Fight or Flight? (Los Angeles: real estate, loans, house)

[wave06]

I just graduated college, from an expensive private university and owe an insane amount of money in loans. It has been six months and I am still unemployed. Every job that I find that seems perfect for me, but by the time I get to the bottom of the job announcement, I am slapped in the face with "must be bilingual Spanish" or "bilingual Spanish preferred." Ahhhh! This is for over 75% of the jobs. The other 25% you must have tons of experience and even that is valued over education.

I don't know what to do anymore. I decided to go into social services to help people, but I cannot do that unless I speak Spanish? So, people give me the typical response, "Didn't you learn in school?" Okay, well the three years of Spanish courses I took in school hardly qualify me as fluent or bilingual. That (textbook Spanish)is not what people are speaking on the streets. Furthermore, I should not be forced to learn or speak any language to get a job unless it was my decision to move to a country with an official language other than English. Of have I been under a rock and our official language is now Spanish?

Should I just give up and leave Southern California? It's my home and I love it very much, over 5 generations born here. But, I don't know if I can take anymore. I am so frustrated. I do not want to leave my family but I am extremely depressed about this situation. And lets not even get into the real estate out here. At this rate, I'll never be able to move out of my parents' house. Do I have to leave the area I was born and raised in and love just to make a better living? Any sugguestions, personal experiences, etc. are welcomed and appreciated. Thanks!

[SandyCo]

Unfortunately, anyone in the social services job market is going to be required to speak Spanish as you've already discovered. I think that's because the majority of the poverty stricken people in L.A. are now Spanish speaking. Latinos are the majority in Los Angeles, after all.

What area of social services is your degree in, just out of curiosity? Because I'm a little surprised that you're running up against this Spanish speaking requirement only now. Did you do any internships while you were studying for your degree? Or did you go to school somewhere else where it wasn't an issue?

I wish I could be more helpful.

[artichoke63]

wave,

it's not that difficult to learn spanish. If that's your only problem, then go take a class and learn the language. Gives you something to do while your unemployed.

Artie

[SouthBayTodd]

live where you want to live - with determination you can make it work

[the one]

wow that sucks for you. thats how i felt when i was trying to get jobs and they required another language, other than english or spanish. i thought i could help pilipinos, koreans, ethiopians, but hey sometimes the people from those cultures know how to help them better than i do, at least lingusitically. only suggestion i have is to keep on looking for a job. somehting will come up, but of course it helps when you know someone who can push your resume along.

[snb3]

multiculturalism is killing the culture that matters most here... and I'm an immigrant.

[Need_affordable_home]

Have you considered being self employed? I live in West Palm Beach and have been unable to find a job worth anything so I started the self employment route recently and my friend is gonna help me make around $40k a year with tips and advice.

The difference is I am unhappy living in West Palm Beach. Are you happy living in LA or not? Is there anywhere else you could see yourself living in? Would you ever be able to afford a decent house in a "safe" neighboorhood in LA(probably over half million $$$$) There are many good locations. You could even live in a suburb of LA or a different part of CA or move to another state. Hope this helps.

[Vicman]

Originally Posted by snb3

multiculturalism is killing the culture that matters most here... and I'm an immigrant.

This is nothing new. Try working in the early 20th Century New York City. The same thing would have happened.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by SandyCo

Unfortunately, anyone in the social services job market is going to be required to speak Spanish as you've already discovered. I think that's because the majority of the poverty stricken people in L.A. are now Spanish speaking. Latinos are the majority in Los Angeles, after all.

What area of social services is your degree in, just out of curiosity? Because I'm a little surprised that you're running up against this Spanish speaking requirement only now. Did you do any internships while you were studying for your degree? Or did you go to school somewhere else where it wasn't an issue?

I wish I could be more helpful.

A little aside: my last two girlfriends were Latina, of Mexican ancestry. We used to joke about how I'm bilingual and they couldn't speak Spanish.

[wave06]

SandyCo: My degree is in psychology and sociology. Unfortunately, was not aware of this because there are poverty stricken people of all ethnicities. I started out premed and did all medical internships rather than social service. It was my senior year that I decided I wanted to do social service work rather than healthcare.

Artichoke3: I know it's not that difficult to learn Spanish and I took 3 years. But, like I said in my original post, what is taught in schools is not what is being spoken on the streets. Plus, I should not be forced to learn Spanish to get a job. I could see myself learning French if I move to France or Chinese if I move to China. I should not HAVE to learn Spanish.

Need Affordable Home: I have considered self-employment. However, since I'm entry-level I need to start somewhere first.

To everyone with positive advice and support, thank you.