I am like many people my age. I was convinced to go to university, since the world would be my oyster if I had a degree. If I wanted a career, this was a MUST. They don't really tell you that no matter what you get a degree in, you'll likely have to follow up with a Masters to get what you really want to do. This means spending more money and time at school while the rest of the world is growing up. When you come out of school, whether it is your undergrad, a diploma/certificate or your Masters, you end up finding "Hey, there are no actual jobs out there". Okay, there are jobs, but not the one you were looking to find. They exist, yes, but someone else has been in that position for twenty years and at the rate of the economy, they aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
So then you have to weigh your options. Do I go back to school for another job prospect? Hey, why not! So that's what I did. A year at school, a year on the job and I found out it's not what I really wanted to do. So now I have a degree that cost me 10k and is way too general, and a diploma that is way too specific. I browse through the want ads, and I see openings for jobs with degrees. Oh boy! Oh wait, you want a degree in Business or Communication. Next please. Oh look, no experience necessary, some college required. Oh, but you want me to sell something over the phone.
Hmm. Not what I had in mind.
I currently do make money, working for the family but it's not what I want to do. I appreciate making money, but it feels like such a waste of my potential. Yet, looking through the jobs I can't find anything that really suits me (Customer Service Representative... No) or that is worth my time (Pouring coffee from 1 AM to 4 PM, not what I went to
Unviersity for). I realize that getting started in a career is hard. Very hard. It's hard to just get your foot in the door and you know you end up getting positions where you're making peanuts but MAYBE someone will boost your career with the experience or will know someone who can hire you for bigger and better things in that field.
Since I work at home, I am constantly being told that I need to get out and get a better job. No, not a job. A career. I ask these inquirers if they know where the careers are because I certainly don't see them. Sure I can hop on Monster.Ca and apply for all the waitress jobs and house cleaner jobs that I want and maybe find employment but it's not a career. Careers aren't that easy to come by anymore. And sometimes I don't know what would suit me as a career. I know what I like to do and I know what I hate to do. Things I like to do are:
research, counsel, problem solve, write reports, learn, educate, explain, coordinate, organize. You'd think that would be easy enough to
peg hole into.
I've thought about going back to school but I've already been burned once (or twice) by the current education system. Colleges and Universities
clamor for your hard earned money, promising that getting an education with them will open up a whole world of opportunities for you. Heck, they even have a 93% success rate, meaning that 93% of their graduates find jobs within 6 months of graduating. Isn't that wonderful!? What they don't tell you is that it's any kind of employment. A graduate of business can go and start working at a coffee shop and that's employment. The education system works! You have a job! Hurray!
It's based on that fact alone that I am weary about going to school again. I check out the projected stats in my province but it still does not guarantee a job, or that after you spend 2 years getting that education that a job will open up for you. The jobs I really want to do have about 500 people all wanting that same spot. Sometimes I don't think the risk is worth it. I may be out $5000 and then there's a class of 25 new
whatevers out in the world, but only 10 jobs and then I have to go back to working at home again, or getting a retail job at the mall? No thank you. I wish I had the confidence in the working world to believe that if I get X certificate, I will have a job. But it's my uncertainty that makes me balk.
My family wants to start up another business venture but I'm unsure about it. I have so many questions and want to know where you can move up in it. It has to do with law, and I would love to pursue law, or paralegal but as I explained before, a little iffy on the whole thing.
In the midst of it all, I applied for a seasonal position at something I went to
university for. Unfortunately they want me to relocate. And unfortunately it's for less than a month. And unfortunately it's less pay than I'm getting at home. The only upside is that it would give me experience in the field, and MAY lead to other opportunities. Or it might not. My family thinks I should turn it down because with the cost of living, I'd be making less than what I make now. But at the same time, it's a new experience, it's not for very long, and it might help me in the long run. Or it will cause me to lose out on some money because I'll be paying out more than I take in, and I might not get any job leads afterwards. I've been asked for a telephone interview for tomorrow and I'm scared. I haven't replied yet. I know I should soon. But I have no idea what to do. Take my losses and get some experience or stay here and hope something better happens with this new business deal. Both may help me get into a better career.
Until then, I'm sitting in my pajamas, waiting for phone calls to happen, but the market is dead. This is NOT what University prepared me for!
