In a financial bind, need help finding assistance programs.

[Weltall]

For starters, you can't expect experience with Photoshop to land you a solid job, unless you can program Photoshop.

I kid, I kid (not really).

From what I just read, it doesn't sound like you have a degree. That would be step #1. Do not listen to anyone who tells you it is a waste of time. You don't even need to learn anything if you can memorize your way through it; all you require is the piece of paper.

[Squirrels]

Because plenty of experience in Graphic Design means my experience is only limited to Photoshop. /sarcasmoff

You said you've been making $10/hr since age 16. Question, who's paying a 16 year old $10/hr and for doing what?

Edit: You're right I don't have a Bachelor's degree. My financial situation(with FAFSA taking into account my mom's income still even though I'm 23 and living on my own) doesn't permit me to get back into school at the current time. I know it's worth it to go back to school and I do plan on enrolling for next spring or summer after I turn 24(unless FAFSA raises the age) at OSU or Columbus State.

Since I was a freshman(03), my plan was to go into the USAF straight out of HS but I was denied because of the Tulip filter in my heart as well as the plate in my arm. Had I known that I was going to get into a semi vs pedestrian accident a month before my graduation, which resulted in the things I got rejected for, I would've gone to college straight out of HS. I wasn't told I was rejected from the USAF until the end of 07, after they went through all of my medical records.

[dejet]

I live in NY make fucking 25/hr and thats still not going to give me a great life in this area. My real hope is to get a promotion to 30~35/hr with this bank and move out of state and hold onto that pay. I am just cheating my way into having a good life... Most people are not so lucky to have a job that will let them move and keep that pay.

10 an hour is good now even in my area where short of six figures your not living a good life. This is why I am staying with this company just to keep my New York state crap pay that is great elsewhere.

Stop putting down people who have the schooling and just can not find a job that pays well. Yes the OP does not have a 4 year degree, but he has some higher education. My last job was at a supermarket before I got into banking. We had a person who had a law degree and passed the bar working there till I quit. I was happy to find out about 6 months back the dude got into a minimum wage job(7.75 I think in NY) in a law firm.

[Manako]

When I was making negative money I was able to get some of my school loans differed, it was very easy to do by calling them up. I'm not sure if they need to be a specific type of student loan to qualify.

Cutting food expense down /making your own when you can is definitely a way to save money. Gotta look at what is cheap for your area but I remember my diet of rice, beans, cheap meat and cabbage all right :-/ Used to roast a whole chicken on sunday and ate with potatoes, then had the rest in dinner for the week with rice. Can then boil the carcass for broth. I also ate a lot of hummus sandwiches and tuna casserole.

[Weltall]

To answer your question, at 16 I was doing lawn/garden service with my friend for +10 an hour. In college, I was working for an electrical company drafting blueprints for hospitals/prisons/other large buildings for 22.70/hour. Not going to say what I make post college, but I wasn't putting down people with degrees + no work, if you were talking to me.

I just wanted to know in which part of the US experience + degree = $10/hour, and was considered lucky. People should avoid this place like the plague.

I say the degree part is so vital because when resumes come in the door, ones with no college degree literally go straight to the trash can or recycle bin.

[Melena]

For starters, you can't expect experience with Photoshop to land you a solid job, unless you can program Photoshop.

I kid, I kid (not really).

From what I just read, it doesn't sound like you have a degree. That would be step #1. Do not listen to anyone who tells you it is a waste of time. You don't even need to learn anything if you can memorize your way through it; all you require is the piece of paper.

Hell when we had the dot com crash in the bay area, I was seeing a tech support job listing, must be fluent in Japanese + a BA in computer sciences for 12 an hour. When the economy is in the shitter, employers can abuse that.

[Tyche]

Genuine question, but it may come across as somewhat dickish...why would you do computer design in Columbus Ohio? It wouldn't seem Columbus would be conducive to someone with those particular talents. I mean, if you're among the best in your industry, you can probably get a job anywhere. Generally speaking, however, someone who engineers industrial heaters isn't going to move to Florida. It's cool to pursue your dream, but either move to a location that supports your dream or have a dream that's conducive to your area so you aren't left in the cold.

