professional who has many business questions and could teach me as well in exchange for work and all the adoration from me they could take:winkgrin:

I read this as limited time to be there and no pay check.

[BonhamsMom]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I really appreciate it. We are not in "ultra damage control" mode, thank goodness. We are actually doing okay financially so what I was really saying was, I need to take advantage of my husband being with my son (they are best friends and since my husband worked from home anyway, their bond is incredible). I don't have a ton of hours to devote to working under a bigger pro, but I want to use this time that my husband is on unemployment and while everyone is in Florida to try to get something going . I will keep checking Yard and Groom and keep pushing forward, no matter what. I appreciate everyone being kind, as well. Thank you.