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I'm in a rut. (kind of long)
I'll try to make this as short as possible, lol.
- I'm 19
- Have a little over a year of work experience at entry level jobs (Front desk at a gym, and currently at a froyo shop)
- No college experience, only high school diploma
Okay. So...I hate my job right now. I really do. It's a huge waste of my time. I'm getting no more than 15 hours a week, if I'm lucky. Min wage. Never got the promotion I was told about because the owner of the store doesn't like the fact that I'm taking a week off to go get my car in CA (I'm in TX), regardless of my perfect attendance, great work history, etc etc. Completely unfair, and don't get me started on how unprofessional the guy is! -sigh-
Now college. I had a fallout with mom, and she's the rich stay-home wife that mooches off her husband's pay. Dad is barely making it with a 20% salary cut that has gone on for years, and he's supporting his wife (who's in pharmacy school), 5 y.o. daughter, and his parents off the little bit that he makes. He still sends me a few hundred now and then, leaving cute little notes like "Go get yourself a microwave so you can relax and spend less time cooking," on the paypal notifications. There's no way I can ask him to pay for my school, and I can't possibly come anywhere near affording it with the $150 I get every two weeks from work.
I'm trying to get an entry level position as an admin assistant, but I'm stressing. Will people hire me with such little experience and no college? I'm pretty good with tech stuff, that's my thing. I'd like to think my customer service is really good too, seeing as how I leave my 5 hour shifts at Menchie's with ~$10 in tips for just welcoming people and taking their money. I've highlighted that on my resume, as well as all the tech stuff...but I'm still nervous. I need a better job, my boyfriend works way too hard (2nd year electrician apprentice) to pay the bills, and all I do is sit at home 4 days out of the work week. I don't really know anyone in Houston, seeing as I moved here on my own a year ago. Bf and I are pretty wrapped up in each other too, bringing friends into the mix just seems to complicate things, and we can't seem to find people like us. (Which is a reason why I moved halfway across the US to be with him, lol.)
TL;DR: I have a crappy job, no degree, no connections, and I'm young. How do I get a real job without going to school just yet?
I seriously don't know how I'm managing all this stress right now.
Re: I'm in a rut. (kind of long)
Are you applying for other jobs? Do that, period. You can also talk to HR departments at companies you love about what they're looking for in admin assistants. If they NEVER hire people without college degrees they'll tell you. If they are actually more interested in good work history and teachability, they'll be honest about that too (ideally!).
You sound like you want to have more job satisfaction and friend support, but you're not taking action to get it. Go find friends! They're out there. Do the hobbies you love and meet other people who do them. Turn off the TV, take the boyfriend or not, but get out in the world. When you feel more plugged into your city you may feel less cut off.
It's not your dad's job to pay for college. Take out loans like all the other non-rich people in the world, if you decide you really need that degree. However, I encourage you to do your research before going to school. A degree, only to have the paper, may not get you what you want.
Lastly, it's normal to feel lost, overwhelmed, and poor at 19. I think that's REALLY normal.
Ugh. Thank you so much for that, I really needed some words of encouragement, lol.
I am applying for other jobs like crazy! I think I put in about 20 or so so far this week, and I still have tomorrow c: The talking to HR departments thing is a great idea, thank you! I'll see what I can do right now w/o a car, I won't get mine until early next month. (Houston is too big to take the bus everywhere
)
Honestly, I want more job satisfaction so that my man doesn't have to work OT all the time. His work is tough during his standard 8 hours, he shouldn't have to work more than 40/week to pay for everything. I want him to be able to relax, and I want to save up a bunch so that we can get an early start on college funds for a future kid.
As far as the friend thing goes...it's not that big of a deal, but I have to admit, it would be nice to have coffee with a girlfriend. Problem is, all my hobbies are digital - art, photography, music.
Time to find something new to do, I guess.
I'm thinking of going for an accounting degree, it seems like the most practical use of my time and money. I don't really have any interest in medicine after going to a medical magnet high school for 3 years, and I hate sales with a burning passion. lol
c: I really appreciate you taking the time to reply! Thanks!
I would have done the same thing, but I'm hardly getting any hours, and pay is minimal when paired with gas money. BF and I spend $300/mo on gas - ONLY for him to get to work. Add the gas for him picking me up from work, visiting his parents, us going out, etc etc, and we spend a grand total of ~$450/mo, just on gas. It's not fun.
I get paid 7.50/hr, and get maybe 10 hours a week on average. I just can't make it, especially not when I have a trip to CA next month to get my car that'll cost us 300 in gas just to drive it back home - not to mention food, a hotel, etc etc. At the end of August, my BF has to pay $400 for his apprenticeship school (he goes once a week), and then at the end of September, our lease is up so we have to pay for 1st mo. rent, the deposit, admin fees, all of that wonderful stuff.
I'm about to pull my hair out, lol.
PPs have a lot of good advice. The only thing that I would add is that it may be helpful to look at programs that local community colleges offer. They usually make it easy to go part time with flexible class times, or even online. And they are cheaper classes than standard colleges. Some even have programs for you to transfer from the community college to a state school with tuition discounts (depending on your GPA, etc).
If you're worried about costs, you should def find whatever job you can, even if it's another part time job, retail, food service, etc and put any extra money towards classes.