Yeah, pay grade is really where it gets sticky. If you have basic skills you can find an entry level gig easily... as long as you're willing to take a market-le

Yeah, pay grade is really where it gets sticky. If you have basic skills you can find an entry level gig easily... as long as you're willing to take a market-level salary for that role. A lot of people who've spent years building a career in a dead-end sector will have salaries substantially higher than that, and that makes it difficult to jump. These people should focus on improving their credit, cutting expenses, and building up savings so that they can take the salary hit that will get their careers on a better track for the ~20 years until they're eligible for retirement. Alternatively, these people can go in through a social backdoor. Befriend a powerful person at a company you'd like to work at and demonstrate why he needs you. If he has authority to set salaries, he will likely do everything possible to accommodate your higher-than-market salary, even if he can't get you 100% of the way there. But beware: overpaying an employee is the best way for a company to trap him/her. Do everything possible to not become dependent on a rate you can't easily command somewhere else.