<p>Alleyphoe, I understand having a bad job sucks. I’ve had quite a few terrible jobs so far. That might be true, but its also true that having a PhD would also qualify me for higher paying jobs so that I could pay that student loan debt off. There is no guarantee with any job that 20 years from now I can afford a roof over my head. There’s no way to predict how my life will be 20 years from now. What I can tell you is right now, I’m in my grace period. And I STILL can’t afford the student loan payments I have from undergrad with two serving jobs. Its just not possible. I’m not going to waste my life away serving. I’m not going to be looking on those bad jobs and laughing if the only job I am qualified to get with my bachelors is a serving job…20 years from now. </p>
<p>The school I am attending has an ABA accredited paralegal program with an excellent job placement rate. ALL of the professors in the program were/are practicing lawyers. Most graduates do have jobs within a month of graduating. The average starting salary is around 20,000-25,000 with a median in my area around 45,000 after 5 years of experience. This only counts those that return the survey but this program has so many immediate contacts with the bar association in my state and the local practicing firms that its not a bad way to network. I just have weighed the costs and benefits and ultimately, I don’t have the funding to be able to complete the paralegal program in a decent amount of time. You don’t have to have a degree to be a paralegal and the internships/job experience provided by the program are really beneficial. Most paralegal students who complete their internships successfully are offered a position within that firm if one becomes available. My professors have even stated that sometimes firms are willing to make a position or call other firms and recommend students who do a good job and perform well. Just because I don’t like a job doesn’t mean I won’t work hard at it and give it my best.</p>
<p>I don’t think you understand. The certificate program is a WAY/means to get into a PhD or Master’s program. I will not be using it to get direct employability. I won’t be looking for a job, I will be applying to grad school AFTER I complete it.</p>
<p>The internship was completed with a research lab on campus and with a graduate student. She left the program after graduating and there are NO BACHELOR LEVEL positions in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. You MUST go to grad school to be in that field. I have kept in touch and they said they are keeping an eye out. I applied for a case management position based on a reference/recommendation from a colleague with no luck. I have no case management experience.</p>
<p>I don’t understand what you’re saying-I haven’t been able to find a job at all to prove that I am capable of working hard. All of my past employers would comment that I take initiative and I am a good employee. There is no reason for you to say that I wouldn’t be a hard worker. And as for the Hooters position-I have been there done that in a similar environment. 9/10 the people in there are not looking for women/girls that would do well in a professional work environment. They are looking to eat lunch and drink beer or watch the game. I do keep in contact with some people I have met who recognized my good work ethic; however, they work in Computer Science/Engineering. Not exactly Psychology friendly. I specifically went to college so that I WOULD NOT have to be a server for the rest of my life. I’m willing to take a job as a file clerk or a low person on the totem pole but I can’t even find something entry-level for me to be able to prove myself. Unless I’m looking to excel in the restaurant management industry a job at Hooters is in no way beneficial and isn’t going to pay my student loans off anyway. I’ll be living paycheck to paycheck.</p>