It's been a crummy couple of years

Post Reply New Topic

Now, when you spend a few years in college for a associates degree, you'd think you will be pretty well off. I certainly thought that would be the case, getting a associates degree in broadcasting. My dad said that he could help get me a job at one of the local TV stations, and I got a apartment to boot. Things are going great right? Well...

My job at the TV station was crap. I got paid $6.15 an hour and was only allowed to work 25 hours a week. I was barely getting by, and had to have my dad help me out with the bills. This was the first sign that I really done something wrong, because when I moved out, I swore to myself that I would never freeload off of anybody. I wanted to be my own person, but with the money problems that I was facing, that wasn't happening. After some coworkers started to spread some BS rumors about me, I had enough and quit there to work overnights at Target.

It was slightly better. The money was OK, but my hours were, shall we say, schizophrenic. Some weeks I would only work 2 days, others I'd work a full 40 hour shift. It just depended and how busy they got. It wasn't the worse job I ever had, but after working there for a year, I got fed up working into the early mornings. Since I'd ended up sleeping for most of the day, I had very little time for myself or my friends, not to mention some of the team leads weren't really good (I had a team lead who, due to believing that I wasn't working fast enough, asked me if she wanted to show me how to walk faster. ), so I quit there and worked for a telemarketing firm.

That offered better pay, and my moods towards the job differed from day to day, but it at least allowed me to live comfortably. That is, until in June of this year when I got laid off. Ever since then, I've been applying at different jobs and getting turned down left and right. And as of this week, I've learned that it's only a matter of time before my unemployment benefits run out, and I'll probably have to move back in with my folks. This has been upsetting me, because I'm 24 and I'd just feel pathetic if I had to go back living with my folks again, not to mention I hate to be a freeloader and I want to rely only on myself. I'm pretty bitter that I spent 2 years of college with hopes of success, only to become a bum in the eyes of some people.

I'm trying my best to look at the bright side of this. My time since getting laid off allowed me to lose some weight, I'm taking a class that just may pay for me to go to college for a medical office worker job, and there is a job interview coming up this week. Of course, just because I have a job interview doesn't necessarily meant that I'll get the job. Ever since learning that my unemployment might be going down soon, I'm having a hard time keeping a positive attitude. These past couple of years certainly didn't come out the way I hoped.

As long as you aren't one of the people thinking that, then it doesn't matter. If you do think that, then I suggest giving yourself some slack.

The economy sucks right now! It's very, very, very far from an ideal environment for a young person starting out. Even if the economy was better, starting an independent life is tough. It seems like everyone I know went through some trials of life when they were in their early twenties. It's like natural order that you get kicked in the nads a few times while your trying to get on your feet.

I don't think you should feel bad if you need some help from time to time. People need help sometimes, that's how things work.

Good luck with your interview!

I think you've done really well.

I finished high school in the early 1990's and looking back, I did alright considering there had been a recession around that time.

I went to college for 4 years (as i failed year 1) getting a computer design degree. I've had one office job that i left as i couldnt cope with, and a shop job i had to leave when the shop went bust. My best friend from uni passed a master's degree, and she works in a Blockbuster video. Theres just not much out there.

Degrees from liberal arts colleges in areas such as communications or broadcasting or production arent worth s**t. That's really how I felt after learning the hard way. I should've known better given that Ball State was the only college in the state of Indiana that would take me in without crazy requirements. I also learned from a friend doing grad school right now that it was the only college in the state of Indiana that also doesnt require you to take the GRE to do the master's program.
Now wonder I became a post college failure...

But hey, OP, you actually got a job for a while in the field you graduated in (and on an associate's degree!), that's like five steps above what I'll ever accomplish so you should be proud of that.

And sometimes, it doesnt hurt to rethink your career goals, even if it means going back to school. Who knows?