New Jersey Educator Helping Others Find Their Passion [Interview]

I’ve always known I wanted to be on the radio.  As a little boy, I would leave my mom notes and recordings in the morning with the day’s weather or some other headline. I am one of the lucky ones who has turned my passion into my dream career. Most people are not that lucky.  This is true for people of all ages.  It can be hard to figure out your true calling.

College students, grads, and even older adults don’t know what they want to do professionally. So many people work at jobs that don’t inspire them and don’t know how to discover their passion.

I recently found myself in an interesting conversation with Life Design Catalyst Practitioner Jeanmarie McGinley. Jeanmarie is a veteran educator who, for many years, worked as a Director of Curriculum and Instruction in Central Jersey. Her experience includes working closely with The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA).

Jeanmarie found her passion for helping others find their purpose after seeing students struggle with deciding what they wanted to do with their lives. That’s when she founded Get Unstuck. Get Unstuck ignites meaningful change in kids and adults to help them find their passion and their “why.”

During our conversation, Jeanmarie shared, “After seeing this need, I wanted to create something specific that would help people get back on track with their purpose and passion.” The goal of Get Unstuck is to help students find their purpose, and then they translate that purpose into a professional portfolio.

Right now Jeanmarie offers boot camps for educators, districts, corporations, plus high school and college students. Everyone leaves having found the best version of themselves.

She helps each student create a vision of where they want to go in their life. Jeanmarie says, “The hard part about this is that a lot of people speak about the value of creating a vision, but they don’t tell you how to do it. So that’s where I come in. The students have received it well.”

In one or two boot camp sessions Jean Marie helps plan out the student’s future. Outlining all of the possibilities helps the student build confidence. The process resonates with students entering college, undecided college students, people in their early twenties, those who are looking for a career change, and recently retired adults looking for something new.

Jeanmarie continues with an interesting point, “There’s a difference between your gift and your talent. When you find the intersection of your gift and your talent, that’s your purpose.”

The key to finding your purpose is getting clarity about who you are. You get that clarity from defining your values, and then living by them.

You can get more information or sign up at UnstuckJM.com

The irony is that Jeanmarie says she got into this field because she was stuck. We are all stuck at some point, but this can help you feel powerful and confident when you learn what you’re living for and why.

Remote jobs are still a big trend, even following the pandemic. So, what are the most in-demand, high-paying remote jobs out there right now? For those who would rather work at home, the good news is that there are more options today than there were in the past. During the pandemic, many companies discovered that employing remote workers had benefits to them, including savings in infrastructure and other costs. Many workers discovered that it fit their lifestyles and personalities, too. So, it's a win-win for a certain segment of the population.

Before we get into those in-demand, high-paying remote jobs, let's look at some companies that are actively hiring remote workers. The experts at Forbes.com have a new feature out highlighting some companies that are looking for remote workers right now. No. 1 on the list is GitLab, which they describe as "an AI-powered DevSecOps platform that allows software developers to collaborate and deliver projects with full compliance and security." They add that GitLab currently has more than 100 remote job openings available in a variety of departments, including sales, marketing product and user experience, engineering, security, admin, HR, legal and more. Another big one on Forbes.com's tally is Buffer at No. 2. Buffer is a social media marketing software company. According to the article, they're "actively seeking to add to their remote team with roles for a senior front-end and senior back-end engineer." Other choice companies include Automattic, Toggle and Kona. A separate Forbes.com article also cites Canonical, Veeva and Invisible Technologies as companies hiring remote workers. So, the jobs are out there, but you might be working with a company that you're not familiar with yet.

It's also worth noting that salaries in 2024 are not what they were years ago. A new study from the experts at Ladders revealed some interesting information about salaries in 2024 and what they can actually buy. According to the study, if you want to have the buying power of a job that had an annual salary of $100,000 in 1994, you would need to pull in more than $200,000 a year in 2024. So, it shows how inflation has impacted the buying power of salaries over the past three decades. Also, the same study notes that while finding a job that pays more than $100,000 a year that's also a remote job is more difficult today than it was a few years ago, one industry that is leading the way in remote jobs is fintech, which stands for financial technology. But, it doesn't stop at fintech. Let's get into the best industries to find in-demand, high-paying remote jobs, from sources such as Money.USNews.com, CNBC.com and more.

Did you know that reviewing documents can make big bucks? According to CNBC.com, being a document reviewer can pay an average salary of $123,427. They also say it's one of the most in-demand remote jobs of the moment.

A different Forbes.com article says software engineers are an in-demand, high-paying remote option. "Software engineers are the backbone of fintechs," they explain, "and plays a crucial role in developing software for financial solutions, being the brains behind innovative financial products including emerging spaces such as blockchain and AI, and developing and integrating APIs while ensuring the products are compliant with financial regulations and are optimized for security."

The experts at Money.USNews.com have web developer as an in-demand remote job, making a median salary of $78,580. They note that the education required is a bachelor's degree. "Web developers maintain, troubleshoot and create websites to ensure they’re effective for business, health care, technology, education or whatever service they provide," they state.

The same Money.USNews.com article says their pick for the best remote job is financial manager. They make a median salary of $139,790. "They keep an eye on the finances of an organization and make reports on financial activity," they note. There are other jobs in the financial sector that are also great for remote workers, such as being an accountant or financial planner.

One hot job for remote talent, according to Forbes.com, is a content writer. So, what does a content writer do? "Content writers create written content for various platforms such as websites, blogs, and email marketing, which engages and informs audiences, with the goal of making sales and increasing brand awareness," they explain.

Believe it or not, being a general physician can be a great remote job. According to Insider Money (via MSN.com), general physicians make around $110 per hour. "A remote general physician provides medical care to patients via telecommunications technologies, offering consultations, diagnoses, and treatment recommendations remotely," they explain.

Forbes.com notes that being an editor is a good remote gig. "Remote editors work for magazines and journals, and other news publications, and they review and sometimes revise content to ensure accuracy and that the correct writing style is adhered to," they explain. They add that editors also make sure that "content meets publication guidelines."

If you're good with social media and have the professional history to prove it, being a social media manager could be a great remote role for you. According to CNBC.com, the average social media manager makes $81,329 annually. For this job, you have to keep up with all of the latest social media trends.

Many tech companies hire remote workers. For one, many of them are startups, so they don't want to spend money on the infrastructure of having people in an office. But, in general, tech jobs line up very well with remote work. According to Tech.co, Apple is a big one hiring right now.