At a loss

College Majors
1

<p>I graduated in 2005 with a bachelors degree in history have concluded it's nothing more than a piece of paper and is completely useless. I haven't used it once and it has not helped me garner a higher wage/salary. </p>

<p>I went to the career center at the university I went to and let one of the counselors look at my resume. He was surprised I've been taking such low paying jobs, mostly in retail that only pays 10 dollars or less. The only thing the counselor could do is let me take a career test to see what interests me. He didn't really help me before I left. </p>

<p>My resume is good but it only shows the jobs I've had since I graduated college. I'm not sure if a company would want to take a chance in me and give me a job paying somewhat decent paying money (something more than 10 dollars an hour) since I haven't garner anything other than being in retail. I just feel I'm destined for low paying jobs since the degree in history did not give me any valuable skills a company could use. </p>

<p>Anybody else been in a similar venue or know someone who has gone down a similar path like me?</p>

2

<p>Have you thought about the military?</p>

<p>A history degree is good for Officers in the Army and Marines. There’s alot of sacrifice, but Officers enjoy a pretty good quality of life. Deployments are slowing down, but they are still in need of Officers due to heavy attrition the last few years - which also means quicker promotions.</p>

<p>P.S. I sympathize with you. I know what it’s like to feel trapped.</p>

3

<p>If you haven’t done so already, you need to re-do your resume in a “functional” resume format. Surely, you must have learned something in your 5 years of retail experience. Emphasize the types of skills/knowledge you acquired----selling, customer service, inventory, advertising, supervision (if any), marketing, quality control, building customer loyalty, expanding customer base, knowledge about specific retail lines of merchandise. Also, did you learn anything in your college program that you’re overlooking—research skills, communication skills (written & verbal), organizational skills, teamwork, etc.? Any extracurricular participation that resulted in skills you’re not recognizing? What accomplishments do you have—e.g., increased sales, tight schedules/deadlines, decreased turnover, did any of your stores get awards for sales/customer service (weren’t you part of the team that reached those goals), etc.??? Do the retailers you worked for have any management trainee programs you can apply for?</p>

<p>You have to sell and market yourself and network, since most jobs are found through your network, not just sending out resumes and filling out applications.</p>

4

<p>Military isn’t something I’m interested in. I respect those people that do it, but it’s not something for me.</p>

<p>I also redid my resume to show the strengths of the retail jobs I’ve done in the past.</p>

5

<p>What type of work would interest you?
What strengths do you have to build on from your previous school and work experience?
What type of retail did you work in?
What state do you live in and would you consider relocation?</p>

6

<p>I live in the north Texas area.
Retail work consisted of companies at Best Buy and Lowe’s from running the cash register to customer service associate and helping customers locate items and answer questions they had about products. That was 3-5 years ago.</p>

<p>Since 2008 I’ve been substituting elementary, middle, and high school kids in two districts. </p>

<p>I’m not for sure what type of work interests me anymore. I apply for whatever, mostly low paying jobs that don’t have a future. Truth is I don’t really have any skills for someone to take a chance at hiring me for something more such as assistant manager, etc.</p>

7

<p>It sounds like you want to apply your degree to teaching? I also plan on going into History, however I am prepared for the grim reality of very few job prospects other than teaching, being available.</p>

8

<p>I would recommend looking for jobs at businesses that are part of a larger, preferably growing, franchise that has some interest in developing their employees. Years ago, to support myself as a grad student, I took a job working for a branch of Culligan Water Conditioning, answering the phone and doing accounts payable. Within a couple of months I was offered a position in a management training course that would have equipped me to take a more responsible and higher-paying job. I know such opportunities have become scarceer in the recession–but my son works at Best Buy, and says that similar opportunities are available there, especially for people who are willing to relocate.</p>

9

<p>“It sounds like you want to apply your degree to teaching? I also plan on going into History, however I am prepared for the grim reality of very few job prospects other than teaching, being available.”</p>

<p>There aren’t any teaching positions anywhere in the area I live nor in the United States. For every position that opens up at a school, at least 10 people apply for it if not more. The odds aren’t that good. I read and hear about this all the time. Teaching would have been okay 10 years ago, but the idea that there’s a teacher shortage is a myth.</p>

10

<p>“I’m not for sure what type of work interests me anymore. I apply for whatever, mostly low paying jobs that don’t have a future. Truth is I don’t really have any skills for someone to take a chance at hiring me for something more such as assistant manager, etc.”</p>

<p>The attitude that comes across in your statement above is not going to help you market yourself to an employer. You seem discouraged and perhaps there are good reasons that I not aware of, but you need to form an active plan to get unstuck and take some positive steps to improve your future prospects.</p>

<p>These are just some suggestions to think about/check out:
You need to network and build up some contacts that might give you a good lead on jobs. We just had elections—volunteering for a campaign could have been a potential source of contacts. You could let people know at your church that you are actively looking for another job (if a church is something you’re involved in). You also could volunteer in your community. </p>

<p>Have you looked at federal, state, and local government jobs? There are several states I’m aware of that have jobs with good benefits posted on their websites (Georgia is one I saw recently). Have you taken a civil service exam?</p>

<p>Have you looked into teacher certification? Even as a substitute, a certified sub usually earns more than a non-certified sub. Right now, the best prospects for teaching are in special ed.</p>

<p>Have you considered teaching English overseas? It would probably pay more than substitute teaching and you could gain valuable experience. You might look into a TESOL certificate, though this is not always needed.</p>

<p>As jingle mentioned, you might qualify for a management training position at some big retailers or service companies.</p>

<p>I happen to know that there are usually job openings in developmental disabilities service agencies. Though there have been funding cutbacks, services have not been eliminated. Entry level jobs don’t pay much, but they pay at least as much as substitute teaching, plus some benefits may be available. Since there’s a relatively high turnover in that field, often you can advance to supervisory positions fairly quickly. With your substitute teaching background and a bachelor’s degree (even in an unrelated field), you probably could find a position.</p>

<p>You’re in Texas. The Texas and Oklahoma area is in pretty good shape in this recession compared to other states/regions in terms of private business hiring.</p>