[Kalmado]

More like, what shit hole do you live in where a degree + experience only yields $10/hour and is considered lucky? My God...and don't say NYC or any large city because on $10 an hour you would be homeless basically; unless, said individual lived with his or her parents.

What is minimum wage now? I was making $10+ from age 16.

Jackson, Michigan. One of the poorest middle size towns in Michigan and possibly the country. Minimum wage here is $7.45 It doesn't matter anymore what you made in the past. The job market has changed. You are delusional if you think you can walk into any job in any town and start off at more than $10/hr regardless of education.

Regarding education, a blanket statement like "just get a degree" IS a waste of time. For every success story of someone that actually did get a job with <insert degree>, right now there are probably 10+ stories saying they can't get a job for minimum wage with the same or more credentials. I'm 31 and I think my age group and those close to being a little younger or older were the ones that followed the "go to school for your dreams" idea and are stuck with degrees for niche jobs like being in the arts and stuff. On the flip, colleges pumped IT as the next big thing so tons of people went for that and the market is overflooded. Nothing new there.

I don't have a degree either and not much school so I entered sales as I was tired of working my hands to the bone for $10/hr. If that's I was going to make, I figured I'd go into sales where I had a possibility to make more and have a cushy desk job where I sit in a/c all day. I'll be the first to admit I should've went to school right out of high school and I'm paying for it big time now. But I would've went to school to be a writer and I'm not so sure I'd have a job right now even with a bachelor's degree.

[Kalmado]

Hell when we had the dot com crash in the bay area, I was seeing a tech support job listing, must be fluent in Japanese + a BA in computer sciences for 12 an hour. When the economy is in the shitter, employers can abuse that.

Bolded for crazy truth. It's unfortunate things are like this. I wish we as a society wouldn't have to settle for $10/hr for skilled positions. It's sad what we're all dealing with right now.

[dejet]

Find a friend/family member to get your feet in the door. That is the god damn key to making money, I have no shame in saying my mother got me my first job with Citibank.


That is how you get paid 10+ nowadays.

[Weltall]

You are wrong and wrong.

1. I am not delusional about the job market; I asked the question to know which area to AVOID where the market is so void that $10/hr with experience and a degree is considered lucky.

2. Yes, there are people without degrees trying to get a good job and cannot. Lets say your chance(%) at getting X job is 10% (1 job opening, 10 people applying), and all applicants are of the same age range. If 9 of those persons have a degree listed on his or her resume, and you are the 1 who does not, your % decreases to literally below 1%. At most large companies, your chance is a literal 0%. Thus, getting a degree is not a waste of time, under almost any circumstances.

[Weltall]

Dejet is spot on as a mother.

Valid info so far to the OP (I didn't read entire thread yet):

1. When you can, get a degree.

2. Once complete, find a friend/family member to get your feet in.

2b. Get feet in the door through family/friend at a lower position, and get a degree while working to move up in the company.

3. Move to a city with the type of job market you are seeking. As Tyche said, Columbus, Ohio isn't exactly the best place to live for graphic design; if you pursue this, move to: California, NYC, Seattle, or various Canadian cities.

Edit: Learn to type and speak well. Also, use semicolons and colons where appropriate; this will take you further than you can possibly imagine. If you can impress potential employers, managers, or partners through typed words, you will find yourself far above the competition. Yes, I realize I didn't do this throughout my posts, lol

[tyven]

i feel like delivering pizza is prob better than 10 bones an hour. 10 bones an hour is after school shifts at footlocker

[Kalmado]

You are wrong and wrong.

1. I am not delusional about the job market; I asked the question to know which area to AVOID where the market is so void that $10/hr with experience and a degree is considered lucky.

2. Yes, there are people without degrees trying to get a good job and cannot. Lets say your chance(%) at getting X job is 10% (1 job opening, 10 people applying), and all applicants are of the same age range. If 9 of those persons have a degree listed on his or her resume, and you are the 1 who does not, your % decreases to literally below 1%. At most large companies, your chance is a literal 0%. Thus, getting a degree is not a waste of time, under almost any circumstances.

