Dropping out of college...what next? (employment, debt, apply, unemployed)
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Okay, long story short, I have decided that I no longer wish to pursue a college degree for many reasons I do not want to get into. I have two jobs that pay above minimum wage (a little over 20k/yr). I am interested in pursuing a career in writing, but we all know how stable writing is...right?
So I need some ideas as to what I can do career-wise that won't require a college degree. I am hoping for a job that pays around 40k/yr (if possible) that doesn't require more than a high school diploma or a two-year degree.
Where should I go from here? I currently live with my mother who thinks I'm a failure at life (and she is probably right), but she says she will let me stay with her. I have some money saved up, no student loans, no children, single, and I would like to travel the world.
And please, no comments urging me to go back to school. I've seen and heard about so many stories about unemployed and grossly under-employed college graduates who make less money than I do with just my high school diploma.
Any career suggestions or advice would be wonderful.
What are your two jobs? If it is retail or restaurant, bust your behind and get into the management training program. You'll put in a few years of hard work and lots of OT, but you'll start netting 40K. Just make sure to check what that particular company's education requirements are for management positions. Some will need a degree, most won't. If you chose, they will probably reimburse you to go back to school in a few years.
My friend was working at Starbucks. They have a 40 hours week, great benefits and not a crazy schedule. At the end of his 10 years there, he was making close to 90K. It was a hard job, lots of politics, but he enjoyed it for that time.
I have another friend that works at Panera, she's a store manager, makes about 80K with bonuses, no degree.
Learning a trade like many in earlier generations would be good. You should def cultivate some skill as travel is not free and you need basics at the least like food, clothing, shelter.
Okay, long story short, I have decided that I no longer wish to pursue a college degree for many reasons I do not want to get into. I have two jobs that pay above minimum wage (a little over 20k/yr). I am interested in pursuing a career in writing, but we all know how stable writing is...right?
So I need some ideas as to what I can do career-wise that won't require a college degree. I am hoping for a job that pays around 40k/yr (if possible) that doesn't require more than a high school diploma or a two-year degree.
Where should I go from here? I currently live with my mother who thinks I'm a failure at life (and she is probably right), but she says she will let me stay with her. I have some money saved up, no student loans, no children, single, and I would like to travel the world.
And please, no comments urging me to go back to school. I've seen and heard about so many stories about unemployed and grossly under-employed college graduates who make less money than I do with just my high school diploma.
Any career suggestions or advice would be wonderful.
I just want to point out that I HOPE that isn't why you are dropping out. Just because you hear people with diplomas make less than you and you feel you are doing well, does not mean you should drop out. The whole point of a diploma is for long term returns, not short term.
What are your two jobs? If it is retail or restaurant, bust your behind and get into the management training program. You'll put in a few years of hard work and lots of OT, but you'll start netting 40K. Just make sure to check what that particular company's education requirements are for management positions. Some will need a degree, most won't. If you chose, they will probably reimburse you to go back to school in a few years.
My friend was working at Starbucks. They have a 40 hours week, great benefits and not a crazy schedule. At the end of his 10 years there, he was making close to 90K. It was a hard job, lots of politics, but he enjoyed it for that time.
I have another friend that works at Panera, she's a store manager, makes about 80K with bonuses, no degree.
I work as a Patient Care Associate at one hospital (11.13 after differentials) and a sitter at another hospital (base rate is 10.80/hr but with both differentials, I can make 14.67/hr).
I just want to point out that I HOPE that isn't why you are dropping out. Just because you hear people with diplomas make less than you and you feel you are doing well, does not mean you should drop out. The whole point of a diploma is for long term returns, not short term.
No, it isn't the reason, but there is some truth to that statement.
College isn't that golden ticket to the good life anymore.
I dropped out of college, but I also had certifications and experience in a trade to fall back on. Had I not had those, I would have pushed myself to get the degree. Having nothing to fall back on is almost entirely a dead end unless you're considerably young and are willing to start on the bottom somewhere. I would recommend thinking twice. I'm not saying the degree will net you a great job right off the bat, but it is SOMETHING that can differentiate you from everyone else.
OTOH, there are decent technical and trade programs that are worth looking into. Pick your flavor and do the research, you might find something that tickles your fancy. I would be the last person to suggest a 4 year degree is a must. But I will say, any job that is going to pay somewhat of a decent wage is going to require you have some related experience, or at least the mindset for the job and the ability to learn. Employers have little patience for those that can't at least achieve some level of productivity and proficiency on day one.
If you don't think you can work and go to college, then go ahead and drop out and find work. Maybe in a few years, you can return to college with a better idea of what you would like to do with your life.
I would drop out if I was in debt over 10K -15K (student loan debt) and my grades suffered (might possibly flunk out). I think if you have a trade, even better. College isn't for everyone.
Keep in mind, however, it is very hard to return to college and work full-time, there are drawbacks with managing your time to do this. The good part is, when you are a few years older, you might have a better idea of what you would like to do with your career.
Moderator cut: ... Nah, but college def is not what it used to be. It is not the be all and end all route for finding reasonable employment. In fact I would say more times than not these days that it can be a complete waste of time.
I would say get into a technical field and see if that works out for ya. Beyond that I would say try and work your way up to a management position in retail/restaurant.
I am interested in pursuing a career in writing, but we all know how stable writing is...right?
I'm in the process of pursuing a writing career with a degree and about 96% of all writing job ads I've seen require at least a bachelor degree in journalism, English or communications. However, I have seen some that don't require a degree, one of those is Groupon in Chicago. If you have a knack for using "witty" (they call it witty, it'd not really witty) humor, you could try to apply there. But if you're seriously interested in a career in writing, it would be smart to get that degree.
You could also try freelance writing, but that is very hit or miss.
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