Degree Frustration (VENTING)

[Emrld]

Ok here is the scoop - school was flat out not for me.
When I dropped down to 115 lbs (from a healthy 145 in under 2 months) and was lucky to actually sleep 10 hours over a 7 day period . . .I recognized somethinig was not right. After speaking to medical professionals (mental and physical varities) I suffered from severe test anxity. So I could stay in Collage/ University and most likely end up in the hospital - or leave and start working.
Until now this has never been an issue for me.
With the current job market the way it is the people who are hiring want that @#$#@$#$%#$%#^$#$%^ piece of paper. It doesn't matter if the major was underwater basket weaving, vocal perfomance or something useful to the job.
The fact that I have been in the professional work force since 1994 has no bearing on anything . . . .Even if it says degree or equal work history.
Now I am a licensed Real Estate agent which does require taking a specific amount of collage hours with career specific and then a test. By my understanding it is equal to an associates degree.. . .but it doesn't actually count as one.
I have a brain. I have experience. I have personality. However, without that flippin piece of paper I can't even get in the door.
Yes, I do realize it is something I need to try to get now. . . however you have to have money to go to school and support yourself - wonderful circle that it is.
Does anyone have any ideas or thoughts?
At least I am hearing from the companies. Of course hearing you are not qualified over and over and over isn't helping my state of mind any.

[Kiwi]

believe me you cant win

I have a degree in Art history/ History

all I ever hear is "you have a degree you will be bored in office support" or "you have a degree your over qualified, are you just getting a job here until you find a "real" job"

could you perhaps handle an extramural degree? one of my friends worked 30 hours a week and only took two courses a semester for her degree and did it all by corrospondance (from a real university not an online degree in 3 weeks one)

[prb]

You should consider a University that offers a Distance Education program. I'm not sure who offers it in the US, but there are a few here.

[Emrld]

I would like to get a degree . . .but it takes money.
Have to have a job to make money.
Have to have a degree to get a job . . .money to get a degree . . .job to get money. (this would be the circle I was talking about)
Basically I have enough to pay my bills (things like mortgage, utilities - not upgraded cable, call waiting, caller ID - just basics) and buy food, put gas in the car till mid/ end of January.
I am taking today - Sunday off from job hunting. I have been checking website after website 7 days a week for at least 3 hours each day.
With this being a national holiday here in the US majority of businesses are closed. Many will also be closed tomorrow. I need a break from the search.
Wish me luck for next week. I need to land something soon.

[Kiwi]

If you have to print off your resume and walk in to a mall. Apply at every single store that has an ad in the window

then go to the big box stores in town wal mart, sams, costco, kmart etc and apply

then supermarkets

it is SO much easyier to get a job when you have a job

have you signed up with any requritment agencies thats how I got my office job. they gave me typing and other tests in office support (thats what I work in) and approached employers on my behalf.

good luck

[Carolaaine]

I can relate to your situation:

I'm in University right now and I am searching for a job....
I also have something like test anxiety: before, during and after exams i get stomach ulcers, kidney problems, heart rhythm thingies,... I'm in and out of the hospital a lot, although I try to cope during the exams because I want to take all of them.

I live in Belgium, normal situation for a student: parents take care of you until you graduate, you live at home or in the city where you're school's located. Everything from college to food to money for bars is paid for by parents.

My situation: I live alone, have to pay for everything myself. Luckily university isn't really expensive here ($400 a year or so, REALLY cheap, government fundings blahblah) but there're still books and bills to pay. And I want to have a life (go out, see friends,...)

I've tried working full time, part time, as a temp, but I always wind up getting fired for: not being flexible enough (some courses are "attendance mandatory"), downsizing the company, "just a temp".

Whenever I would have a good job, I'd get sick because of the stress (exams) or something like that. Since they can't fire you here for being sick and your employer gets money from the government for you sick days, you'll get fired if you so much as sneeze....

When I see people of my age, they're all happily spending their money and when they run out they just ask mommy and daddy for more and it really depresses me. But for me independence is better than being controlled by my parents.

Only 3 more years and I got my degree....


Maybe you should move to Belgium/Europe?

[wagegoth]

Where I live and what I do, you can't get in the door without a recruiter or a referral from another employee. Cold CV submissions are usully ignored.

If you have any friends in jobs that might help, ask them.

If there are any agencies where you live, sign up with them. Only sign up for job placement if you do NOT have to pay a fee. The employer should pay or the agency could have you work temp to hire to cover the fee.

It's a bad and good time to look for a job. The economy is a mess, but it is the time for seasonal hires, so getting a foot in the door now could lead to a better job later.

And remember to have the right attitude. What works for me is to go in with a friendly attitude and the absolute belief that they would be lucky to hire you. It really does work.

[Eric the Grey]

Good luck with the job hunt. Unfortunately I cannot help you with that.

However, you CAN go back to school. You live in the US, which means you can apply for Federal guaranteed student loans (yes, that means you have to repay them later, but the idea is you'll be working at a much better pay rate by then).

Go to your local community college and speak with an adviser and let them know you want to come back and take classes. Hopefully you know what kind of career you want. Then. . .

Go to: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ and fill out the forms as soon as you get your taxes done for next year. The down side is you'll have to wait until next fall to apply to a college. The good news is you only have to take 6 credits (generally 2 classes, but it can vary from class to class) at a time to qualify. That is considered half-time, full-time is 12 credits per semester. It's a good idea to plan as far ahead as possible, and cut back on your loans to only what you absolutely need to spend it on (classes and books, etc) so you won't have as much to pay back.

I'm doing this currently, taking a slow route out of the IT field. I'm not rushing things too much, since I do have a good job currently.


:cool: Eric the Grey