I am stuck in a term position (I've got two years of employment before I have to reapply, but I am also unsure if the job will still be around then due to the type of work we do).
I cannot find a 'permanent' position that will hire me, I am missing a few key skills/experience points for those that have come up but I tried anyway, and I haven't even got onto the list to the last place I've applied to because of it.
Basically, I plan on going back to school about 500 miles away from where I am now. There's a BS that I'd like to get with a certificate (I only have a HS Diploma at the moment), that would put me back in the workforce with a nice jump above what I am making right now and doing work that I would like to be doing now with an actual career path instead of the dead end I am in now.
So, my question is... Should I go ahead and get a minimum wage job up near the school and get a place there now to avoid all the stress and Cow-poo that I've got going on at work now? or should I take what time I can squeeze out of my current job to crimp and save and silently curse my boss in order to save some cash up for paying some of that school bill now instead of skipping out on the money I could be earning in the meantime?
I guess this all boils down to a question of saving money or saving my sanity...
1st thing is have you applied to the school and have they accepted you? When does the semester begin? Do you have financial aid lined up?
I'd stay at a crap job as long as possible because it's a sure thing until I knew for sure I was accepted in the program I wanted and had the financing lined out. Unless the current job is really wearing you done.
I would also stay at the less-than-awesome job for as long as possible...you have a clear end date in sight, so that should help you through. In the meantime, though, you're saving up money and getting yourself all lined up to be in a better financial place when school starts.
I am applying now, as I'd definitely not move until I've got that all lined up and a job going,
But basically, I won't be taking classes until next fall, so fall of '11. So I've got the time inbetween to work on scholarships and grants, and hopefully very few loan applications.
I also want to contact the department that is associated to the degree I am after and maybe I can try to get a job at the school to help with the cost as well as what part time work I could swing (possibly grocery store associate or a receptionist somewhere close by).
I feared that I'd get the "stay" response. But I definitely see the logic there and it's the common sense choice. Is just a lot of unneeded stress and fears over job security as we are still in the middle of a downsizing, and I've got a Not-To-Exceed date of Sep 30th of this year. It's driving me a bit crazy really.
Can you get that experience needed at your current job if you ask a supervisor for some exposure to whatever it is you need? If you can get that with your job then I'd suggest waiting a bit longer so you can add those things to your resume and then get the degree.
This economy is also part of the problem- I've got my degrees and years of experience- people just aren't hiring for what I want to do and it sucks
What I want to do, basically GIS and environmental policy study, is still being hired for judging by the job announcements I've looked at. But to grab that entry-position will be tough with so many out of work.
I cannot get the time and attendance or Travel arrangement experience (even though I've got the training for it) because it is forwarded to and taken care of at another office (we're basically a satellite office), and that purchase card is far from my fingers, that is for sure.
I really think I'm at the career change point, Beerab, my program is basically crashing, so I completely get the not-getting-hired-for-what-I'm-qualified-to-do pains.
I'm going to stick around for as long as I can. Come October (or September/November) I'll know if I can squeak by another half-a-year, but i'm going to get all my little schooling duckies in a row.
With the way the economy is right now, and the fact that very qualified people are only getting temp jobs, and you do not have a b.a. or b.s. (which is becoming the minimum norm now, and I say this as a person with only a b.a. as well) I would say to go back to school----do it while you are young. you will be able to usually earn a higher and more fulfilling job once you complete your education. try to go as far as you can in your education. you can also check with your college as they may have various scholarships and other programs that can give you free money towards your education.
however I was smart enough to marry a women, raise a son, a daughter and a step-daughter that went to college and or grad school...
wife ~ son ~ daughter all have good jobs and step-d will enter the scary workforce...or try to...in a few months...
I raised my nephew too...NAVY....
Kiddo, you know the higher the education you get the better the chances are of making more $$$...
but things are tough today...if you were my kid I would say...get your ducks in a row...do your research...send out your applications and stay where you are for now...
