APPLY FOR VOLUNTEER WORK IN YOUR FIELD. Jesus fuck, everyone has to do it. You get experience, connections, plus if they're hiring, volunteers are a safe bet.
Well, my field is medical related or research related. I can't really afford to get a 2nd degree, considering I have no income. I won't have financial aid because I am probably at my limit. I'd need a job to finance it, but no job atm. My GPA kinda sucked, I dont really have letters of recommendations, and I didn't really do much during college besides to go class. So I probably would get rejected from medical, dental, optometry, and other higher professional graduate schools. I'd look for smaller colleges, but gotta distinguish which are scams. I actually looked into doing internships during my time as a student at my university. I even went to the internship office to look and filled in an app with a few of my friends. I don't remember exactly why I didn't get into one. I think cause I was taking 2 labs that take up 50% of the day and a 3rd or 4th class. I still need job or experience before going back to school. Because what is the point of going back to school and getting a certificate in something if I still don't have experience. Right now, I am not even sure if I can get the prerequisite classes I need. I need 3 classes (2 cannot be taken at same time) so it'll take 2 semesters at least. Since I am a returning/new student at my community college, I might not get priority in registering for class. Believe me, community college classes fill up VERY fast. My sis right now is attending community college, she only gets 1 useful class, maybe 2... and the rest are bullshit classes to get enough credit to qualify for full time student. If I get into a certificate program, it would be hard to get a job mainly because I'd be going to class from 8am to 5pm (sometimes night class at hospital). There is weekend, but it would be harder to find jobs only for weekends. I might join the military before I turn 26. Maybe air force? Air force seems to be the safest of the miltary branches. Maybe I'd get stationed in Japan lolzzzz. I am not sure if I can get through physical training, as I am an out of shape asian (slight asthma) with thick glasses.. But air force is 4 years and I might not get anything accomplished lol.. which means by time I get out I would be 30 with nothing to show for it. I have a few elementary friends in the military (some are about to get out) and they told me it is probably not worth it and I should go do my own thing. I think the weeaboo business might just be a side job for extra money. I think a relative might hire me in his printing shop, but for minimum wage and its a 15-20minute drive (16 dollar gas money = 2+ hours of minimum wage down the drain) and stuck in traffic for 1 hour. Probably sounds like I'm whiny and bitching @_@. I suppose I am better off than the 48 year old pedophiler on the To Catch A Predator. lolzz... I am still 20 years away from that. hahah
Yeah, this. All work experience is something you can put on your CV. I did work experience in Manchester which involved 3 hours of commuting each day, which ended up costing me a fair bit of money in fuel (shit's like $9/gallon if converted). But it was something on my CV. After that, I worked unpaid somewhere for 5 months, learning how to work in my field. I then got my own qualifications, paying for them myself (my company paid and I paid them back over time). I then worked at this company for nearly a year, on near-minimum wage. I could have gone elsewhere and got more, but I stayed and learnt more, got more qualifications. You have to work unpaid, no-one jumps into a highly paid job. 9/10 times, if you do a good job, a company will take you on. Stick with them for at least a year so you build up a good relationship, and they can be used as a reference. If all this fails and you decide to join the military, then get your shit together. Firstly, 99% chance you won't become a pilot, probably going to 100% chance if you have shitty vision and can't afford laser eye surgery. Saying "I'm out of shape" is no excuse. Get the fuck into shape. Running doesn't cost money. If you do join the military, then from what Varbles told me, they'll pay you through education afterwards. At only 4 years (UK is 7 so count yourself lucky) that's a really good deal. Your physical condition will hold you back unless you fix it, and there's absolutely no excuse for not doing so. I'm genuinely trying not to be offensive here, but you need to stop coming up with excuses as to why you can't do things, and start creating solutions. It seems to me like you have 2 options: 1) Unpaid volunteer work to get yourself on the career ladder. 2) Military service to pay for education. Both of these require you to get your shit together, get off your ass and make a genuine effort to better yourself as a human being. No-one gets anything done whining on a forum. Just make a decision, plan for how you're going to achieve your goals, create then necessary steps and FUCKING STICK TO IT.
Ya it's been summed up nicely by a few peeps here, networking is so fucking critical. And Volunteer work or internships are a way to go about it, just getting your foot in the door somewhere is 1/2 way there, people don't want to hire a just random nobody generally. They don't know that person, if they fit, if they don't. If they've worked with you through an internship they at least know you then, and if you apply to one of their positions that say they want 5 years experience they might waive the experience and hire you on. Honestly I have never had to apply at random to a bunch of places(not that you shouldn't, at least 20 a month is the going rate for hires), every single one of my jobs is from knowing someone and having worked with them at something or another. Show your not a lazy piece of shit and people will hire you no matter how under-qualified you are in experience.
