<p>I haven’t read the posts in this thread, but after reading your OP and your other thread, I was wondering if Occupational Therapy might be an option to pursue? </p>
<p>Do you have the prereqs or interest?</p>
<p>DO NOT get an MBA in order to get a job in HR! Most of the people on my HR team have an MBA (and many have undergrad degrees in psych as well) but they applied to business school AFTER having a couple of corporate jobs, not before. OP- you will end up in the same place and deeper in debt if you get an MBA before you’ve got actual business experience!</p>
<p>Blossom speaks from experience - can’t argue with that.</p>
<p>But Blossom, this is the old “how do I get experience if no one will give me a job” argument. It’s frustrating.</p>
<p>OP - you DO have a lot of obstacles. I think your challlenge is going to be:</p>
<ol>
<li> Deciding what you really WANT to do.</li>
<li> Identifying the obstacles</li>
<li> Mitigating or eradicating the obstacles to make it happen.</li>
</ol>
<p>I think your biggest problem is that you just don’t know what it is you want to do yet.</p>
<p>Big companies hire new grads for entry level HR jobs all the time. They may not say “HR”. There are jobs for companies like AON or Towers or Hewitt that require spreadsheet skills (analyzing benefit costs, or how much retirees spent on company covered prescriptions last year.) There are companies that provide outsourced HR services (ADP for payroll and tax reporting; Allegis for recruiting) which require good customer service and phone skills plus some math and statistical training. And then the companies themselves.</p>
<p>If the OP does not have good office skills (Word, Excel, etc.) maybe finding a computer savvy friend to help improve those skills could work. Or bartering with a similarly unemployed friend- “I’ll teach you Excel and pivot tables if you’ll teach me Photoshop or Droople”.</p>
<p>I am not minimizing the OP’s plight. Trying to be helpful-- for an entry level job it is highly likely that the resume is being “read” by a computer. So the presence of the right keywords is what gets the resume pulled from the pile. The more relevant credentials-- the greater the chances of getting a phone interview.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>A few things:</p>
<p>a. you have been receiving not so great advice. And you are somewhat gullible in accepting what these people have told you. Thats fine- just be aware of that going forward, so that you are specious enough to verify advice in the future before committing resources to it.</p>
<p>b. Academics dont necessarily give the best career advice. Their goal is to stay out of the job market, so how much do they know about “the real world” that you are trying to get hired by? The academic world is based on credentialism and publications, so of course they are going to be biased to valuing graduate degrees. </p>
<p>c. Average Abilities. Thomas Stanley did research on millionaires and on average they didnt go to the best schools, have great grades and they thought of themselves as “average”. Because the felt they were at a disadvantage to other people they knew they had to work hard than everyone else. Their insecurity lead to success. </p>
<p>My overall advice is to be prepared to work harder than everyone else. And to be prepared to let people know you are eager to do so. The problem with the jobs you’ve been able to get so far (the Citi thing sounds like it was an outside contract) is you havent had an opportunity to show that. But it will come. </p>
<p>Work multiple network possibilities at the same time. Join Toastmasters. Join Rotary Club- there will be some do-gooder there who needs volunteer help for some project- jump on it. Anything you can do to put yourself in front professional people and show that you are a can do person. Check in with the Chamber of Commerce. It will lead to nothing for 9 months but slowly you be getting more and more traction.</p>
<p>I know it seems pollyannish, but if you stay positive something will happen. I have have a couple of friends who were in your position ( 5year college drop outs) and they drifted around garbage jobs before they caught on and started to climb the ladder.</p>
<p>I actually know what I want to do. I really want to get a Ph.D. in immunology and do research. But there is no money in that and lots of schooling. I love science. Its the reason I ended up in Engineering. But I do not have a natural ability to excel in science and therefore, it is clear from my crap grades that I’m not an amazing student or scientist and I’m not going to end up curing various diseases. If there’s anything I learned from this experience, its that pursuing what you want is not always feasible in this world. You have to get a job so you can afford to do what you like on the side. Research is one of the worst fields to be in now because there is very little funding and the admissions for grad school is cutthroat. I was looking into a master’s in research administration, but honestly that degree is also useless without any practical or clinical research assistant experience.</p>
<p>Occupational therapy does sound interesting, but I don’t have all the pre-reqs unfortunately and nursing would be more feasible/less costly. I only need 3-4 classes to apply to the nursing program. If I did the post-bacc nursing program at my school I could finish nursing school in one year. </p>
