Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
If you have long term friendships and family ties in Iowa I would not fully throw that away for good, but it does sound like a good life decision to try a larger city where you feel more acceptable. As you get older you will see the importance of long term relationships and right now in SF it sounds like you have none.
Realistically in order to say you live in SF would take 5-10 years, ownership of something like a business or a home, a marriage, and a solid job. I say that because even though you have a cool place to live right now you are still just as transient as the homeless that float into town. There’s nothing truly gluing you down in SF.
You may be getting by now but thriftiness can only go so far when you are rubbing shoulders with the folks at soup kitchens while you are competing with very wealthy people with wealthy families that are anchored to California and who grew up there. People in SF can probably size you up faster than you think.
Attending college in SF might bring you one step closer to being a real resident of California but debt-wise it will be a gamble. I think college is a real commitment that has opportunities to branch off and establish roots in a new state.
I’d also decide to really, really, take SF seriously if you plan to make it there. Live the healthiest lifestyle you possibly can. In Iowa if you have a security guard job you could show up hungover and slouch all day long but in SF you cannot behave that way not for a single second unless you were born there and have strong ties.
Best wishes
In San Francisco, the local community colleges are free for all California residents who live in the city. Other community colleges in the greater Bay Area are very affordable for California residents (costing only like $600-700 per year in most cases). Taxes are higher in California than Middle America because there are more perks and benefits offered, including free or inexpensive community college.
That is a huge reason I moved here. Also, all public and private insurances are required to cover procedures for trans people. If I stayed in Iowa I would need to shell out $50-100k out of pocket for the surgeries I need. Here I just need insurance, and I'm good. There is just a higher quality of life and more opportunity for me here than a place like Davenport, Iowa (my hometown). Going back there would literally be a fate worse than death for me. I did the math, and it is very worth it for me to be here.
I do agree, and it is a very good point you bring up, that it will be quite a while before I truly “live” here. Right now I might have a place to live but do I truly have a life here? No. I fully intend to start building one, though
Last edited by MasterMagz; 02-22-2021 at 04:06 PM..
Are you concerned that it would look bad to future employers? I have friends who have done security guard work and then successfully gotten other jobs. Having it on your resume shows you can show up on time every day and do your job requirements, which is more than a lot of people can say.
Ignore the people saying to move back to Iowa. If SF doesn't work out, try Seattle, minimum wage here is $16.69, there are plenty of jobs, and if you're ever unemployed, there's a program called Apple Health where you get free healthcare. Many small studios under $1k. Alternately, security guard jobs in the suburbs are much easier from what I've heard, and WA's statewide minimum wage is $13.69.
For what it's worth, that can actually be a great job for someone in school. I used to be a security guard and at most posts I'd work about 2 hours out of an 8-hour shift and the rest of the time I just kind of did my own thing. I wasn't being lazy either, there's just a lot of downtime in this line of work. It's perfect for someone who wants more time to study.
For what it's worth, that can actually be a great job for someone in school. I used to be a security guard and at most posts I'd work about 2 hours out of an 8-hour shift and the rest of the time I just kind of did my own thing. I wasn't being lazy either, there's just a lot of downtime in this line of work. It's perfect for someone who wants more time to study.
Is there a way to only work at places with significant downtime? Most security people that I see have to be present for their whole shifts and on their feet not sitting.
Is there a way to only work at places with significant downtime? Most security people that I see have to be present for their whole shifts and on their feet not sitting.
It just depends on the post you're at. With contract security some posts are very busy, but others are incredibly easy. Stay on good terms with the manager. lol
Is it all hit or miss getting a do-nothing security position? I would think a person could accomplish a lot if they had 6 hours of spare time at a desk each day.
Is it all hit or miss getting a do-nothing security position? I would think a person could accomplish a lot if they had 6 hours of spare time at a desk each day.
Not exactly. Nights are going to be much quieter than days if you're willing to work night shifts. I used to work at a hotel on the beach. During the night nothing happened so I'd just do rounds once an hour and mostly did my own thing. It was kind of nice because I could watch the sunrise over the ocean each morning. I worked a few day shifts too though and the same hotel was hectic during the day.
I knew another guard who worked nights for a store at a shopping plaza. They were closed so all he had to do was lock himself in and make sure nobody broke in. He'd just hang out there and watch TV. It sounds strange he'd get paid for that, but I'm sure the insurance discount the store owner got made his employment worth it to them.
Aside from that, once you're licensed it's fairly easy to get jobs in security. If you get stuck somewhere you don't like just change companies.
Also, regarding the danger aspect of this job. If anything ever went down your employer does not want you to get involved. They'll normally fire you if you touch anybody even if it was justified. So if something does happen, all you're actually expected to do is call the cops. Easy, huh?
So if you get a security guard job, that won't count for your paralegal career.
But it can be used to provide skills employers want, it just needs to be worded as such on a resume. For example, conflict resolution, staying calm in a crisis, trusted with high level information, etc.
But it can be used to provide skills employers want, it just needs to be worded as such on a resume. For example, conflict resolution, staying calm in a crisis, trusted with high level information, etc.
Employers do not count Mcjob experience for career jobs, with very rare exceptions. This is why people get "stuck" in Mcjobs with no way out.
Even if you clearly explain the transferable skills, if you have the wrong job title, game over.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
