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I need to move out of my depressing Midwestern hometown. I am having a breakdown and need change. I am a college graduate but unfortunately it did me for the real world and I am less employable than when I was 18. I have very little work experience but maybe enough to get a basic retail job, if I can survive the interview. I am an extremely poor interviewee. I really am building my life from scratch after making the mistake in pursuing my worthless degree, instead of pursuing an actual career. I am an artist and anyway I never really found it important to care because I always assumed I would that career versus what I majored in, as dumb as it sounds.
I have about 4k in my and own a car. I have relatives in a few cities (Seattle, Salt Lake, St. Paul) who could help me. I just don't know if it would be better to stay in my boring, stagnant town where opportunities are few but there is little competition, and then move, or just go now. I don't know if I should build up my skill set in a town that's killing me to be in or move somewhere more exciting, but where there is more competition. I do not have a good resume or any skills that can help me earn money. All my friends have their own obligations and can't take me in, and I have no friends to speak of in my hometown. I obviously need to move but need a plan first.
Because now I have a non practical degree and whenever I step in to an interview I always get the "What are ya gonna do with that?!?!" question. I can't say nothing, which is the truth. I can't hide the fact I attended school because all my experiences were work-study jobs. I am a strange mix of under and overqualified. I found it so hard to find a job in high school because I was shy and not confident. I'm sure most restaurants would rather hire a high school student than a 22 year old hippie who has failed at life (thus far, at least). I probably seem like an entitled weirdo to most working class people employed as hiring managers at restaurants and supermarkets. I'm just assuming all of this, so I could be wrong.
I live with my mom because that is my only option.
Last edited by Cryinbaby; 10-20-2014 at 11:56 PM..
I have very little work experience
I am an extremely poor interviewee.
I have about 4k in my and own a car.
I have relatives in a few cities (Seattle, Salt Lake, St. Paul) who could help me.
I (want) to move...
I really am building my life from scratch
I obviously need to move but need a plan first.
What you need is a willingness, even enthusiasm, to do whatever you can get for a year or two.
The only thing that matters is that it pay well ENOUGH to maintain your life on.
(be glad you don't also have dependents)
Ideally... enough pay to manage on 30 hours per week.
If you MUST work more then the job needs to be teaching you a useful skill.
Where you do all of this does not matter one little bit.
But it will be objectively simpler in a medium sized non mecca like city.
(eg St Paul vs Seattle)
Last edited by MrRational; 10-21-2014 at 04:53 AM..
Ok. Do you want to work? Are you willing to get up at Zero Dark Thirty work hard all day, go to bd tired, and do it again?
Houston is booming and needs people willing to work. Go get a job and get your head straight. Cost of living in Houston is lower than the northeast, etc, and there is a beach, although not Florida beaches.
What you need is a willingness, even enthusiasm, to do whatever you can get for a year or two.
I agree with this. Your brain is what's holding you back right now.
Don't move. You aren't ready. $4k is nothing these days. Be thankful you have a place to live (rent free, I assume?) and get ANY job that pays you (two jobs if necessary.)
Save what you earn. After a year you can reevaluate your location. But moving and supporting yourself are very expensive. Your post is too vague for me to offer anything helpful related to using your degree. My dad majored in art (painting, to be specific) so I know something about supporting a family with a "useless" degree.
If you know you are shy and that is preventing you from being hired, then work on that.
As Henry Ford said, "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're probably right."
Basically, in a small rural town, the employers are looking for high school graduates for the kind of retail jobs you're looking to start out at. Most of the kids who go away to college never come back or have business degress that they can apply to running a business where they apply for work. The only thing I could think of would be to try to find work in construction or other work where you are. In the other city, there are lots of retail jobs that hire kids who are working their way through college or had to get a fallback job after the post-graduation job search didn't yield a good match.
How many interviews have you gone on? You should've learned from those interviews and adjusted your answers into more positive ones. Also, the more you do it, the easier it becomes.
I would also suggest getting any job you can at this point.
But... you say you're an artist. What type of artist? Are you good enough to sell whatever you produce?
Instead of sitting around doing nothing between interviews and actively looking for a job, why not try to sell your art online? You would have to learn a lot about business, marketing, etc., but it could be something that can at least make you some money as you go ahead with your life.
You need to improve your attitude and be more positive.
If you're not working are you volunteering?
Sitting around being unproductive is your biggest problem.
Are you working on expanding your skillset?
I think you need to fix/address the above before you go anywhere.
Have you ever thought about getting started in painting houses to make some quick money ?
Maybe then get involved with some creative indoor painting of commercial offices or industrial murals ?
Even restaurants have out of the ordinary rooms painted in the old world styles that need special skills to apply.
Think outside of the box of where your skills can be applied within the current construction boom that is going on across America.
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