To point 1, you would have to avoid entire states such as Michigan for sure. From experience you would have to avoid the Toledo Ohio and a 50 mile radius surrounding it if not more. Even 5 years ago I couldn't find work anywhere there so I ended up commuting to Michigan to stay working. Also, while in Sarasota County, Florida, I had a hell of a time finding work too. Finally ended up getting a job as a sterile processing technician at the hospital making $10/hr, which was lucky.

To point 2, I disagree and this is why. Place yourself as a business owner or hiring manager. You interview 10 relatively similar candidates for a job. 9/10 have somewhat similar degrees and experience. The 10th doesn't have a degree. After all interviews you decide you really could hire any of the candidates. Without a question, you hire the one w/out a degree on the sheer fact you can pay them less due to not having a degree and the others, especially with more than a bachelors, would want more money.

Weltall, I do agree with you that people should get a degree. But it should be in something they can get a job in and make enough to support themselves. That's the tricky part. You have some really valid points, but the sad truth is getting a job is quite a task nowadays unless you have a great skill set or have a specific degree for an in demand job.

[Kalmado]

i feel like delivering pizza is prob better than 10 bones an hour. 10 bones an hour is after school shifts at footlocker

My own mother at the age of 56 can't find work right now. She's been doing massage therapy for the last 10 years but she has rheumetoid(sp?) arthritis and she can't do it full time. She also has 20+ years experience retail and she can't even get a job at Walgreens right now. For a hobby a few years ago she made soap from scratch for xmas presents and stuff. She's going to try to do that as a side job for extra money to make up for her lost income since she just can't get a "normal" job right now.

[Weltall]

Well, if getting less money is the objective here, then sure, don't get a degree.

The business owner or hiring manager will still take the candidate with a degree because the pay rate will be the same due to the shit-tastic job market you have all described. The candidate with the degree will settle for it due to all the circumstances you all have described.

[tyven]

My own mother at the age of 56 can't find work right now. She's been doing massage therapy for the last 10 years but she has rheumetoid(sp?) arthritis and she can't do it full time. She also has 20+ years experience retail and she can't even get a job at Walgreens right now. For a hobby a few years ago she made soap from scratch for xmas presents and stuff. She's going to try to do that as a side job for extra money to make up for her lost income since she just can't get a "normal" job right now.

people greeter at walmart. thank me later

[Kalmado]

Well, if getting less money is the objective here, then sure, don't get a degree.

The business owner or hiring manager will still take the candidate with a degree because the pay rate will be the same due to the shit-tastic job market you have all described. The candidate with the degree will settle for it due to all the circumstances you all have described.

So if I'm hiring for a job that pays say $40k/year normally and I want at least an associates, but a guy comes in that I, as a manager, believe he can do the job, I wouldn't offer him say $32k/year but I'd instead pay more? I've seen it first hand, this is how things work. If you think otherwise it is from lack of experience in the workforce.

[Kalmado]

people greeter at walmart. thank me later

You're right. My mother like many others feels that with her age and experience she is entitled to more than what a greeter would pay and/or she's "better than that". I don't agree with it at all. I'm the one that's going to have to figure out how to pay for her later. Things are hard enough for my wife and myself.

[Tyche]

You're right. My mother like many others feels that with her age and experience she is entitled to more than what a greeter would pay and/or she's "better than that". I don't agree with it at all. I'm the one that's going to have to figure out how to pay for her later. Things are hard enough for my wife and myself.

Long term care insurance.

And I used to hire entry level positions for a not-for-profit several years ago. Mostly warehouse work, truck drivers, lift operators, etc. I'd never take a pool of applicants, find the least qualified, and offer them less than anyone else. That's a good way to destroy a company from the ground up. Even if you think they're somewhat competent, you don't take a lesser qualified individual. The only exception to this rule that I've ran into was retention issues. If you have a high employment turnover and wish to fix it, you don't hire someone with a master's degree to an entry level position, as they're likely to bounce before you know it and you lose the initial investment it costs to hire.