or you can recognize you didn't get much out of your undergrad, like a lot of folks who get them when they aren't ready and don't have a specific need. just for the sake of some kind of progress (getting something in the wallet) go get one of those jobs you think you are "over-qualified" for. because chances are you're not. many of the bartenders, restaurant managers, independent artisans, home tech repair people, chefs, retail store managers have undergrads and still have lowly non-career jobs that you fancy yourself overqualified for. that you probably can't really do, because these jobs do require some active engagement to really master. you can't just show up and go through the motions anywhere in life and expect shit to work out for you. if all else fails go out and get a shit job. be the best at your shit job. you could be the manager of girls undergarments at babies R us! earn some dignity and self respect for yourself (which judging from OP you be lacking). while doing that make observations, what are the stories of those around you? how did they cope with hurdles and challenge? are there lessons to apply to yourself, are there lessons you can create an opportunity with later on in life? I understand that being an american with a degree gives you some sort of special reverence or opportunity or license to be special and accomplished, but it doesn't. ultimately, you need to eat, get a new pair of shoes, and go to the dentist. mom and dad only do that for so long. so having a hard time crystallizing and executing a future vision for yourself? go grind out a few years, or months even, of some shitty under-qualified job and see how seriously that will make you take your considerations of various prospects and the degree of which you have initiative to follow them through and to what quality. (sort of the same as joining the military when all else fails. minus the mercenary stuff, plus the personal freedom) also if you can some how muster up the initiative to follow through military service, then you should also believe in your capacity to turn the corner on a personal level independent of such an institution. if that is the case, you should also have faith that when the appropriate time comes you will have wherewithall to be a research or a teaching assistant. thus paying for school without loans or a four year military commitment. we should save and edit this thread and make the first official empires self-help book. it's like hezbollah making children's cartoons
Once you leave the bubble of full time education life is more complicated but not really more difficult. Business is much different from academia so just generally understanding a commercial organisation's priorities will help. Employers know that knowledge can be taught, but aptitude & attitude are fixed (for their purposes). Showing these personal traits is as important as your degree, be it through networking or references a proven quantity is always preferred but if you don't have that right now don't worry. Most people did not start their careers as professionals with a rolodex full of head hunters and 2 years industry experience in their pocket. Stop pressuring yourself, Rome wasn't built in a day & the decisions you make now probably won't be the ones you will be stuck with in 5/10/20 years time so chill out. Cast your net wider & take any work (paid or not) that is at all useful, get a bit of a confidence, see how businesses run, meet some new people, find a new coffee joint that serves great banana bread, etc. You will likely have to do this a couple of times before you get that career job you want and as far as I know that is quite normal. Ohh and get positive, shit could be worse.
At any rate, I need a job or volunteer to do to get some work experience in something and a little bit of before I go do what I have to do. And lols, the closest hospital to me requires 2 letter of recommendations to be considered for adult volunteering O_O. Even when I applied for internships back then, I didn't require letters. Guess time to look for other nearby hospitals. Yeah. I am trying to find volunteer work in anything to get references in the future. That is probably what I need. I am also trying to reach out to old friends to see if they know of any gigs and advice. Since the holidays is coming soon, I am right now looking for temporary positions at retail stores as well. Hobbes, you are right. I just got the degree for the feeling of progression. Also, I guess next time on applications for crap jobs, I shouldn't put that I am a college graduate. I should just put some college experience. And make up some bullshit that I stopped school to find a job because of economic reasons. Honestly, this last 1 year after I graduated from my university, I've been a hermit. Kinda wasted a year doing some bullshit. The bullshit requires skills I never had, non-existent network, and no source. Since the bullshit didnt work out, I am panicking lol. Now I am trying to change it to become more productive. Azk, I have to pressure myself or I won't get anywhere. I am not growing younger lol. I kinda want to change my lifestyle I suppose. The military may be an option mostly because 1) maybe i can get training and experience in something medical or engineer or something that can help me. 2) Set my shit straight. 3) I get veteran benefits like veterans hospital (which I heard is a death trap, but better than nothign) and I think they get a small retirement fund for completing at least 4 years. Basically I am considering it to get benefits and experience. Although I have no idea what to expect and if it is for me. Navy = I cant swim (attempted to learn 5 times @_@. Maybe I should try again cause now I have some fat lol). Army/Marines = dont want to die T_T. But yeah, probably volunteering would be the best option right now. Instead of wondering about wtf to do.
can you float? btw swimming requires you to keep trying. honestly keep trying and when you start to learn how to float you'll be able to swim. just start by floating and go in water just deep enough so you can breath if you jump up, breath, go down be completely under water this way you wont drown but will be able to practice floating. I know its hard but this is the way I teach my students to float.
Back then I was skinny. I couldn't stay afloat. I remembered something about me being too tense and not relaxed. Right now I have some fat ... Maybe I can float better now lol. I remember the days when I was 17 in a class with mostly kids under 12 haha. btw... after rummaging through my old papers, I found that I had a letter of recommendation from my high school I dont remember getting or using. I was trying to find my old volunteer gear with the humane society/animal shelter, a red apron and a badge. I volunteered there 5 years ago, it is probably long gone. I wonder if they still have records of me being there.
lol dude, doesnt matter if you have a lot of fat or not, it matters a tiny bit but not that much. Anyway if you want to float you cant be tense cause you need to spread out your body as much as you can horizontally, if you are tense you cant relax muscles and thus not make an as big surface to float. To learn to swim you need to float, cause in almost every swimming technique theres a floating situation, this can be long or short. Long being eg breaststroke and short being butterfly and average being crawl.
actually it is not, swimming gets you in condition really fast, and swimming is one of the sports that trains almost all muscles.
Oh the fun you had in the locker room with them. And the pics that are still considered classics in certain parts of the internet. :p
Is that supposed to be pedo related? >.> Just used a shower located outdoors to wash off chlorine. Yeah, the little kids were better than me at swimming lol. At the time, my sister was also taking classes. She also does not know how to swim after several attempts. I might start jogging today to make it a routine. Should I carry a bottle of water and maybe a large stick?
Don't be a pussy, why would you need a stick? And don't bother with the water, it's just extra weight. Drink when you get home after jogging.
dont drink 10-20 minutes before you go jogging or you are going to be in a world of hurt after a half an hour. If you go jogging carry nothing but an ipod or something for music. before you go to bed at night, do some sit ups and push ups, it'll help you sleep and stimulate muscle growth and night.
