The lack of employment/Laid off/Thread

While annoying, they do have a point. Most college graduates today are unable to find jobs at the current time, let alone jobs in their field. Many degrees today aren't worth the paper they're printed on, either. And, yeah, there's a lot of recent grads that actually believed the BS they were told who expect to slide right in to a great paying good job right away. Yeah, that's not happening these days. At all.

That said, a lot of your problems would go away or be reduced if you were to move out (and perhaps far, far away from your family). I would concentrate more on 'some job, any job' and less on trying to get 'ideal' or even something in your field at this point. Something to get you money to get the hell out of there.

For that matter, UPS in Mechanicsburg is looking for people to unload trucks and you barely have to be breathing to get in there.
 
Last edited:
Spectre said:
While annoying, they do have a point. Most college graduates today are unable to find jobs at the current time, let alone jobs in their field. Many degrees today aren't worth the paper they're printed on, either. And, yeah, there's a lot of recent grads that actually believed the BS they were told who expect to slide right in to a great paying good job right away. Yeah, that's not happening these days. At all.

That said, a lot of your problems would go away or be reduced if you were to move out (and perhaps far, far away from your family). I would concentrate more on 'some job, any job' and less on trying to get 'ideal' or even something in your field at this point. Something to get you money to get the hell out of there.

For that matter, UPS in Mechanicsburg is looking for people to unload trucks and you barely have to be breathing to get in there.
Click to expand...

I might just do it so I can have something to work on the side. It sucks because in order to get financial aid I need 3 classes this summer....I'll see if I can take some online but that program's tricky to get into.
 
rickhamilton620 said:
I might just do it so I can have something to work on the side. It sucks because in order to get financial aid I need 3 classes this summer....I'll see if I can take some online but that program's tricky to get into.
Click to expand...

Wait, how far along are you in your college career anyway?
 
Spectre said:
Wait, how far along are you in your college career anyway?
Click to expand...

I started in 08. It's been slow going because they expect you to take 5 or 6 classes a semester but I take 4 max so i wont overwork myself since i work alongside going to school. I also had to take a year off to make up credits for financial aid purposes as I had apparently dropped below full time at one point.

I purposefully took 3 classes this semester to keep what I owed out of pocket via a gracious grant accounting dept. that let me pay that balance over time as small as possible.


Edit: yes I know I've been in school too long, I get that. I wanted to change majors or consider just going for a 2 year but they wanted nothing fucking of it: "you're too close to drop now...no...."

Funny how the tune changes after 2 more years...
 
Last edited:
What is your major?
 
argatoga said:
What is your major?
Click to expand...

Information Technology for Business Education: http://www.ship.edu/Academics/Programs/Undergraduate/Information_Technology_for_Business_Education/

I decided, along with my dean, to not do the teaching certification due to time, money, and GPA constraints (PA requires above a 3.0 to do that).

That means I don't need to student teach, take expensive Praxis exams or take most of the teaching specific courses like child psycology.

Basically it's MIS-lite if there was such a thing.
 
...

Seriously?

In terms of commercial applications, that degree is only ever really going to be good in academia and with the teaching certification. Basically all it says to a business is "I know how to give PowerPoint presentations for IT matters" and "I can train users - but you'll have to pay me more."

Can you convert over to a different but related major at this point?
 
Last edited:
Vette Boss said:
No wonder you can't get IT work. I doubt many companies know what that degree is. Do you have any IT-level certifications?
Click to expand...

Oh, many do know what it is. They also know the value of it (to them) - nil.

Certifications and experience are more important than degrees in most of IT anyway.
 
Spectre said:
Oh, many do know what it is. They also know the value of it (to them) - nil.

Certifications and experience are more important than degrees in most of IT anyway.
Click to expand...

Experience being the most important. I have no tech certs and a History degree, yet I work in I.T. with a middle class income. I'd look into public schools, they pay little which lowers the bar and competition. If you are willing to relocate look for a place suffering a need for I.T. work.
 
Last edited:
Its a stupid, vicious circle. "I can't get a job because I don't have experience...because I can't get a job..." Been there, done that. For me its now I can't get a job because I've been fired from my last two jobs and no one wants to hire me because of that. I'm fucking sick and tired of it. My only problem is that I'm socially challenged. I don't deal well with some people sometimes, and I do my best to hide that when I'm working, and I work my ass off. When everyone else is going "Oh there's no customers and nothing to do, let's stand around and talk" I'd find something to do like clean cabinets, stock up supplies, clean the fridge, organize, etc.

