u/Jennay-4399

I'm a 27F with a BM in Commercial Music looking to go back to school. I currently work a dead end corporate job, and while I don't mind the environment of a corporate job, I'd much rather work in an industry that I'm passionate about. I'd like to combine a stable corporate job with music. I've been considering getting an MBA with a focus in Music Business as opposed to an MA in music business - since an MBA will be more versatile if I wanted/needed to pivot to another industry.

My main concern is that due to location, I will need to do an online MBA. I know connections are incredibly important, and I'm unsure if valuable connections are still possible in an online program. I think a big part of why I haven't gotten very far after graduating in 2021 is that I struggled to make connections with my peers and professors during the pandemic. I transferred as a junior in fall 2019, so I only had 1 semester of regular in person instruction. I don't to put the effort into another degree just to fall into the same trap. Internships also weren't required for me degree - and also weren't available during covid.

Thoughts? Trying to find a path!

Extra info - financing it won't be an issue

We have 4 cats, they all need to lose a bit of weight but one in particular is 13lbs and should be around 9 according to the vet. We have 3 RFID petlibro feeders and 1 regular petlibro auto feeder that will be placed on a counter only 1 cat can jump to. Our 13lb chonker likes to rip off her collar with the rfid tag, no matter how many times I put it back on she rips it off within a few hours. I know cats should have breakaway collars, but i'm also worried that once we fully implement the RFID feeders, she'll keep ripping her collar off and go hungry. Should I try to find a stronger collar or deal with it and let her eat when we're home?

I've had my current job for almost 2 years. I make $19/hr. In office 5 days a week, mostly working with excel and a few company specific programs. Overall my job is pretty underwhelming - I don't really have meetings with my superiors, no annual goals, no special projects. Just come in and do the same thing every day. It's stable, but I've been wanting something *different* and also something that pays more than $19/hr. The environment is also kind of depressing... we sit in cubicles all day and people rarely speak to one another. Most days I don't say a word out loud from 8am to 5pm. Mentally I'm very understimulated and unfulfilled. Also the health insurance here is shitty and expensive.

I've been applying like crazy to similar roles, and I have an interview for tomorrow for a job at a school district making$22/hr. However, because the workload at my current job is so light, there's a little voice in my head that says "Hey, what if you use the ample free time at your current job to upskill and get a degree??" I could easily afford a 2 year online degree from the local community college. For some background, I have a music business degree that might as well be a CVS receipt in this job market. And I don't want to be stuck doing entry level work for the rest of my life. So I could get a slightly better paying job that would have a higher workload, but should I stay at the current job to try and maximize my future earning potential?

I've considered 2 year programs in general business, accounting, data science/business analytics, etc. Something that's widely desirable. I'm open to ideas as well. I have a music degree, but I was also pretty good with numbers and math in high school.

So, what would you do in my situation?

The pay field should have a minimum and maximum. I'm tired of my search results being cluttered with locum physician roles that pay $100/hr, attorneys, senior or management roles... it's depressing when im trying to find jobs in the $20-$22 range.