I need Prayer

[ladyinred]

Just found this thread, and you can add me to the list of those who are praying for you to find just the right job, or career path!

[IncPen]

This is a great time to be in school.

It's also a great time to be in business.

Most people assume that uncertainty is bad for business. I disagree. I think the unknown causes people to do daring, gutsy things. I know it did with me.

My advice is to ask yourself, gut level, do I want to tough it out in the work force, or do I want to go to school and get some skills? Whatever you choose, I implore you to (at some point) get a college education. The experience of juggling work and school, making you prioritize, and excel, will not be wasted. Also, college is a great place to meet future co-workers and to hone your thinking skills. That's what will set you apart.

I'm probably leaning toward suggesting that you to go to school, if you have choice.

If you don't, temping is great for flexibility skill-learning. It aint great in my experience in making you feel secure.

Keep us posted, you're definitely making progress!

[tiki]

My 2 cents is take a part time job and go to college. It makes a difference if you have some education. I know a lot of people who have gone to trade school, (refrigeration, appliance, electrician) and they have more work than they can handle.

And I'll pray.

[sonsofliberty2000]

My leaning is toward the school for these reasons:

1)I'm young and about to get married. It will be much harder later if kids or other things come into our familys life to get an education.

2) Right now I am in school part-time and getting use to it again. Being out since I graduated high school (in 1997) I found it hard to get into the swing of things. And looking back at #1 the older I get the harder it is to juggle. I can barely take it now sometimes.

3) The more I procrastinate the longer I wait. I know myself that much.

Are these enough reasons you guys think?

[rintense]

May you continue to find comfort- and a job! Please keep us up-to-date!

[sonsofliberty2000]

I am currently waying my options for education. I am currently seeking a degree in Programming. Some people are telling me to change to another field in health care and the like. The career guy at college says both programming and networking are great and suggests networking might be a better field currently.

Any ideas?

[tiki]

I'm afraid that is really up to you. What are you good at? What do you like to do? You're going to be working a long time so choose something that interests you.

[sonsofliberty2000]

I am good at computers, writing and like to also teach sometimes at my aunts school (private school just starting out and a free sub is always popular) mostly on history or English. I am leaning toward Networking because I can get Cisco and A+ certification that way.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you for the update! I don't have any suggestions for you, but I am praying! Hugs!

[Eva]

Teaching is not a bad idea, depending on the state where you live. I don't know how W.Va. pays their teachers. An experienced teacher in PA. makes $50,000/yr. in WA it's more like$35,000.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Hang in Nick. I will keep you in my prayers. Heck, we all will. Many of us, including myself, have been where you are now.

I am getting married in little more then 3 months and you all will probably understand my urgency and feelings of fear in not having a job.

Do not fear. Do not despair. Don't go down that road. Satan will be waiting for you there. And never, ever give up. Ever.

You are talented and worthwhile. I've never met you but I know this. I know this because you have a woman who has fallen in love with you and is going to marry you. They are very perceptive creatures you know.

Good luck, my FRiend.

[oceanperch]

Listen to your heart. Do not let society pressure you in any decision you make. It has to come from you. Continue to be pateint as only God knows what is in store for you. Listen to what the Holy Spirit is telling you. It may be something you never thought of or may not think you like.
Prayers going up...Good Luck...keep us updated.

[Alberta's Child]

Thanks for the update. Despite all the confusion and your difficulty finding a job, it's clear to me from your posts that you have a lot of different options -- and that's a good thing.

Understand that what I am going to say here is specific to my field of work and may not apply to yours, but you might find it useful anyway . . .

If at all possible, I would recommend going to college on a part-time basis and working as much as possible at the same time, especially if you can find a job in your field that provides you with a good learning experience as well as some money to keep you going. This is especially true if you work in a field where your work will be more useful in keeping you up to date with changes in your field than school is.

However, some other folks here have mentioned the fact that interest rates on student loans are very low now -- this is an option that I didn't have, so I never even considered it when I was in school and working on a full-time basis.

My advice would be this: If you can find a part-time job in your area of expertise that allows you to go to college full-time and complete a 2-year degree in two years, then it's probably a good idea to go ahead with it. If you live near a city that has a public college or university, you'll save money on your school expenses and avoid the hassle of moving somewhere else and finding a job in a place only because the school is there.

One last bit of advice: I would strongly recommend against paying exorbitant tuition and fees at a private school -- the education you get there is not going to be any better than the education you will get at a state school. And if you are borrowing money to cover most of your expenses, then this will make a big difference in the end. There is no point in going out and struggling to finish school in two years if you then have to spend the next ten years struggling to pay off your loans.

[Mr. Bird]

Based on our previous correspondence, I assume you're putting the healthcare career on the backburner. One of the advantages to the careers we discussed was the relatively short time it would take to actually become licensed, and also the comparatively low educational costs. If you're set on IT, you could marry the two ideas and look into something called PACS technology, which is the electronic archiving and management of imaging diagnostics (radiography, MRI, CT, etc.). Believe me when I say that it's much less competitive than the general IT job market, and the pay is damned good.

Either way, the prayers are still flowing and I'm glad you're keeping us posted. Keep up the good fight, and you'll land on your feet. I guarantee it.

[sonsofliberty2000]

That was actually what the career development guy suggested. I haven't backburnered anything yet. I'm just trying to finish my classes now then weigh all the options.

[sonsofliberty2000]

My biggest problem in this area (being Northern Panhandle) is the lack of jobs. I am stuck looking at mostly part-time jobs in food service or the such and my best lead, Radio Shack, has yet to contact me but I have tried to stay in contact with them. Work in my field in this area seems to require the piece of paper from a school. In fact all the good jobs listed require it.

[Snowy]

Keep the faith, Nick! My husband has had his own business that he has started from scratch (about 7 years now). We are still struggling. It's a computer software company, so you know how that is. You may have to settle for less than you are used to, but you will discover strengths you never knew you had. :)

[Alberta's Child]

I am stuck looking at mostly part-time jobs in food service or the such . . .

I see. You are limited in what you can pursue there because the skills you have aren't matched by the degrees/certifications that you need to "prove" yourself.

If that's the case, then I would lean toward going the full-time route at school and getting whatever work you can get on the side. When I mentioned before that going to school on a part-time basis while I worked almost full-time was great for me, you have to remember that I was lucky enough to find a position in my field that paid a pretty good rate for a technician who was still in school.

Before that, I worked in a retail position on a part-time basis -- I wasn't thrilled about this because it wasn't my real line of work, but I earned enough money to pay my way through school and impressed the management so much that they made me a supervisor after only three months. If I had been interested in that kind of career I could have been very successful at it -- so it's very possible for you to find a decent position outside your career interests that can carry you until you finish school.

Mr. Bird sounds like he might be onto something -- he mentioned a few areas that offer a possible combination of a strong field (health care) and work in your areas interest.

Sounds rough there in West Virginia. Have you thought about moving somewhere else, or do you think you'll be able to settle down there once you finish school? Is the "Northern Panhandle" the part of WV that separates Pennsylvania from Ohio, or is it over between northern Virginia and western Maryland?

[dalebert]

Furthering your education is always a good thing to do. But know there is a job for you as God knows it.

[dalebert]

Praying for you also.