What sucks about job applications and interviews for me is I don't know how to get around the "And why did you leave that job?" I don't like to lie. I know that my past employers aren't going to tell potential future employers doing their background checks that they fired me (supposedly, they're only allowed to confirm dates of employment) for such-and-such reason, but it still makes it hard for me to say something like "I had to leave that job because I had disagreements with my manager" which is true in part, but not what actually happened. They fired me because I screwed up, except the incident they cited when they fired me, wasn't even true. It was a moment of "Really, wtf, I've screwed myself to hell and back because I hate that asshole of a manager and don't give a shit about this job anymore and you decided to fire me over something you MADE UP? Real fucking good"

I ALMOST wish I'd made the decision to go to college instead. I'm not sure at this point that I am any better off than if I had gone to college. I'm still considering it, if only for the fact that the one thing I want to do most - something automotive related - is so hard to get into around here because it's dominated by men and not having any prior experience other than all those old high school days projects with friends and the few things that my dad has taught me makes me look even less appealing compared to any man who walks in that says he's worked on cars. I hate gender stereotyping for that exact reason...
 
xicedlovexoxo said:
Its a stupid, vicious circle. "I can't get a job because I don't have experience...because I can't get a job..." Been there, done that. For me its now I can't get a job because I've been fired from my last two jobs and no one wants to hire me because of that. I'm fucking sick and tired of it. My only problem is that I'm socially challenged. I don't deal well with some people sometimes, and I do my best to hide that when I'm working, and I work my ass off. When everyone else is going "Oh there's no customers and nothing to do, let's stand around and talk" I'd find something to do like clean cabinets, stock up supplies, clean the fridge, organize, etc.
Click to expand...

I'd say you should look for a back-end job of some kind at least for now to clear your resume up. Most employers won't check beyond last three positions. Or, really, years for younger people.

What sucks about job applications and interviews for me is I don't know how to get around the "And why did you leave that job?" I don't like to lie. I know that my past employers aren't going to tell potential future employers doing their background checks that they fired me (supposedly, they're only allowed to confirm dates of employment) for such-and-such reason, but it still makes it hard for me to say something like "I had to leave that job because I had disagreements with my manager" which is true in part, but not what actually happened. They fired me because I screwed up, except the incident they cited when they fired me, wasn't even true. It was a moment of "Really, wtf, I've screwed myself to hell and back because I hate that asshole of a manager and don't give a shit about this job anymore and you decided to fire me over something you MADE UP? Real fucking good"
Click to expand...

Speaking as someone who's been on the other end of an employment verification job (I recently - and honestly - did one for Der Stig because I used him as a subcontractor for some work here in Texas), all they are initially allowed to ask is dates of employment and whether the person is eligible for re-hire. If the answer to the latter is 'no', they already have all the information they need. They can't ask *why* the person isn't ineligible nor can they ask for anything beyond it at that point. Moreover, the person saying 'no' isn't allowed to tell them either.

I ALMOST wish I'd made the decision to go to college instead. I'm not sure at this point that I am any better off than if I had gone to college. I'm still considering it, if only for the fact that the one thing I want to do most - something automotive related - is so hard to get into around here because it's dominated by men and not having any prior experience other than all those old high school days projects with friends and the few things that my dad has taught me makes me look even less appealing compared to any man who walks in that says he's worked on cars. I hate gender stereotyping for that exact reason...
Click to expand...

Not much you can do about that at the moment, not until you get the resume cleared up. And not until the economy perks up considerably - there is currently a glut of trained automotive professionals looking for employment all over the country. Cash For Clunkers killed a lot of automotive repair shops and parts places.

You're in Ferndale, WA as I recall. As I suggested to rick there, why not try working for old UPS over in Bellingham sorting packages? UPS makes a great resume-washer if you can stick it out and you don't have to deal with customers.

http://www.employmentguide.com/jobdetails.html?jobid=7526848&zmc=Indeedsponsfandw

That should get you some cash to start off with. Then later you might be able to move on to a city where you would find more opportunities. Or you could do what more than one gearhead girl has done and build your own automotive resume in the form of a car. Preferably something built from the chassis up or at least extensively and carefully modified.

Alternately, you could go to one of the trade schools like Wyotech or MMI if you wanted to get in on that side of the automotive world.
 
