In need of job, money, health

After taking 2 years of Networking at the college here, I dropped out because it didn't interest me. I don't have the first year degree from the course because I failed a silly English course, so I really have nothing to show for it. I tried Programming last semester, but dropped that too because it was a lousy sham. I was one of two kids enrolled, and the topics were too technical. As a result, I've been banned, technically, from enrolling in anymore courses there.

I really am in dire need of a job and healthcare. I've been looking for work involving computer tech, or web design for a few years with no luck. I blame this city of 50,000 because everyone wants experienced applicants and they won't give newcomers a chance. It's boiled down to looking for jobs in other places. Diabetes is expensive ($300/month) and I can't afford the medication. A high-paying job, or full medical benefits is really my only option.

I'm a little worried about moving to another city because I have no cash to fall back on. Officially, I have no college education either; I do have A+ and Net+ ,though. (A few thousand bucks would help me search in other provinces/states.)

I don't know what to do. My parents are footing the medication cost now as this is the first month ever I have never had healthcare. Any info on how to get a green card for working in the US and American healthcare would be appreciated as well.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Check out Robert Half International. They're a staffing firm that handles at least IT, Management, Finance and Office Admin. My experience was pretty decent with them. They had me placed within half an hour of the interview. Granted, you may not qualify for any IT positions, but if you're desperate for cash, I'm sure there's a ton of companies that need assistants for filing and rote data entry.

Thing is, what I'm hearing at least in Finance is that the market is headed in the direction of staffing firms rather than direct recruitment. They're really your best bet if you have no experience and no education. At least that gets you in the door to then prove your merit to an employer. Not to mention positions and accomplishments you can then put on a resume.

Problem is, they offer pretty much shit in healthcare. Then again, it'll still be better than what you've got now. And the time you spend under their crappy healthcare system (this is all US by the way) can be used against the probationary period if you sign up for healthcare as an individual. So it can't hurt either way.

Looks like you're in Canada. I do know that Robert Half has an office in Montreal, so I assume they've other offices up there as well.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I just wanted to post this here and free my journal from this solitary post.

I've mentioned before that I've been unemployed for a number of months now. I needed to get certain things straightened out in my head before I could look for a job that would suit my skills.

In January, I was almost guaranteed an IT job with my friend in another city. My skills beat out that of any of the other applicants but my education wasn't up to par. Failing an English course in the first semester of college prevented me from obtaining a first year graduate certificate, and dropping the second year didn't help either. To them, I don't have a college education at all. I wasn't hired. I had never realized how important the college education really was. It felt like BS during the course, but still ended up being pretty valuable.

To keep it short, even without that piece of college paper, I'm still at my best working at a job involving computers or web design. I would also consider jobs those grunt jobs requiring no education below me. I'm curious to know if that makes me seem like an asshole, because that's what my mom seems to think. My mom's constant nagging and old-fashioned views of a job are what annoy me most.

It's a fact there are no IT jobs in this town. I've decided to not be such a pussy and look in other cities like Lethbridge, Edmonton or in other provinces. Calgary still scares me. :/

I think I'l going to take a trip to Lethbridge, find a newspaper, and cruise the businesses. Not to mention, scout the sites like Monster for jobs.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Render

I would also consider jobs those grunt jobs requiring no education below me. I'm curious to know if that makes me seem like an asshole, because that's what my mom seems to think.

Yes, it does.

If you can't be bothered to sit through one silly English class to finish up a college degree, how reliable of an employee do you think an employer will feel you'll probably be?

Also, if you're expecting to get a visa to come to the US with no education and no job prospects in order to get full health insurance, then I think you need to wake up and start living in the real world.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by RacinReaver

Yes, it does.

Agreein' with RR here.

How can a job not requiring education be below you? Essentially, you have no education. How can you expect to get anything better than that after dropping out and being banned from enrolling again? Didn't you also drop out of high school (I might be thinking of someone else here, sorry if that's the case)?

Sure, you can get an education without officially graduating, but you sure as hell can't get a job.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Render

In January, I was almost guaranteed an IT job with my friend in another city. My skills beat out that of any of the other applicants but my education wasn't up to par.

How do you know that you were better than all the other applicants?

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Render

I would also consider jobs those grunt jobs requiring no education below me.

And relying on your parents to help solve your financial troubles is not? To me, not being independent is a much harder "blow to my dignity" than having a job I don't particulary enjoy doing. But that's me...

It sounds to me like you want to be on top without having to climb there and that's not how this world works. I mostly agree with what others are saying, you really need to look around and reevaluate your situatiion.

If you stand a better chance of finding a job you would seem "worthy" in a different location, but lack the funds to move there, how about getting ANY job that would help you raise the money you need ASAP instead of sitting and waiting for a miracle to happen? If you lowered your "standards" somewhat, you might have been working already and made some if not all of the sum that you lack.