<p>I signed up to take quickbooks classes at the library. I am proficient with all Microsoft Office (word, excel, pp) and I know SPSS really well, but that doesn’t help with the job hunt. I wish there was a way to learn medical or dental software because a lot of the jobs in my area prefer Dentrix experience or some kind of medical charting/scheduling software. The nice thing is I do learn software pretty quickly. I just wish I had the chance to show employers that. I have been teaching myself some programming languages for fun. Maybe if I become proficient enough I can put those on my resume as well. </p>
<p>I don’t want to work in HR forever. That was just what I planned on doing right out of school. I think getting my MBA would be a terrible idea right now. Rarely any funding for MBA programs, especially with my terrible grades and I’ll probably be where I am now with twice as much debt</p>
<p>Toastmasters and Rotary Club are definitely something I will look into. I keep trying to stay positive but its pretty dark around here and I can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel yet. I am a first generation college student. I didn’t have the advice of parents who had gone to college or even the advice of parents in successful careers. I struggle everyday knowing how hard my dad works and how he’ll never be able to retire. He and my mom are claiming bankruptcy for the second time and trying to get divorced. I don’t want that for my kids and I certainly wish I was in a position to help out my parents. I didn’t come from money, so I’ve worked for literally everything I own. I’m not afraid of working hard, I’m afraid of being as miserable as my parents are.</p>
<p>Gnome, you can call your dentist right now- I don’t mean next week but now- and ask if he/she uses Dentrix or another packaged software product. If the answer is yes, volunteer to show up to help sweep the floors, organize the supply closet, shred old patient files, answer the phones, etc. in exchange for sitting next to the person who uses the computer and learning Dentrix. You can learn that program in two days. Many of the people who are proficient in it have a GED and you are a college graduate. Boom- you know Dentrix by the end of the week.</p>
<p>Same for Raisers Edge (a software package used by many non-profits). Volunteer to stuff envelopes in exchange for a few lessons. Boom- you know Raisers Edge.</p>
<p>SPSS is a highly sought-after skill. Do yourself a favor- teach yourself SAS (which will take you a day if you are really proficient at SPSS) which is used by many credit card companies, many companies which analyze large datasets. Any company that uses census data for example-- zip code analysis, demographic trends, etc.</p>
<p>Do it now. You could be a fully trained X by this time next week. Just make some phone calls to people who know you (your dentist, or your mom’s dentist, or any dentist in your neighborhood who can check you out that you’re not a drug addict trying to gain access to the supply cabinet.)</p>
<p>The first thing is, what are your plans after your parents house is foreclosed upon? Where are they going to stay, can you stay with them? One thing to consider (but not plan for), even if they are being sent all sorts of threatening letters, sometimes it can take years for the foreclosure process to be completed. You may (or may not) have more time in that house than you think.</p>
<p>But the choices are not either you’re homeless or rent an apartment. There are very cheap ways to live. So many good people rent rooms in their houses for just a few hundred dollars. You can live quite inexpensively, Also, many airline people I know have “crash pads”, where there are many people in an apartment/house, coming and going. Some live there practically full time, and these are generally nice people/no drugs/crime, and while it can be a little cramped, it is safe and cheap. Or there are always people looking to share an apartment.</p>
<p>I hope you have a plan for when you parents lose their house. Shelter is top priority now.</p>
<p>Its getting to the very end. The foreclosure process has been going on for a year or so. They never told me about it and I only found out really recently, so I haven’t been able to plan like I should have. I also found out my mom was having an affair. My parents were married for 25 years. It hasn’t been a great year for us. </p>
<p>I was hoping to have a job by now. My dad is planning on moving out of state and living with a friend and one of my sisters plans on moving with him, my other sister is moving into college housing and my mom will probably move in with her boyfriend. I have several friends who said they would let me stay there until I could get a better job or at least save some money. My boyfriend has a house and he said I could stay there. I just hate the fact that it even has to come to this. I originally planned to move into a house with some friends in July, but now that I don’t have a great job its not a plausible plan any longer.</p>
<p>All the best OP…Think seriously about what blossom is suggesting. It might sound like cold-call, but a lot of times people need help too and they definitely could use smart people “volunteering”. Dont give up until you call 20 people. That’s my magic number I tell myself that I should tolerate hearing 19 “NO” because that 20th answer might be yes 
</p>
<p>Having gone through similar dilemma right after college, I understand what you are going through. My mom told me to take any job that will pay more next year than today even if it doesn’t pay anything today. It didn’t make sense right out of college, but made sense after a few months waiting for jobs that paid better (this was decades ago but the memory is still fresh :)</p>
<p>All the best again, make sure to post an update a year from now so we all “parents” feel happy to hear that one more kid is settled (Dont get mad at me for calling you a kid :)</p>
<p>You have a great writing style.