Last edited:
Even UPS wouldn't hire me. :( Sadly, without a job right now, I have no hope of doing what I want to do and restoring an old car or something, or taking the automotive courses at Bellingham Technical College (they have a decent automotive program, and it's close to home). Of course, there is the possibility of my dad helping me pay for a few classes, so I thought about getting certified as a flagger and doing that all summer if I can find an open, entry-level position. Considering the amount of road works that goes on here all year round, it might not be that hard and the class is fairly cheap. It would be a start. Better than most other things I could do. I really don't want to go back to working with people. That was one of my biggest annoyances is, when I would tell someone I don't like people, they'd tell me I was in the wrong job. Well no shit sherlock, but there aren't a whole lot of entry-level jobs for schmucks that DON'T deal with people. Fast food, retail, restaurants, all of them are customer service and therefore all deal with making stupid people happy. I'm trying to get over it, and maybe I'll eventually swallow my pride and go work at McDonald's or something, but not yet. I'm trying to find something where I can do the least amount of dealing with customers who ALWAYS NEED SOMETHING AND NEED IT NOW. Or, at the very least, find someplace that isn't full of jerkwards for co-workers and management and that actually pays better and gives decent benefits (just any benefits at all like Paid Time Off would be nice since the casino didn't do any of that) and isn't such a long, boring ass drive. That stupid casino is so close to the border I could smell Canada.
 
All jobs involve working with people. It's something you need to learn to deal with. You will also run across assholes. Most people however are decent folk. Treat everyone kindly and a good deal will reciprocate. If someone is an asshole still treat them kindly.
 
Spectre said:
Oh, many do know what it is. They also know the value of it (to them) - nil.

Certifications and experience are more important than degrees in most of IT anyway.
Click to expand...

unless you want to be in management a degree in IT won't do much more than get you in the door generally, if you want to be in management then your vendor certificates generally won't do much.
 
Hidden_Hunter said:
unless you want to be in management a degree in IT won't do much more than get you in the door generally, if you want to be in management then your vendor certificates generally won't do much.
Click to expand...

Except his degree wouldn't be in IT, but in Education with a slant towards IT. That's the problem.
 
Spectre said:
Except his degree wouldn't be in IT, but in Education with a slant towards IT. That's the problem.
Click to expand...

Well the base degree would be a BS in Business Administration. I know those are a dime a dozen and the "concentration" I'm in matters but that helps somewhat right?
 
rickhamilton620 said:
Well the base degree would be a BS in Business Administration. I know those are a dime a dozen and the "concentration" I'm in matters but that helps somewhat right?
Click to expand...

Not for a position in IT. Maybe later once you've spent years in the trenches and might go for a management position, but now? Nope. And that's assuming that it even says that on the diploma instead of 'IT For Business Education.'

What's worse is that BS in BA in the current economic climate = 'You want fries with that?'
 
Last edited:
argatoga said:
All jobs involve working with people. It's something you need to learn to deal with. You will also run across assholes. Most people however are decent folk. Treat everyone kindly and a good deal will reciprocate. If someone is an asshole still treat them kindly.
Click to expand...

I realize that, but what I hate is CUSTOMERS. I was NOT put on this earth to be someone's personal servant, otherwise I would have found a job as one. That's the thing I hate, is how most of the customers I got when I was working at Harbor Freight and the casino, seemed to all think they were entitled to something, and like it was always my fault if they didn't get exactly what they wanted, when they wanted it. The ones who were decent, nice people, were few and far between and a good lot of them stopped going to the casino when the place started redesigning the restaurant and making everything more expensive. At Harbor Freight, most of my coworkers and management were assholes and the ones who weren't either quit or were never working the same shifts as me. The casino wasn't as bad, at least, not until they fired our laid-back, cool department manager and let the guy who was also the kitchen manager take over our department too. Guy was like a nazi about everything. He got pissed at me because I wasn't smiling often enough.

But like I said, I'm trying to cope. I've got a ton of people telling me to seek help because it will do me good, and I'm still trying to work up the courage to do so. It's still a lot easier said than done.
 
rickhamilton620 said:
Well the base degree would be a BS in Business Administration. I know those are a dime a dozen and the "concentration" I'm in matters but that helps somewhat right?
Click to expand...

I've found that nobody really cares what the major/concentration is in - they just want to know what the headline is
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top