You do what you must on the way to your goal, there is nothing "shameful" about that. Especially considering your current situation.. like RR said, get real.

I would also seriously urge you to complete your higher education whenever possible for reasons you probably already understand yourself. For what it's worth, having some (some more?) working experience will make your choice of future profession much more conscious, not to mention you'll be taking your studies much more seriously and with greater interest. So in that respect your situation is not entirely without advantages.

There is something to be learned from every situation that your life throws at you, as long as you are able to realize what that "something" is, you'll be fine. And if you don't realize it, you just may be going in circles untill you do.. or untill you die, whichever comes sooner.

Anyway, good luck in your search.

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Which province do you live in? You can try going to Alberta, there are many jobs that do not require experience and has advancement opportunities.

My brother has a diploma in IT, but found no job at home in that field, so he went to work in Alberta at the oil fields and got hired right away. Now he trains new recruits.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Personally, I blame the baby boomers.

It was familiar situation here in Ontario. I had a 3 year diploma for a network program, my CCNA certificate, Network+, MCSE, A+, and working on my CCNP and ISSO. I spent a year trying to find something that remotely resembled an IT job in my field, and the closest thing I could come up with was a JOB at DELL doing just Virus troubleshooting etc.. I wrote exams for various Government positions , typically scoring 90%+, but never hearing good back *typically a latter congratulating me on my high mark, but that I did not meet the criteria they were looking for AKA visible minority*. I was even fluent in 3 languages and no luck.

So, Basically I turned around, joined the commissionaires and worked for them while I used that money to finish up my ISSO and CCNP. The benefit of working there also resulted in me getting a Top Secret clearence, and thats when the jobs starting to roll in. Turns out places like Robert Half were dying to find people with Secret or Top Secret clearences.. the only problem is that it takes 6-12months to get it.. and you gotta either work for a government agency or well off company. Costs something like $10,000 for a non federal company to get one person their Secret...

Anyways, as mentioned before, your best bet would be something in the trades field, or the oil fields. Just do that for awhile , building up your savings account. Once you are ready to go, maybe go back to school to get the diploma you will need, and go from there. The IT field is VERY competitive right now in Canada. I've talked to a few people about it and it basically comes down to the baby boomers taking up all the mid and higher positions, leaving many to fight for the entry. If you don't have the experience to beat out the other people, then you have to have the education.

ATM, you have neither.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Render

To them, I don't have a college education at all.

[...]

I would also consider jobs those grunt jobs requiring no education below me.

I like how you act like it's not your fault that the above-mentioned employer thinks you're beneath the position offered, then go on to say something major asshole like that.

Quote:

I'm curious to know if that makes me seem like an asshole, because that's what my mom seems to think. My mom's constant nagging and old-fashioned views of a job are what annoy me most.

I'll tell you what my mom told me. When you get hungry, you will get a job. Until then, keep complaining because that's free.

She didn't say that last part though, she isn't a jerk.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

When I dropped out of college, had to move back in with my parents and was in serious need of money, I worked double, sometimes even triple jobs to pay my way through community college and start funds for moving out.

I constantly searched for any job that I knew I was capable of doing, some even more. I would update my resume on a weekly basis and post it on Monster.com, Yahoo Hot Jobs, even send it via email to various different job-placement agencies. I didn't have a car back then so I relied on public transportation and my boyfriend to drive me to interviews and such. My choices were limited.

So after a few months of empty results, I registered with a local job-placement agency. I finally landed on a job that required speed-data-entry: an invoicing clerk for a vegetable / produce warehouse. It was $8, maybe $9 an hour and the job started at 6 in the morning, but it paid the bills, and somewhat held up my bank account. Basically this agency gave me opportunities as a temp worker provided to businesses around the area.

Currently, I work as an aircraft parts buyer, and my W2 Forms from this year tells me I'd accured 31K gross. How I got to this job was from my last job as a temp worker; I was working in a administrative assistant (pseudo-secretary) job, which netted $13/hr. (As you can see, it's significantly better compared to what I first got paid right after dropping out of university) One of the managers in the aircraft parts group saw that I was a hard worker, eager to learn, and willing to take challenges, so he recomended me to the position as a buyer when one of his employees were leaving. That's the job I have now, and I've since then accured a 401K plan and can afford for myself: 1) decent health care which I never had before, 2) a car (last year), and 3) braces to straighten my teeth, which was NEVER a possibility under BOTH of my parents' income while I was growing up as a child.

I don't know about you, but I was pretty desperate for a job that my pride was beneath me and I didn't care who or what paid my bills. If you've got neither cash to get yourself out of your crummy situation / go back to school or no educational background to support your experience on a resume, then I can say for sure it's not your place to be picky. I know because I've been there.

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