You should consider writing an essay entitled ‘To all the companies that won’t hire me’ as a response to the ‘to all the colleges that rejected me’ essay.</p>
<p>ETA: I am sincerely saddened by your situation and hope you find some good options. I do not mean for my post to sound snarky at all. I really believe you could pen a moving and thoughtful essay on the troubles recent grads face.</p>
<p>ETA2: Is your dad moving to an area with better job propects?</p>
<p>I’m sorry if this has already been mentioned but have you tried registering with temp agencies? You can try out different jobs and firms and see what clicks. It can be a good option.</p>
<p>You are right, forget the PhD right now, and start looking for something that makes money, not takes on more debt for little money. That is something you can think about in the future, your security should not ride on it, it’s an eventual goal.</p>
<p>One thing to consider, at least right now you have a job. And that’s something, as there are plenty of people out there with no income at all. This at least gives you some flexibility to look for something better. Plus, you have a place to stay.</p>
<p>I propose that you look at this with both short term and long term plans. First, short term, obviously you need to get a better job (hopefully one that offers health insurance and job experience). Blossom has some awesome ideas for doing this. Getting quickly qualified in useful software applications that will make your resume stand out. I’ll bet every company is looking for that. This doesn’t need to be the career you are dreaming of, but something to make you more marketable for right now.</p>
<p>And then the long term goal. As suggested, figure out what fields the job market is looking for, sounds like you may be interested in health care, and that could be the way to go. Going to a community college for certification would be pretty cheap. But I agree with others, to figure out the right field for you, you can volunteer in that industry. Choose a couple of things you’re interested in, and trust me, plenty of employers will be happy to have you volunteer for awhile. It is very common. That way, you can make contacts, get all the inside information, and figure out if this is what you might want.</p>
<p>We’ve been in a similarly bad situation. My husband was laid off, and I was soon to be laid off, in an industry that was very hard to get jobs in, and nobody was hiring. Trying to find another job in our industry seemed impossible, we were qualified for nothing else, our only experience was in aviation and waiting tables (for me). Very little money saved, with an infant and a toddler. We felt paralyzed. We were so broke we even gave up coffee and beer…now that’s sacrifice! One day we went to a mall with a friend, who just randomly decided to buy a skirt for his wife, because she might like it. Not a second thought, didn’t need it, boom, just spent the $50. We looked at each other, and we were both so incredibly jealous of him. </p>
<p>We sat down and tried to figure out a strategy. At least one of us needed another skill. My husband got a job parking cars for $7/hr, but that wasn’t going far. He decided to look into physical therapy, as that had always interested him. Starting volunteering at a clinic, and they were happy to have him. He learned a lot, made some contacts, and started taking the prerequisites at a community college. Applied to ten masters programs, got accepted to one. Yay, a guaranteed job in an active field that he would enjoy! But then I got a job with another airline, and so did he, right before he started graduate school. If that had not happened, at least he would have been in a great industry. It does seem there are fields that you are guaranteed to get a decent job if you have the training. Maybe not right in your area, but you’d have the income to move if needed.</p>
<p>Gnome, I don’t have any helpful advice, but I think you sound very well-spoken and reasonable and above “average”. I don’t understand the reprimands you’ve gotten from a couple of people. I wish you the best of luck.</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.americorps.gov/]AmeriCorps[/url”>http://www.americorps.gov/]AmeriCorps[/url</a>]</p>
<p>Anything in your area?</p>
<p>Provides modest stipend (12k per year as far as I can tell) plus an education award at the end of a year service. Education award can be used to pay off loans or fund future education. Programs available for ages 18 and up. Some programs are 18-24 and provide housing. Supposedly has great training.</p>
<p>Himom, thanks, I am looking into registering with a temp agency asap. </p>
<p>busdriver11, Thank you. Sorry to hear you had to go through that. I can’t even imagine having children and facing that situation. I would literally die.</p>
<p>Trilliums, thank you. That was really nice of you. Ironically, I have been told by countless professors that writing is not one of my strengths. Unfortunately, my dad is moving to a place with about the same rate of unemployment, I think it may be slightly even higher than where I am now (last time I checked out the stats). It seems as though his particular industry is doing better where he’s going though. Americorps is an option I will definitely need to consider. Thank you for your help and input.</p>
<p>I’d STRONGLY suggest you check your local CC and see what programs they offer certifications in. EMTs, xray, ultrasound, physical therapy assistant, respiratory therapist and other programs are available.</p>
<p>Thank you! Unfortunately there is a surplus of ultrasound techs and resp therapists in my area right now. I have two friends who graduated in respiratory therapy and they can’t find a job either. The wait list for nursing is about 6 semesters after acceptance at the CC nursing school. They are accepting applications for Summer 2015. I really was interested in cardiac tech positions, but I checked online and there just aren’t enough openings/growth potential to justify getting a degree in that 
Its actually on the decline. It seems that a lot of unemployed people in the area have the same idea and are going back to school. </p>
<p>I have been doing some research and since I have a bachelors, I qualify for an accelerated nursing program at my undergraduate, 4 year school. It would actually be probably about the same as a CC program since it takes 4 semesters to complete once I am accepted. I only need about 4 pre-req classes to get into the program. And I would obtain a second bachelors, over just an AA, which is more competitive in my area right now. I am considering this as an option.</p>
<p>How about a paramedic/EMT or a sleep tech? Also would follow up on getting certified as a substitute teacher. They can make decent money and often in demand.</p>
<p>What about looking at volunteer firefighting programs that train you as EMT’s. Around here some of the rescue have “live in” positions where EMT’s get free room and board for a certain number of shifts per week. Often times they also give scholarships for people going into related fields. Plus you’d be working alongside all sorts of different people who could be connections.</p>