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I don't know what to do.
Hey girls, I've been working as a file clerk for a company for a little over a year. I was told when I started it would go full-time soon. It still hasn't, and I'm now working two offices, 2 days a week in an office about 40 minutes away and 1 day a week at the local office. At this point, with gas the way it is, I basically took a pay cut, but it was presented in a way of take this offer or lose two days of work a week. I went from filling up my tank once a month to once every 1 1/2 weeks. My DH and I are trying to save for a down payment on a house, we live in an area where a starter home is about $160,000+. We've been saving for over a year and we still don't have enough for a down payment.
After college, I worked two jobs for about 2 years because its been so hard to find work, I was hoping this job was the answer to that, but now we're discussing me trying to pick up a second job again, but I remember how exhausting it was working some 12+ hour days and working 6-7 days a week. I would frequently work 20+ days in a row. I really don't want to go back to that and my husband doesn't want me doing that either.
One of my biggest obstacles has been my BA, I am overqualified for almost everything I can find because of it. I'm overqualified for the job I have now and actually didn't get it the first time because of that. Sometimes I wish I hadn't gotten a degree. None of my jobs have been jobs where you need a degree. Some of them a high school drop-out could have gotten. I just don't know what to do or what I want to be "when I grow up," and anything I might be interested in I have to go back to school. But going back to school isn't an option now or anytime in the near future. I feel stuck and frustrated. I thought that a degree would open doors but I'm afraid mine has just closed doors. I'm even having a hard time finding a second job because of it.
Re: I don't know what to do.
Many universities have career placement help and assistance for their alums...also your school's alumni network might have people you can reach out to.
What is your degree in BTW?
Is is possible for you to take job with a temp agency for a while? Or would you be able to find a position as an Admin Asst that is closer to your house? Some of them get paid pretty good money.
I worked retail and a full time job for a while, and it sucked. I don't blame you for not wanting to go back to that kind of schedule.
I have a degree in history. We live in a small city so it is really hard to find a job here. The closest bigger city is where I'm working two days a week. I've been holding on to this job because it is so difficult to find jobs in this area.
I graduated college four years ago and it took three of them to find a job paying more than minimum wage. I'm just so disappointed that four years after getting through college I still have no full-time job and have to consider getting a second job again like I had to do while living by myself right out of college.
I really wanted to work in a museum, unfortunately the ones here are on volunteer basis.
Librarian requires a masters in library science which is not offered in my area and it a hard job to get unless one is retiring.
I'd have to go back to school to do teaching since the social studies Praxis includes history, geography, political science, sociology, psychology, and economics (which was the class I got my lowest grade). Plus with our school system having so many cuts teachers are losing jobs in this area. Literally everything that have some interest in I cannot get a job in.
Two other people with history degrees in nearby areas are still working retail and are about to lose their jobs due to store closures. Another is working as a teller at a bank. No one is really fairing any better than be, but I still get frustrated. We probably are all frustrated.
Sorry for that being so long!
Do the math. If the job is costing more than travel costs and frustration, then quit and invest time in getting yourself the skills or time you need to find an adequate job. It sounds like working retail/service industry close to your home would be a good choice for the short term while seeking full-time employment in a career field well-suited to history majors, such as pretty much everything.
In the long term, I think if you have two other friends in the same small town with the same degree in a notorious career field that is difficult to get into without higher education, also with jobs that don't apply to your major, you need to reconsider whether you want to stay in this town and change careers or move and/or get more education. I know that neither is an easy choice, but it sounds like you've got no prospects with the current living situation and economy.
The bad news is that you may not be able to continue your passion in your current location. The good news is that you may discover other passions through this challenge-most history majors I know aren't anywhere near history anymore. Except one, who got his PhD, and is currently unemployed.