Hi all -

I recently started my first full-time job after finishing* college at a non-profit. I love my job, but it simply just does not pay nearly enough. It's hourly and has been rounding out to $24k/year, which is not at all sustainable in California. I've been staying with various family members over the past few months I've worked there (I've been working 3 months now) and I can't stay with them much longer. I need to start paying for my own rent, I'm also going to have to start leasing a car (due to car issues), and start making payments on my student loans. Once I budgeted everything I have to pay for, I need to make over 1k more a month than I currently do (and that was with very frugal estimates). I could get a second job hostessing but honestly 1) I don't think I'd make enough money even then and 2) I think I could find a better paying job at another place.

I'm nervous about leaving my first job even though I know they don't pay me enough - and won't even if I asked. Everyone who has the same job as me is living with their parents and doesn't have student loans.

I think I'm mostly nervous about applying for other jobs and hitting the "you may contact current employer for reference" button. Is it normal to have a conversation with your boss that you have to leave, only a few months into hire?

I really like all of the people I work with and the work I do so it's truly a bummer to me that I can't keep my job here. My job is considered entry-level and has really bad turnover because of the emotional toll and probably the lack of pay. I'm anxious because I feel really lucky to have this job but I'm nervous to leave it!

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Another issue: I technically don't have a college degree yet as I'm still finishing up my senior project. It's made it so I don't have to pay back my student loans yet BUT if I want to start applying to jobs, I have to finish up my degree. It's a catch-22 since I can either keep my current job and put off graduating/loan payments OR I can finish my degree and hope to get a job that'll make it so I can pay student loans.

I'm still really fresh to the field I'll be applying to so I'm not even sure if I could get the better-paying jobs without more experience. I've always been told that you should keep a job for at least a year before moving on, but I don't think I can afford this one.