I Need Some Advice
I am 21 years old and dropped out of college last November. Due to a lack of finances, problems at home, and realizing the degree I was pursuing was impractical (think of it as the perfect degree for an sjw), I decided to dropout and move back in with my mother in order to find work, save money, hopefully rent a small studio apartment, and then focus on earning a worthwhile degree. Of course, life isn't that simple and the biggest issue I am having is finding a job.
I have a year of experience working as a Custodian and 2 years working in data entry. Both were part-time, on-campus jobs. Since I want to pursue work in data entry and other office related work, my resume only has data entry for my previous work experience. In addition to my experience, I have experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. I can only type around 50 words per minute but I know HTML, CSS, Python, and am currently learning Java. I have no formal education in these programming/markup languages and instead used various free online resources (Youtube, Codeacademy, etc.) (This paragraph is not for bragging but to give more information on what I have to offer as a potential employee).
Anyway, I have been looking for work since November. I have applied to hundreds of positions and created profile accounts on LinkedIn, Indeed, etc. So far, I have had several interviews (phone and face-to-face), but I never hear from them again. I have spoken with recruiters who would claim to "help me" find work but have never contacted me about any jobs. Not only that, but I have had companies that claim to be in the city when they are actually in the surrounding suburbs.
Although I am frustrated about not being able to find a job and having to go through multiple hoops for a low-paying job that is just enough to live on my own, this post isn't for me to rant, claim ageism or discrimination of any kind, etc. but to get some advice: how do I get job offers, especially for office jobs? Should I look for other positions, such as retail, custodial, etc.? My mother is telling me to go back to college, but I have learned more information in the past few months than I have in college (which is sad but true). Besides, my family members who have degrees (including my mother) are drowning in debt with low-paying retail jobs and I do NOT want that to happen to me.
Other than being 100% sure I should not go back to college until I have enough money, I do not know what to do: its like I am trapped and employees look over me for other candidates.
You're on the right track and I wished I had your wisdom when I was 21. Unless you're going pursuing a degree in the medical profession like a physician, or nursing degree (bachelors, not associates) or engineering or any career where the starting pay is $65,000 or more, it doesn't make sense to come out of college straddled in debt. I STRONGLY recommend attending a local junior college if you can because they're not only less expensive, you can at the very least obtain an associates degree then decide what you want to do from there and at a minimum have established a pretty good educational foundation.
Going to college is a huge commitment... financially. Don't sell yourself short by thinking your area of study would be useless. My first year, I changed my major 3 times. I didn't return until after I had my first 2 children, as a single mother and working 2 jobs. I went back but only did what I could afford. Local community colleges have great schedules for working adults and offer online courses as well. Get the basic requirements out of the way. Even if it's just a class or two a semester. You will get there. I'm 20 years later and discovered that what fueled my soul was nothing near what I decided on initially. I took certification courses here and there which help me gain a better understanding in the field, which I used to my advantage in landing low level positions but it helped with hands on experience and I used that to go straight for proctored testing instead of additional courses. I might be way off but don't give up and take your time. Time is on your side at this stage in your life, so enjoy it. Best of luck to you
Angelica have you tried Hospitals, Attorneys, City or County jobs. There is also. Banks you sound pretty qualified for that. Or even the school systems.
Get active on GitHub and it’ll help you break into junior development roles.
Girl, go back to school stay with moms or apply to army nd get school paid for! Don't give up girl your young! Cozie liveurebestlife.com
Angelica I am impressed with the skills that you currently have and a lot of them you have taught yourself which proves that you have focus and drive. I think that you need to cast your net out a little further and see what you find. In other words look at jobs you have not considered applying to.
Congratulations on making the right choice IMO with a tough decision. Most colleges only give a surface level of the type of programming that will be done in the real world. This creates a gray area between the skills you need to be in demand in the marketplace. At the root of it all companies hiring programmers are a lot more concerned with you programming skills than they are in where you went to school or IF you went to college and value quality code above all. It is true that equal skills will likely result in the person with the degree getting the job. So here is my advice for your journey.
- Code, Code and code some more
- Use free tier products like Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure and show off your code.
- Get involved with coding projects via things like Linux or Microsoft Virtual Academy and work on projects (most of the time this is volunteer, but it grows your network and hones your skills). Put together a web site and show off what you know.
- Learn to work with groups and grow together.
- Take some MOOCs with certified tracts to validate your skills
- LinkedIn and Upwork are 2 sites I'm aware of where you can freelance
- Keep great records and documents to validate your progress
Keep in mind that the primary goal with or without a college degree is to prove that you CAN code in a high demand market. Establishing this will set you apart. You should at some point complete your degree to break through glass ceilings, but you can earn a lot of experience and land a job with a company who will either pay for or mitigate the cost of completing your BS.
Best Wishes!
Definitely go back to college (when you are ready) as soon as possible. A great thing might be hand write a simple "Thank you for taking the tume to meet with me I appreciate the experience... would you mind sharing advice on what I could do to improve". That is, if you didn't say or discuss this at the time of the interview.
Well you're young and is understandable not having enough money to finish college I've been through the same thing about what happened to me I wind up getting married and never went back I'll tell after the fact when money was more tighter if you can find a way to finish school I get a job then look for that way knock on every door in your head can you come open up the right door to lead you don't just jump on opportunities to benefit another sometimes you dig a deeper hole and get push further away you are from your dreams take your time and think hard about what you really want to do I was in school I was working at the same time. But life is based on chance that's all it is you take that chance for what you got to do call this is your future
https://www.progressive.com/careers/ https://www.allstate.com/careers.aspx.