Alright. I'm holding off on applying for another job and sending out my two-week notice,
Now that I've got that decided, with your guys' help , I'm going to plan out the rest of this year and next summer to get those scholarship & grant applications out and see what aid I can scrape up. I'll talk more with the school and the department I'll be mostly taking classes in and see what I can do to get more help and get a plan going. And I'll be scraping all the little extras out of my paycheck, no more comic books or game subscriptions here!
Good luck girl! I'm done with schooling (I've got a master's) and currently just applying for job after job that I qualify for. I've gone on two interviews with no call backs but I am hopeful that it'll happen soon enough
Just want to throw in the idea of checking out the possibility of getting started by taking courses in an online program. There are quality programs....make sure the college is accredited by its regional accreditation agency and the program you want is recognized by the national organization/state organization related to your program. I am associated with colleges that offer online programs but no associate degrees. We are finding that more and more people are working while earning degrees than in the past because they can either start their degrees online or, in some cases, earn their entire degree online. And, those who indicated that degrees make a difference with earning power - are right on. Earning a bachelor's degree vs a high school diploma can mean an additional $1 million dollars during a person's lifetime. So - don't give up your ambitions or get side-tracked for too long. There are some helpful websites out there that can guide you along the way and help you look for grants and financial aid.
I have done a bit of college like that lovelife. Right out of high school I went to a community college and did both in class and online class work. I just wasn't working toward something I really could or wanted to do.
Thankfully I was going without loans and paid for everything in cash.
But the program that I want now is not offered at many colleges, and there are only a few within my state that even have GIS course work (I've got a scholarship for FL already, I just need to get my grades back up in college and have a full-time schedule to get it going again). So I'll see if I can start online courses for the basics like English, but the actual core work will have to be done on campus.
I'd take the minimum wage job. Times are hard, but really, do you have to put yourself through ****? I'm in college now for a second BA. I am living very low budjet. With all my experience I look for hamburger flipper jobs. I need to study and so will not risk my grades or future livelihood on a soul sucking job. Summer is a time to score a college area job because a lot of competitors have gone home.
By the way. The people most effected by this downturn are male construction workers. Several large sectors -- the finance sector, and the construction sector have been hit hard. Hiring is down overall, but it is not "impossible" to find a job.
I just went back to school after having graduated 4 almost 5 years ago. Stay in the job. Scrimp and save every penny you can right now. I know you hate it, but there's an end date in sight! Work and save so you'll have a bit of a cushion when you go back. I managed to save enough that when I went back, I got a roommate and can pay all my bills with the help of the rent cheque. It's been nice knowing that I don't have to get loans this year. One less year of loans is a lot of money in the long run....
Unfortunately, I am pretty good at working temporaily in ****, giselley. I know people who can quit a job like it was nothing to them, but I'm the type that'll stick around on the sinking ship until I've been hired somewhere else. But thankfully now that I've got something set in my mind this job insecurity problem is feeling less heavy. ('Cause of stress I got snippy with my boss, and ended up apologizing to him in tears. Strong stress makes me uncontrollably weepy, though I can keep on working with no problem, weird huh? But now that this part is over and I have a plan, I should be fine)
Thank you all, I just can't put into words how helpful these posts have been.
That is awesome, Shantroy! I've been renting a room from various people since I moved out of home two years back, so I won't be unfamilar with that. I like being the roommate and not the one responsible for the lease, but I could see the perk in your situation! Maybe once I get settled in the new area, I might try it out or I might not. At the moment, I've got a few other things to sort out before I even think about that commitment. I am just so glad that I've got a safety net of my folks' house, that is if everything crashes and burns, I can head back there and quickly get back on my feet.
Need Job/College advice!
, I'm going to plan out the rest of this year and next summer to get those scholarship & grant applications out and see what aid I can scrape up. I'll talk more with the school and the department I'll be mostly taking classes in and see what I can do to get more help and get a plan going. And I'll be scraping all the little extras out of my paycheck, no more comic books or game subscriptions here! 
